WesleyGospel Ministries

Originally from here. (The Elijah List, May 27, 2010).

This Third Great Awakening is a Great Return, where multitudes will disengage from Jezebel’s table and return to the Table of the Lord.

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For a decade, I (Jon) have been sharing prophetically about an “11-11” awakening that manifests the dream in God’s heart for our land. My Pilgrim forefathers cut covenant with the Lord on 11-11, 1620, consecrating the land and its government to “the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”

Jolene and I recently returned from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, where Holy Spirit fell in a move of awakening on 11-11-09. God is confirming covenant. What a delight to experience the beginnings of a move of God I believe will progressively envelop our land! Just as Jesus prophesied of Lazarus in John 11:11, I believe He is now speaking to our nation: “America our friend has fallen asleep. But I go that I may awaken him from slumber!”

Fireball Confirms Awakening

A wild thing happened after the final evening we attended the IHOP student awakening. News reports showed videos of a gigantic fireball which shot across the skies of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. For Jolene and me, God was using very personal language to confirm that this awakening was indeed now at hand.

On November 10, 2005, the Elijah List posted a word of ours called Covenantal Awakening. In this word five years ago, we described a fireball over our home city of Frederick, Maryland, that confirmed a prophetic word on an emerging season of revival! We wrote: “In mid-October, Kim Clement prophesied there would be an ‘unusual occurrence’ on October 31, which would be followed by a four year season of harvest and the greatest move of the Spirit our nation has ever seen… Just after 9:00 p.m., while we were worshipping and praying, we experienced an ‘unusual occurrence.’ A few of the intercessors saw a huge fireball passing through the skies of Frederick! Television news reported that the fireball was actually a meteor, seen from Philadelphia to south of Washington DC.”

Bigger Than Finney

In this word, we also recounted a dream Jolene had about the significance of the coming move. We wrote: “Jolene woke up from a dream this morning repeating the words ‘Bigger than Finney, bigger than Finney.’ Charles Finney was the primary catalyst of America’s Second Great Awakening. Perhaps the Lord is saying that what’s now at hand is even bigger than the Second Great Awakening, which Finney himself described as the greatest outpouring since the Book of Acts.”

I believe we have indeed crossed the threshold and are now in the beginning of this move. Prophetic statesman James Goll confirmed this in a prophetic encounter over Purim. James began to move his head from side to side as if he were reading a scroll. He then began to declare, “The Third Great Awakening has begun! The Third Great Awakening has begun! The Third Great Awakening has begun!”

I believe that God is giving clarity about this emerging awakening now so we can position ourselves to fully receive His move. As important as it is to understand the timing of this work, we must also understand God’s intent through it.

In September 2009, the Holy Spirit spoke to us very clearly about this coming awakening. He said, “This Third Great Awakening is a GREAT RETURN, where multitudes will disengage from Jezebel’s table and return to the Table of the Lord.” Let’s now explore what this means.

Shift From Amos 9:11 to 9:13

At this time, the Lord also spoke that “we were shifting from 9:11 to 9:13.” For many years, the Lord has been giving revelation from Amos 9:11, which prophesies the restoration of the Tabernacle of David and repairing its breaches. But I honestly didn’t know much about the verses that follow! It is perhaps the greatest prophecy I know of the ensuing harvest.

“In that day I will raise up the fallen (tabernacle) of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My Name,” declares the Lord who does this.

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will be dissolved.”—Amos 9:11-13, NASB

This is great news. But reaping this harvest will certainly be an adventure. And it will require we see our world from a new vantage point. Do you remember the song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places”? Beloved, THAT’S JESUS. Jesus came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He just wants you to look at them through His eyes.

Hosea’s Girl and the Bridegroom’s Heart

You can imagine the prophet Hosea prayed pretty hard for the Lord to bring just the right girl for him. Because he loved the Lord, he probably prayed for a wife that would reveal God’s heart. Bridal paradigm stuff. And he probably wanted a wife with whom he could express all the love God put in his heart.

“Hosea, what do you think of that girl?” Wow, Lord. She’s…um… alluring. Sorry though—seems that she’s taken. Oh wait. Looks like they’ve parted ways. Maybe this is a sign from You…

Let me ask you—have you ever asked the Lord to show you His heart? Maybe you’re like me—still trying to protect yourself from His answer. Because sometimes the heart of Jesus Christ is discovered in a journey through pain.

Let’s take betrayal, for instance. Unimaginably painful to the heart and spirit. Hosea probably had no idea what he was getting into when God commanded him to marry a prostitute. But amidst Hosea’s tears, the prophet found God’s tears. He suddenly realized that as much as he suffered when his bride went astray, God suffered so much more. And as a friend, God invited Hosea to taste just a small bit of His own heartache for the Bride that has captured His heart.

So—let’s stand for righteousness, shun sin, enforce godly borders. But let’s also keep our hearts open to encounter God’s love for those who are perishing. We are entering a time of harvest where Heaven and earth will be shaken as God arises to rescue Hosea’s bride. Fueled by our intercession, multitudes will disengage from Jezebel’s table and return to the Table of the Lord. And we must be ready.

Jezebel’s Table and Elijah’s Confrontation

When the Body of Christ thinks of Jezebel, we generally refer to Revelation 2:20—and rightly so. “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess…to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality to eat things sacrificed to idols.”

In this hour God is calling us to forsake the food being offered us from Jezebel’s table. What exactly does Jezebel serve? Our first response is witchcraft, pornography, homosexuality, adultery, prostitution, abortion and the like. But as western Believers, our conscience is much more sensitive to sexual immorality than to eating food sacrificed to idols. But food sacrificed to idols is more than this. Let’s look at it from a different perspective—God wants to deliver us from supply lines tied to compromise.

In Elijah’s day, God sought to rescue Israel from sexual immorality and witchcraft that had overtaken the land through Baal worship. Ahab and Jezebel had perpetuated this idolatry in God’s covenant land. So Elijah declared a drought. Drought brings famine. Yet when Elijah confronted Ahab, he noted that the “prophets of Baal… eat at Jezebel’s table” (1 Kings 18:19). In the midst of this famine, the prophets of Baal were being sustained by Jezebel’s supply line. And their idolatrous influence over society was also being sustained!

Beloved, is Jezebel at the other end of your supply line? Do you have to compromise your integrity before the Lord in order to receive “your daily bread”? I assure you, the Lord has a better way. Let’s believe God for His covenant provision! It’s important for us all to search our hearts. Can we be bought, or sold? At what price? Are we really willing to be owned? By whom

777.68

God has been emphasizing this call to freedom from supply tied to compromise for the past few years. The loudest trumpet call came on September 29, 2008, when the “bull market” expansion came to an end as the Stock Market took its largest drop ever. It fell exactly 777.68 points. Importantly, that very day was Rosh Hashanah.

The number seven symbolizes covenant. As Dutch Sheets teaches, in Biblical times when people entered into a covenant, they “sevened themselves” to each other. This is why, on 07-07-07, TheCall Nashville focused on divorcing Ba’al and returning to covenant with the Lord.

What was God trumpeting through the Rosh Hashanah Stock Market crash? Return from compromise to the table of the Lord!

Please hear His heart in the midst of this measured discipline. Most of us really didn’t know the extent of the Wall Street corruption until this time of exposure. From the outset, God has been calling us to forsake our greed and idolatry and return to covenant with Him, even as a nation!

We also sought of the Lord about the significance of the “68,” part of the 777.68 stock market drop. The Lord led Jolene to Psalm 68:30: “Rebuke the beasts (of the fields), the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, trampling under foot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.”

Psalm 68 pictures bulls trampling pieces of silver. I don’t know a better picture anywhere of the corruption tied to the Bull Market in 2008! Those pieces of silver entrusted to Wall Street brokers were mostly owned by everyday Americans seeking a better life, by senior citizens whose sustenance depended on their investments, by young parents saving for retirement or for college for their kids. And it was everyday Americans who suffered the greatest loss.

Covenant Wealth

Ba’al, by the way, is symbolized by a bull. The opposite of “Bull Market Wealth,” or wealth tied to idolatry and covenant breaking, is covenant wealth. Covenant wealth is where God gives power to gain wealth to establish the covenant He swore to our forefathers (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Today the Lord is calling forth business leaders willing to disengage from supply lines tied to compromise and give themselves wholly to His life and calling. What looks to be loss in the short run will surely be rewarded by our God, who is utterly faithful to His covenant and utterly faithful to His seed! I prophesy to you that God is now in the process of “redirecting the current of currency” from Jezebel’s table to the table of the Lord.

God intends wealth to be used to “establish the covenant He swore to our forefathers” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Let’s believe God to redirect the current of currency into the hands of those who will establish God’s covenant and justice in the earth. And in all things—let’s disengage from Jezebel’s table, and return to the Table of the Lord!

Return! Hosea 6

I believe that we—the Body of Christ especially—have been disciplined by the Lord in preparation for a great release of blessing, favor and influence. The cry of Hosea certainly applies to our watch in history. “Come,” Hosea implores, “Let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us (disciplined us) but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days, He will raise us up on the third day…”

Beloved, we are all in need of cleansing. Let’s respond to His invitation to forsake our idols and return to His table. Let’s receive cleansing again by the precious Blood of Jesus. Let’s receive healing and wholeness by His body, given on our behalf.

And let’s become forerunners of this Great Return. As we respond to His call—as we disengage from Jezebel’s table and return to the table of the Lord—so will the multitudes! The plowman will soon overtake the reaper.

And the mountains will soon drip with the best wine, saved for last. As Misty Edwards sings, “The Father will have a family, and the Son will have a Bride!”

Extract taken from: http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=1885

In This Library Room Was Charles Finney!

After looking at many books, the spiritual being that was with me motioned me toward the center of the room again. He led me to stand next to some men who were already in eternity. One of the men was talking to two other men. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “That is Charles Finney,” and I grew excited inside! I haven’t read much about Charles Finney, but there was the glory of our abiding God pulsating from him. His eyes were filled with the revelation of Jesus and the plans of God!

He was talking about revival and telling the two other men, “What God did in my day was awesome, and many of us were privileged to experience great outpourings that are now looked upon as revival. But there is a release of glory from Heaven coming that will bring such a complete revival to America, that it will far exceed any revival ever known in any country.”

America is Close to Revival

“The church in America is full of doomsday prophets proclaiming an end to America, but they don’t understand that the country is only a few hundred years old and still in its infancy. It has many destinies to play out, and God is going to reactivate the covenants of the forefathers in the land, and America will start to grow and mature. God has both hidden and obvious purposes for America that will unfold over a long period of time and this coming revival is going to activate the plans of the Creator that were promises at the forefront of the nation’s history.” He spoke of a coming year and said: “This is a gateway year that will help build the gate from Heaven to Earth. The Holy Spirit will whisper strategic things into the land through churches, music, media, events, and then soon these things will be shouted from roof tops!”

At this point I saw a calendar that had various years on it. There were 8 future years (not in succession) circled and names of cities next to different years. The first year only had a few major cities, but each year that was circled had more and more cities until there were too many to list. I could see a cloud off in the distance of this vast library, and I realized that it was a cloud of angels with glory swirling around it. It was the angelic host that would release these things on Earth. There was constant movement in the cloud. The scene was truly beyond description.

Charles’ Message to Me

Then Charles Finney turned to me, (I didn’t even know he knew I was listening), and he shouted at me face to face: “One Nation Under God!” “One Nation Under God!” “ONE NATION UNDER GOD!” He said this ten times. Some kind of deep impartation came with his words and rested in the bowels of my spirit. I had a knowing that Jesus has an incredible plan to build the church in America and bring revival to the lost. He is going to bring a picture of His body all over the world through America! I knew that intercession was going to go forth on the Earth with new strategies for America.

I Saw a Vision of Holiness Hitting the Air Waves

I then saw the Spirit of Holiness released from Isaiah 11. I saw it touching media and broadcasting services. I saw God-ordained messages broadcast through the media waves into the Earth. God is about to claim His ownership in radio stations, TV, and movie theaters. I saw that He wants a satellite that man has made by His inspiration. I saw a special anointing come on these tools to bring the message of holiness and the cross unto salvation.

After–I saw the Holy Spirit change the atmosphere of the air waves with waves of His anointing hitting the media. I saw it cause power bursts that would literally destroy in the natural some of the secular equipment used by organizations of the world. There will be some days of disturbance that will hit multiple media centers and these will be signs that the Forerunner Spirit is going to come upon these very industries.

Commissioned Back to Earth

At the end of this vision I was looking at the Book of Life again. The spiritual being that had been with me in the Library Section of the Future came over to me once more. He had books in his hands and he started to push them towards me. I thought he was handing them to me so I stuck out my hands–instead he pushed them into me. As I took them in, I was sent back to Earth.

I was sitting in my chair and God spoke to my spirit, saying, “I am releasing books from every section to expand people! The Library Room of Heaven will be known on Earth! It will bring a manifestation of My government being established. Many leaders will be visited and the difference in what comes forth in their communications will be evident.”

When the wicked spring up like grass,
and when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
it is that they may be destroyed forever.
Psalm 92:7

In this essay, I intend to show:

1. Who it is that God considers “wicked”; and why they go to Hell.

2. Who it is that God considers “righteous”; and why they go to Heaven.

Who it is that God considers “wicked”; and why they go to Hell.

1.1. The Bible clearly shows us that God considers “wicked,” any man who knowingly rebels against His law, as a way of life. If good reasons are presented to his mind for faith in Christ, he often responds with atheistic or anti-Christian objections: so that he can go on justifying his sinful pleasures: “The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Such a man has even had times where faith has entered him, but he resists faith on purpose, because he hates the concept of living a holy life. He scoffs at it, and calls it “religious.”

1.2. If wicked men die in their sins, without Christ, and they have come out of their bodies: God will allow demons to drag them down to Hell, through a dark tunnel, where they will be met with many tortures: “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). And on the Day of Judgment, at the end of the world, they will afterwards be thrown into the Lake of Fire, where they will burn forever. It is clear that all the wicked “shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Revelation 14:10-11).

Who it is that God considers “righteous”; and why they go to Heaven.

2.1. The Bible clearly shows us that God considers “righteous,” any man who puts his faith in Christ’s death on the cross for his personal sins. And in response to this, he tries to live his life in conscientious obedience to every moral commandment in the Bible. This obedience is imperfect, and gradually increases, as the Christian’s life goes on. The love of God being poured into his heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), the righteous man grows in his love for God and all people. This divine love is holy, and motivates the true Christian to both learn and practice all of the commandments of God (but only those which are moral commandments, not the ritual commandments of Judaism in the Old Testament). With a sense of being adopted by God as a Father, he sees himself as a child of God. But also, that wicked and sinful element in his body (which he resists and fights against with the Holy Spirit’s help)—may also tempt him into awful sins (Romans 7:23). And so, the righteous man still partially fears going to Hell, and continues to persevere in faith and righteousness all the days of his life.

2.2. Although God is His Father: he also sees God as his Judge. The righteous man is as much an adopted son as he is a rehabilitated criminal: in God’s sight. He must continue to please God by doing what God says: the righteous commandments of the Holy Bible. Even the righteous man has the natural ability to resist faith, righteousness, the Holy Spirit’s influence on his life, in his thoughts and feelings (Acts 7:51); and this is especially hazardous in times of trial and tribulation; and he can become a wicked man again, but only then it will be much harder for his backslidden heart to be renewed again to repentance and faith, because he hardened his heart against the Lord (Hebrews 6:4-6). But in some cases, if the degree of heart hardening is not so great, a backslider can return again to his first love: and come back to God (Revelation 2:4-5). So, final salvation in Heaven, at the end of one’s life, is completely conditioned on the state of that man’s soul at his death: as long as he dies in the faith, and in a righteous mindset, he is safe from the fires of Hell (Revelation 14:13).

2.3. If righteous men die in the Christian faith, then God will send His angels to take them to New Jerusalem, which is located in the Third Heaven, and where they will enjoy everlasting peace in their eternal homes (Revelation 3:12).

Universalist Objections Answered

3.1. A Universalist may object: “God is love, so it cannot be that He would cast the wicked into everlasting Hell fire.”

I reply: “God is love, but His kind of love is holy and righteous. God’s love is not the kind of love that wicked men have for one another (without any reference to morals, ethics, or law). But God’s love is pure, spotless, and undefiled by any sin: it is a morally brilliant love; and because there is no moral conflict nor ethical disagreement in His love, it also has a sense of perfect peace, harmony, and tenderness in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The same apostle which wrote that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8), only a chapter later, wrote, ‘This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome’ (1 John 5:3). For wicked men to live their lives consciously rebelling against God, and His moral commandments, they prove themselves to be horrible beasts of hatred (Hitler, for example). God’s moral law is conducive to nothing else but perfect love for God and people. So, because God is love (righteous love), He is passionately urgent to angrily cast such hateful, despicable, wicked men into everlasting Hell fire, so that they may be burned forever. And rightly so!”

3.2. A Universalist may object: “What about those who have never heard the Gospel? Surely God would not consider them among ‘the wicked’!”

I reply: “All men are by nature wicked, but in the legal and judicial sense, no—not all men have heard, the preaching of either God’s moral law, or the Gospel of justification by faith with good works. And so, the unevangelized are not ‘wicked’ in the legal sense—that is, until the Holy Spirit has begun to draw them to Christ (and they get into the habit of resisting His influence on their lives). Such pagans have the influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, leading their hearts and minds to think and feel righteous concepts, or maybe even experience encounters with Jesus through dreams and visions (as it is in many Muslim countries). They may cross paths with Christians, or missionaries preaching the Gospel, or something on the radio, or TV. They may see a Gospel tract or Bible printed in their language. Or, in some of the more primitive countries, where magic and supernatural activity are much more experienced: Jesus or angels may appear to them visibly, in order to convey the Gospel message. In whatever degree the Holy Spirit influences the unreached pagans, to that degree they will be responsible on the Day of Judgment. (Whether this influence involves human missionaries or not.) Even now, the Holy Spirit tries to draw the pagans to Christ, through revelations, and circumstances of many kinds. Jesus said, ‘And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself’ (John 12:32). In whatever degree the pagans experience such things—if they resist them, and push away the righteous influence of the Gospel—God will consider them ‘wicked,’ and they too will be cast into everlasting fire (if they die without faith in Christ) because they have not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God: Jesus, nor did they do the will of the Father in their lives (John 3:18; Matthew 7:21). Hell fire will be their sentence forever.”

Antinomian Objections Answered

3.3. A Calvinist may object (although not all Calvinists): “No Christian is ever ‘righteous’ in the way you describe: only in the legal sense of being forgiven of his sins, or crimes against God. For you to keep the law in your life is legalism, works-salvation, and a damnable heresy!”

I reply: “Your view of salvation is properly called Antinomianism. It is a false gospel. This view was condemned by men of God like Martin Luther and John Wesley. It is likely that you misinterpret Galatians as teaching that Christians don’t have to live by any of God’s laws…even the moral ones! This is very wrong. Galatians was written against an early church heresy called Judaizerism (the belief that Christians had to be circumcised, and live by Old Testament ritual commandments in order to be saved). Acts 15, Romans 8, and James all clearly show that Christians are only obligated to live according to the moral commandments of God’s law. (However, this does not mean that living by God’s good laws alone is enough to save your soul, as if faith in Christ’s death and resurrection didn’t matter.) But in the context of faith in the cross, and God’s willingness to forgive our sins when we confess them, and repent of them: every Christian (so long as he lives) is directly commanded by Christ to ‘go and sin no more’ (John 8:11). That is, to go, and live by the moral commandments of God to the best of your ability—and praying that the Holy Spirit will help you to live righteous (but not expecting total ‘perfection’). God deals with the Christian’s sins negatively by dying on the cross for us, so that our past and present sins can be forgiven. God deals with the Christian’s sins positively by commanding us, for the present and the future, to keep His moral law by the power of the Holy Spirit: ‘that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit’ (Romans 8:4). Why? How can this be? Because ‘the Law is spiritual’ (Romans 7:14). The Spirit of God, and the Law of God, express the Will of God.”

3.4. In response to your charge of legalism—I reply: “Firstly, legalism is not a Bible word, and is improperly used all the time by modern Antinomians, who wish to excuse their wicked religiosity. Second, works-salvation is what the Bible teaches (to a certain extent) in Romans and James. It even goes so far to say this: “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:17, 24). So, since faith without works is dead, there is no salvation from Hell without them both. Generally speaking, faith is only alive and well when accompanied by performing (somewhat well) the good commandments of God in your life. God’s mercy covers over every mistake and sin through the blood of Christ. Except in the case of men like the thief on the cross, who are not going to live for much longer, but are in the process of dying, as they come to believe in Christ. Deathbed repentance and deathbed faith can only go so far in the area of good works. Converts on their deathbeds are unfortunately not going to have the opportunities to live their lives in good works, or grow in righteousness. So, for such men, God will say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), even if they have no works to add to their faith in the cross. Such men can be saved by faith only, and the sheer grace and mercy of God. But for everyone else who is alive: that is not the case.

3.5. Every man on Judgment Day will be judged according to his works (Revelation 20:13). How they lived their lives: continuing conscientiously in faith, and repentance, and righteousness, all the days of their lives? I hope so. I hope that you too, will walk on the straight and narrow path of God’s moral law! Every man that is not dying, and still has time to live his life: he cannot be saved from Hell unless he lives a righteous life before God in continuous faith and repentance from sin, and an active pursuit for holiness. For “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Righteous living is a requirement for salvation. (Sure we stumble, and give into temptation, sin, and fall. But we must repent to God immediately when that happens, and ask God to help us not sin again. This must be the constant state of our hearts and minds before God every day of our life. As I have said before, all righteous living is imperfect, and grows holier over time.) Thirdly, Antinomianism is the damnable heresy! Because it creates lukewarm Christians, hypocrites, and wicked churchgoers. If they persist in their sins, they will go to Hell, and not go to Heaven (regardless if they go to church every Sunday morning). If this is you—then repent from your sins and believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ! Time is running out!

DESERT FATHERS, CELTIC SAINTS, AND BENEDICTINES

1. Paul of Thebes………… d. 341
2. Antony the Great……. d. 356
3. Patrick of Ireland……. d. 493
4. Brigit of Kildare……… d. 525
5. Benedict of Nursia….. d. 547
6. Columba of Iona…….. d. 597

MONASTIC PROPHETS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

7. Hildegard of Bingen… d. 1179
8. Dominic of Osma…….. d. 1221
9. Francis of Assisi……… d. 1226
10. Vincent Ferrer………. d. 1419

CATHOLIC COUNTER-REFORMERS

11. Ignatius of Loyola…. d. 1556
12. Teresa of Avila……… d. 1582
13. John of the Cross….. d. 1591

CHARISMATIC REFORMERS AND REVIVALISTS

14. George Wishart….. d. 1546
15. John Bunyan……… d. 1688
17. John Wesley………. d. 1791
18. Charles Finney…… d. 1875
19. David Wilkerson……..d. 2011

The Great Awakening with Jonathan Edwards (1734-1737)
The Great Awakening with George Whitefield (1739-1741)
The Methodist Revival with John Wesley (1738-1743)

Part 1: George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards on Hell:
The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment

1. George Whitefield: The Eternity of Hell-Torments (1738)
2. Jonathan Edwards: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)

Part 2: John Wesley on Salvation:
Repentance, Faith, Justification, Regeneration, and Sanctification

3. John Wesley: The Way to the Kingdom (1746)
4. John Wesley: Salvation by Faith (1738)
5. John Wesley: Justification by Faith (1746)
6. John Wesley: The Marks of the New Birth (1748)
7. John Wesley: The Law Established through Faith, II (1750)

Part 4: Open Air Gospel Preaching / Street Meetings

8. The World’s Greatest Preachers, Part 2 (Comfort and Cameron)
9. “How to Preach the Gospel” (Lectures on Revivals, Finney)

Part 5: Bible Study Groups

10. Brethren, Hang Loose (Girard)
11. 1 Corinthians 14:26
12. Food and Communion (Reimagining Church, ch. 3, Viola)
13. The Way to Heaven, chs. 10-11 (Harper)
14. Leaders as Guidance Counselors–and Nothing More (Viola, ch. 9, Appendix)
15. Go Into All the World and Preach the Gospel!

St. Patrick’s Day: Think Again!

It is sad to know, that most people associate the name of St. Patrick with the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day—which involves beer, drunkenness, the color green, and lastly, leprechauns, lucky clovers, and perhaps a celebration of Irish culture. So sad! Patrick had nothing to do with these things!

St. Patrick: A Prophet to Be Feared

Patrick was a prophet; and I don’t say that lightly. He was one of the most holy and terrifying prophets ever to walk God’s green earth. He literally killed his persecutors by the power of God, on more than one occasion—like Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 1:1-15; 2:23-25). But that was not his purpose. His ultimate meaning in life was to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He was very devout and reverent. Every night he went to pray in an ice cold river as an ascetic discipline for his flesh. He sang Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs all the time. He seemed to be always praying—especially during night vigils when everyone else was asleep. He had dreams and visions often; and once a week his angel named Victoricus visited him in an apparition—for a season of his life.

Patrick vs. the Irish Wizards

Patrick was British, but God commanded him through dreams[1] to do missionary work in Ireland, which was then a brutal and savage country. Most of the Irish were barbaric pagans, who hated Christians, and sought to kill them. At the time, the pagan religion of Druidism dominated the British Isles (Britain, Scotland, and Ireland). It was the British version of the ancient Greek religion. All the gods were basically the same as Zeus, Mars, etc—but the names were different—Dagda, Tara, etc. The priests of the Druids were wizards that practiced witchcraft, used magic spells, and incantations. They used the power their demon-gods to control the weather, “heal” the sick, and work magic signs and wonders. The wizard Merlin that is depicted in the legend of King Arthur was a Druid.

They had a supernatural worldview, but it was tainted by demonic apparitions in the forms of gods, fairies, leprechauns, gnomes, mermaids, trolls, and other “magical” creatures. From Patrick’s Christian perspective, all of these spirits were merely demons that were deceiving the people,[2] and God had sent him to deliver them from their superstitions. But when Patrick and other Christian monks with him set foot on Ireland, they were challenged by the wizards, who were intent on killing Patrick and discrediting the Christian faith.

Patrick’s Method Was Power Evangelism

In order for Patrick to successfully spread the Gospel of Christ in this “magical” pagan land of Ireland—he needed to prove to everyone that Jesus is more powerful than the gods of the Irish wizards. Patrick had to use power evangelism,[3] for there was no other way. The kings, queens, and people were too much under the power of witchcraft. Time and time again, the Irish people, and especially the kings, would see with their own eyes, the demonic magic of the wizards in operation. The only way to get them to come to Christ was for the Christians to work miracles more powerful than the wizards could—and by God’s grace, this is what Patrick did. It appears that the mighty miracles which he worked before their eyes, were shown to him in dreams and visions years before he performed them. He said: “I will not hide, nor be silent about those signs and wonders which were shown to me by the Lord many years before they actually occurred” (Confession, Ch. 45). This gave him the miraculous faith he needed when the situations prophetically fulfilled around him. He tapped into those years old visionary memories for miraculous faith—and worked the signs and wonders among the Irish by the power of God and the prayer of faith.

Patrick Prayed, Saw Visions, and Worked Miracles

In the middle of many trials and tribulations, spiritual warfare dreams, and times in the desert—Patrick learned the ascetic ways of the monks, and was a mighty man of prayer. For examples to imitate, he looked back to Paul of Thebes and Antony the Great. And during his times of prayer, he saw many visions—and when he slept, he had many prophetic dreams. His angel Victoricus often brought him words of encouragement. When he prayed for miracles—they happened in the sight of men. He was definitely moving in a realm of faith that most Christians will never experience. His followers likened him to Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. Patrick was a Christian prophet.

Patrick: A Moses Figure for Ireland

God sent Patrick to Ireland to spread the Gospel; and he succeeded in planting a monastery in the northeastern town of Armagh.[4] But this was not accomplished without a few miracle contests between Patrick and two Irish wizards. A certain Irish king (Loíguire) in Patrick’s area had two court wizards named Lucet Máel and Lochru. Patrick was considered to be like Moses, because he stood up to these two wizards like Moses stood up to Pharaoh’s magicians (Exod. 7:11; 2 Tim. 3:8).

Patrick’s Prayers Kill a Wizard
And Almost 50 Soldiers!

On the first occasion, Patrick and his friends intentionally celebrated their Easter feast, on the day that the Druids were celebrating the pagan feast of Tara. When King Loíguire found out about this illegal activity, he set out with his two wizards, and about 50 soldiers. They wanted to kill Patrick and his friends, but feared them enough to bring both wizards and all those soldiers! And all of the soldiers were either on horseback or in chariots! When they had all surrounded Patrick, the wizard Lochru began to mock Patrick, blaspheme the Name of Jesus, and say disrespectful things about Christianity. Then a gift of faith moved in Patrick, he stared Lochru boldly in the eyes, and shouted with all confidence: “O Lord, who can do all things, in whose power all things exist—who has sent me here, grant that this unholy man who blasphemes Your Name, may now be lifted up and cast away, and die quickly!” And instantly, the wizard was miraculously launched up into the air many feet, and fell on the ground—splitting his head open on a rock! And when the Druids saw that he was dead, they feared Patrick and the Lord Jesus.

But King Loíguire—like Pharaoh—had a hardened heart. He was used to seeing supernatural manifestations performed by his wizards. So, seeing that Patrick had killed one of his beloved wizards, the king ordered his cavalry to kill him. But then Patrick prayed: “Let God arise, and his enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before Him!” (Ps. 67:2). And instantly, a black mist fell on the army—and they fought and nearly killed all of one another in a state of confusion. Then there was a tremendous earthquake, and all of the chariots and horses were crashed together and mostly killed. A small group survived and ran away to a nearby mountain. Only four people remained standing—broken, afraid, and almost repentant: the king, his wife, and two pagans. They all went home.

Patrick Prays for Snow to Instantly Disappear
That Had Been Conjured Up by a Wizard!

On another occasion, the other wizard, Lucet Máel, challenged Patrick to a miracle contest on a field in the sight of everyone. Patrick accepted the challenge, provided that the nature of the miracle did not contradict God’s will. Then the wizard said he would make it snow by using his magic power. So, he began to invoke the power of his god through magic spells and incantations. And sure enough, the wizard called down snow by demonic power. Everyone was amazed, because the snow was so deep that it reached a man’s belt. Confident in the power of God, Patrick boldly said to the wizard: “Look now—we have all seen you do this—now get rid of it!” But the wizard said he would have to wait for 24 hours until he could invoke another magic spell to melt the snow. Then, by proving the power of Christ to be greater than the wizard’s, Patrick replied: “You are able to cause bad things to happen, but not good things. This is not the way it is with me.” Then Patrick blessed the field that the wizard had filled with snow. And instantly—in a split second—the snow disappeared! The people were greatly amazed and their hearts began to turn to Christ. And with many other nature miracles, healings, and deliverances—Patrick spread the Christian faith throughout Ireland. And the eastern city of Armagh was his mission base; and his monastery was built there.[5]

If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? –1 Peter 4:18

Even for the Righteous, It is Hard to Be Saved

I have come to realize in my Gospel studies, that I need to gain a quicker understanding, and comprehensive awareness of Hell, and the justice of God in sending the wicked there. In many places, the Bible makes a distinction between the “righteous” and the “wicked.” The righteous are those who live their lives by faith in God and try to keep His moral commandments. When they sin, they immediately repent and say sorry to God, trying not to sin that specific sin again: so as to restore a good conscience before God immediately. This is only possible by the grace of God shown to the righteous, because of their faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross: the only way a totally angry, and righteous God, could satisfy His wrath at the righteous for their sins. Only by that thin veil which is the blood of Jesus, can the righteous be saved. And “if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (1 Peter 4:18). It goes without saying, that the righteous are not perfect, they are not without sin, for “if we claim we have not sinned, we make” God out to be a liar (1 John 1:10). However, as a life-style the righteous TRY TO LIVE RIGHT generally speaking, and when they slip, stumble, fall, and sin–they repent immediately to restore their relationship with God. They fear the judgment of Hell, because they know it is easy to backslide, and shipwreck their faith (1 Tim. 1:19). They love God too, as growth in holiness naturally tends, but at the very foundation of their faith: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). They are awakened to Hell, and its presence in the center of the Earth (Matt. 12:40), awaiting to punish them everlastingly without mercy, and without the possibility of future escape–if they walk away from the Lord. (The very Lord God who left Heaven to suffer on the cross for their sins–even their sins!) Those anxious devils, who hated them before they were saved, and even more while they were saved, cannot wait to POUNCE on the souls of backslidden Christians, and take them down to the pits of Hell: those caverns of eternal torment. Those dark, depressing caverns of ghostly wails; and flashes of flames on the cave walls. That habitation of monstrous animal-like devils, and the weakened tortured wicked ones of the centuries.

Do You Have Any Idea How Horrible Hell Is?
If So, Why On Earth Would You Want to Go There?

I believe that 90% of the people who go to church, will also go to Hell and see these tortured wicked, and grotesque devils regularly, because they are not counted among the righteous. Every demon who has appeared in a nightmare, or a hallucination, or vision, or any false god or goddess who has appeared to a wizard or witch: will be so manifestly visible and present in Hell, and there will be no escape from their repulsive presences. Imagine the gods of the totem poles on those Native American shrines, or Kali, the eight-armed goddess of destruction from India. Demons like these are down there in Hell: for all the gods of nations are demons, the Bible says (Ps. 96:5, NETS). Monstrous, bestial devils which have revealed themselves to shamans, wizards, and pagans for centuries. And are you taking pains to avoid them? If not, you will live with them forever, in a disgusting hideous place of fire and sulfur (the smell of rotten eggs). AND IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL THEN! We have one life to live, and after this our judgment comes from God: to Heaven or to Hell (Heb. 9:27). ARE YOU READY TO MEET GOD? ARE YOU RIGHT WITH GOD?! DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE SAVED IN YOUR HEART? Take it seriously. (Or just keep going to work, go to sleep, go to the movies, go to church, and go to…?) Do you know where you will go when you die? Take the safe way out: FOLLOW JESUS. Repent: turn your life over to God and live by the Bible. Ask for Him to forgive your sins; and tell Him you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins. And never go back to living like an atheist: “having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Never go back. Follow Jesus. Follow God. Live for Him, and He will save you from going to Hell. Because if you don’t have His saving grace operating in your life right now, it’s only a matter of time, that one of these days you will wake up in Hell. Without Christ and His saving Gospel: YOU ARE ALREADY ON YOUR WAY THERE!

The Wrath of God Against the Wicked is Very Strong

Only those who do the will of the Father will go to Heaven (Matt. 7:21). It is a narrow gate and a narrow path of righteous living, with a life of faith in Jesus; that denies materialism, and seeks first the kingdom of God: this is the only way to Heaven (Matt. 6:33; 7:13-14; 19:24). This excludes a very large number of people inside the church, and obviously condemns everyone outside the church. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). The narrow gate is faith alone in Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins, and the forgiveness of your sins by that penitent faith. The narrow road is the way of righteous living by the moral commandments of God, as expressed in the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount (see Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 5-7), and the apostolic letters of the New Testament. Ask yourself this question: are you living in a state of salvation? Or are you living in a state of damnation? Your body encases your soul. If your soul were to come out of your body right now, through death, or some other means–would you find yourself rising up to Heaven in the company of angels? Or, falling down to Hell in the company of devils? Ask yourself this seriously. It’s a matter of life and death. Don’t think that because you’re a churchgoer, a good humanist, or a nice guy that somehow God has favoritism for you. Don’t be so deluded! God is just inches away from hating you, because of the stench of your rotten wickedness and evil doings. But because of His patience, He puts up with you just a little longer, because deep down in His heart He still loves you, and wants you to repent, and turn to Him, and believe in His Son’s death on the cross for your sins, and live by His holy commandments.

If God Almost Destroyed the Israelites,
How Much More Will He Destroy You–
Unless You Repent and Believe in Jesus?

God almost completely destroyed the Israelites at Mount Sinai. He had enough of them. After the ten plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, the manna, the quail, the pillars of fire and cloud, the apparitions of angels, the sounds of heavenly trumpets, and the audible voice of God: they still rebelled against Him, and worshiped a golden calf, having a sex orgy! They were blind! But I say: THEY WERE LESS BLIND THAN AMERICANS TODAY. If it were not for Moses praying for them, the Jews would only exist today as the descendants of Moses, not of Abraham. God had said He was ready to restart the whole Jewish project through Moses’ bloodline. But something within God, held Him back from going back on His promise to save them, with just a thread of patience, and much pleading from Moses–God did not destroy the Israelites where they stood, dancing and fornicating at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exod. 32:10-14). Moses just barely managed to get God to change His mind. And I submit to you, that this is the same God, with the same righteous temperament, who will send every last one of you down to Hell, unless you repent from your sinful ways, and accept that only Jesus’ death on the cross, is sufficient for the forgiveness of your sins.

A Wesleyan Arminian Gospel Bibliography:
On Justification, Assurance, and Sanctification

Cannon, William. The Theology of John Wesley: With Special Reference to the Doctrine of Justification. New York: Abingdon, 1946.

Clarke, Adam. Clarke’s Christian Theology. Nicholasville, KY: Schmul, 1990.

Collins, Kenneth. The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2007.

_________. The Scripture Way of Salvation: The Heart of John Wesley’s Theology. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997.

_________. Wesley on Salvation: A Study in the Standard Sermons. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Comfort, Ray. Wesley Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2007.

Dieter, Melvin. Five Views on Sanctification. Edited by Stanley Gundry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987. Chapter 1: “The Wesleyan Perspective.”

Fletcher, John. Five Checks to Antinomianism. Edited by Jeffrey Wallace. Brookfield, MO: Apprehending Truth, 2011.

_________. The Whole Works of John Fletcher. Charleston, SC: Nabu Press, 2010.

Harper, Steve. The Way to Heaven: The Gospel According to John Wesley. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Chapters 4 and 5.

_________. Four Views on Eternal Security. Edited by J. Matthew Pinson. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Chapter 4: “A Wesleyan Arminian View.”

Kaiser Jr., Walter. Five Views on Law and Gospel. Edited by Stanley Gundry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996. Chapter 3: “The Law as God’s Gracious Guidance for the Promotion of Holiness.”

Langford, Thomas. Practical Divinity: Theology in the Wesleyan Tradition. vol. 1. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.

Lindström, Harald. Wesley and Sanctification. Nappanee, IN: Francis Asbury Press, 1980.

Oden, Thomas. John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Chapters 5-11; especially chapters 6, 9, and 10.

Outler, Albert, ed. John Wesley. New York: Oxford University Press, 1964. Part 2, Chapters 1-4.

Smith, Timothy. Whitefield and Wesley on the New Birth. Grand Rapids, MI: Francis Asbury Press, 1986.

Weems, Lovett. The Gospel According to Wesley: A Summary of John Wesley’s Message. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, 1982. 63 pages.

Wesley, John. John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology. Edited by Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1991.

_________. John Wesley’s Theology: A Collection from His Works. Edited by Robert Burtner and Robert Chiles. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1982.

_________. The Works of John Wesley. vols. 1-4: “Sermons.” Edited by Albert Outler. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1984-1987.

Williams, Colin. John Wesley’s Theology Today. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1960.

Wynkoop, Mildred. Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1967.

_________. A Theology of Love: The Dynamic of Wesleyanism. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1972.

Other Arminian, Puritan, and Revivalist Gospel Writings

Arminian View of the Gospel: “You Can Lose Your Salvation”: Arminius, Wesley (above), Barnes, Corner, Finney, Forlines, Goodwin, Hill, Olson, Picirilli, and Walls.

Puritan View of the Gospel: “Once Saved, Always Saved”: Alleine, Baxter, Bunyan, Comfort, Dent, Edwards, MacArthur, Peterson, Spurgeon, Vincent, Watson, and Whitefield.

Personally, I take the Arminian view. I think it has more support in Scripture and makes more sense for living the Christian life (see John 15:6; Rom. 11:16-22; Heb. 3:12-14; 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 2 Pet. 2:20-22; 1 John 5:16). However, I would not “condemn” those who hold to the old Puritan view, because at least their view on lordship salvation encourages practical holiness in daily life. If this requirement of holiness were not present, then I would be forced to say all Calvinists are Antinomians, and there is no hope of a Calvinist getting saved! So, regardless of the fact that “lordship salvation” Calvinists, or old Puritans, believe in “once saved, always saved”: at the same time, at least they preach unless Christians live righteous lives—they are not saved.

Although I think “once saved, always saved” is a false doctrine that encourages “easy-believism,” and a dangerous one at that, I still think Puritan-type Calvinists are worth listening to, because they maintain that “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Puritans like John Bunyan and Richard Baxter, and modern “lordship salvation” advocates like John MacArthur and Ray Comfort, are against the “cheap grace” views of other Calvinists with Antinomian tendencies (i.e., Dispensationalists like Charles Ryrie, Zane Hodges, R. B. Thieme, and Lewis Sperry Chafer. These theologians come from Dallas Theological Seminary; and taught that a saved person can be a “carnal Christian”; and even an ex-Christian is saved!).

Alleine, Joseph. An Alarm to the Unconverted. Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2002.

Arminius, James. The Works of Arminius. 3 vols. Translated by James Nichols and William Nichols. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2007.

Barnes, Albert. The Way of Salvation. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2007.

Baxter, Richard. A Call to the Unconverted. Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000.

_________. Aphorismes of Justification. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2009.

_________. What We Must Do to Be Saved. Lulu.com, 2010.

_________. The Practical Works of Richard Baxter: Selected Treatises. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2010. Includes: “A Treatise of Conversion,” “A Call to the Unconverted,” “Directions and Persuasions to a Sound Conversion,” and other works on meditation, contemplation, prayer, and practical holiness.

Bunyan, John. The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded. Gale ECCO, 2010.

Church of England. Certain Sermons or Homilies Appointed to Be Read in Churches in the Time of Queen Elizabeth. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Library, 2005. Largely by Thomas Cranmer (d. 1556): heavily influenced John Wesley’s views of justification and sanctification (the Gospel of Jesus Christ).

Coffey, John, and Paul Lim, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Puritanism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Comfort, Ray. Hell’s Best Kept Secret. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1989.

_________, and Kirk Cameron. The World’s Greatest Preachers. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2003.

_________, ed. Spurgeon Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2005.

_________, ed. Whitefield Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2006.

_________, ed. Moody Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2009.

_________, ed. Luther Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2010.

Corner, Daniel. The Believer’s Conditional Security: A Study on Perseverance and Falling Away. Washington, PA: Evangelical Outreach, 2000. 801 pages.

_________. The Myth of Eternal Security. Washington, PA: Evangelical Outreach, 2003. 230 pages.

Demarest, Bruce. The Cross and Salvation. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1997. Academic and Evangelical. From a historical approach, presents in an encyclopedic fashion, all of the different soteriological views of the church throughout the ages.

Dent, Arthur. The Plain Man’s Path-Way to Heaven. Gale ECCO, 2010.

Duewel, Wesley. Revival Fire. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995.

_________. Ablaze for God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Edwards, Jonathan. Sermons of Jonathan Edwards. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005.

Finney, Charles. Sermons on Gospel Themes. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2007.

_________. Lectures on Revivals of Religion. Edited by Richard Friedrich. Hayden, ID: Alethea in Heart, 2005.

_________. Lectures on Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Edited by Richard Friedrich. Hayden, ID: Alethea in Heart, 2003. Has some Pelagianism: or teaches “natural ability” to obey God’s commandments; be warned.

_________. The Original Memoirs of Charles G. Finney. Edited by Garth Rosell and Richard Dupuis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

_________. Finney’s Lessons on Romans. 3 vols. Edited by L. G. Parkhurst, Jr. Edmond, OK: Agion Press, 2006.

Forlines, F. Leroy. Classical Arminianism: A Theology of Salvation. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2011.

Goodwin, John. A Treatise on Justification. Gale ECCO, 2010. Edited by John Wesley; had a heavy Gospel influence on him. Goodwin was an Arminian Puritan preacher; and died in 1665.

Heitzenrater, Richard. Wesley and the People Called Methodists. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.

Hill, Stephen. White Cane Religion: And Other Messages From the Brownsville Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1997.

_________. The God Mockers: And Other Messages From the Brownsville Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1997.

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. Revival. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1987.

_________. Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1972.

MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.

McLoughlin William. Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 1978.

Olson, Roger. Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

_________. Against Calvinism. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

Peterson, Robert. Hell on Trial. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1995.

Picirilli, Robert. Grace, Faith, Free Will: Contrasting Views of Salvation: Calvinism and Arminianism. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2002.

_________. Romans. “CLEAR Study Series.” Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1975. 340 pages. A Reformed Arminian Bible commentary.

Pratney, Winkie. Revival: Principles to Change the World. Pensacola, FL: Christian Life Books, 1984.

Randall House Bible Commentary. Edited by Robert Picirilli. A Reformed Arminian Bible commentary published by the Free Will Baptists.

Forlines, F. Leroy. Romans. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1987. 396 pages.

Harrison, Paul, and Robert Picirilli. James, 1, 2 Peter, and Jude. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1992.

Marberry, Thomas, Robert Picirilli, and Daryl Ellis. Galatians through Colossians. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1988.

Ravenhill, Leonard. Revival God’s Way. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House, 1986.

_________. Why Revival Tarries. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House, 1987.

Shank, Robert. Life in the Son. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1989. Classic work against “once saved, always saved.”

Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979.

The Theologians of Methodism. Nicholasville, KY: Schmul, 1992.

Vincent, Thomas. Fire and Brimstone. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1999.

Walls, Jerry, and Joseph Dongell. Why I Am Not a Calvinist. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.

Watson, Thomas. A Body of Divinity. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1957.

Wesleyan Bible Commentary. Edited by Charles Carter. A Wesleyan Arminian Bible commentary published by scholars from various Wesleyan and Methodist denominations.

Carter, Charles, R. Duane Thompson, Charles Ball, Leo Cox, and Harvey Blaney. Hebrews-Revelation. vol. 6. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966. 523 pages.

Dayton, Wilbur, Charles Carter, Clarence Zahniser, George Turner, W. O. Klopfenstein, Roy Nicholson, and George Failing. Romans-Philemon. vol. 5. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966. 675 pages.

Whitefield, George. Sermons of George Whitefield. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2009.

Current Issues Related to Gospel-Centered Apologetics

Graham, Billy. The Jesus Generation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1971. Addresses issues concerning the hippie revolution of the sixties, the response of the Jesus movement, and how things like atheism, communism, materialism, fatherlessness, and the New Age movement, are still hindering Americans from believing in the Gospel. Chapter 11: “Turning On,” is a revealing look at the watered-down gospel of “The Four Spiritual Laws,” that was being preached by Campus Crusade for Christ from the sixties till today. Graham touched it up a little bit. To me, it definitely shows the need for old-time Puritan and Wesleyan Gospel preaching: on deep soteriological doctrines like the atonement, justification, sanctification, and regeneration.

Kinnaman, David. UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…and Why It Matters. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.

McDowell, Josh. More Than a Carpenter. Wheaton, IL: Living Books, 1977. The arguments in this book were essential during McDowell’s preaching on college campuses during the Jesus movement. He focuses on defending the historical reliability of the Gospels; and argues for the reality of Jesus and His resurrection. The only thing I would change regarding his arguments for Christ’s resurrection, is instead of relying only on the testimonies of the apostles, and their martyrdoms: I would also appeal to modern spiritual experiences of the presence of Christ during worship, and dreams and visions of the risen Christ by direct revelations.

_________, and Don Stewart. Handbook of Today’s Religions. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1980. Contains informative chapters on every major cult and world religion; and provides Evangelical arguments against each ideology. It includes “The Four Spiritual Laws” of Campus Crusade for Christ at the end of the book.

Rhodes, Ron. Answering the Objections of Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2006.

Ridenour, Fritz. So What’s the Difference? Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001.

Zacharias, Ravi, and Norman Geisler, eds. Who Made God?: And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

When I was a child, I had the privilege of growing up in a somewhat Biblical atmosphere. I grew up in church, and the Bible was preached, and people worshipped God on a weekly basis. I was taught to love God and even memorize Scripture. Even up until the age of 18, I was protected from the notorious worldly sins (drugs, alcohol abuse, fighting, porno, gangs, stealing, cussing, etc)—you know the sins that are highlighted in our culture. I would have told you that I “had it made” as far as the circumstances of my life. However, there was a major (the most important) factor of my life missing—a genuine experience with Christ Jesus that would transform my world and turn everything upside-down for me. The experience that I am referring to would be the “born again from above” experience.

At the age of 19, I found myself under the teaching of some radical Christian friends, who challenged me to see Jesus not in a box, not in a religious light, not found hidden in one denomination (Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, etc), not in youth group trips, sleepovers, Christian bands, bumper stickers, Christian t-shirts, or even Bible reading (one must understand that I’m not saying that God cannot and does not use these things—I’m stating that they/anything can at times be hindrances to a genuine life-altering encounter with Jesus when elevated to an unhealthy point of attention or devotion). I had often found myself hungry for the will of God as I grew up religiously and even enjoyed doing “church”. It was the only portrait of being a Christian that I had. My view of God was contained in Wednesday night, Sunday morning, Sunday night meetings; and sometimes prayer meetings for the really devoted people. Terms like “forgiveness”, “repentance” (terms pertinent to a genuine walk with Jesus Christ), were probably a dime a dozen, but they were never demonstrated to me in a daily walk with Jesus. I eventually met, as I was saying, a group of Christians that were hungry for Jesus Christ and Him alone—not tied/obligated to a paycheck from an organization, not desiring to be well known or build a following, not interested in tithes and offerings from me, or even wanting to advance themselves in what I had always understood to be the church world. There came a GREAT and HOLY understanding in my life, of seeing a new distinction between those who claimed to be followers of Christ, and those who really walk as Jesus did.

Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did (1 John 2:6).

Again, the difference that was seen was between those who were hearers of God’s Word, and those who were hearers AND doers of God’s Word.

True and False Disciples, NIV

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven (Jesus, Matthew 7:21).

It took me at least a year to spiritually and mentally adjust to the understanding of the basic principle that Jesus Christ is simply found…in Jesus Christ—go figure! All my life, I had been searching for peace with God, and finally I found it in the person of Jesus. Not to mention, this new found peace gave me “joy unspeakable and full of glory” like the old hymn says (1 Peter 1:8, KJV). And, on top of everything, I had the assurance that no man, demon, devil, or lie from my own mind could steal!!! I spiritually became aware that Jesus is the “Christ”, the Messenger, the Answer, the Deliverer, the ONLY Way to God (John 14:6). Not only was He my Savior from Hell, but He was/is to be Lord of my everyday life. Every life decision, every path, every way that I could take was to be submitted unto Christ.

I have been shell-shocked ever since—like I was hit with a “logging truck” (to use Paul Washer’s phrase from his “Shocking Youth Message”). Truly, I was likened to Nicodemus in John 3, who questioned Jesus about His statements:

(5) Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you (Nicodemus), no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (7) You should not be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (8) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus (Rebekah Lucas) could not understand these words and yet was a respected, admired, and dare I say even coveted, teacher over Israel. When Jesus rebuked Nicodemus, he got into his head somehow by the miraculous power of preaching raw REGENERATION. How can I explain this except to say—the words spoken by Jesus were not some cheap excerpt copy and pasted from sermonsonline.com. No!!—these were the words that transcended the situation and were words of the Eternal—words that made you stop and think: “What in the world is this man talking about???!!!” It’s like a different language until God reveals His Son, as the Living Word to a person. Looking back now, I can see that I was totally a different person than I am now. I am not devoid of my old personality. On the contrary, I have “recaptured my soul” (as St. Francis of Assisi said in Brother Sun, Sister Moon). God’s law became life, and I began to be aware that I am a spirit. Truly this is a mystery.