tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886729.post1366014338198470634..comments2019-09-15T02:57:32.972+01:00Comments on Prayer College: Listen To YourselfHandsworth Wood Christian Fellowshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09892246390183193396noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886729.post-74048072348561398732008-01-04T17:40:00.000+00:002008-01-04T17:40:00.000+00:00Hi "anonymous" and thanks for your comment. It ra...Hi "anonymous" and thanks for your comment. It raises a lot of questions which aren't really the remit of Prayer College but I will respond.<BR/><BR/>I want to start by emphasising again that I admire street preachers as it's not something I can do. I was not questioning whether this man was endeavouring to be faithful to God, simply whether his method was appropriate to his environment.<BR/><BR/>I certainly wouldn't want to lay down "rules", to use your word (not one I used in this post) as Scripture clearly teaches that we are to adapt the way we present the gospel to the culture around us (1 Cor 9:19-23). I do NOT mean we should adapt the gospel, but how we communicate it.<BR/><BR/>What disturbed me was that this dear man was giving his all, but was not being heard because he had created unnecessary barriers, particularly the barrier of language, between himself and the people he was trying to reach.<BR/><BR/>When the Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost, God gave them the ability to speak in the vernacular of those Jews from around the world who were in Jerusalem for the festival.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that a God who would perform such a miracle in order to be understood would not want the awesome good news of reconciliation with Him to be hidden behind theological words which are incomprehensible to the very people He loves and is longing to reach.<BR/><BR/>Just because we have spoken, it doesn't mean that we've been heard. As Christians, it is our responsibility to do all we can to ensure that people do actually hear AND understand. I have seen effective street evangelism and spoken with many street preachers. I know that the Lord uses it to bring sinners to salvation and restore backslidden believers. That's why it so saddens me when what is being done, even though from right motives, simply turns people away.<BR/><BR/>As for the little "tricks of the trade" to draw a crowd, you only have to read Jeremiah and Ezekiel to see how God uses dramatisations to get his message across (Jer 13:1-11, Ez 12:1-16 etc etc).<BR/><BR/>I'll finish with a nice little quote I once heard which illustrates just how rediculous it is to fail to put our message into a format that ordinary people can understand:<BR/><BR/>"If English was good enough for St Paul it should be good enough for everyone else."Handsworth Wood Christian Fellowshiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09892246390183193396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38886729.post-32431491647710013412008-01-04T14:05:00.000+00:002008-01-04T14:05:00.000+00:00I suppoer being faithful to God like Jonah or Noah...I suppoer being faithful to God like Jonah or Noah is not good enough, he should definately follow your "rules" instead.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com