Hi Everyone

Here’s this month’s Gone Fishin’ Newsletter.

Every month a team from our fellowship at Calvary Wellington heads out to our regular fishing holes – the Naenae Market and Hillary Court shops, or the Hutt Riverbank Fruit and Vege Market. There we share the Gospel to those in our immediate community. 

Once a month I publish a simple newsletter that is distributed to the fellowship (or for anyone else who stumbles across this website), as a way of encouragement, and as a tool to equip us to be better evangelists.

You can read the last Field Report from 16/12/23 here.

Enjoy!

Gone Fishin’ Monthly Newsletter – February 2024

“He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.”

(2 Kings 18:4-8).

Hi Everyone

It seems such a long time ago since our Christmas Outreach! I trust you used the opportunity to spread the Good News with all your friends and family over the break. I hope like me you are eager to get into the monthly outreaches again!

________________________________

Revival is such an over-used word in Christendom these days. Everybody wants revival. Everybody prays for revival. Everybody thinks revival is going to come one day, but only after all the Christians spend endless hours on our knees praying and fasting for it.

But is that what revival is? When it comes, how will we know it’s here? How do we know when to stop praying for it?

In today’s passage we see how revival is done on a national level. But at the same time, we can parallel this with using the law and Gospel in our conversations with unbelievers. Although we would all love to stand, decree and declare that everyone must abandon their gods, and follow the one true God – in reality we know it will probably never happen.

We note in the passage that the first thing Hezekiah did was tear down places of false worship:

“He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.” (v4)

Not until the old places of our worship are torn down and destroyed, can we be free of them. It makes no sense to try and make a fresh start, while at the same time staying surrounded by all the traps and temptations – waiting to ensnare us back into our old lifestyle. These need to be destroyed in order to start again.

The sinner needs to know that the high places of his worship – the places he goes to pay honour and respect to his false god(s) – need to be torn down. We cannot build on a false foundation. All of it must go, for if there is any semblance of a brittle foundation, then the building will eventually be destroyed. Christ is not an add-on to our lives. He cannot ever be, because He will not share His glory with anyone or anything:

“I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to carved images.” (Is 42:8).

What are these high places today? Sure, they can still be the thrones of the false religions we know so well. They are easy to spot and refute.

But they are also the lofty thrones of humanism, which is the religion of self-belief;

of evolution and the rejection that there is a God;

or a god that suits and panders to self and all our worldly, selfish wants.

2 Kings 18:4 also mentions the objects of his worship. The carved images he carries with him are an abomination to God. What worth is a god that must be carried around?

“But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” (Ps 115:3-8).

This is why Hezekiah had no qualms destroying the wooden images of the people. They are hated by the God he served, and as king, he ordered they all be destroyed.

We see by these verses that spiritual revival does not start by building up. It starts by tearing down.

We tear down the arguments of the false religions of man by use of God’s moral law. We show the folly of the idols of his belief system. We show that there is only one God, who will judge with righteous judgement. And when he realises he will be found guilty, his mouth will be stopped (Rom 3:19). And then we reveal the glorious Gospel to him!

Revival is such an over-used word. Sure it’s important to pray for it, and it’s good to want God to provide it for us.

But wouldn’t it be great to be involved in a revival first-hand yourself?

So, sharpen your sword, shod your feet with the Gospel of peace, and let’s get out and tear down some high places, all for the glory of God!

I’ll see you all at my place this Saturday at 10am for prayer, before heading down to the shops!

Blessings,

Craig.

Witnessing Tip: Don’t knock it until you try it!

Yes, evangelism is hard!

But don’t let that deter your from doing it.

You may start by dragging your feet,

But you will walk away clicking your heels!