Hi Everyone

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

Enjoy!

Gone Fishin’ Monthly Newsletter – May 2020

“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:13-17).

Hi Everyone

I pray you have managed OK during these strange times. I also hope that during this lockdown period you’re still finding ways to get the Gospel out.

It is awesome that we finally get to hit the streets again this week, albeit from a metre apart!

I did manage to do a bit of online evangelism, but I do miss the face-to-face contact with people. The Gospel flows much better without the interruption of a keyboard and screen. You can manage the conversation, and react accordingly quicker and much better.

The Apostle Paul went through some horrendous persecution and trials as a Christian.

2 Cor 11 tells us that he received 39 stripes with the whip three times, spent more time in prison than out of it, three times beaten with rods, was stoned, shipwrecked three times, hungered & thirsted, was cold and naked.

Yet in the earlier chapter 4 he says all his ‘light afflictions’ are only for a moment. Wait, what? Light afflictions? If what he went through were light, then I would hate to think what he thinks ‘heavy’ afflictions were. It speaks volumes on how Paul viewed this earthly life.

And that got me thinking…

For Christians, we have an eternity to look forward to. When we finally leave this world – either via natural or forced circumstances – we will spend forever worshipping at the feet of our Lord and Creator. So if someone pulls the trigger on us, or our bodies waste away with an incurable virus or disease, we are content. The sooner we leave this world behind, the sooner our eternity with Christ starts. What’s a couple of bumps and bruises along the way, when we get a new body anyway? Our eyes are on the things we can’t see, not the things we can. This isn’t to belittle the pain, agony, and grief we feel in our earthly bodies right now – for this is genuine. But we can rest in the knowledge that even though our earthly bodies are breaking down, sooner we will obtain our imperishable ones.

And for non-Christians, any affliction in this life is light as well. They will not see this at the time. They will give no regard to God for it; in fact, they will probably curse God for bringing the affliction upon them. They will make every attempt to prolong their earthly bodily existence for as long as possible, in order to extend their selfish, sinful lifestyle. Their eyes are on the temporal things of this life, not the next. Yet the second they breathe their final breath, they will be standing in front of the one they cursed, to await judgement. And they too will receive an imperishable new body – but one that will be able to sustain an eternity of pain and suffering in a lake of fire. So, yes, the afflictions of this life will then seem minor in comparison.

And this is why we evangelise.

Christians have a finite window in our earthly bodies on this planet, to save sinners from an eternal destruction.

Sinners too have a finite window in their earthly bodies on this planet, in order to hear the Good News.

So in this time of ‘light affliction’, let us not forget the urgency of our commission.

It has been estimated that in any 24 hour period, around 154,000 people on this planet will slip out of their earthly bodies, and into eternity.

Unfortunately, most of these head for destruction in hell.

Will you be obedient to the call, and try to save as many as you can?

Online Resources

If you are looking for some online evangelistic resources to pass on to your friends, then might I suggest you take a look at fullyfreefilms.com. These are produced by evangelistic ministry Living Waters, and have received over 20,000,000 views.

There you will find movies / documentaries that focus on subjects like abortion, atheism, suicide, homosexuality, biblical prophecy, and others.

These films both strengthen and equip the believer, and also are a witness to the unbeliever, as they all have an evangelistic component in them.

Check them out, and pass this on to everyone you know!

I’ll see you at my house at 10:00 this Saturday for prayer, before heading out!

 Blessings,

Craig.

Witnessing Tip: God Is The Judge, Not Man!

 There is a trap we can fall into when witnessing:

Letting the sinner put God in the witness stand for the crime of creating the mess this world is in.

But we know that God is the ultimate judge of man.

Don’t let the sinner blaspheme God by putting Him on trial!

Instead, let him know via their conscience that they have sinned, and they are the ones guilty of high treason.