I love the prophet Nehemiah! He was at work rebuilding the wall, which had been destroyed when Babylon invaded Jerusalem, overthrowing the city in 586 BC. Nehemiah is rebuilding the broken down city for the Lord. Ezra was tasked with rebuilding the temple, which took 46 years to finish. Nehemiah is up laboring on the wall, and three enemies come along, intentionally trying to hinder the work by getting him sidetracked. But Nehemiah is wise and said to them, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). My dear friend, there is no greater work in the world than preaching the Gospel to get people saved! We call this “SOULWINNING”!!! I love that beautiful word! The Bible uses that precious term in Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Are you a wise Christian? Are you a soulwinner? I am, and I hope you'll join me.
Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “’twas worth it all”;Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” —Missionary C.T. Studd
Soulwinning Is Every Believer's Responsibility
It is our job as Christians to clearly present the Gospel. I love something that one of my favorite preachers, Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold said:
“There is power in this Gospel message. Most people just don't know how to present it... The clarity of the Gospel is what makes it easy for them to believe.” —Pastor Yankee Arnold, “WHY GRACE CAN SAVE THE WORST MAN!”To present the Gospel clearly, you have to have a clear understanding of how you were saved. Here is Dr. Yankee Arnold presenting The Gospel. Please get saved dear friend, if you have never done so. God freely offers the gift of Eternal Life to whomsoever wants it! Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What an awesome God and Savior!!!
Satan Always Tries To Hinder The Work Of Soulwinning
Anytime you set out to do a work for God, Satan will send enemies in an attempt to hinder the work! And let me say right here that if you are not trying to get people saved, YOU DON'T HAVE A LEGITIMATE MINISTRY! For many churchgoers 'The Great Commission' merely amounts to 'The Great Omission'! We read 'The Great Commission' in Matthew 28:19-20—which is to go into all the world preaching The Gospel to get people saved, baptizing converts with water as a public profession of their faith, indoctrinate them with Bible doctrine, and then train them to become soulwinners them self. That is God's plan to perpetuate The Gospel. The Bible teaches that Satan blinds lost people, to hinder them from seeing the Gospel and getting saved (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4).We see in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, that Satan sent enemies to hinder the work of God. Three messengers came and did their darnedest to convince Nehemiah to 'COME DOWN' from his work, to have a meeting with them. Four times they tried to get the prophet sidetracked, but Nehemiah stood his ground, refusing to do what they wanted. Nehemiah 6:4, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.” I love Nehemiah's determination! As Christians, we must not let life's cares, riches and pleasures distract us from soulwinning! What saith the Scripture? Luke 8:14, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”
I have heard many preachers wrongly interpret this passage (i.e., the parable of 'The Sower And The Seeds'), claiming that this is about salvation. It is actually about bearing fruit, soulwinning. That is what the Lord repeatedly says in this passage. Luke 8:15 is God's goal for every believer—“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” No Christian is a true success in God's eyes who has not matured to become a soulwinner! Granted, only God can save someone, but our duty is to share the Gospel with them. 1st Corinthians 3:6-7, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
The Devil And The World Hate The Work Of God
The Jews were God's chosen people in the Old Testament. It was the Lord's initial plan that Israel should shine as a light to the Gentiles, ambassadors of the Gospel of free grace through faith in the Messiah (Exodus 19:5-6). As such, the Jews were hated by the wicked world. Nehemiah 4:1, “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.” Anytime a man of God does a work for God, enemies will rise up against him! Critics will slander him. Ungodly pastors will berate and shun him! But God is pleased with his faithful servant!I love this next Bible verse, which says that the men building the wall with Nehemiah held a trowel in one hand, while wielding a sword in the other! Nehemiah 4:17, “They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” They didn't stop building to go fight. That is so important to see! As Christians, we must not allow this Coronavirus pandemic to cause us to stop doing the work of God. The primary work of God is SOULWINNING! Yes, we still have to fight battles as believers, but we must never let those battles sidetrack us from serving God. We mustn't allow the cares, riches and pleasures of this life to cause us not to bear fruit for Christ. 1st Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”
Oh That Christian Brethren Loved The Truth And One Another
I hear many preachers quote from the next passage, but no one ever connects loving one another with the world hating us as Christians. The Lord is telling us that the unsaved world is going to hate us, just like they hated and crucified Him; but we are not of the world, just as He is not of the world, and we ought to LOVE ONE ANOTHER...John 15:17-21, “These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.”It breaks my heart to preach against Independent Fundamental Baptist churches (God knows my heart), which ought to be citadels of truth in these perilous times. Instead, I am compelled as a humble faithful man of God—to preach uncompromisingly against Moody Church in Chicago, against Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, against the First Baptist Church of Hammond, against Bob Jones University and other apostate arrogant institutions today—because they don't care about the purity or inspiration of God's Word! They don't care about the truth! No man loves his neighbour as himself, who does not LOVE THE TRUTH!!!
Kindly, what the First Baptist Church Of Hammond, Indiana, has done to Dr. Russell Anderson is arrogance, not love. Dr. Anderson still believes that the King James Bible is inspired, but FBCH just won't say it. I have read ridiculous Statements of Faith from churches all across the country, but THEY JUST WON'T SAY IT! They refuse to say that THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS INSPIRED!!! Even the famous atheist, Voltaire, knew the significance of denying the inspiration of the Holy Bible...
“The Bible is not the inspired, inerrant and 100% historically true words of God. ... If we would destroy the Christian religion, we must first of all destroy man’s belief in the Bible.” —Voltaire (French philosopher and former unbeliever 1694-1778 - He now knows better [in Hell])By denying the inspiration of the King James Bible, pastors are betraying God's Word and helping to destroy Christianity!!!
Sadly, I have to fight against my own backsliden Christian brethren, who are opening the door for the Devil to come right into the churches!!! I will humbly rip face against ANYONE who denies that we have an inspired King James Bible today!!! I will humbly rip face against ANYONE who sanctions the Devil's corrupt Alexandrian Bible revisions (which the Jehovah's Witnesses love and use). I ask you with the weeping prophet Jeremiah, “Is it nothing to you, all yet that pass by?” (Lamentations 1:12a).
“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” —Heraclitus of Ephesus (535-475 BC)
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