Frontliners
Hello all! This is a prayer request post. The church I grew up in, Bell Shoals Baptist Church, is hosting Frontliners this year. What is Frontliners you ask? It is a ministry of Kelly Green's. A church hosts a big crusade type event from Sunday through Wednesday of a week and Kelly and other evangelist come in and present the gospel each night. The frontliners are students from all across the country who have come to join this host church in reaching their community with the gospel. Each day in the morning, the students are trained in how to present their faith and then each afternoon, from 1-4, we go out knocking on doors and sharing Christ and His life, death, and resurrection.
For these students, this is an awesome week. They are equipped with everything they need to share their faith effectively-no excuses. For Satan, this is a scary week (we hope). I shared with my group of students today the story of 2 Chronicles 20. In this chapter, King Jehosaphat, who is a good king, is about to go to battle, and before they go, he gets down on his knees and prays to the Lord. He admits that without God they can do nothing. Then, as the battle is starting, he sends out his worshippers on the frontlines. This isn't about a survey or a presentation. It's about God receiving glory through our worship of Him in telling others about Him.
My team is:
Tiffany, Julia, Hannah, Daniel, Nate, and John.
The speakers are:
Kelly Green
Thomas Young
Stuart Henslee
The band is:
Jason Elam band
Be praying for these kids...these hearts...this community...these speakers. Even if you are totally against "confrontational" evangelism, and instead prefer "friendship" evangelism, pray. God doesn't need us to be friends, God doesn't need us to confront. God simply asks that we share our faith...share the life and death of His Son. Then, if God is drawing that person unto Himself, regardless of our method, or abilities, or capabilities, that person shall profess faith in Jesus Christ.
One more intersting thing before I finish up my little 60 minute break before heading back to the church.
As one who is reformed, many times I get in conversations with those who aren't reformed and their biggest "complaint" against us "Calvinists" is that we use our theological system is a shield to hide behind in not sharing our faith. Thomas Young is a reformed evangelist. I am a reformed evangelist. People use all kinds of things as shields to not share their faith. Often, it may be their theology. It may also be fear, or lack of time, or lack of ability. Whatever it is, it's wrong. We are called to spread the message of Christ unto the ends of the earth. It is refreshing to sit under an evangelist who IS reformed and is still so stinking passionate about the gospel and about lost people. Sure, many preachers are passionate about this. But to hear an evangelistic message on Romans 3, and hear the evangelist explain the definition of propitiation and God's satisfaction in His son's death and that sin is anything that we steals glory away from God...it is a beautiful thing and a thing the Southern Baptist Church needs to wake up too and I thank my God upon every remembrance of Thomas Young because He is a communicator of evangelistic sound doctrine.
Pray for softened hearts. Pray for boldness. Pray for strength-both our own physical strength but also strength of the Spirit. Pray for the church of Bell Shoals. I pray that they see these students worshipping freely, and in the power of the Spirit-lifting hands and dancing and shouting and jumping-and that they then be freed to worship without fear or judgment. Pray that Bell Shoals's love of order and schedule be wrecked. That the Spirit inhabits the sancturay and that the congreation is wrecked for the glory of God.
For these students, this is an awesome week. They are equipped with everything they need to share their faith effectively-no excuses. For Satan, this is a scary week (we hope). I shared with my group of students today the story of 2 Chronicles 20. In this chapter, King Jehosaphat, who is a good king, is about to go to battle, and before they go, he gets down on his knees and prays to the Lord. He admits that without God they can do nothing. Then, as the battle is starting, he sends out his worshippers on the frontlines. This isn't about a survey or a presentation. It's about God receiving glory through our worship of Him in telling others about Him.
My team is:
Tiffany, Julia, Hannah, Daniel, Nate, and John.
The speakers are:
Kelly Green
Thomas Young
Stuart Henslee
The band is:
Jason Elam band
Be praying for these kids...these hearts...this community...these speakers. Even if you are totally against "confrontational" evangelism, and instead prefer "friendship" evangelism, pray. God doesn't need us to be friends, God doesn't need us to confront. God simply asks that we share our faith...share the life and death of His Son. Then, if God is drawing that person unto Himself, regardless of our method, or abilities, or capabilities, that person shall profess faith in Jesus Christ.
One more intersting thing before I finish up my little 60 minute break before heading back to the church.
As one who is reformed, many times I get in conversations with those who aren't reformed and their biggest "complaint" against us "Calvinists" is that we use our theological system is a shield to hide behind in not sharing our faith. Thomas Young is a reformed evangelist. I am a reformed evangelist. People use all kinds of things as shields to not share their faith. Often, it may be their theology. It may also be fear, or lack of time, or lack of ability. Whatever it is, it's wrong. We are called to spread the message of Christ unto the ends of the earth. It is refreshing to sit under an evangelist who IS reformed and is still so stinking passionate about the gospel and about lost people. Sure, many preachers are passionate about this. But to hear an evangelistic message on Romans 3, and hear the evangelist explain the definition of propitiation and God's satisfaction in His son's death and that sin is anything that we steals glory away from God...it is a beautiful thing and a thing the Southern Baptist Church needs to wake up too and I thank my God upon every remembrance of Thomas Young because He is a communicator of evangelistic sound doctrine.
Pray for softened hearts. Pray for boldness. Pray for strength-both our own physical strength but also strength of the Spirit. Pray for the church of Bell Shoals. I pray that they see these students worshipping freely, and in the power of the Spirit-lifting hands and dancing and shouting and jumping-and that they then be freed to worship without fear or judgment. Pray that Bell Shoals's love of order and schedule be wrecked. That the Spirit inhabits the sancturay and that the congreation is wrecked for the glory of God.
