August 18, 2009 by johngoetsch
George Whitefield’s Impact on Revival
Although Whitefield himself spoke very little of the hardships he encountered, his “Journals” reveal the price he paid for the cause of Christ. His zeal and determination took him on an amazing course of evangelistic labor. After nine days of preaching in Philadelphia in the spring of 1740, he set out for New York. A seven-hour journey on horseback brought him to the home of Mr. Tennent at Neshaminy, where a congregation of 5,000 awaited him.
“When I got there (he writes) my body, through heat and labor was so weak and faint, that my knees smote one against another, my visage changed, and I was ready to drop down as soon as I had finished my prayer. But God was pleased to revive me. Great numbers were melted. . . .” But despite his weakness, he traveled another eight miles that night and another sixteen the following morning. This brought him to the Dutch settlement of Shippack, where he reported:
Thursday, April 24. . . “It was seemingly a very wilderness part of the country but there were no less, I believe, than two thousand hearers. . . Traveling and preaching in the sun again, weakened me much and made me very sick; but by the Divine assistance, I took horse, rode twelve miles, and preached in the evening to about 3,000 people at a Dutchman’s plantation. . .” Read more »
Categories: Famous Preachers •
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July 8, 2009 by johngoetsch
The first revival meeting I ever preached was in Rock Island, Illinois, back in the early 1970s. The church had another evangelist coming to preach to their adults but wanted someone to hold a children’s crusade in conjunction with that revival. I gladly accepted. That week the workers did a fantastic job of bringing boys and girls. God was at work. Children were being saved nightly, and I was having the time of my life.
One night after I dismissed the children, I was walking across the parking lot to the main building to say goodnight to the pastor when I suddenly felt a tug on my coattail. I turned around, and there stood a little six-year-old boy by the name of Matt Webb. He had ridden one of the buses to the service. His clothes were crumpled, his hair matted, and tears were trickling down his dirty face. He looked up at me and said, “Mister, does God love me too?” I’m sure glad I didn’t have to tell Matt that night that God only loved important people and that Jesus only died for a few. I’m glad that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Scripture doesn’t qualify the lost; it just says in Romans 5:8 that He died for sinners. (I think we all qualify.)
I will admit that to me much of the world is not very lovable. We see people in every culture turning away from God and living in wicked sin. Like Jonah of old, it is easy to develop the attitude that the world deserves God’s wrath and judgment. But the Bible states that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). In fact, right after that wonderful verse, God states, “For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Paul agrees in 1 Timothy 2:3–4 when he writes, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Read more »
Tags: Calvinism, El Salvador, Soulwinning
Categories: Soulwinning •
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April 2, 2009 by johngoetsch
Young people today are flocking to a new phenomenon called the “emergent church.” It really isn’t new—it is the same old deception of Satan dressed in modern attire. The devil has been trying to get man to doubt the goodness of God since the Garden of Eden. God gave man everything that he needed and much more to enjoy, but there was one tree in the midst of the garden that was forbidden. Man, however, became convinced that God was denying him something good and decided to trust his own reasoning rather than God’s Word.
Today, young people are drawn to the “emerging church” because it allows them to believe in God and yet live as they choose. The leaders of this movement preach a religion that allows you to pick and choose what you believe about God and the Bible. Donald Miller in his book Blue Like Jazz states, “I wished I could have subscribed to aspects of Christianity but not the whole thing.” One reader of Miller’s book said, “I love Blue Like Jazz because it’s, like, a Christian book, but it doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself.” Another said, “I’ve already bought thirteen copies to give to my friends. I’m a Jesus girl, but I also like to go out and do tequila shots with my friends. This is a book I can give to those friends.”
In a Renegade’s Guide to God David Foster calls for a renegade type of Christianity that “resists being named, revolts at being shamed, and rebels against the tamed.” He boasts that we won’t be told what to do or commanded how to behave. In the book Emerging Church the author states that its membership is made up of “people who didn’t fit into regular church. They were too cynical, too rebellious, and too radical.” It seems that everybody wants to be cool and Christian at the same time. Read more »
Tags: Compromise, Culture, Emerging Church
Categories: Emerging Church •
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February 17, 2009 by johngoetsch
It was August of 1973, and I was sitting on the back of my car in the driveway of 637 Atwood Avenue in Rockford, Illinois. Next to me was a young lady that I had been dating for three years. Her dad was putting the barbeque grill away in the backyard after a cook-out. We were talking about a variety of things when out of the clear blue came a question I was definitely unprepared to answer. “John, do you love me?”she asked inquisitively.
While we had been dating for three years, the “love” word had not yet been spoken. Did I love her? I was not sure. I knew I loved football. I was going back to college the next day for the start of two-a-day practices for my senior season. Oh, I loved football alright, but did I love her? I had no idea! After hesitating at the question, which is never a good sign, I gulped and said, “I don’t know.” While that was not the answer she was looking for, at least I was honest.
We often say that we love God. We use the word in our prayers, and we sing songs like “My Jesus I Love Thee” or “Oh, How I Love Jesus.” But what does it mean to love God? The Apostle Peter was very confident that he loved the Lord. In John chapter twenty-one, when asked if he loved Jesus, Peter vehemently stated, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” Knowing Peter’s heart, the Lord was not satisfied with his routine answer. Apparently there was something missing in the apostle’s love. A careful look at the passage reveals that there are four qualities to the love that God is looking for from us. Read more »
Tags: Love, Peter, Valuable
Categories: Christian Walk •
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February 17, 2009 by johngoetsch
In life there is nothing more consistent than the passing of time. We attempt to slow it down and even at times make it stand still, but it is undeterred, steadily marching onward. Benjamin Franklin said, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.” Time is irretrievable. You cannot repeat it or relive it. In life, there is no such thing as instant replay. The minutes that travel with us each day have eternity wrapped up inside them. How are you using yours?
The metaphors God uses in the Bible to describe our lives are sobering. In James 4:14, He calls life a “vapour.” In 1 Chronicles 29:15, He describes it as a “shadow.” In Job 7:6—a “weaver’s shuttle.” In Job 9:25 He likens life to a hurrying messenger or “post.” In Isaiah 40:6–7, the prophet declares: “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.”
Unless the Lord returns first, each of us will one day find our way to a cemetery. At the head of the grave our family will place a headstone with our name, date of our birth, and date of our death. Between those two dates will be a tiny dash. It won’t take the engraver of the stone long to place that dash there, but it will represent our entire lives. Just as God said—our lives will be reduced to a simple dash.
What we do with that dash is completely up to us. The story is told of an old Norwegian who had kept very careful notes of his life in a series of notebooks he kept on the shelf of his business. On his eightieth birthday he went to the store and pulled the books from the shelf and began to compute his life. He was surprised to find that he had spent five of his eighty years waiting for people. He had spent six months tying neckties, three months scolding children, and eight days telling dogs to lie down and be quiet. When I read that rather humorous account, I wondered if he ever took a few minutes to listen to the Gospel and pray the sinner’s prayer. If he did, I wonder how much time he had spent in church, in prayer, reading his Bible, or telling others about Christ. Read more »
Tags: Investing, Soulwinning
Categories: Investing, Soulwinning •
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November 19, 2008 by johngoetsch
Lessons from a Flight Deck
It was a routine flight: traffic to the airport was great; security lines moved quickly; boarding went smoothly; departure and landing were right on schedule. The two and a half hour flight went by quickly as I had brought with me more than enough to keep me busy. As we prepared for landing, I put everything away, leaned back with my eyes closed and waited for touchdown. As the wheels screeched on the pavement below, I was awakened out of my five minute cat-nap and looked out into the darkness from my window seat.
The flight attendant was now giving announcements as we approached the gate but a seriousness characterized the tone of her voice. She said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to ask you to remain in your seats upon arrival for just a few moments. We have an emergency medical team meeting our plane to assist a passenger who has become ill. Please be courteous and remain in your seats until the paramedics can board the plane and provide assistance.” As we approached the gate, I could see the ambulance in place with lights flashing.
Everyone on the plane was silent. It was so unlike a normal arrival. Usually people are on cell phones as they push and shove to grab their carry-on baggage and maneuver toward the exit. As inconspicuously as possible each of us began to glance over the seat in front and behind us in hopes that perhaps we could spot this person in trouble. As the door opened and four paramedics came on board, I was surprised to learn that the lady in need was just two rows behind me on the opposite side of the plane. In a matter of moments they lifted her off the floor where she was lying between the seats and carried her off the plane to the waiting ambulance. Read more »
Tags: Emergency, Flying, To-do-list
Categories: Soulwinning •
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October 17, 2008 by johngoetsch
Most of us are not interested in spending money on something that is broken. We are reluctant to buy a used car until we have done a thorough check with Carfax to ensure ourselves that we are not getting stuck with someone else’s junk. The words “valuable” and “broken” do not seem to fit in the same sentence, unless you are looking at things from God’s paradigm.
Our lives have great value to God. In Mark 8:36, Jesus declared: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The Lord indicates here that our souls are worth more than the entire world. Think about the price that God paid in order for our soul to be saved: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
But while our lives in God’s eyes are valuable, they are only of practical use to God when broken. The truth is, God delights in and uses broken things. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
When traveling, I purchase most things with a credit card, but I also make sure that I have a little bit of cash on me for those incidentals along the way. In fact, it is kind of nice to have a twenty dollar bill or two in my pocket. But while that twenty dollar bill has value, it is not always practically useful. It will not buy a can of soda from a vending machine, or serve me well at a laundromat or car wash. For that reason, I keep the ashtray of my car filled with quarters. A twenty dollar bill and eighty quarters have the same value, but the eighty quarters can be used to buy just about anything, whereas the twenty dollar bill is limited in its usefulness. Read more »
Tags: Broken, Feeding of the Five Thousand, Job, Useful, Valuable
Categories: Soulwinning, Usefulness •
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August 4, 2008 by johngoetsch
Have you ever realized while driving down the freeway that you were going the wrong way? That five miles to the next exit seems like thirty as your mind begins to calculate the time you are wasting. That little gravel path in the median that is reserved for “official use only” looks pretty inviting, doesn’t it? Sure, it’s illegal but your time is valuable too, right?
Recently, I was driving north for a Thursday night service in Chico, California. I had tried to squeeze in a little too much work before leaving and was running a bit late but traffic was light, the weather was great, and I was keeping the cruise control on the speed limit as I made my way up Interstate 5. Around Stockton, I was needing to get fuel. Since I had driven this route countless times before, I decided to stop at a Flying J truck stop. Unfortunately for me, they had reconfigured the exit ramp since my last visit to this establishment, and so I found myself on a different road than I expected. But, praise the Lord, there happened to be a “Pilot” truck stop right there, so I pulled in and refueled both the car and my stash of snacks.
As I exited, I was a little confused as to how to get back to the freeway. As I approached a stop sign, I did not see any signs pointing me back to I-5, but I did spot the Flying J in the distance. I decided to turn in that direction to the right thinking that if I could get to that familiar spot I would be able to make my way back to the interstate. As I drove by the Flying J, I realized that in order to get back on the highway, I needed to be going the other direction. So, at the next stop sign, I simply made a u-turn. A few seconds later, as I approached the entrance ramp—you guessed it! Those blue and red lights were flashing as my criminal act had been witnessed by two of our finest CHP’s. After a twenty-minute delay I was handed a ticket with a fine of $142! I haven’t made a u-turn since! Read more »
Tags: Driving, God's will, Looking back, U-Turn
Categories: Christian Walk •
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June 10, 2008 by johngoetsch
Where have all of the orchards gone? I tell you, we have destroyed them! You and I are responsible. The fruit trees have been hewn down and destroyed, and we are suffering from malnutrition as a result. “We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment” (Isaiah 59:9b-15).
For 150 years America has managed to live without a national revival. Had it not been for the First Great Awakening of the 1740’s, America as we have known it, would have never been born. The fearless preaching of evangelists in the early days of this country kept the nation on its knees before God in times of war, difficulty, corruption, and vice. In the darkest moments of our history, God has raised up mighty preachers to thunder His Word in church houses, barns, and town squares. In days of expansion and exploration the camp meetings, brush arbors, and tent revivals kept our focus on God. A couple of generations ago, nearly every Christian would testify of a life-changing decision made in a revival campaign held in a local church. Read more »
Tags: Fruit, Investing, Money, Soulwinning
Categories: Fruit, Soulwinning •
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April 2, 2008 by johngoetsch
For several nights in a row I had felt a slight pain in my stomach while I was preaching. I didn’t think much of it—chalked it up to be something I ate or perhaps the early symptoms of the flu. It was Saturday night, and I was exhausted from driving just over a thousand miles to a church where I would be privileged to speak all day on Sunday. I went to bed around ten and fell asleep instantly. Ten minutes later I was awakened by a sharp pain in my stomach! “It had to be those chicken McNuggets I had eaten at McDonalds for lunch,” I reasoned. I tossed and turned for the next hour and a half but the pain only grew worse. Barely able to stand, I got dressed and awakened my son-in-law with whom I was staying.
As we made our way to the hospital, my eyes were closed while I winced in pain. I knew we were going faster than the speed limit since I noticed several red lights blur past us. Once inside the emergency room the nurses hooked me to some intravenous medicines and pain killers, and I began to feel some relief. The hospital was busier than usual that night, but finally around four in the morning, a doctor ordered a CAT scan to determine the problem. A few moments later, he informed me that I was passing a kidney stone. I have some good friends that have had this experience, and I had heard that it was like having a baby. My mind began to imagine this giant orange-sized rock that needed to pass through my system. Suddenly, I hurt all over again.
The doctor ordered a heavy dose of morphine and shared with me that the stone was in a good position and should pass soon. I could get dressed, go home, and wait. I said, “Doc, how big is this thing?” “Oh,” he said, “It’s not very impressive…about the size of a grain of sand.” A grain of sand! I was dying over a grain of sand? How could something so small cause so much agony? If this was like having a baby it was a record midget! Read more »
Tags: Hospital, Sin
Categories: Sin •
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