Parent category for all Gone Fishin’ Ministry Outreach newsletters, field reports of these outreaches, and personal witnessing reports
If I write a book, who is doing the writing, me or the pen? I am the one writing the words, using the pen. In the same way, God is is the author of His Word. He used men as His pen, to create the passages. The words are perfect because the people writing them were His instruments, compelled by The Holy Spirit to pen His thoughts exactly. That is why we can rely on it for truth.
I asked the question of if he trusted that Jesus took his sins 100%, but committed a sin, then died, would he go to heaven? He said he would go to hell because he never repented for that sin. No amount of trying to convince Dylan that Christ made a one-time payment for all of his sins was enough to satisfy him. He was making a work out of repentance, making it a pre-requisite for salvation every time he sinned.
So how can we protect ourselves and others from the sin of pride and over-confidence? Well, we humble ourselves to God alone. We ask for His protection. We submit to His will, praying “Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.”. Pride is always at the root of all sin, and it takes a humble heart for God to tear it out. If we trust in ourselves, then sooner or later we will be destroyed.
Then he brought up James regarding faith plus works. Then I knew he was lost. He was going to twist the scripture to mean we need faith plus works to be saved. But this is a false application. In context, it is saying that works is a result of faith, not a pre-requisite for it. I told him as such, to read the whole book of James instead of cherry-picking the verses you want, so that you can invent your own doctrine.
We nonchalantly cruise through life, recklessly breaking the Universe Creator’s rules. The arresting officer (death) is perpetually pursuing us. And once it inevitability catches up with us, it will haul us before the righteous judgement seat, where we will be held eternally accountable for our actions.
I told him that was how God renders justice and mercy perfectly, because His Son Jesus paid the price for us. I said, "But you don't value this, because you think that God just loves everybody and will just forgive. But that would make God a corrupt judge. That is a God made up in your head to suit yourself. You have no concept of who God really is, and are in danger of spending eternity in hell"
He started yelling and abusing us. We asked him to calm down, but he just got louder. He tried to rip the Gospel tracts out of my hand. He got one, and tore it up in front of my face, swearing and cursing at me.
Spiritual revival does not start by building up. It starts by tearing down.
I told him that God would give him the same punishment that I deserve, eternity in hell. Going through Jesus taking his hell punishment was a bit of a comedy act with him, so I decided to stress the danger of thinking the way he does, and wished him good luck on judgement day.
He told me I had blown his mind, and that he had some thinking to do. I said, “Don’t leave it for too long, as you don’t know when you are going to die – and if I am right, where would you go? He said, “To hell”