The Cross

The cross of Christ is the medicine for the disease of sin exposed by the Law and gives people hope for an eternity with Christ  in heaven.  (You might want to read that again!)

No effective evangelism can be done if one does not talk about Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross.  When people are under conviction of the Holy Spirit it is time to talk about the Cross.  He took our sin and guilt.  He paid the penalty.  When he rose for the dead, he obtained the power to forgive you of your sin and cleanse your conscience.  You can now have peace with God, through Jesus.

In your conversation you may say,

• If you stand before God today, would you be innocent or guilty of his Law?
• Where do the guilty go?
• Does that concern you?
• What would you think if someone was willing to pay for the guilt of your sin and declare you innocent?

Anchor your conversations and preaching on the great truths of the Cross of Christ! This is what gives evangelism POWER.

jacob bock

Last week I missed God.

The Holy Spirit was moving in a most unusual way at our center when suddenly, the heavens opened and the Spirit said “¡Move!, pray for her right NOW.”  I hesitated and set up a time later…  The heavens closed and the opportunity was lost.

I learned that day that God is not like a cigarette lighter.  You don’t pull Him out of your pocket at will and flick for fire.  When he moves, you move.  When he speaks, you obey, NOW!

This week while reading at my home the heavens opened and Spirit of the Lord suddenly came upon me.  I immediately stood up, put on my jacket and ran out the door.  God moved, therefore I moved.  He called me to a meeting and I did not hesitate.  I can tell you no more, only to say that I am very thankful that THIS time I did not miss Him.

Obey Him immediately. 

jacob bock

*The CHALLENGES consist in 15 ways to live in personal revival.  Every Monday a new challenge will be given.

God’s Law

Romans 2 says, “They show the proof of the Law written on their hearts, and their consciences affirm it. Their conflicting thoughts will accuse them, or even make a defense for them.”

Paul also says that the Law is GOOD, if we use it effectively.

The 10 commandments are one of the most useful tools we have in our tool box of evangelism.  Talking about the Law will bring swift conviction to people’s hearts.  Their conscience will rise up and accuse them and they will feel their guilt before God.  Before long, they will be looking for a medicine to cure their disease!

In a conversation with someone who thinks they are good enough to go to heaven you may ask:

• Do you know the 10 commandments?
• Have you obeyed them always?
• For example, have you always loved and obeyed God above all other things?

Any one of the 10 commandments works great to bring conviction to people’s heart.  When conviction comes, you know they are having an experience with the Holy Spirit.

If you want to be effective in evangelism, talk about God’s Law.

jacob bock

A personal spiritual retreat is one of the best ways to connect with God.

Throughout my journey with the Lord, I have taken many retreats.  All of them have been amazing!  Here are some things to keep in mind when getting alone with God.

1. Go for at least two days.  It takes one day just to unwind, shake off the world and get in the realm of being alone with God.
2. Do not take any electronic equipment.  The temptation to do something other than be with Jesus is too great.
3. Bring a journal, your Bible and perhaps a devotional book.
4. Your only agenda is to linger with God, to just hang out, to be with Him.  That is what He wants most.
5. Don’t be distracted with anything else.  Our three enemy’s (the flesh, the world, the devil) are not too fond of personal spiritual retreats.  Pay no attention to them.

Don’t be surprised if it takes a while to break into His presence. You just never know with God!  It may be that you enter in right away and then it may take you one day.  Remember that He desires to be with you even more than you desire to be with Him.  So if you persist, He will reveal Himself in ways that will amaze you!

jacob bock

1. Eternity
2. God’s Law
3. The Cross
4. The power of the Spirit

AIM AT ETERNITY

Solomon said, “God has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds.”

God has written ETERNITY in the heart of everyone.  It is the sense that after death, there is something more.  People may not know what it is, but God has put that gnawing question in there for a reason.  Therefore, if we aim at eternity, we are very likely to have a great conversation about the Lord.

In a conversation you may say:

By starting a conversation with questions about eternity, it makes evangelism easier.  You have directed the conversation toward something that is in their heart.  By using questions you can guide the conversation to the other two truths: The Law and the Cross.

Talk about eternity.

jacob bock

Who has a better chance of getting into heaven:  A good person or a bad person?   A religious person or a prostitute?

If you want to keep a crowd, HERALD THE GOOD NEWS:

• That if they will turn from their sin, God will turn from His anger.
• If they will turn to God in humility and trust, He will turn to them with forgiveness and eternal life.
• That He died so that we might have life.
• That He drank the cup of the wrath of God so we would not have to.
• He took the judgment for sin, so we don’t have to.
• He took God’s anger so we could receive His mercy.
• He tasted hell and death so we wouldn’t have to.
• He took our beating so we wouldn’t have to.
• He was wounded for our transgressions,
• He was bruised for our iniquities.
• He was whipped so we could be healed.
• That God that so loved the world, and is not willing for anyone to perish.

You cannot improve on the amazing story of the Gospel, nor is their any need to!  

jacob bock

The crowd Jeremiah preached to was just like ours…

“Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘ Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’  (6:16-17)

Zechariah said of his crowd…

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words, which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. (7:11)

Jesus said of his crowd…

“How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Lk 13:34)

So why don’t they listen?

• Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
• For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
• They don’t want anyone to rule over them.
• They want their will.  They don’t want anyone to tell them what to do.

So now that I have answered that question, I leave you with another.

What hope is there for our apathetic crowd and what can we do about it?

jacob bock

I was a street entertainer for years and I know how to draw a crowd of several hundred people.  Of course, when you switch from entertainment to the Gospel, most people leave.  On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit draws them in, it will be the work of God and not the work of the flesh.

Preaching with objects or methods such as drama, storytelling and music are creative ways to share the Gospel message. Yet these are only tools in the hands of an anointed man or woman of God.  God only needs the Spirit to draw, convince and win a soul.

The Holy Spirit is all we need.

jacob bock