Comments on: Yelling About Hell as the First Step Towards Conversion

By: Gary Pullen

Gary Pullen — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:29:27 +0000

Unfortunately, these methods of evangelism are not new. However, any message spoken to a crowd that does not have its major theme as love, will never be effective on a large scale. Sinners know deep down that they are wrong & feel conviction over their sins! What their spirits long for and need is for real Jesus loving Christians to pour out His love to them without the condemnation & guilt. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of men. It is our job to love the lost & it is the Holy Spirit’s job to woo them to Christ! If we could just see that revelation, many many souls would be won for the Kingdom!!!!

By: Nena

Nena — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:25:36 +0000

All I can say is “huray!” for those who responded by saying that to preach the gospel with good intentions is essential because the Lord IS coming SOON. We don’t have time to beat around the bush. Even if some people are put off by these preachers, at least they are giving it their best efforts, unlike some of “us.” Anyone who bolding speaks out on the Lord’s account puts me to shame, and makes me want to try harder to do my part.

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:39:26 +0000

Speaking as an ex-Christian (now a secular humanist), perhaps I can speak a little for the other side.

Bullhorn preaching is NOT effective at making non-believers hear your message. Nothing says “complete and utter lunatic” than some maniac with a bullhorn shrieking at people about their sins.

Nothing drives people toward a serious, considered atheism (as opposed to a mere lack of religious conviction) than the antics of religious fundamentalists.

911 was a seismic event in the history of non-belief. It forced many people to consider religion’s dark side, that the worst thing about unquestioning faith was not just wasting time at church. It made people realise that actually religion can be a very negative influence as well, it made people take note of religion’s dark side.

So it is very important that if anyone is serious about spreading religion that you emphasise the positive aspects. You emphasise the love and the community and the charity and the good things which the religious do. I do know that side of it, until my early 20s I was highly religious myself (and hence strongly inoculated against any attempts to reconvert me, so don’t bother).

So yes, there are those who benefit a great deal from street preachers ranting and raving… those people who are opposed to religion. It gives us someone to point at and say “you don’t want to be like that guy, do you?”

The original poster raised issues of how many Christians are disturbed by that kind of preaching and beg the preachers to change their message to something more positive. They’re concerned that such preachers are sending out the wrong message to the “unsaved”. They’re right.

But as many people here have proven, there are sufficiently many people out there who are unwilling to listen to reason and arrogantly press on with their ineffective and confrontational ways. The irony though is that this arrogance usually wraps itself in a hypocritical cloak of humility. “I’m not going to listen to what anyone else says, I don’t care what you all think, I’m not bothered by how others see my preaching, I am always right, because I’m a humble servant of God.”

Good luck with that.

By: Web Man

Web Man — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:09:50 +0000

At the end of the day, it’s all about shaking us out of our “drudgery” and making us aware of the reality of the situation, right?

I think yelling sometimes is necessary.

By: kyle joe hicks

kyle joe hicks — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 08:21:07 +0000

To Joe R.& others, Greetings! It’s been a few weeks since I have even looked at these sites, being that I have been on the road picking up supplies for the homeless folks in our ministry and preaching in a church in Pahokee Fl. and on the Streets in Okeechobee.Fl.
I do understand what your saying concerning the old testament preachers, the exact terminology that you are trying to say is Dispensationalism. It does not mean Time period as most say, But rather House Rules or the Rules of the Masters House. As in storm windows in the winter and screens in the summer.
I know that none of the old testament Prophets were preaching I Cor 15, and I made mention in the 1st sentence that something was dropped in transmission in a previous attempt. And it happened yet again when I sent that 2nd note????
Rather than going threw the several other Old Testament Prophets that I wrote about and the reason for mentioning them is that God used all kinds of men the weepers like Jeremiah & Hosea, weird ones like Ezekiel, and “Haters” like Jonah to preach the message of God.
I understand that, as a no brainer as in like DUH! But please recall that Jesus Christ Himself did not preach I Corinthians 15:1-4 either. He even told the Rich young ruler,Matt 19:17/Mark 10:19 to keep the LAW for Salvation BECAUSE there was no NEW TESTAMENT YET! No Death of the TESTATOR had happened YET! I understand all of that and the “transmission” of my letter cut off at Jonah’s little sermon with Big results TO GENTILES!!!
And in FACT the Lord Jesus Christ DID preach a turn or burn message not just “good news”. Just in Luke 13:3 & 5 the Lord Preached “Except Ye repent Ye shall ALL likewise PERISH.” And the Lord Jesus Christ preached Hell some 15 times in the gospels. And that message was then to “the lost Sheep of the House of Israel” to the Jew FIRST and also to the Greek, and John 1:11-12 “He came unto his own (Israel) and his own received him not.
12. But to as many as received him (Gentiles after his death) to them gave he power to BECOME the son of God even to them that believe upon his name.”
Here’s the deal NO ONE EVER GETS SAVED UNTIL THEY GET LOST! And how do you GET LOST??? Galatians 3:24 “Wherefore the LAW was our school master to BRING US unto Christ, that we must be justified by faith.”
Ya see the LAW doesn’t save, but it CONVICTS you that you need to be saved! It’s the TEACHER!
Now I would not have to be writing this IF my 1st & 2nd attempts had transmitted properly, But what about the Preaching of the New Testament. Lets start with John the Baptist whom the Lord said was the GREATEST man born to women, He looked like a Biker all cover with camels hair and a leather girdle, Eating Locusts and wild Honey probably spitting bug wings at some self righteous Pharisee! HA! And was his message all “Good News For Modern Man?” NOOOO! He preached the HELL out of both the religious and the likes of adulterous Herod & Herodias, (Which cost him his head) via Salome…. Good News??? The axe was laid to the root. “REPENT for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (That kingdom was physical visible Matt 13:33) as opposed to the Spiritual Kingdom of Heaven Romans 14:17.
And how about the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ??? I tell everybody the Lord “Comforted the afflicted and Afflicted the comforted” When Jesus Christ asked who do men say that I AM? The disciples told him some say that you Elias, (That’s Elisha the O.T.prophet or one of the “Prophets” Matt 16:14 again those would ALL BE OLD TESTASMENT because in fact John the Baptist was the last of the O.T. prophets Luke 16:16…”until John.” And the people said that others thought that Jesus was John the BAPTIST raised from the dead, Why??? Perhaps as cousins they looked somewhat alike but what did BOTH of them preach… REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. Now folks we ALL know how sweet and kind Jesus was… BUT HE also preached the HELL out of people. Like Elisha? Ya know the guy in II Kings that cursed a crew of kiddies for telling him go up oh bald head, and bears got those BRATS! Yeah GOOD NEWS Eh? HA!Yep Jesus was compared to that Dude? “SHO NUFF”. Yep a REAL smoothie was n’t he??? or as one of the other O.T. prophets that were all dismissed in Joe’s note to me. Or how about that highly cultured, mannerly John the BAPTIST yeah buddy there was a “Good News Preacher” ???? Ha! If you ever heard one!
Jesus preached Grace AND Hell Fire and brimstone and it is UNDENIABLE that He preached LIKE Elisha, or one of the prophets (all O.T.) or a resurrected John the Baptist.
Next you will no doubt assert, Well I meant after the great commission, the “Good News” Well in Acts 2: Peter preached a sermon based in Joel 2 O.T. told an all Jewish crowd they hand WICKED hands vs.23 (mean preaching) and had Crucified the LORDS Christ and they were PRICKED in their hearts … results? Told to REPENT vs. 38 and only 3000 were saved at this JUDGEMENT preaching.
Or how about that “Sweet Preaching” of Dear old Stephen in Acts 7 that after a 50 verse history lesson Stephen called his hearers vs.51 Stiffnecked,uncircumcised in heart, resisters. Vs. 52 Stephen calls them persecutors, betrayers and murderers. How ya’ll “digging” all this Good News Vibe? And they killed Stephen with Saul or Tarsus standing right there.
I will not take the time to tell you about all the GREAT and positive things that happened in the book of ACTS, but you have to admit especially of the Apostle Paul that same man Saul who consented to Stephens death, EVERYWHERE he went it was a revival or a Riot!
He reasoned with the Greeks on Mars Hill,and he told them in Acts 17:22 your superstitious in vs. 23 you worshipped ignorantly or he was saying your superstitious & idiots… yea boy keep the Good News a coming boys! HA! s. 31 God… commandeth ALL men everywhere to REPENT. Vs 31 Judgement days coming.Notice here we are now along way passed the Old Testament and Jesus’ 33 years! And Paul sounds much like Elijah & the 400 prophets of Baal.
The Gospel is the Good News and it’s defined in I Corinthians 15:1-4 it is #1. The DEATH- that’s negative #2. Burial- that’s negative #3. Resurrection of Jesus Christ THAT’S POSSITIVE! So the Gospel is 2 parts NEGATIVE and One part positive. or TWO parts bad news & ONE part “Good”.

Here is everyone’s problem with Street Preaching Hell Fire & Brimstone which is only 1/2 of the message.

AMOS 5:10 “They HATE him that rebuketh in the gate, and they ABHOR him that speaketh uprightly.”
Yep I know that’s Old Testament BUT if I had a dime for everytime that some well meaning saint has tried to stop me from preaching the gospel open air Judgement & Grace… I’d be rich!

BUT THERE ARE 2 PARTS and TYPES in reaching folks…

Jude 22 “And of SOME having compassion, making a difference:
Jude 23 “And OTHERS save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; HATING even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

So which of these two am I? I try to be BOTH compassionate AND causing FEAR, HATING the WORKS of the SINFUL FLESH. You know LIKE uh JESUS!

Bye the way Joe R…. Compassion is the theme of GRACE. And FEAR is the theme of the LAW our School Master that brings us to Christ.
Or there is the whole Bible NEW TESTAMENT- COMPASSION & OLD TESTAMENT- FEAR OF THE LORD… with out BOTH you can’t get saved the O.T. LAW convicts and N.T Grace & Faith SAVES Ephesians 2:8-9

Check this verse out Amos 3:8 “The Lion hath roared who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken WHO CAN BUT PROPHESY?”

As for me…I will keep Street Preaching like Jesus, John the Baptist,Peter, Stephen, Paul,Elisha,and ALL of the old testament prophets did Judgement & Grace…Amos 4:12(b)…Prepare to meet thy God…”

Can you do both? I try. http://www.kylejoeandlisahicks-outcryministries.com

And instead of “wish”(ing) my ministry does well PRAY that it does, that ALWAYS works out better for me!

By: qwerty

qwerty — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:44:37 +0000

I would say that what we do and pray can have some effect on what happens, but you are right in saying that we shouldn’t kill each other over street preachers.

By: qwerty

qwerty — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:48:30 +0000

Then how do you explain the multiple references to Sheol, the pit, etc. in the Bible, and what do you think it takes to get into Heaven?

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:13:27 +0000

After reading thru these posts I was lead to Matthew, Chapter 7: 3-5

3″Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

I see a common theme in all these post, and that is our difficulty in accepting that the Holy Spirt works on it’s own terms and it’s own way and is well beyond the comprehension of our limited abilities to understand the incomprehensible greatness of our Creator.

I am only certain of one thing, God loves all street preachers, and all those who disagree with street preachers methods. He created us all with an intended purpose and whether we submit and follow His will, or maintain our rebellious stance to the end, His perfect plan will be accomplished, with or without us.

Ultimately, how I feel, or others feel, about street preachers is a side bar that doesn’t really matter. God’s will prevails. Humans will neither help it along or hinder it through their actions, they will only experience it.

By: apz

apz — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:44:16 +0000

An aion of an aion means an age of an age. aionios means ages not eternity. Eternal damnation doesn’t exist and in the first century after Christ only one of the three accepted schools of theology believed in Eternal damnation. The Roman school of theology which incorporated Roman pagan ideology into their beliefs. They spawned this lie about God not forgiving the majority of humanity and tormenting them forever. Most politicians liked this idea and in the fifth century Emperor Justinian made it manditory for Western Christians to accept eternal damnation as fact. The Eastern Orthadox churches have always rejected this doctrine.

By: qwerty

qwerty — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:39:35 +0000

One thing that I notice in people’s negative reactions is the almost constant mention of “the way it was said”. Often times, it is the way we say something that turns someone off, not our actual message. The non-Christians who are turned off by hellfire preachers are mostly turned off the tone and the attitude of the preacher. More times than not what the hellfire guy is saying is true. Thus,I believe that sin and hell and the law should be used while witnessing, but should be done with an attitude of compassion and of pleading with someone to turn to Christ because we do not want them to die without Him and end up in hell.

One thing I am greatly opposed to is the idea of telling non-Christians that “hell is a place where Christ will not be”. To a lost, Godless person this description will sound harmless and even desireable. Only a Christian would realize what Godlessness portends.