ALIEN ON A MISSION

BEWARE OF NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

2011-12-31T13:42:00.003Z

Beware of new year resolutions! I say this becuase the greater danger for believers is that they put the focus on their ability at the cost of "learning the unforced rhythms of grace" and receiving Jesus's supernatural help in everyday matters. I know I could lose a few pounds and apply more discipline in a few areas but is a simplisic resolution to do this going to help? I think not. In fact it could prove counter- productive in that I would set off the long distance race with a great sprint of enthusiasm only to collapse in failure and disillusionment.
With increasing chaos in the world around us surely this year, like last year, can be a year of greater intimacy with God Himself. When we are close to Him we know our own worth. Think of this. Value is determined by the price one can obtain for something. I might want to seel my car but if nobody wants it at all it has no value, beyond scrap. If on the orther hand it was a unique high value vintage car attracting great interest it could be worth a lot of money. How much is a person worth? (that is: you and me). God our creator gave up His most precious only Son Jesus, His very life, for you and me and this act demonstrated beyond doubt that God sees us as priceless.
Have you ever noticed how people change when they stop feeling worthless and start to see themselves lved and valued. It is quite awesome. Surely this good news (Gospel) we have has such power to change people.

Modern day account of Jesus...

2011-11-29T13:44:00.001Z

Jesus walks into a Church (2011)...starts to move in the power of the spirit, couple of people get out of wheelchairs, and a few people recieve their sight... people are amazed and overjoyed...However after a short time the some people get very upset...Guess who they are? , yes, right first time The Pastor and his elders..." Who does this guy think he is" they mutter between themselves..and the Pastor, bless God, decides to signal to his ushers, quickly they approach this unshaven rebel, and ask him to leave. "Show some respect" they say as they escort him off the premises.. A religious lull returns over the congregation,"doesn't he know we have a service to run in here" , they whisper at the front of the Church, as they return to a form of Godliness that deny's the power... Does this remind you of any particular Characters in scripture...?

Outside the crowd gathers, five times the size of the Church as the rebel preaches the message has power and Authority, not like the ones they are used to.. as the "leaders off the Church come out and hear Him, they are infuriated, as some of "their people", are listening as well as all these people...Who are you submitted to or(by what authority do you do these things).. one of the leaders shouts out.. I do nothing unless, I first see my father doing it first..who are you submitted to, I am in Him and he is in me..
That's complete independence, your off man , they shout as they depart..
But the people remain, and many are healed ....And his followers grow....

The situation worsens, to the extend that many have joined this new sect, the Church leaders are worried and upset , and they have all lost many, of "their people", to this loose canon , who does'nt seem to want to submit himself , to anyone, except the Holy Spirit..He wont even relate to us, and we don't relate to him...
probably because we are of a totally different spirit..

They plot and plan.......

Modern day Pharisees
Author-Sean Cronin

2 WRONG ROADS + 1 RIGHT

2011-09-28T22:55:00.000+01:00

I heard it said that Islam has only 2 ways to get to heaven, one being try and have your good works exceed that of the strictest pharisees...lotsa luck!...and hopefully God will be in a good humour the day you die and have arbitrary mercy on you...(bit of a gamble to put it mildly!). The other way is to give your very life for God in Jihad or holy war, a more guaranteed method (if only it was true!). Contrast this with the way God revealed through His Word and by His Holy Spirit through Jesus, namely that God Himself in Christ would actually die for us, the (only) innocent for the guilty (all of us). Now perhaps you can understand the contrast between these 2 faiths and the utter foolishness of saying both "Jesus was a good man' and "Your good works will get you to heaven". Many nominal Christians sadly have their trust in their good works and not the Good King who bled for them...Think about it.

CAN RTE NOT FIND A YEC?

2011-09-21T23:49:00.003+01:00

On the Pat Kenny radio show this morning there was a mini debate between atheist Michael Nugent and a chap called Migeul DeArce of TCD Genetics Institute. The title was 'That This House Believes in God' and Athiest Michael put the valid question to Miguel "When did man get a soul". Now the problem was that Miguel DeArce believes in both creation (God) and evolution and so his answer was predictably low on substance. I have often stated on this blog that anything less than 7 day young earth creationism is inconsistent with Biblical truth (and plain false also by the way). Adam had no ape ancestry and had not only a soul (animals have that) but a spirit which made him, and the missus, different. It would be nice to see Pat get a YEC (Young Earth Creationist) believer to take on an atheist next time and not a theistic evolutionist who, by the way, does not believe in biblical truth. In the beginning God created.. is a trustworthy statement. The Bible talks about a liar but it's not the author.

STATING THE OBVIOUS (+ STANDING WITH ISRAEL)

2011-09-20T23:51:00.000+01:00

When I witness on the street for Jesus I typically avoid distracting discussions, especially political ones where most people's views can be quite polarized and not for turning. I am however struck by the irony of the stance people are taking today in condemning violence (rightly so) and supporting the establishment of a state (Palestine) that has the destruction of it's neighbour in its charters. I couldn't wait for the Irish Times to publish my letter so here it is!:
Madam,
Both Hamas and Fatah deny Israel the right to exist and continue to facilitate indiscriminate rocket launches against them. Despite this and the recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization a large portion of the western world seems drunk on the idea of supporting them in their breakaway declaration of statehood. Ireland would be wise to take a stand in this lunacy and join USA, and perhaps other nations in standing up for what is right. If the IRA in the height of their violence campaign had declared some kind of a country while murdering protestant and other civilians would it have been right to give them a state of any description? I think not. The Irish peace process involved talk not breakaway declaration. Israel needs our support by us speaking out and voting in the UN against this lunacy at a time when ethical and moral blindness seems to be descending on the international body politic.
Yours sincerely, Anthony Brabazon....Comments are welcome but rants will be binned!

IT CAN'T GET SIMPLER!

2011-09-09T10:41:00.001+01:00

Gifts are received not earned, so too God's gift Jesus

Our latest 15 minute Pilgrim Talk podcast deals with the very basic of Christianity. Strip away all the incense and nonsense, smell and bells, religious forms, buildings...strip away every non-essential and what is left is not something but someone... Jesus. it not about "do" it's about "done"...done by Him for us. It's that simple. The enemy knows truth is not on his side so he likes to make simple things complicated in order to put people off. Check the message out under "Pilgrim talk Podcast" on the sidebar or better still, if you are an iTunes user (Steve forgave me for the last post!), go to the iTunes store and search for Pilgrim Talk and subscribe (for free of course).

Our planned launch on UCB Ireland radio has been delayed slightly but the exciting news is that UCB Ireland is now on FM from Friday to Sunday up to November 13th. Frequencies are Dublin 94.3 Galway 89.5 Limerick 105.5 COrk 106.7 Wexford/Waterford 103.8

WHO GIFTED STEVE JOBS?

2011-08-28T23:01:00.000+01:00

Steve Jobs and iPad

Why were Steve Jobs and Apple so successful? My suspicion is that they looked at problems differently to others and thought "What do people need?". For example when a digital camera, mobile phone were stuffing peoples pockets they merged them and added an internet and email device in the first iPhone. When desks were cluttered with monitors computers and modems they put them in one device, the first iMac. When computers required much knowledge of code to operate they invented the "point and shoot device" called the Mouse. Mac followers can be a bit "cultish" and nerdy but good design is always attractive ( I would say that as an architect!) . A seamless marriage of form and function can prove irresistable at times. There is however much irony in the fact that Jobs is, reportedly, a buddhist, and not a spirit filled believer in Jesus. The irony is this: Buddhists believe that the ultimate goal, following all the reincarnations, is ...wait for it..."Blowing out" (Nirvana). It's hard to square this up with a man who reflected so much of his Maker's creativity. It's also sad that one could be bestowed with so much gifting and never acknowledge the Giver. I'm only judging him by what I read and I may of course be wrong, sorry Steve! but the same might be said of many others who have no time for the Father, Son nor Holy Spirit. All that said I do wish him well and that he turns to meet my ressurrected and glorified friend Jesus.

God's Corrupted Book: Nature

2011-08-25T22:53:00.000+01:00

King Bird of Paradise photographed by Tim Laman

I have heard it said that God has two books: The Bible and Nature. This was said in the context of a seminar which was trying to reconcile Evolution with God the creator. God does indeed have these 2 books but one of them (nature) is corrupted while the other isn't. The corruption entered with sin and rebellion and so reading God in nature has now become a hazardous occupation. Computers leaving factories are quality checked and in one sense "perfect". Yet after a bit of use and internet activity they can before infected with virus' and be less than perfect. It would be wrong to struggle with a virus ridden computer and then ring the manufacturers to complain...It simply wasn't their fault. Many however blame God for the mess of this planet, be it the savagery in nature or humanity or the cruelty of painful illnesses and death. This is wrong. Mankind is to blame. I am to blame. You are to blame. The perfect Book said that when God created everything it was "Very Good".

RIOTS: PROOF OF NEED FOR REVIVAL

2011-08-16T23:04:00.001+01:00

An iconic image of the recent riots

The recent London riots were a stark reminder about (fallen) human nature. On a normal day a normal person behaves himself ( or herself). But on those rare occasions where it enters peoples heads that they can "get away with" getting something (like a telly) for nothing then all hell breaks loose. A few years ago there was some ugly violence when some hooligans ripped up the old Lansdowne Road stadium. Months later when they appeared in the Dublin courts they turned out to be neatly dressed professionals, a far cry from the thugs caught on camera on the night. It was the mob dynamic that made them feel invincible (and uncatchable) on the night.

True character is what you do when nobody is looking. Few have good character. The humanists who have been arguing about the "goodness of man" really haven't a clue. Pull away the restraint and see what happens! Many middle class people might have abhorred the street violence (rightly so) but are happy to cheat taxes (steal). For most the external policeman keeps them under control but God's ultimate plan was that HIs Spirit would be within us and instead of sweating to try and keep His law we would have a "new heart" and want nothing else but to please Him at all times. David Cameron was right when he spoke of slow breakdown of society. The ground is ripe for revival and reformation according to God's ways, not ours.

AN END TO DEATH...WOW!

2011-08-01T22:45:00.001+01:00

As a family we are suffering a pet bereavement. Of course it's different to the loss of a loved person but it remains painful. Why? Some well meaning but not well informed people say that death is part of life but as regenerated followers of Jesus we have a different conviction and it's like this: Our wonderful Creator made life while death is no less than an obscene enemy. It entered when our first ancesters defied their Creator and it will be the last enemy thrown into the lake of fire at the end of time as we know it. Death is painful to those left behind as they feel loss and separation, not the original design. I seriously worry about the implications of the belief that death is simply part of the "circle of life" process. It implies that the Creator made death...perish the thought! My God is not a cruel monster who designed flesh ripping savage animals, no, he made peaceable pet like animals without fear who suffered a corruption along with the rest of creation once man broke fellowship with God. Thank God that He restores the original order and soon the lion will lie down with the lamb and death will be no more...What a thought...and all because He took on Himself my death (and yours) at Golgotha not that long ago...All that said we do miss Rosie our dog!

BURIED TREASURE

2011-07-30T00:55:00.002+01:00

God has buried the message of the Gospel in the names of the 12 patriarchs from Adam to Noah. The message is Genesis chapter 5: Man [Adam] (is) appointed [Seth] mortal [Enosh] sorrow [Kenan]; (but) the Blessed God [Mehalalel] shall come down [Jared] teaching [Enosh] (that) His death shall bring [Methuselah] (the) despairing [Lamech] rest [Noah]. No wonder the enemy hates Genesis!

Free Book Offer - Your Kingdom Come by Evangelist Daniel Kolenda

2011-07-13T14:14:00.000+01:00

Free Book Offer - Your Kingdom Come by Evangelist Daniel Kolenda

CANCER OF MR (MORAL RELATIVISM)

2011-07-12T19:39:00.000+01:00

Correct but politically incorrect: More people died in USA on September 11th 2001 in Abortion clinics than at the World Trade Centre but there wasn't a whimper about that atrocity on September 11th nor 12th nor 13th! I wonder why? I can't help wondering was it something to do with the evolutionary world view that prevails in media whereby extra bugs, stray cats and unborn babies are simply "got rid of". And why not if "every man can do what is right in his own eyes". Moral relativism (MR) (ie the denial of the creator God) is a deadly cancer in our so called "civilized" western society. It wasn't MR anyway that saw the foundations of our society and freedom from slavery, it was largely God fearing men and women who stood up to godless injustice. When Adam sinned he was saying "God's word is not true" and his deadly action lead to a corruption that affected both mankind and the rest of creation. God didn't make this world, He made a perfect world which was "very good" and Mankind then corrupted it. No wonder we had September 11th, and 12th and 13th. Far too many "Christians" are soft on evolution and believe that God used it somehow to bring about Adam and Eve. If this was true then God is both a murderer and a liar...I think not. Despite all the rottenness and evil in this world the Creator out of love for us rebels chose to send His only beloved to earth as the only innocent and have Him take the legal punishment for you and me. Death and hell He took to save you from death and hell and restore the proper loving relationship He dearly wishes. Your life or death choice. Cheers. AB. The picture shows the soon to be opened 9-11 memorial at Ground Zero a dignified memorial to a very wicked act.

NIGHT FISHING

2011-06-28T09:31:00.000+01:00

This Friday at 9pm a small group of us will do some "night fishing" in Temple Bar square. It was at night on a city street (New York 1984) where I first spoke to evangelists and understood that the purpose of Jesus' death was to personally take my sin and have it legally paid for by His own death. This encounter partly explains why I like to share at night. I am also aware of the fact that many go out at night looking for life (in the wrong places of course!) and it's good to be there with the Truth (a person). Of all things I am aware of I am most acutely aware of my utter inability to go out, share, worship, preach and publicly lift up Jesus' name (literally) without the help of the precious Holy Spirit. I am also aware of the need of prayer support and perhaps this is where you come in!
The photo is of me on Grafton Street a few weeks ago. I wore the hat when I spoke of Holy God judging sin and I took it off as I spoke of loving God wanting our fellowship. I explained how this paradox was reconciled at Calvary.

RADIO WORK INCREASES

2011-06-24T23:25:00.001+01:00

2 doors seem to be opening for Christian Radio for myself. The first is my second appearance on John Manning's God Talk show 4pm Sunday (3 weeks time) on Near FM in Dublin. John has had this slot for over 10 years and has developed a following of thousands. He spends much of the week taking calls and ministering to people who otherwise have little or no Christian contact. Being on a "secular" station excites me!

The other door opening is to do with the transformation of the Pilgrim Talk podcast (see link at side), which I do with David O'Rourke, into a regular Christian Radio show in Ireland and perhaps for export. There is a welcome increase in Irish produced Christian talk radio programmes and with UCB Ireland going on FM in September even more opportunities are opening up.

The cynical people might see Radio work as a big fat ego trip. I don't. I see it as a very real work of faith because you do not see the listeners yet you broadcast the word of God believing someone somewhere will be or might be changed. Research in Ireland show how popular radio remains despite all the new technology.

Ireland needs a saviour and His name is not EU nor ECB nor IMF nor USA but JESUS.

FIRE ON THE STREETS?

2011-06-19T23:53:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we went out to Temple Bar in Dublin to witness and preach. Crowds were large and very cosmopolitan, as one expects here. Although we spent a good time lifting up the wonderful Name above all names we had a limited discussions with people. I did however have a chat with a very foul mouthed Lithuanian who had strong anti-biblical opinions. When his 3 mates came along I said to the friends "You should talk to your friend here... He doesn't realize that he was wonderfully created by God, he actually thinks he came from a monkey!" His friends burst out laughing at this and showed interest in the "Monkey tract" I was passing out. The original chap tried to intercept this and didn't want his friends to have anything to do with it...but God had better plans.
I can only pray that our good Lord uses this encounter to begin to bring conviction of sin to them all. Indeed I could see in the street for most if not all the afternoon that we were in great need for the fire of God to fall on the people. I'm not in any way against those who call for the Holy Spirit's fire in the churches but I find astonishingly few call for it on the streets. Will you join me in this cry to heaven?
The photo is of a current billboard for a new computer game but sadly it is also representative of the attitude of the church (...and mine sometimes!). We have swallowed the worlds' lie that we should "Do what we feel". How about doing what He feels.
On Friday week we are from 9pm doing some nightime evangelism in Temple Bar. Contact me if you are free to join. Labourers wanted! Observers welcome and Intercessors (on or off street) greatly appreciated.

THAT DIRTY "H" WORD!

2011-05-25T23:38:00.001+01:00

Dangerous pastime!
I posted this today in response to a God Journey broadcast called:Ultimate Reconciliation: The Hell with it! podcast of 8-5-2009. With Rob Bell's recent book it seems as Hell is being hushed up again (not a good idea). I'm genuinely not into Christians sniping at each other so lets be declare here how much I love the God Journey and if they veer off the road a wee bit...Bless them Lord!! I hope they'd bless me and not blast me if I too were to drift onto dodgy ground. Here's the text:
Brad / Wayne, I love the God Journey but I wonder have you swung the pendulum too far on this one. The greek mindset speaks of either/or while the Hebrew mindset speaks of on the one hand this/ on the other hand that. It is in this context that we can begin to understand the reconciliation between the Love of God (which suggests all go to heaven) and the Holiness of God (which suggests hell for all). The cross brings sense to all this (while being an offense to the universalists). Jesus went to hell, like all who died before him (though some were kept safe in Abraham's bosom) and the hope of escape is in Him alone. When you raise children you seek to lovingly encourage and coax them to do good but there are times of severe warnings also. Such warnings do not deny our love for them but recognizes the grave consequences of ongoing defiance. We live in an unredeemed humanistic world where God is simply seen as a means to an end (happiness and heaven) and not an end in HImself (to be worshipped). The average unredeemed person has no desire for an eternity of worship. SIn brings punishment to people on this earth and many call it their hell yet the truth is that this is their heaven while for those who follow Jesus in the new life this beautiful but fallen planet is their hell (relatively speaking). I understand where you are coming from but would respectfully suggest that we should not only warn of hell while speaking of the wonders of our saviour but do so with love in our heart and tears in our eyes. God takes no pleasure in seeing any person ending up in a Christless place which was not even created for them, a place of no grace. I met Jesus at aged 23 and I know that I deserve hell and would have gone there had I died before my new birth ("perished' as referred to in John 3:16) I was drawn in by God's love but stepped into HIs kingdom over the threshold of a godly repentance from sin (all by His grace). Let me know your thoughts. Keep up the good work. Your brother in Jesus from Ireland Anthony

TIME AND CHANCE MAKE BAD THINGS WORSE

2011-05-24T00:17:00.000+01:00

The British Centre for Science Education (an anti-Creation athiest lobby group) support a campaign and petition to get any discussion of creation science removed even from religious education classes (in UK). They call it "CRISIS" (Creationism in School isn't science). Of course they forgot to insert the word "evolutionary" before science.
If this group, and their fellow Evolution supporters, are right then Jesus was a liar, the cross was meaningless and God's word can't be trusted. Personally I know Him to be the Truth, His Word reliable and the Cross and resurrection to be the Power of God manifest on earth. I find that science (not evolutionary science) supports the Genesis account. I appreciate that it is easy for either side in the debate to get emotional and just slag off the other. This seems to be what happened when Thomas Huxley debated Darwin's theory to the British Association for the advancement of science in Oxford in 1860 and had Biship Wilberforce insult him! Soon after this scientific opinion swung to the current evolutionary view.
Creation as we see it today is far from perfect and this is due to the corruption from sin and not an evolutionary act in motion! The heart of mankind is rotten (until God intervenes and renews) and time and chance only make bad things worse. The photo is of Barack Obama today saying "Yes we can" . He's probably referring to dividing up the land of Israel (Joel 3:2) or the like (no wonder we had the windiest day ever recorded in Ireland today and he was forced to leave early by an oncoming ash cloud).

PILGRIM TALK PODCAST NOW ON ITUNES

2011-05-21T15:42:00.000+01:00

You can now go to the side panel and click on "Pilgrim Talk Podcast" and then subscribe to the podcast (through iTunes) to hear myself and David O'Rourke ("Ant and Dave") in conversation about walking with God in the 21st Century. Episode 6 has a interview with PJ Hanley, Ireland's chief export to USA! We had a fab theme tune in the early episodes but the technology, and my exhausted computer, was proving too cumbersome to insert so it got dropped! Happy listening! Ant

DESSIE: DUBLIN'S DELIGHT

2011-05-03T23:02:00.001+01:00

Dublin is a better city because of Street Preacher Dessie. He has a heart of gold and when he shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ he does it with a deep care for the hearers, even though he has to inform them of the dire consequences of their Christ-less existence. As a street preacher myself I know how important this is. We do not judge people but often pronounce God's judgment over those who reject Him. This we can't do in a heartless way. We don't preach to justify ourselves but to portray Christ who justifies the sinner. I have often listened to Dessie stop his message to engage with people, as he is doing in this photo. Many people think street preaches are simply angry people and yet testify to their approachability and grace in a one to one conversation. If you are reading this and are a bit unsure of the next street preacher let me encourage you to wait until he or she is finished and then talk to them, you will be pleasantly surprised I expect. In the meantime be glad that we live in a free country where the Geneva convention is actually practiced and Jesus is lifted high (on occasion!).

THE HAMMER

2011-04-24T23:17:00.000+01:00

If you walked the length of North Earl Street and Henry Street in Dublin yesterday you would have encountered 4 different groups of Christians sharing the gospel. We were the eastern most of the 4 and the message, delivered by my favourite street preacher, was about the cost of sin..to God, in the crucifixion of His beloved son. A few props were employed but it seemed to be the hammer in her hand that gripped the attention of many! There was stong reaction to the idea that God can't simply forgive with out a price being paid. I reckon about 30 or 40 people gathered to hear the message and I believe it is a foretaste of what is to come as we continue to bring the undluted gospel to the people. Pray for Dublin and Ireland. We are in need of a great awakening! The photo is of Jim on O'Connell Street with Wayne Rooney trying to make his mind up!

MIRACLE

2011-03-19T01:47:00.001Z

I learnt an interesting lesson today while witnessing on a crazy St Patrick's day on Grafton Street. Lee-Anne asked for a healing prayer for her cough when she was with five of her friends who were asking me tons of questions about Jesus. I asked for a miracle and her first words were mocking words "Hallelujah I'm healed". I told her not to mock... but then asked her if to take a deep breath and tell me if the symptoms had gone. They had. Her entire attitude changed and she sponged up the truth of God's love for her at Calvary. What I learnt is... Not to get angry nor to judge too quickly. Jesus Himself did not judge by what his eye saw nor His ear heard. Hallelujah! Ant

INTELLIGENT LIFE IN SPACE? NOT AS YOU EXPECT

2011-02-06T23:41:00.002Z

NASA has recently discovered many planets where life might be possible. I think not. With all due respect to my budget guzzling evolutionary friends I would venture to suggest that they make a large assumption that bioligical and indeed human life just "happens" if conditions are right...I think not. Even a child understands cause and effect and that life comes from...life. Imagine if a planet was discovered identical to earth with an identical sun (suspend you rational thinking about probability to get this far in itself!). Now you have a dead empty planet. Add water and you now have..a still dead empty planet. Without the alchemy of "evolution" ( a dogmatic fairy tale for adults which any non-indoctinated kid knows is as scientific as the emperor's new clothes) the dead planet stays dead.
Dear friends let me venture to suggest that what we see around us in nature and astronomy is ..er...designed. Thank God I don't have a university post to be fired from! Oh and by the way there is life beyond the galaxies. It's mentioned in the book of Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 10. Google it!

LAND OF AINTS AND SCHOLARS

2011-02-05T19:35:00.000Z

Once upon a time Ireland was know as the land of saints and scholars. Education standards here are pretty good today so perhaps we are still a land of scholars...but sadly we have become a land on "Aints and Scholars" as God is largely ignored among most people. With a general election campaign underway and much national debate about Economics happening I decide to quietly prepare a list of questions for candidates before they came to the door. The questions were quite simple and direct and covered the following issues: Abortion, The Constitution, Environment (obsession), Europe, Government size, Homosexuality, Israel and Seanead (proposed senate abolition). I should get an idea of how God fearing they are by their answers.
I am also aware that we should pray for our leaders and perhaps when they call and I shake their hand I'll hold on and ask them if they'd like me to pray a prayer of blessing for them...that might be a first in their experience. My good friend Tomas Kennedy told me that he was in the past helping a Christian upholsterer hang curtains in the Dail chamber and at the back of the curtains were written in Irish "Righteousness exalts a nation"(ref. Proverbs 14:34).
I heard today that a prominent journalist who had acted as a foreign correspondent for BBC and had seen horrible things said that he "lost his faith in humanity". The sad news is that he had to see such horror but the good news is that he is on the first rung of salvation which is: Understanding that man is not good. The second step is: Understanding I am not good! Aha...now it all make sense why Jesus willingly died, namely, the only good man dying for us baddies to satisfy Holy God's justice. Food for thought.

TESTS TO TESTIMONIES

2011-01-22T23:31:00.000Z

After a turbulent few weeks where I went through some test (pre-requisite to a testimony!) I found myself with my good friend Jim witnessing for Jesus in Liffey Street on Dublin's northside this afternoon. After being approached by a chap who spoke of spirituality, without a relationship with Jesus, I asked if anyone ever gave their lives for him. Amazingly he said a friend of his did. I said that that was what Jesus also did but that His death meant we had access to forgiveness because of the payment made for our shameful sins. He soon asked what he should do. I said that for too long people have been telling you what to do but that I believed he knew himself what to do. I offered to join him in prayer to receive Jesus but I was prompted by God to not lead him in the words. He shook my hand, asked God's forgiveness and ended up confessing Jesus as his Lord. To God be all the glory.

A while later another chap approached and he too turned to the King. Did I get their numbers for "follow up": No. Do I care about their spiritual well being: Yes . Times have changed in many respects and we live in an information age where most have ready access to online Bibles and information about Christian gatherings etc.. I gave both these people gospel tracts I had written and pointed out my name and mobile for texting or ringing. My experience is that they never do but I do trust that they continue to walk with God...That's what counts! What remains of primary importance... in my humble opinion... is that as witnesses for Jesus we simply introduce people to our best friend and not simply to a church system where the focus of their dependence is not on the King Himself.

The photo was taken on the Curragh (where I come from) and reminds me of the scripture in Isaiah 53 :"We all like sheep have gone astray, each has turned to his own way but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all"

SANTA DIDN'T TAKE IT IN THE NECK...

2010-12-13T00:08:00.001Z

"What's all this about?" the 2 girls asked as they approached me standing on my stool on Grafton Street yesterday amidst the busy Christmas shoppers. "We're here representing Jesus...can I ask you a question?". They were very keen to be asked anything and so I asked: "Why did Jesus come at Christmas?" after looking at each other they both said "I don't know...Why?". "He came to die" I said. "That's a bit forward" one replied. A discussion ensued where the simple and powerful message of the cross was communicated. Conviction was rising and then... one of the girls mobile phones rang and they quickly excused themselves and vanished. We had some excellent discussions and thousands witnessed the soon to be birthday boy's name lifted high! I asked some people what the difference between Jesus and Santa Claus was. Again I was asked to give the answer and it was; "Santa didn't take it in the neck for your sins". Now we love Santa but she doesn't really compare. The day culminated in a new saint entering onto a relationship with Jesus and it was glorious..not to mention the 3 people who received miraculous healings! Christmas is a great time to witness for Jesus, ring me on 087 9795454 if you are free to join us in the city centre. We plan to be out next Saturday afternoon.

JESUS SIGN

2010-12-06T23:11:00.002Z

Double click the image, enlarge to A4, print out and follow the instructions! If you love Jesus you will never regret it! Glory to God. This is the sign that has been lifted up throughout Ireland, UK and the nations of Europe, in the Phillipines and in Burundi in Africa. Versions of it have been lifted elsewhere also. This is the Name that demons are scared of...and they have good reason! The Holy Spirit will lead you and give you the words to say when curious onlookers ask what you are doing. I have done all sorts of evangelism but this way is special...believe me! So get printing cutting going and lifting. Be blessed and be a blessing! Anthony

BANKRUPTCY AND BLAME

2010-12-01T18:08:00.000Z

Talk of bankruptcy is very much in the air and the chill wind of fear that circumstances might overwhelm our society is not too far away. Let me take this opportunity to remind you, dear reader, of the greatest cosmic bankruptcy ever namely: the giving of Jesus, the Son of God, by God the Father for us rebels. (I've got a son too but I'm not giving him up for anyone!) Reject this and you are pitifully abandoned with a set of false hopes that will only disappoint with tragic consequences, believe me.
We live in a world that is four square anti-Christ. Vast swathes of religious nations violently oppose faith in Jesus, despite it's indisputable merits. In western Europe when a governemtn minister (O'Cuiv) even mentions prayer he is publically ridiculed or when another politician (Conor Lenihan) plans attending a friend's book launch where the sacred cow of Darwinism is questioned he is forced to cancel.
Our Father in heaven could hardly be blamed had he not bothered with telling Noah to build an ark. The truth is mankind is utterly corrupt. In Ireland the masses are blaming bankers and politicains yet hypocritically are happy to fiddle the system for themselves. Finger pointing as a means of hiding guilt is nothing new having started in the garden of Eden when Adam blamed God for giving him Eve.
If you have yet to apologize to God for your own guilt and shame and believe that Jesus took this on Himself 2000 years ago and through His resurrection now offers you personally forgiveness and new life PLEASE DO IT TODAY. God Bless.
The picture is of the cover of "the Origin of Specious Nonsense" by John J. May, seditious material in a humanist Europe!

YOU CAN TRAIN IN JESUS' CLASSROOM!

2010-11-14T00:12:00.000Z

This Tuesday you can join myself and others including Katey Moreland of The Word of The Lord Ministries in the Dublin leg of her all Ireland Evangelism and Prayer Walking. Come at 1pm to 5 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1 where after some orientation we will be in Jesus' classroom "The Street" for some effective ministry and evangelism training from the wonderful Holy Spirit. If I was a swimming instructor I could hardly teach without a pool or the ocean. Likewise evangelism is not learnt in a classroom but out where people are at. See you there. Ant

FINGERPRINTS...BUT WHOSE?

2010-11-05T12:41:00.000Z

A Suicide bomb explodes in a middle eastern marketplace. Whose fingerprints are on such an act those of God or satan? I would say satan because I know he came to kill, steal and destroy. Some would say God because they see such self sacrifice and killing as part of their twisted "holy war". On a normal day we can't see God nor satan face to face but be sure of this we can see a world full of fingerprints! Remember this: the devil never created a thing in his life but only perverted what God the creator made. Murder (including hatred), theft and destruction are his fingerprints, forensic evidence that he has been involved! Where you see glorious life and blessings of every description including the beauty of creation ... give thanks to God and above all thank Jesus who made God known to us. Detect the Divine!

TRINITY: THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY BIBLE?

2010-10-28T11:12:00.001+01:00

A very well known believer on national television (RTE) here in Ireland said that the Good Book was the most important thing in his life. Commendable you might think...but...it was a pity he did not give "Jesus" as the answer. Let me give you a very simple illustration. I invite my friend to dinner but when he is with me I ignore him and become totally absorbed in the letters he wrote me instead! Sounds a bit rude and weird (and a reflection on lack of real relationship). Some believe in the holy trinity of The Father, The Son and The Holy Bible. Please don't think that I am belittling the Word of God, far from it. In the beginning was The Word...and the Word was God. In John chapter one Jesus is called "The Word" but never forget this: The Word is a person, not a doctrine nor a set of principles!

In today's wired up world people form relationships in a very shallow way (Think of Facebook's definition of "friends" for example). The temptation is there to spend too much time indoors in front of some sort of electronic display terminal to the detriment of real relationships. At the very heart of the (true) Trinity (Father Son and Holy Spirit) is RELATIONSHIP. The GREAT news is that wherever you are at morally or spiritually God wants to know you and when Peter in Acts 2 said "Repent" he was speaking to a people who thought they already knew God.
The photo is of Franklin Lobos a rescued Chilean minor embracing his daughter Carolina.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2024973_2199758,00.html#ixzz13fwTPRua

BLOODY RELIGION OR BLOODY USELESS?

2010-10-08T00:05:00.000+01:00

There is no forgiveness, according to God's Word, without one thing. Do you know what it is? Many say it's "sorrow". Sorry wrong answer. The answer is found in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 9, verse 22 and it is BLOOD. Now before you all go a bit bonkers and become raving Jihadists let me hasten to add that it the Blood of Jesus not ours! Maybe my blood would pass screening at the blood bank in Dublin and be acceptable but it wouldn't pass God's screening in heaven because sin has contaminated it. I am glad that when I die and stand before the throne of God the Father will look at Jesus perfect blood paid for me and not at mine and thereby welcome me in forever.

If this message offends you it shows that you are in spiritual darkness and need to surrender, not to me or a religious system but to God Himself and ask His forgiveness in light of Jesus' sacrifice. If Gospel means "good news" then a bloodless Gospel is not Gospel at all and if it ain't a Bloody Religion it's Bloody Useless! The photo is of Red Blood cells manufactured not by chance (as the faithiests would spoof to you) but by God in Heaven.

IS GOD DOING A GOOD JOB?

2010-09-13T19:21:00.000+01:00

"I don't think God is doing a good job when you look at the trouble in the world" The Gent said to me on Saturday night at about 1am on Grafton Street as we discussed the gospel. I asked him and his wife (I assume) if they had children and they informed me they'd 2 teenage kids. I said that they might be the best parents in Ireland yet still get a late night call from the local police saying their kid was on drugs and had comrmitted an awful crime. I then said God in heaven is a parent but should not be blamed for the waywardness of his kids! They got the message...and plenty of food for thought about Jesus who loved them so much to come down on earth to take the rap for their wrongdoing.
I have never used this illustration before nor even thought about it but I found it yet another example of how the wonderful Holy Spirit gives you wisdom on the spot. Without a shadow of a doubt or a hint of an exaggeration I can honestly say that the vast majority of what I have learnt about evangelism...is by evangelizing. If you know Jesus let me encourage you to find someone who goes out weekly on the streets and "tag along". You will never be the same again and , more importantly, God will use you to push back the kingdom of darkness.

FRONT DOOR PROTEST OR BACK DOOR EMBRACE?

2010-09-11T00:29:00.001+01:00

What do we have today at the end of "Ramadan"? During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins (no forgiveness available without the shedding of the innocent blood of Jesus), pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils (no real way of reformation without getting the "new heart and new spirit" promised by the new birth in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit), and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds (Our own righteous deeds are as filthy rags before Holy God and only the works of God done through us by faith in Jesus are of value). In short the intention might be noble but without Jesus (the One who died on the cross)...it's a waste of time.

Tomorrow an american pastor is putting Christians in persecuted Islamic countries at risk by burning Korans (not a good idea). Many want to be at the front of an abortion clinic protesting but few are at the back door giving hugs to the broken and exploited women. Many want to offend the lost and what they hold dear but few reach out in love to them. There is a time or peace and a time for war (ecclesiastes). Tomorrow remember is September 11th so the depth of some peoples demonic depravity must not be forgotten and tyrants (read Ahmadinejad) ought to be brought to account before they develop nuclear capability, especially with such a public bent on the destruction of Israel. Now put all that in your pipe and smoke it! Blessings. Ant

THE EXHAUSTION OF RELIGION

2010-08-22T00:34:00.001+01:00

Face it lads: Religion is exhausting! But Jesus is life giving! How do I know that? Experience. Religion is endless and you are always inadequate...always! Yet with Jesus we can enter the sabbath rest of His acceptance if we are truly converted and "Born Again". And if we have this relationship with the King be prepared for relentless persecution from angry religious people who don't share the same peace. They have been fighting all their lives for something we simply walked up to the cross for and freely received..how annoying is that!

FISHING ON MY DOORSTEP

2010-08-11T23:20:00.001+01:00

So they spent €360 million to bring regular crowds to my neighbourhood...so I could fish I guess! Tonight I tested the waters for the first time and positioned myself by one of the major exits from the new Lansdowne Road / Aviva stadium after the Ireland against Argentina football match. I simply held up the precious name of JESUS for about 10,000 people to see as they filed past. Pray that revival comes to Ireland because only 3 of the people were believers!

A PRIZE COURGETTE?

2010-07-26T18:08:00.000+01:00

Look how proud I am with the giant courgette I grew. Moments later we sliced it and ...it was rotten on the inside and useless. It makes me think of how easily it is to be fooled by appearances. I cant speak of others but know that apart from Jesus there is no good thing in me ...only rotten smelly mush like this courgette! I know the humanists would disagree and argue "man is basically good". Maybe good but not perfect and there lies the problem. We would all be outraged if a murderer was told by a "loving" judge that he was forgiven and could go home! We all want justice for others but go into denial when it comes to ourselves before Perfect (Holy) God! Either take your own punishment or believe that Jesus took it and turn to Him for a forgivenesss that can be given legally! Normal Fishing resumes this Saturday in Dublin City Centre, join me if you can!

THE WHISPER BEFORE THE SHOUT

2010-07-05T23:53:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I declined 2 invitations to witness for Jesus. This was unusual but to be blunt i didn't quite feel up to it. The truth I now realize is that I had not of late spent much intimate time with jesus in the inner room, the very place where i receive the strength and the word and instruction I need. "What you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs" Luke 12:3 might be talking about revelation of ungodly secrets but it also applies to Godly revelation we hear when we privately get with the King. Now that I am returning to this inner room I expect to be out upsetting the enemy in Dublin and beyond. Hallelujah! Photo shows people on Grafton Street listening to the Word of God. Comments are now moderated but I promise to upload all comments which relate to the blog content, even those I don't agree with like Darwin, Dawkins and Delusion (all pretty much the same thing!). What will be filtered out is spam!

FREEDOM FROM RELIGION

2010-06-15T00:07:00.000+01:00

Religion has given to God the character of the devil in order to manipulate and control behaviour. While God created “relationship” man created “religion”. Religion will always tell you that you are inadequate yet will offer no real hope of change. Religion kills but God gives life. God operates through love and free will and not by manipulation and force.
Will you again consider God but this time outside of the terms and language of religion. A good judge wont let a rapist off and the ultimately good Judge, who loves you, ensured that Jesus the innocent paid for every one of your crimes against HIm. Your forgiveness is offered as you read this because it has been fully paid for. The good news is that good! Religion involves “holding on” yet God speaks of surrendering. Pride hates that but I implore you to humble yourself now before the Maker of the universe. Time is short and not guaranteed so turn from religion to Jesus today.

HOPE

2010-06-13T23:28:00.004+01:00

Recently I was witnessing on Grafton Street and some radical muslim gents with anti-Israel t shirts came up to me and asked questions. I asked the main chap "You are a muslim. Tell me how to get to heaven". He proposed a bunch of actions and rules to which I asked "If I do that will it make me good?" "Oh no it wont" he admitted. Here lies the problem of Islam and all religions...they don't make you good or holy and yet God is holy! Take Jesus' death out of the picture (as muslims do when they believe he was substituted on the cross by Judas!) and you are left without hope. Thankfully He did die for all and so we have hope when we turn to Him.

PERMISSION FROM ABOVE

2010-05-11T19:02:00.004+01:00

It turned out it was just me and Jim fishing in Tallaght, with countless angels of course. I arrived early and scouted out the area around the Luas terminal and boy was it a ghost town! I then went to the big people magnet which was the Square shopping centre, a huge place, and although it was not crazy busy there was a reasonable number of people milling around the west entrance near the cinemas. When Jim joined me we took the guitar out and opened with "When the Saints go marching in". I knew we were on private property and might not last long but felt led of the Lord to go ahead anyway. "You need permission for that" said the burly well dressed security man, with his even more burly accomplice. "We have permission" I said without hesitation. "From whom?", "From the owner of this centre" I replied. "Who was that?" he said. "God almighty" said I. They then turned and left but I didn't feel a liberty to carry on so we packed up and went to Rathmines where we had a glorious time proclaiming Jesus and chatting to a few, all the time hold up high the wonderful name of the precious Lamb of God, The King of Kings, the matchless Name above all names, JESUS! The video is a birthday greeting recorded in Rathmines for Kyle Holland's 50th. He was the first guy I saw pray for the sick on the street...and that was 26 years ago!

DOES GOD JUST LOVE YOU WHEN YOU ARE GOOD?

2010-05-02T22:29:00.000+01:00

Does God just love us when we are good? Of course not. He hates our sin but always loves us. (Remember John 3:16) If you don't believe this then not only will you find it hard, if not impossible to come back to him when you stray but...you will withhold HIs love from others who are not walking in grace. What a transformed church we would have if people not only believed this but acted it!! Text me if you can join us next Saturday for street evangelism in Tallaght next Saturday afternoon. I think we've 3 confirmed so far.

LEGAL RESOLUTION OF A DILEMMA

2010-04-25T18:05:00.000+01:00

After preaching on Saturday on Grafton Street yesterday I spoke to 4 chaps who had listened to my message about the good guy getting the comuppance for the baddie's deeds (aka the message of the cross). One of the chaps actually said "I don't understand how God would send his good son to die for guilty people". "It was because he loves you and there is no other way holy God can legally deal with the matter". I was left with the distinct impression that these guys had never ever heard the gospel before. They are not unique I hasten to add, they are typical. Pray, pray, pray that the Lord sends labourers into the harvest. We need prayer backing as we go out and I myself need to pray the Lord sends others to the loved ones in my family who are not open to me. In 2 weeks we are off to pastures green (Tallaght) for evangelism, why not join us? Ant 087 9795454 . The Photo Shows Leonidas' family proudly holding high the matchless name in Burundi!

2010 OUTREACH AND REVIVAL

2010-04-07T23:44:00.001+01:00

Being a busy Architect, Husband and Father sometimes means my plans have to change at short notice but...I believe it's best to have some plans and with this in mind I have (to your right) a list of outreach dates and venues. This list will be updated regularly but I would love to hear from believers in Jesus who can join us at any of the listed towns or dates. The laborers are (still) few. Transport typically can be arranged (we have a 7 seater). On May 31st in the evening we have Paul and Nuala O'Higgins ( http://www.reconciliationoutreach.net/ )coming to host a Holy Spirit evening titled "Intercessors for Ireland". Txt me on 087 9795454 if you want to come. Looks like being a busy 2010 in the Kingdom with a very rich harvest to be brought in...all bountifully paid for by the precious blood of Jesus. What if the very highest price was paid for someone's ransom and yet they remained abandoned in the prison. Now that wouldn't be right! Ant

DROGHEDA FOR JESUS!

2010-03-26T15:20:00.003Z

As I set about hoovering Elijah's chariot (our car) in preparation for our micro mission to Drogheda tomorrow with Jim, Julius, Andrea and my dear wife I feel honoured to co-labour with Derek Lynch and the dear saints from The Royal Embassy in the town. The above photos come from our recent St Patrick's day outing. Ireland is in desperate need for a new pentecost, revival and spiritual awakening. Pray and seek His face and He will heal this land...It's a promise we can rely on! Ant

THEY QUEUED UP TO FIND OUT ABOUT JESUS.

2010-03-17T22:45:00.002Z

Today, St Patrick's Day, was probably the busiest day of evangelism I've ever had. We (myself and Jim) were only out on Grafton street for about 2 hours but large numbers asked us questions...and they were all about Jesus (Of course we were holding up signs with His name!). At one stage I noticed how the groups (typically 4 or 5) waited until the previous group moved on before they stepped forward with their questions. At one stage a "smart alec" jumped up and grabbed my sign and sprinted off. I simply reached into my pocket and took out another sign to which the bemused onlooking crowd cheered. For the first time I began to ask the Father to send HIs Holy Spirit and cause the Fire of God to fall on the street....and why not! We are long overdue a new pentecost. Join me in prayer to this end.

BANKRUPT...IN HEAVEN!

2010-03-17T12:49:00.000Z

At last I remembered to actually record some street preaching. It seems like I'm shouting but that's because the street was noisy and I wanted to be heard!
Ireland was nearly bankrupt recently but guess what: Heaven was bankrupted when the Father sent the Son to this earth. Listen to the message on the right....and enjoy!

THE DUMB THOERY OF DEATH

2010-03-12T18:11:00.004Z

No area of science is so unashamedly dumb as the Theory of Evolution. It defies scientific laws and norms, dogmatically states as fact unproven assumptions and violently opposes opponents in a manner that makes North Korea look like a free country. It is like the mathematician who dedicated his life to finding out what 2 plus 2 was but had willfully chosen, or been deceived, that in no circumstances could 4 be considered. An infinitely complex cosmos and micro cosmos by chance and not design? A must for the evolutionist. Probability doesn't matter because the existence of an intelligent creator must be resisted at all costs. And does it matter says you, oh lukewarm humanist christian whether GOd used evolution or not? Absolutely because either Man brought death or death brought man. The former meant that Jesus as perfect Man through death could bring "Life" while the latter means...We are all hopeless animals. No wonder some behave that way with all the LIES taught in Schools, Media and in (Evolutionary) science. The conclusion of Evolution is amorality and a resulting disintegration of the very fabric of our civilized society, nothing less.

THE ALTERNATIVE CATHOLIC CHURCH

2010-03-05T19:35:00.001Z

People are leaving the Catholic Church but don't know where to go. Many believe in God and want to do the right thing but feel somewhat betrayed by the systematic child abuse cover up over the years. I hereby announce: THE ALTERNATIVE CATHOLIC CHURCH (ACC) and say you are welcome!! In the apostles creed the line "I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church" is used by anglicans as well as RC's. Catholic means "universal" in this context. The ACC is for all. Membership is written in heaven, not earth. Google "The Lamb's book of life" and see what I am on about. The qualifying work for entry is done by another (Jesus at Calvary). The members are all over the place, including Ireland! Some public, some secret but all passionately in love with their Creator. Members have to go through a new birth process which is supernatural and done by God himself but requires their surrender to him, a huge barrier for many because of pride and unbelief. Want to know more? Post a comment below and ask a question, email me (Anthony) aba@eircom.net or cut me out of the loop, close your bedroom door, get on your knees and ask Jesus himself... YOu will be utterly astounded at how the answer comes! Cheers.

AVIVA OUTREACH

2010-02-27T20:56:00.002Z

When the Michael Buble concerts were announced for the soon to be opened Aviva Stadium, which is on my doorstep,for next autumn I immediately knew that God was calling me to prepare for outreach on the 2 nights. There will also be many other crowds for other matches and concerts...Hallelujah! When a concert or match is over large crowds surge into the surrounding streets and a well selected location with my small preaching stool and a JESUS sign gets seen by tens of thousands over a short period of time. My prayer is that a few others can join me for such outreaches.Ant

CANT LOVE WITHOUT HATING

2010-02-16T19:34:00.001Z

The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar represents the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of September 11 according to a senior Obama administration official. Who loves war? Not me... yet I hate the Taliban and Al Quida more and so am glad to hear of the above news. You cannot love without hating what opposes love. You can't love Israel without hating the holocaust. Yet so often gospel preaching christians, yes there are a few left, get lambasted by lovey dovey "christians" who see God's love as a one sided coin with no holiness on the other side. When we get a sneak preview of heaven in the book of Revelation we see God on the throne surrounded by cries of "Holy, Holy, Holy". To an amoral badly educated and deeply deceived western mindset the idea of being called to account for anything puts them in a hissy fit. Boy are there some surprises in store when Jesus returns and Dawkins knee bows! ....God loves the world but hates that millstone around your neck called sin. My suggestion is get it cut off before it eternally sucks you down to the Psalm 88 place. Jesus can be your scapegoat if you get down off your high horse of pride for a moment and bow that stubborn knee of yours.

MISSING LINK FOUND !

2010-02-08T18:32:00.001Z

It's amazing what lies we swallow without thought so often. A classic one is the concept of "The Missing Link". If Evolution was true then we'd expect numerous if not countless "Missing Links" yet the singular version is always used. The classic "find" was Neandarthal man, otherwise known as "Man with rickets who suffered from Vitamin D deficiency following clouding over of planet and cooling caused by emergence of subterranean warmer waters at time after Noah's flood (aka Ice Age)".
On Saturday I was preaching on North Earl Street,...well someone had to do it as Dessie was sick in the bed! I spoke about exchanging the Truth for a lie and then went on to speak about the missing link I found, whose name is JESUS. He is the link between Holy God and Fallen Man. Sadly for many he remains the "undiscovered" missing link.

REVIVAL OF STREET PREACHING: DUBLIN 2010

2010-02-05T15:31:00.002Z

Last Saturday as we were out on Westmoreland Street witnessing for Jesus so too were at least 3 other groups on North Earl Street, Henry Street and Temple Bar. There was probably more out elsewhere too. I am reminded that before the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Ulster in 1859 there was a revival of Street Preaching...Do not despise the day of small beginnings! And why do we go out for Jesus? 'cos he came down for us! God loves the people in Dublin ...we are just the delivery boys with the message!

AMUSED AND AMAZED

2010-01-23T22:11:00.005Z

Some people can plan ahead what they will do for God and when. That I find hard. I had been planning and looking forward to attending a Friday night prayer meeting for most of the week but a family matter detained me so that I was more than an hour late. Because the meeting was in the basement of a building and there was no "security staff" at ground floor I found the doors locked with little prospect of entry. Seeing as I was in Temple Bar and it was close to 9pm I decided to do a wee prayer walk myself around the precinct. When I walked by a particular brightly lit corner outside a pub called...you guessed it "The Temple Bar" I asked God to help me and reached into my inside pocket, took out the new Jesus sign which Maurice gave me last week and toold me some "black brothers" had made it.
As always the moment I lifted high HIs name joy and peace flooded me and a Holy boldness. Shortly after Jo and Andy an english couple came up to me asking "What's this?". We spoke about Jesus and what He did for us. I silently asked the Holy Spirit if there was anything wrong with them and then I asked Jo "Do you have a heart murmer?". She said that Andy has heart trouble. I again asked her if she had a heart murmur to which she said yes. She was quite amazed at this. I explained that God knows everything about her, loves her and wants to bring her to HImself. She was open for prayer and so without laying on hands (I felt the Lord said not to lay on hands this time) I asked the Lord to heal them both. The ensuing chat was good and I believe they left with some undertanding of God's love for them in Jesus. They promised they'd go back to their hotels and look at the Bibles in the room.
Later on I said to the Lord "I don't know if they really get healed". I believe the Lord then said to me "nor did you know she had a heart murmur!". He has a great sense of humour!

A MIRACLE, A NEW BIRTH AND AN ACTION THRILLER

2010-01-15T00:28:00.003Z

"Prove to us that God exists" one of the lads said. "Are you open to persuasion?" I asked. They were and I then asked who had the pain behind their knee (word of knowledge). Jason, the chap in the middle said it was him and after prayer in the name of Jesus he testified, to his friends of course, that it was amazingly better (miracle and a sign). He then asked if he could get forgiveness of sins. After a brief explanation of his sin being carried on the cross by Jesus I invited him to pray in his own words. One of the pals was sniggering after the prayer and I said to Jason "Will you say before your friends that Jesus is Lord". He did not hesitate and boldly spoke it out and confessed belief in the resurrection. The divine exchange happened (new birth) and he even began to witness to his friends without delay! (evangelism). I left him with my card and a paperback action packed thriller...The gospel of Mark. Thus ended my brief fishing expedition with Oliver at Crown Alley in Temple Bar on a wintery Thursday night. Hallelujah! Pray for Jason.

AMERICAN PASTOR INTERVIEWS IRISH EVANGELIST

2009-12-20T16:09:00.002Z

David Swanson, Community Life Pastor at Chicago’s New Community Covenant Church interviews Anthony Brabazon, a part time street preacher and evangelist from Dublin, Ireland in December 2009.

David: When I encounter a street preacher I often wonder what led that person to the decision to proclaim the Gospel in such a distinct manner. What were the experiences that led you to spend time on the streets of Dublin preaching?

Anthony: A Few things: Primarily the command of Jesus in the great commission and the promise He will be with us. Also a love for the lost who are unattracted to church and greatly deceived by what the media says about Jesus. In Ireland despite a good catholic upbringing, which I also received virtually nobody can explain why the Lamb of God was slain at Calvary. I am also aware that time is very short and the work is very great. Because He went up that hill for me I can be bold for Him. i often think that the first 2 letters of God are GO (while the first 3 letters of satan are SAT!).

David: It's interesting that one of your primary motivations is the realization that many contemporary people will not come into a church building. Here in the USA there has been an effort to reinvent church so the "unattracted" people will, in fact, be attracted to church. The thinking seems to be that if church doesn't look like church people will give church a chance. Do you think this is a valid effort, or does street preaching more realistically connect with the unreached?

Anthony: Both are probably valid but in general church is for believers and Jesus is for the lost. Every church seems to start out wanting to be cross focussed, free and Jesus centred yet over time the cancer of humanism (man and happiness centredness) can seep in silently, it is in this context that I would have a concern that its the gospel that some want to dilute to make the church more "attractive". Some will always be offended by the cross, especially the religious. Jesus focus can shift to church focus and the message of Ephesians 4 where the work is done by "the saints" can be filtered out as leadership is elevated higher than serventhood and all works are "checked out" or filtered for approval which leads to the saints clamming up and becoming spectators. Jesus went to seek and save the lost and I don't see him passing out flyers for the upper room meeting but healing preaching and ministering where people were. Many pray for seats to be filled by incoming sinners while I often pray for them to be emptied by the outgoing saints.

David: Many of the street preachers I have encountered seem to portray a very one-sided Jesus: angry and bent on sending people to hell. What do you think people's perception of Jesus is after encountering your street preaching?

Anthony: When I speak of Hell I normally speak about it being a place I deserve, this gets people's attention because they expect me to be self righteous and just tell them they deserve hell. I also say how Jesus went there for us and speak of Holy God's love for us in doing this. I have seen others speak only of the sin of others and I am not surprised that people are turned off by this. I have no idea what most people's perception of me is after preaching. I always thank them for listening and speak a blessing over them. We often worship on the street (singing to the Lord and not man) before witnessing or preaching because of the power of worship (Psalm 149 for example) which binds up the strong man.

David: I imagine you have experienced many different reactions- both encouraging and discouraging- to your street preaching. Are there any stories that stand in your memory that you could share with us?

Anthony: One night I was in a busy pedestrian zone in Dublin called Temple Bar. Although I like to be with at least one other saint I was alone this night and as I held high the name JESUS a French atheist started asking questions. I felt the Lord told me to not answer him back while he began to give his opinion about the BIble being untrustworthy etc.. i asked the Lord silently was there anything about this man I needed to know and then, without hesitation i asked him did he have a sore chest? He immediately stopped talking and his eyes widened as he stared silently at me. I knew I had about 15 seconds if that to witness and I told him that God knows everything about him, loves him and sent Jesus to take his sin on the cross. He slowly moved off, silently, and when at the end of the street he turned around and stared back at me. I knew the Lord had given me a "word of knowledge" and that this greatly impacted him, much more than my reasoning with his arguments would have that night. To God be all the glory.

Another time after my wife preached a rough living young heroin addict asked how he could get this new life. We prayed with him, he repented and over the following days we had ongoing contact but he then seemed to drift off an back to the old lifestyle. 2 years later I was again on the street witnessing and he came up to me with his fiance. They both were fervent for the Lord and testified to the great work God was doing in their life. Needless to say I was blessed and encouraged beyond measure. Hallelujah!

David: You seem to have observed that though many people won't enter a church building they are still interested in Jesus. In your interactions with people on the streets, what are some of the problems they have with the church? And what is it about Jesus that is fascinating to those same people?

Anthony: It is important to distinguish believer from pre-believer here. For the pre-believer they are often afraid to come for fear of getting caught up against their will, this would be typical for the Irish in Ireland. Foreigners in my experience are much more willing to visit, possibly because they warm more to fellowship being away from home, and they are more adventurous. Up to recently the Catholic Church held great power over people and any "non-catholic" church was viewed with deep suspicion. This has greatly, though not entirely, changed.
For the Believers who don't attend church regularly some have been spiritually abused but more have seen churches drift from revival to religion with predictable services and only limited controlled input from the members. Psalm 150 churches are rare. When you speak to such people not about church but about Jesus they light up and rich fellowship ensues. What fascinates and delights these people about Jesus is that He is the one they love and they are reminded of this first love in such discussions. Many evangelical awakenings and revivals bypassed Ireland but the ones that didn't are of note, especially the 1859 Ulster Revival where a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred in the North of Ireland but its spread was limited by a very strong Catholic Church combined with a tribal anti-catholic mentality amongst some in the revival. Many mature Irish Christians today can trace their new birth to the Charismatic movement of the 1970's and 1980's when again the Holy Spirit was poured out, this time in the Catholic Church largely.

David: Given your own experience on the streets of Dublin do you think more Christians should proclaim the Gospel in such public places? Should those of us who are pastors spend less time preaching in our churches and more time preaching on the street corner?

Anthony: If the Lord leads them to do I would be delighted. To stand up for Jesus publicly is life changing and it would bring great new vision into any church. Having said that I know the thought is daunting to many and I often advise that it it best to start praying for those who do go out and then simply stand with them on the street, or even observe them from across the street while praying. It wont take long before they join in themselves and start to be used by the Lord. This is the teaching method Jesus used. If a family never goes out but only meets with its own members it goes a bit weird (although it always sees itself as normal). The church can become a bit like this when we do not regularly engage atheists and pre-believers with the message of the cross.

We have been given food for distribution in a famine land and, as the Lord leads, every distribution method should be considered. There is a war on for the souls of men and women and while not all are called to be frontline troops all are called to help in the effort. A fisherman needs the boat builders, the fish processing plant and many other persons to be effective but the goal is ...to catch fish! Pastors need not regularly preach on the street but they might be open to God calling them to do it on occasion. they certainly should lead by example and on occasion do some form of street work.

Anthony Brabazon was born in 1961 raised Roman Catholic and was born again in 1985 on Ash Wednesday after hearing the words "repent and follow the gospel of our Lord". He began street evangelism within weeks and after a break of about 18 years returned to it with his street preaching wife and a mixed group of friends from different churches. He is a qualified architect and runs his own small company and regularly encounters clients while standing on a stool in the crowded streets of Dublin or other towns holding up a JESUS sign. While attending different churches down the years and currently Every Nation Church in Dublin he has been known to consider the street his church with the pedestrians his congregation. He runs evangelism blogs Alien On A Mission and Evangelism for the Terrified as well as a YouTube Channel

David Swanson is Community Life Pastor at New Community Covenant Church in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Prior to his gig in the big city, David served on staff at a church in an affluent Chicago suburb. He is the son of missionaries and spent his formative years in Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

"GENETIC DAMAGE" NOT FOR SHARING!

2009-12-12T21:48:00.003Z

"Do you believe the whole Bible?" I was asked today by a group of 3 teen girls. "I mean do you believe in Adam and Eve and if so surely they were involved in incest!" This is a common issue raised by genuine (and some not so genuine) enquirers. The truth is that they had more sons and daughters than Cain and Abel and yes brother and sister married to procreate our ancesters. God forbade incest later in Leviticus 18. The issue here is the sharing of "Genetic damage". God forbade incest to protect us from ourselves, a risk that was not present in the pre-flood early generations like Adam's. Another teen said "Science has proven Evolution". I said "Evolutionary science has proven evolution". Chance cannot explain the complexity and life we see. I said that if they had an open mind they should google "creation science" and read some scientific arguments for special creation.

WHO WAS THE BODY SNATCHER?

2009-12-09T23:22:00.005Z

"I don't believe in Jesus" the Italian Girl said as soon as she had asked me why I was holding up the name of "Jesus" in Temple Bar Square on Saturday afternoon last. "Well do you believe that a person called Jesus Christ existed?". She paused and then said yes. "Do you believe he died on a cross?". She paused and then said yes. " Do you believe the tomb was empty a few days later?". She paused and then said yes. "Who took the body?" I then asked. "The authorities" she answered. "Why didn';t they then rodiuce the body to put an end to christianiy then?" I asked to which no answer ensued. The truth is He rose from the dead. NO other explanation can account for the empty tomb. She was left to ponder both this and the fact that one of her four friend also was instantly and completely healed of back pain after I asked Jesus to heal Him. I wish I was an italian speaking fly on the wall at the pizza restaurant that night as they might have considered Jesus together later! To God be all the Glory. I was particulary blessed that night when my polish frien and sister in the Lord upon hearing this testimony and herself receiving prayer testified to a healing of a heavy cold (on Tuesday). The Supernatural is the very-natural and we should walk in it to glorify God. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven! Hallelujah! Ant

DON'T THANK THE POSTMAN ONLY

2009-11-28T22:46:00.006Z

I was utterly offended on Grafton Street recently when a gentleman told me my ancester didn't exist! He said Adam and Eve was a myth...What an insult! He was telling me I was an animal by this assertion. Disgusted and shocked I was...."Wait a minute" I hear you say "Are you that sensitive?". Let me say this: We are so conditioned by our lying society to accept the adult fairy tale of Evil-ution. It is an illogical God defying "thoery" whose fruit is amorality. It is also Illogical as design speaks of Designer, even Machine means Maker yet any machine is utterly crude in comparison to Nature itself. And don't speak of this "Mother Nature " guff as if "she" made herself. Evolution may allow for some wee gods created by man in his image but not for Creator God who made us in His image. Death entered the world, not as an integral part of the "creative" process as required by survival of the fittest Evolution but as a result of Adam and Eve's God defying sin. The whole of creation was subjected to the virus of death from this time...(hello nasty virus' and deer eating lions). If this were not true then Jesus' death at Calvary was a useless waste of life.
In the western world the laws are becoming increasingly anti Christ. Gospel preaching can become a "Hate Crime" when certain parties are "offended". Let me again put it on the record that I am offended by Evolution. I am not an animal but am made by God in His image...as are you! To worship Nature instead of God is like thanking only the postman for the Christmas gifts you got in the mail and saying nothing to the true giver...How would you think the Giver feels?

NOT ASHAMED OF THE ONE I LOVE

2009-11-07T00:35:00.002Z

I met a new architectural client in their house in Shankill this week and when she began to explain her house problems she used the Lords name as a curse word...but immediately she apologized to me and said she saw the name of Jesus on the back of my car and assumed it was "a praise word and not a swear" . When you think of how easy people curse with the Holy name (never Budda , Mohammud or Krishna or any other dead man) you must conclude, like me, that it is demonically inspired. And we know from God's word that the enemy HATES the name of Jesus with a passion. It reminds him of his folly at Calvery when the only innocent man ever died and thereby set the guilty free through His death. That's why we are not ashamed to lift up the Jesus sign in public places. I am not ashamed of the One I love.

INDESCRIBABLE DANGER

2009-10-31T23:42:00.004Z

The three photos show Maurice preaching the eternal Gospel on a wet Grafton Street today. Many mocked, many ignored but, thank God, some listened. May God be merciful to these people and open their eyes to the indescribable danger and folly of sin and the astonishing mercy of God as shown by Jesus at Calvary. Before Maurice's preaching we were taking shelter under the canopy of McDonalds' as an almighty downpour came and cleared the street of people. many gathered in doorways to shelter and then a loud alarm was triggered and rang in all our ears for about 5 minutes. This was most uncomfortable for all but I knew God wanted me to preach the second the alarm stopped. when it did stop I, standing on my stool with "JESUS" held aloft spoke asking "How many Warnings must we receive before we listen to God".
I spoke of warnings of heavy weather, alarm bells and collapsed economy and yet we stubbornly ignore the voice of God to return to Him. I then spoke of the rejection of Jesus on the cross by the Holy Father because He was carrying the sin of all on Grafton Street. I am not ashamed of the GOspel nor the One I love yet so too are too many not ashamed of their sin which they daily parade...Oh God please send revival to Ireland, a new pentecost where people realize the error of their ways and the work of Calvary in bringing them into a relationship..AND NOT A RELIGION!

SHEDDING OF BLOOD FOR WEXFORD

2009-10-25T22:00:00.004Z

Yesterday Myself, Jim and Leigh drove down to the city of Wexford where we were joined by some of the local saints and for about 2 and a half hours lifted high the Holy Name of Jesus to the Opera going public. 360 years ago, in 1649, at the bullring beside where we ministered there was a massacre by Cromwellian troops where blood flowed. We however spoke of different blood: the matchless innocent blood of Jesus in which mankind's only help of salvation rests... the blood without which there is no forgiveness. The Photo shows Jim holding his own private church service!

LIFE WITHOUT A LIFE GIVER...HARDLY SCIENCE!

2009-09-22T21:20:00.005+01:00

Richard Dawkins' assertion on the national TV station RTE that God does not exist was intellectually absurd. How can anyone say that somebody does not exist...Does Mr Dawkins know everything? I am sure he'd admit he doesn't so. I would then ask what if God is simply outside of your knowledge? Dawking like Attenborough riles against the madness of the idea of a nasty God who allows virus' eat away at people. The common mistake they and countless others make is that they forget ( or deny) the fall and its effect on creation. God's original creation was very good, not nasty but when man and woman cut themselves off from God by their free will rebellion (shhhhh.... sin I mean!) things went truly pear shaped. In their arrogance mankind then points the finger at the creator God. What was God's response? He bankrupted heaven by sending his most precious possession, HIs only son Jesus, the Innocent One, to take the rap for us rebels...In the meantime we pamper ourselves with hard hearted and callous lies about a creation with a Creator, design with a Designer, order without an Organizer, life without a Life Giver...hardly science!

HERNIA, ACHILLES + HEADACHE GONE!!!

2009-08-22T23:21:00.002+01:00

Tonight I felt led to go into town (Dublin) at 1130 pm for evangelism. I felt drawn to Temple Bar and it was in its usual sodomite nighttime mode. Instead of tut-tutting the situation I was filled with God's love for a lost people. I settled on the corner of Temple Bar and Eustace Street where there was much pedestrian and taxi traffic and held up the name of JESUS. God graciously reached out his hand to heal a Hernia (after a word of knowledge), an achilles tendon problem and a headache from peole from Ireland, Italy and Germany. The Hernia was quite awesome but my deepest passion is that greater conviction of sin will come and heart transformations ensue. Before I went in I was considering how many promise us they will "come to church" on Sunday and never show. I believe the Lord wants us to meet one to one with new believers first and not expect them to come on their own to us. Remember we must GO not just be expecting them to come! Remember also we have no power of our own but are dlivery boys for the wonderous power and message of God!

...POWER OF GOD

2009-08-20T22:23:00.003+01:00

Why do we lift up the name of "JESUS" in public places? To many its foolishness but to those whom God is calling it is the power of God! We were in Kilkenny last Saturday and I remember speaking to a group of 5 lads who were rather curious about the sign. I believe they were less curious in their heads and more challenged in their hearts after they heard the simple Gospel of Calvery and chatted amongs themselves about the 2 of the 5 who received instant miracles of healing (injured foot and bruised ribs). For the sceptical Christians who scoff at miracles please be assured that I informed the 2 who were healed that these miracles were no comparison to the miracle of a new heart and a new spirit such as Jesus offers. The message God gave me to preach on High Street was "Did God make a mistake in sending Jesus to the Cross?" I explained that if humanism and effort based religion was true then He did make a mistake...but if the only way to heaven was by faith is the matchless innocent blood of Jesus..then He didn't!

"OFFICIAL BUSINESS'

2009-07-27T22:58:00.004+01:00

Having turned down offers to witness at the Croak Patrick Annual Hill Climb and the Saturday U2 gig at Croke Park I made space, by the grace of God to join my pal Oliver tonight (Monday) outside Croke Park for the final U2 concert. As I was arriving on bike I got a call from him explaining how a family matter detained him...so I was alone...Well not quite, I did have the Holy Spirit with me! I chained the bike to a post took a high viz jacket from my rucksack, which also contained coat and hat in case showers came, and walked up to the security barriers. I didn't have a ticket (a Garda requirement) and I did have a rucksack (a banned item). When I approached the Garda I said "I'm on official business" and was flagged through! Hallelujah! I eventually parked myself at a traffic island half way down Clonliffe Road and raised high THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, The matchless all sufficient name, The name by which we are SAVED. JESUS. For the next hour and a half tens of thousands saw the sign and many brief witnessing encounters ensued. I am not ashamed of the one I love and the One who loved me so much that He gave His Blood. One chap I spoke to had been to church for a few years, read the BIble, believed Jesus was innocent but wasn't so sure that he was guilty! I pray that some eternal seeds were sown and that some people call on His name tonight when the music fades away! Hallelujah. Ant

TIME IS SHORT BUT GOD'S ARM AINT!

2009-07-10T22:44:00.004+01:00

Hi there..It's been a while! Busy moving office and all that but now...the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection must be spread in this dear land of ours. I am going out tonight to meet some believers to go "fishing" and I trust God will reach the lost through us. Time is short but God arm aint! Hallelujah
The photo shows Jim (with Jesus) beside a fortune teller sign. God has given spiritual gifts such as prophesy to His people and my passion is to see people move in the spiritual gifts on the street. I believe the demonic counterfeits (such as fortune telling) would be rightly exposed by such a demonstration of God's power (like Moses before Pharaoh's magicians!). Sadly for many believers it is as Leonard Ravenhill said "For fear of false fire people settle for no fire at all!". It's great to see the Spirit of God move in a church building but WHY NOT ON THE STREETS like it was with Jesus?

OPEN-AIR MEETINGS

2009-05-18T17:57:00.004+01:00

The following text is from R.A.Torrey's larger work, "Methods of Christian Work" (Chapter 6, pages 222-233): Although it is about 100 years old it is, in my opinion, largely timeless. It's long but I suggest you print it out and read it like I did when I came across it. I was blessed and I trust you too will be blessed and challenged. Hats, wonderful as they are, are optional! Enjoy:

OPEN-AIR MEETINGS

1. Their importance and advantages.

1. They are Scriptural. Jesus said, "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." Every great preacher of the Bible was an open-air preacher. Peter was an open-air preacher, Paul was an open-air preacher, and so were Elijah, Moses and Ezra. More important than all, Jesus Christ Himself was an open-air preacher, and preached for the most part out of doors. Every great sermon recorded in the Bible was preached in the open air; the sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon on Mars Hill, etc. In this country we have an idea that open-air preaching is for those who cannot get any other place to speak, but across the water they look at it quite differently. Some of the most eminent preachers of Great Britain preach in the open air.

2. Open-air meetings are portable, you can carry them around. It would be very difficult to carry a church or mission building with you, but there is no difficulty about carrying an openair meeting with you. You can get an open-air meeting where you could by no possibility get a church, mission hall or even a room. You can have open-air meetings in all parts of the city and all parts of the country.

3. Open-air meetings are more attractive in the summer than hot, sweltering halls or churches. When on my vacations, I used to attend a country church. It was one of the hottest, most stifling and sleepy places I ever entered. It was all but impossible to keep awake while the minister attempted to preach. The church was located in a beautiful grove where it was always cool and shady, but it seemed never to enter the minds of the people to go out of the church into the grove. Of course only a few people attended the church services. One day a visiting minister suggested that they have an open-air meeting on the front lawn of a Christian man having a summer residence near at hand. The farmers came to that meeting from miles around, in wagons, on foot and every other way. There was a splendid crowd in attendance. The country churches would do well in the summer to get out of their church building into some attractive grove near at hand.

4. Open-air meetings will accommodate vast crowds. There are few church buildings, especially in the country, that will accommodate more than one thousand people; but people by the thousands can be accommodated by an open-air meeting. It has been my privilege to speak for several summers in a small country town with less than a thousand inhabitants. Of course the largest church building in the town would not accommodate more than five hundred people. The meetings, however, were held in the open air, and people drove to them from forty miles around, and at a single meeting we had an attendance of 15,000 people. Whitefield was driven to the fields by the action of church authorities. It was well that he was. Some of his audiences at Moorfields were said to number 60,000 people.

5. Open-air meetings are economical. You neither have to pay rent nor hire a janitor. They do not cost anything at all. God Himself furnishes the building and takes care of it. I remember that at a Christian Workers' Convention a man was continually complaining that no one would hire for him a mission hall in which to hold meetings. At last I suggested to him that he had all outdoors, and could go there and preach until some one hired him a hall. He took the suggestion and was greatly used of God. You do not need to have a cent in your pocket to hold an open-air meeting. The whole outdoors is free.

6. You can reach men in an open-air meeting that you can reach in no other way. I can tell of instance after instance where men who have not been at church or a mission hall for years have been reached by open-air meetings. The persons I have known to be reached and converted through open- air meetings have included thieves, drunkards, gamblers, saloon-keepers, abandoned women, murderers, lawyers, doctors, theatrical people, society people, in fact pretty much every class.

7. You can reach backsliders and people who have drifted away from the church. One day when we were holding a meeting on a street comer in a city, a man in the crowd became interested, and one of our workers dealt with him. He said, "I am a backslider, and so is my wife, but I have made up my mind to come back to Christ." He was saved and so was his brother-in-law.

8. Open-air meetings impress People by their earnestness. How often I have heard people say, "There is something in it. See those people talking out there on the street. They do not have any collection, and they come here just because they believe what they are preaching." Remarks like this are made over and over again. Men who are utterly careless about the Gospel and Christianity have been impressed by the earnestness of men and women who go out on to the street and win souls for Christ.

9. Open-air meetings bring recruits to churches and missions. One of the best ways to fill up an empty church is to send your workers out on the street to hold meetings before the church service is held, or better still, go yourself. When the meeting is over, you can invite people to the church (or mission). This is the divinely appointed means for reaching men that cannot be reached in any other way (Luke 14:21). All Christians should hear the words of Christ constantly ringing in their ears, "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor," etc.

10. Open-air meetings enable you to reach men. One of the great problems of most ministers of the Gospel to-day is how to get hold of the men. The average church audience is composed very largely of women and children. One of the easiest ways to get hold of the men is to go out on the streets, where the men are. Open-air meetings are as a rule composed of an overwhelming majority of men.

11. Open-air meetings are good for the health. An English preacher was told that he must die, that he had consumption. He thought he should make the most of the few months he had allotted to live, so he went out on the streets and began preaching. The open-air preaching cured his consumption, and he lived for many years, and was the founder of a great open-air society.

II. Where to hold open-air meetings.

To put it in a single word, that you wish to reach. But a few suggestions may prove helpful.

1. Where the crowds pass. Find the principal thoroughfare where the crowds throng. You cannot hold your meeting just at that point, as the police will not permit it, but you can hold it just a little to one side of that point, and the crowds as they pass will go to one side and listen to you.

2. Hold them near crowded tenements. In that way you can preach to the people in the tenements as well as on the street. They will throw open their windows and listen. Sometimes the audience that you do not see will be as large as the one you do see. You may be preaching to hundreds of people inside the building that you do not see at all. I knew of a poor sick woman being brought to Christ through the preaching she heard on the street. It was a hot summer night, and her window was open, and the preaching came in through the window and touched her heart and won her to Christ. It is good to have a good strong voice in openair preaching, for then you can preach to all the tenements within three or four blocks. Mr. Sankey once sang a hymn that was carried over a mile away and converted a man that far off. I have a friend who occasionally uses in his open-air meetings a megaphone that carries his voice to an immense distance.

3. Hold meetings near circuses, baseball games, and other places where the people crowd. One of the most interesting meetings I ever held was just outside of a baseball ground on Sunday. The police were trying to break up the game inside by arresting the leaders. We held the meeting outside just back of the grand stand. As there was no game to see inside, the people listened to
the singing and preaching of the Gospel outside. On another Sunday we drove down to Sell's circus and had the most motley audience I ever addressed. There were people present from almost every nation under heaven. The circus had advertised a "Congress of Nations," so I had provided a congress of nations for my openair meeting. On that day I had a Dutchman, a Frenchman, a Scotchman, an Englishman, an Irishman and an American preach. We took care at the open-air meeting to invite the people to evening meeting at the mission. That night a man came who told us that he was one of the employes of the circus, and was touched that afternoon by the preaching of the Gospel, and had come to learn how to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He accepted the Saviour that night.

4. Hold meetings in or near parks or other public resorts. Almost every city has its resorts where people go on Sunday. As the people will not go to church, the church ought to go out to the people. Sometimes permission can be secured from the authorities to bold the meetings right in the parks. Wherever this is impossible they can be held near at hand. One who is now a deacon of our church spent his Sundays at Lincoln Park before he was converted; an open-air meeting was held close at band, and here he heard the Gospel and was converted.

5. Hold meetings in groves. It would be well if every country church could be persuaded to try this. Get out of the church into a grove somewhere, and you will be surprised at the number of people who will come who would not go near the church at all.

6. Hold open-air meetings near your missions. If you have a mission, be sure to bold an open-air meeting near it. It is the easiest thing in the world to keep a mission full, even during the summer months, if you hold an open-air meeting in connection with it, but it is almost impossible to do so if you do not.

7. Hold open-air meetings in front of churches. A good many of our empty churches could be filled if we would only hold openair meetings in front of them. Years ago, when in London, I went to hear Newman Hall preach. It looked to me like a very orderly and aristocratic church, but when I left the church after the second service, I was surprised to find an open-air meeting in full blast right in front of the church, and people gathered there in crowds from the thoroughfare.

8. Be careful about the little details in connection with the location. On a hot day, hold the meeting on the shady side of the street On a cool day, on the sunny side. Make it as comfortable for the audience as possible. Never compel the audience to stand with the sun shining in their eyes. Preach with the wind, and not against it. Take your own position a little above the part of the audience nearest you, upon a curbstone, chair, platform, rise in the ground, or anything that will raise your head above others so that your voice will carry.

III. Things to get.

1. Get it thoroughly understood between yourself and God that He wants you to do this work, and that by His grace you are going to do it whatever it costs. This is one of the most important things in starting out to do open-air work. You are bound to make a failure unless you settle this at the start. Open-air work has its discouragements, its difficulties and its almost insurmountable obstacles, and unless you start out knowing that God has called you to the work, and come what will, you will go through with it, you are sure to give it up.

2. Get permission from the powers that be to hold open-air meetings. Do not get into conflict with the police if you can possibly avoid it. As a rule it is quite easy to get this permission if you go about it in a courteous and intelligent way. Find out what the laws of the city are in this regard, and then observe them. Go to the captain of the precinct and tell him that you wish to hold an open-air meeting, and let him see that you are not a disturber of the peace or a crank. Many would-be open-air preachers get into trouble from a simple lack of good sense and common decency.

3. Get a good place to hold the meeting. Do not start out at random. Study your ground. You should operate like a general. We are told that the Germans studied France as a battle ground for years before the Franco-Prussian war broke out, and when the war
broke out there were officers in the German army that knew more about France than the officers in the French army did. Lay your plan of campaign, study your battle field, pick out the best places to hold the meetings, look over the territory carefully and study it in all its bearings. There are a good many things to be considered. Do not select what would be a good place for some one to throw a big panful of dishwater upon you. These little details may appear trivial, but they need to be taken into consideration. It is unpleasant, and somewhat disconcerting, when a man is right in the midst of an interesting exhortation, to have a panful of dishwater thrown down the back of his neck.

4. Get as large a number of reliable Christian men and women to go with you as you possibly can. Crowds draw crowds. There is great power in numbers. One man can go out on the street alone and hold a meeting; I have done it myself; but if I can get fifteen or twenty reliable men to go with me, I will get them every time. Please note that I have said reliable Christian men and women. Do not take anybody along with you to an open-air meeting that you do not know. A man that is in the habit of making a fool of himself be sure to leave at home. He may upset your whole meeting. Do not take a man or woman with you who has an unsavory reputation. Probably some one in the crowd will. know it and shout out the fact. Take only people who are of established reputation, and well balanced. Never pick up a stranger out of the crowd and ask him to speak. Some one will come along who appears to be just your sort, but if you ask him to speak you will wish you had not done so.

5. Get the best music you can. Get a baby organ and a comet if you can. Be sure to have good singing if it is possible. If you cannot have good singing, have poor singing, for even poor singing goes a good way in the open air. One of the best open-air meetings I ever attended was where two of us were forced to go out alone. Neither of us was a singer. We started with only one hearer, but a drunken man came along and began to dance to our singing, and a crowd gathered to watch him dance. When the crowd had gathered, I simply put my hand on the drunken man, and said, "Stand still for a few moments." My companion took the drunken man as a text for a temperance sermon, and when he got through I took him for a text. People began to whisper in the crowd, "I would not be in that man's shoes for anything." The man did us good service that night. He first drew the crowd, and then famished us with a text. The Lord turned the devil's instrument right against him that night. If you can, get a good solo singer, or even a poor solo singer will do splendid work in the open air, if he sings in the power of the Spirit. I remember a man who attempted to sing in the open air, who was really no singer at all, but God in His wonderful mercy gave him that night to sing in the power of the Spirit. People began to break down on the street, tears rolled down their cheeks, one woman was converted right there during the singing of that hymn. Although the hymn was sung in such a miserable way from a musical standpoint, the Spirit of God used it for that woman's conversion.

6. Get the attention of your hearers as soon as possible. When you are preaching in a church, people will oftentimes stay even if they are not interested, but unless you get the attention of your audience at once in the open air, one of two things will happen, either your crowd will leave you or else they will begin to guy you. In the first half dozen sentences you must get the attention of your bearers. I was once holding a meeting in one of the hardest places of a city. There were saloons on three of the four comers, three breweries, and four or five Roman Catholic churches were close at hand. There was scarcely a Protestant in that part of the city. The first words I spoke were these, "You will notice the cross on the spire of yonder church." By this means I secured their attention at once, and then I talked to them about the meaning of that cross. On holding a meeting one labor day, I started out on the subject of labor. I spoke only a few moments on that subject, to lead them around to the subject of the Lord Jesus Christ. Holding a meeting one night in the midst of a hot election, near where an election parade was forming, I started out with the question, "Whom shall we elect?" The people expected a political address, but before long I got them interested in the question whether or not we should elect the Lord Jesus Christ to be the ruler over our lives.

7. Get some good tracts. Always have tracts when you hold an open-air meeting. They assist in making permanent the impressions and fixing the truth. Have the workers pass around through the crowd handing out the tracts at the proper time.

8. Get workers around in the crowd to do personal work. Returning from an open-air meeting years ago in the city of Detroit, I said to a minister who was stopping at the same hotel that we had had several conversions in the meeting. He replied by asking me if a certain man from Cleveland was not in the crowd. I replied that he was. He told me that he thought if I looked into it I would find that the conversions were largely due to that man, that while the services were going on, he had been around in the crowd doing personal work. I found that it was so.

9. Get a gospel wagon if you can. Of this we shall have more to say when we speak of Gospel Wagon Work.

IV. Don't.

1. Don't unnecessarily antagonize your audience. I heard of a man addressing a Roman Catholic audience in the open air and pitching into the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. That man did not have good sense. Another man attempted a prohibition discourse immediately in front of a saloon. He got a brick instead of votes.

2. Don't get scared. Let Psalm 27: 1 be your motto: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" There is not a particle need of being scared. You may be surrounded by a crowd of bowling hoodlums, but you may be absolutely certain that you will not be hurt unless the Lord wants you to be hurt; and if the Lord wants you to be hurt, that is the best thing for you. You may be killed if the Lord sees fit to allow you to be killed, but it is a wonderful privilege to be killed for the Lord Jesus Christ. One night I was holding a meeting in one of the worst parts of Chicago. Something happened to enrage a part of the crowd that gathered around me. Friends near at hand were in fear lest I be killed, but I kept on speaking and was not even struck.

3. Don't lose your temper. Whatever happens, never lose your temper. You ought never to get angry under any circumstances, but it is especially foolish to do so when you are holding an openair meeting. You will doubtless have many temptations to lose your temper, but never do it. It is very hard to hit a man when he is serene, and if you preserve your serenity, the chances are that you will escape unscathed. Even if a tough strikes you, he cannot do so a second time if you remain calm. Serenity is one of the best safeguards.

4. Don't let your meeting be broken up. No matter what happens, hold your ground if you can, and you generally can. One night I was holding a meeting in a square in one of the most desperate parts of a large city. The steps of an adjacent saloon were crowded with men, many of whom were half drunk. A man came along on a load of hay, went into the saloon and fired himself up with strong drink. Then he attempted to drive right down upon the crowd in the middle of the square, in which there were many women and children. Some man stopped his horses, and the infuriated man came down from the load of hay and the howling mob swept down from the steps of the saloon. Somehow or other the drunken driver got a rough handling in the mob, but not one of our number was struck. Two policemen in citizens' clothes happened to be passing by and stopped the riot. I said a few words more, and then formed our little party into a procession, behind which the crowd fell in, and marched down to the mission singing.

5. Don't fight. Never fight under any circumstances. Even if they almost pound the life out of you, refuse to fight back.

6. Don't be dull. Dullness will kill an open-air meeting at once. Prosiness will drive the whole audience away. In order to avoid being dull, do not preach long sermons. Use a great many striking illustrations. Keep wide awake yourself, and you will keep the audience awake. Be energetic in your manner. Talk so people can bear you. Don't preach, but simply talk to people.

7. Don't be soft. One of these nice, namby-pamby, sentimental sort of fellows in an open-air meeting the crowd cannot and will
not stand. The temptation to throw a brick or a rotten apple at him is perfectly irresistible, and one can hardly blame the crowd.

8. Dont read a sermon. Whatever may be said in defence of reading essays in the pulpit, it will never do in the open air. It is possible to have no notes whatever. If you cannot talk long without notes, so much the better; you can talk as long as you ought to. If you read, you will talk longer than you ought to.

9. Don't use "cant." Use language that people are acquainted with, but do not use vulgar language. Some people think it is necessary to use slang, but slang is never admissible. There is language that is popular and easily understood by the people that is purest Anglo-Saxon.

10. Don't talk too long. You may have a number of talks in an open-air meeting, but do not have any of them over ten or fifteen minutes long. As a rule do not have them as long as that. Of course there are exceptions to this, when a great crowd is gathered to bear some person in the open air. Under such circumstances I have beard a sermon an hour long that held the interest of the people, but this is not true in the ordinary open-air meeting.

V. Things absolutely necessary to success.

1. Consecrated men and women. None but consecrated men and women will ever succeed in open-air meetings. If you cannot get such, you might as well give up holding open-air meetings.

2. Depend upon God. There is nothing that will teach one his dependence upon God more quickly and more thoroughly than holding open-air meetings. You never know what is going to happen. You cannot lay plans that you can always follow in an openair meeting. You never know what moment some one will come along and ask some troublesome question. You do not know what unforeseen event is going to occur. All you can do is to depend upon God, but that is perfectly sufficient.

3. Loyalty to the Word of God. It is the man who is absolutely loyal to God's Word, and who is familiar with it and constantly uses it, who succeeds in the open air. God often takes a text that is quoted, and uses it for the salvation of some hearer. Arguments and illustrations are forgotten, but the text sticks and converts.

4. Be frequently filled anew with the Holy Spirit. If any man needs to take advantage of the privilege of fresh infillings of the Holy Spirit, it is the open-air worker. Spiritual power is the great secret of success in this, as in all other Christian work.

R. A. Torrey (1856-1928) was a Congregational evangelist, teacher, author, born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was educated in Yale University and Divinity School. After a period of skepticism he trusted in Jesus Christ as Saviour. Soon after he pastored in Ohio and then in Minnesota. In 1889 Dwight L. Moody called Torrey to Chicago to become the superintendant of the school which became known as the Moody Bible Institute. He also served as pastor of the Chicago Avenue Church, now the Moody Memorial Church, for twelve years. Between 1902-1906 Torrey and Charles Alexander conducted a very fruitful evangelistic outreach in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, Britain, Germany, Canada, and the USA. From 1912-1924 Torrey was dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles during which he pastored the Church of the Open Door. His remaining years involved holding Bible conferences, teaching at the Moody Bible Institute, and other endevours. (Adapted from "The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church, Elgin S. Moyer, Moody Press, 1982)

Miracles: the dinner bell of salvation!

2009-05-17T00:27:00.003+01:00

Maurice was preaching up a storm on Grafton Street today and I sensed the Lord wanted me to stand a short distance away from him and Jim and hold up my "Jesus" sign. Shortly after this 3 teenage girls aproached me and one of them asked me numerous genuine questions about God, all in rapid succession. She wanted the truth and I was happy to answer although I admitted I coundn't answer all her questions. I did however get opportunity to pray for her friend's sore leg and when she then went walkabout to check her leg she was amazed...Jesus had instantly healed her! (read mark chapter 16!) Whatever attention I had before this was dramatically amplified. I believe these three girls left amazed by God's presence and power. I wish all the saints reached out like the words of a Van Morrison song says "..He healed the sick and He healed the lame...and He says you can do it too in Jesus' name". To God be allllll the glory! Photo is of Leonidas, our dear brother and street preacher, now in Burundi.

God loves the JW's

2009-05-12T23:06:00.005+01:00

"No thank you" the Watchtower lady said to me when I asked her if she would like Jesus to heal her back. I had been asking them why did Jesus die on the cross and their answer, like other religious people, was vague and incorrect. In the past when Jehovah witnesses called to the door I would be intimidated into a discussion about their strange interpretation of their version of God's word (the new world translation). But this time I kept it simple...because the gospel is simple. The innocent son of God dying for the guilty. I then asked Jesus for a "word of Knowledge" and I sensed God was saying that the lady on my right had a bad back. I thought "a bad back!...that's so common that seems more like a guess of knowledge" I then felt mildly convicted that I had asked God and then doubted His leading. "Do you have a sore back" I asked her...cutting across her explanation of things watchtower.."Yes she said" without hesitation. I was disappointed that she rejected the offer of healing prayer..but...I trust that God can reveal himself to her through this word. We concluded the disussion with some pleasenteries. The 2 ladies were very sincere but very lost and deceived. Only the blod of Jesus can set people free, not any religous works.
And the photo? it's of me in Limerick recently! Ant

DUMPED BY THE FATHER!

2009-05-02T23:59:00.003+01:00

As we were on Grafton Street today holding high the matchless name (of "JESUS" of course!) 2 teenage girls came over for a chat. One said her boyfriend had dumped her just now, she was heartbroken but I told her that Jesus himself was "Dumped" at the cross when the Father rejected Him. We discussed why He suffered this rejection and how it was for our acceptance.She'd never heard the like! I gues they are too busy in the religion classes teaching them universalism and humanism that they've no time for the simple truth! .How wonderful is our God however that we can freely proclaim His word on the streets. Last week in Limerick we had to battle with the rain. Each time I stepped out of the shelter, when I though the rain was easing it would immediately come heavier! This wasn't good enough. I had a wee bit of faith for God to clear the rain but when I was then joined by my friend John (fellow Fisherman of course!) my faith rose (2 can put 10,000 to flight!) we boldly prayed and within a minute the rain had stopped and the sun was beaming...The preaching soon followed on Cruises Street to the glory of God! Ant

RICKSHAW RIDDLE

2009-04-18T23:45:00.002+01:00

While I was out late last night on Grafton Street I got chatting to 2 Brazilian chaps who were operating rickshaws. They said they loved Jesus but as we continued the conversation I had a sense that they did not yet know Him personally. They were Roman Catholic but, despite their excellent english had great difficulty answering the question as to why Jesus willingly went to the cross. "To show His love for us" one said. I said "Well I love my wife but I wont jump in front of a luas (tram) to prove it" They were stumped. I explained, as had been patiently explained to me, a moderately devout Catholic at age 23 (25 years ago!), that He went to the cross because I was guilty and He was innocent and my sins could be dealt with by that way only. It occured to me that the thief on the cross who turned to Jesus said the very same "We deserve our punishment but this man is innocent". That is the wonderful simple Gospel or "Good News" anything different is a dangerous deception.

THE SPEECHLESS

2009-04-05T23:32:00.002+01:00

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." (Proverbs 31:8)
If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ you have access to the throne of grace where pre-believers and unbelievers do not have access. I am slowly but surely learning about intercession and the above scripture speaks massively to me on the matter. They cannot speak for themselves before Holy God...but we can...and we must to bring glory to Jesus and see the lost converted. What do you think? Ant

DUNDALK HEARS TRUTH

2009-03-29T20:45:00.003+01:00

4 of us drove up from Dublin and ministerd on the streets of Dundalk yesterday. We were joined by Maurice, the local evangelist, and then after for a brief time by a lovely african sister from the local Mountain of Fire Church. We held high the name of Jesus and preaching the matchless gospel of God's forgiveness. The first location we chose near the large Tesco supermarket attracted perhaps the most foul mouthed youths we've seen in a long time. Heartbreaking. We found that we needed to worship more on the street this time than normal to dispel the spirits of darkness. We worship by singing songs like "Jesus, all for Jesus" and "Here is love" with the guitar, closed eyes and raised voices. Worship is warfare.

When we relocated to the main street the grace flowed as did the street preaching. Car windows were rolled down and people appeared at shop doorways to hear the message. Although much seed was sown and tracts distributed there was very little one on one encounters and the hearts of too many remained cold or indifferent. We will soon see revival in the land where the Holy Spirit is outpoured and multitudes kneel on the street in brokenness and repentance...Only God can do this and now...following Dundalk ...we are burdened deeply to pray for this...Limerick next!

The photo shows Maurice, perhaps one of the most faithful and consistant street evangelists in Ireland.

THE SPARK

2009-03-15T23:37:00.004Z

12 saints met today in St Patrick's Park and retraced the lines of the poddle river as it would have flowed in the time of Patrick when he baptised people there 1500 years ago. With the Country in crisis we called out to our sovereign Lord for mercy. Legally this country is built on the foundation of Jesus (read the preamble to the Irish Constitution and be amazed), yet morally this nation has forgotten such roots and godly history. Today was a small act in many ways but I believe it was a spark which will fan into a flame. Next year a larger prayer gathering will be held at the cross in Phoenix Park entitled "Dedicate Ireland". Paul O'Higgins wrote to Tomas Kennedy recently about this and said "...We would envision that this would be a large gathering of believers and that we would rededicate the land to Jesus Christ and ask cleansing from all blood guilt and idolatry.
This will be to lift up no man except the Man Jesus Christ..."
I found it odd in one way that God would call me (with Tomas) to call the meeting we had today. I say this because I see myself primarily as an evangelist and street preacher and not an "intercessor", yet I was gripped by the conviction that we must take simple steps of obedience as God leads regardless of what we think! I also had the conviction that God would show us the details of what to do on the day...and this He certainly did!...Oh to the joy of carrying out the will of the Father.
One thing God showed me in the Spirit during the prayer was that in the past the fire of God came on believers at this location from where they spread out across the land and yet again God will send us out as firebrands across this nation to bring the eternal life changing powerful Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Ant

RELIGION WONT FOOL GOD!

2009-03-01T23:49:00.002Z

"A debt we can never pay off ourselves is what Jesus is willing to deal with if we come to him in faith". This topical word amongst others were the content of the street preaching on the main street in Drogheda today where my good friend Jim and myself went. Again God manifested HIs glory in revealing a word of knowledge on a girls sore shoulder and followed up with a healing miracle. In the conversations we had a few people understood, probably for the first time why Jesus died for them.

Drogheda is a religious town and both times I preached I felt a leading to say that Religion will not get you to heaven or reconciled to God. "You can fool man with religion but not God"

2009-02-27T18:13:00.003Z

Of course you are invited!! but don't come under obligation! A few of us are gathering before God to ask him for mercy for Ireland at this troublesome time. WE NEED HELP and OUR HELP COMES FROM THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. Of course banks, govrnment, IMF, EU may be used in the recovery process but we must see through all this to the hand of God and call out to HIm! We also are not keen to see the economy "bounce back" only for multitudes to be again decieved by riches and end up seperated from God for now and eternity.
The location of our meeting is significant I believe in that underneath our feet will be the Poddle river which was the location of many baptisms during the days of Patrick. Indeed it is reported that the first church he established in Dublin was located on an island in the middle of the Poddle river at this location. I believe that in his day the glory of God was manifest in this land and that once again we can cry out to HIm for a fresh outpouring of the wonderful Holy Spirit. Go to http://www.amiando.com/prayandfast.html?page=256417 for details.

VALENTINE'S DAY OUTREACH

2009-02-15T00:09:00.004Z

My friend Dave Kinsella came to Dublin today and I was glad to join him and some others at North Earl Street to preach and witness for Jesus. We met a young man who had hatred and murder in his heart towards his childhood abuser. My good friend Jimmy helped explain about forgiveness and the fact that it was not an emotion but a decision of the will...and an essential part of our own reconciliation to God. I told him that unforgiveness was like swallowing poison and expecting your enemy to die. By God's grace the man humbled himself, spoke words of forgiveness and asked Jesus then to forgive him and come to be his Lord and saviour. . . What a joy it is to serve our wonderful King! AB

The photo was taken in Temple Bar Square last month..No I'm not busking but worshipping the King. Why you ask? Read Psalm 149 for the answer. I believe that there is gret power in lifting Jesus higher in worship as well as in name with the sign!

BE READY FOR THE NEXT RECESSION

2009-02-11T16:31:00.002Z

What a shock this one is! No need to go into detail but it was certainly:
* a surprise
* beyond man's control
* Scary
So we got into debt, with everyone egging us on like banks, marketing, peer pressure and our own ego. Now we dearly wish we had no debts. All of this, although vividly real to us, is only a mirror of what is REALLY going on.

We all have a debt before our creator God which can't be paid off...or can it? God knew our hopeless state and sent Jesus His son to be crushed on the cross for our sin. If we get on our knees and ask His forgiveness we can have A NEW START with a CLEAN SLATE! ...not based on our "goodness" (boy what a myth!) but based on His blood paying the price of our rebellion against Him.

It's appointed to a man to die once and then comes judgement. Why not be ready this time!

ANKLE MIRACULOUSLY HEALED!

2009-01-31T23:09:00.004Z

After the street preaching today (by my anointed wife) outside the old town hall in Bray (now McDonald's) Jesus healed a young chap's ankle. Supernaturally God revealed a word of Knowledge to me about the injury and after the prayer the chap ran off and back (when I asked him to) and testified to his friends about the healing. Much traffic and many other people heard the word of life today. Street evangelism gives you more hunger...for more evangelism because the harvest is rich. Next week we plan to be at Temple Bar Square and next month in Drogheda. Oh that the people of Ireland would humble themselves before the King of Kings. As I said to a small gang today "If you are ever going to get to Heaven religion will have nothing to do with it. It will only be by Relationship with Jesus".
The photo is of Jim warming up with 2 brothers form Mountain View CF behind. It was a pleasure and an education to see them move in the anointing of the Holy Spirit as they operated in their spiritual giftings. Thanks Aengus and gang for coming!

IRELAND STREET OUTREACHES 2009

2009-01-30T11:53:00.003Z

There may be one, there may be 5 or there may be more but outreaches are planned Outside Dublin throughout 2009 on a monthly basis. See the dates and places on the sidebar! What do you need to come? A new heart and a new spirit. If you are lacking this it is freely available from Jesus Christ, bought not by your good deeds but by HIs perfect blood. The detail agenda of each outreach is available from God after the event (what fun it is to be led by the wonderful Holy Spirit!). If you know Jesus then you know us! It's all for him. We are part of a church but the outreach promotes no church only Jesus. If you love to share your faith..join us. If you don't know how to or are scared of sharing your faith but wouldn't mind some training...come stand beside us and learn. Either way you are more than welcome!and finally...If you are a Dawkinite who thinks God is a myth...come out and talk to us! Ant (O87-9795454 aba@eircom.net)

GLORY DESCENDS ON THE TEMPLE (BAR)

2009-01-24T22:43:00.005Z

I can honestly say that God’s glory descended on Temple Bar today as we ministered on the street. It started when the busker we prayed would move on eventually did. I respect buskers as they are seeking an honest few bob but often the music they play is not the most conducive to a move of the Holy Spirit! After he’d gone I took out my own guitar and began to worship. I wasn’t seeking any crowd nor money but I do understand the power of praise and how, on the street , it can clean up the spiritual atmosphere. When my wife arrived and joined me in singing “All for Jesus” it wasn’t long before she was ready to preach and boy did it grab attention.

The foot traffic began to stop and listen to the message about those who insulted Jesus at the time of His trial. It was anointed. As she was finishing and giving an invitation to people to approach those holding up the name of “Jesus” to find out more about a relationship with God a young man approached and I ended up talking to him. He was in a desperate state, had run out of a rehab programme and wrestled with serious thoughts of ending his life that day. He prayed with us but I know the battle rages on at present for him. I explained how the enemy is a liar and can’t get at God but is trying to get God by killing you and bringing you to hell forever…but God’s love is reaching out to you. This man was in a war, one that Jesus already won at Calvary.

Earlier in the day I spoke to a lovely young chap who was utterly deceived by athiesm. He admitted he wasn’t even open to any persuasion. I then told him that Jesus is alive and can heal any sickness he now has in his body. I then asked the Lord where any such pain might be. “Do you have a sore shoulder” I asked. “I have a dislocated shoulder” he admitted. I asked him if he’d like healing prayer and he said no and began to walk away. As he did I said that God knows everything about him and loves him dearly. He had rejected religion but had never heard the gospel. He was now rejecting Jesus but I believe that he may one day turn. This I pray for.
After the preaching a group of 5 hardened Dub late teens went by with some smart alec comment. I called them back and declared that Jesus heals today. The lad with the huge black eye asked for prayer after which he admitted to feeling better. I was a bit surprised the blackness was still there but they went on without delay and I would have loved to have heard the chat among them after they’d gone.
Apart from the above thousand saw the name of JESUS lifted high. To God be ALL the glory. Next week it’s Bray…so Pray for Bray!! Ant

The photo was taken a few weeks ago on Grafton Street. I find our message gains relevance when ambulences show up...it reminds people of their vulnerability. See if you can make out anything in the reflection!

LOVE YOUR ENEMY...AND THE SAINTS!

2009-01-17T18:10:00.004Z

The Soldier proudy told David that he had killed King Saul "the Lord's anointed" and waited for his reward with a smile...But he was judged and lost his life! Read about it in 2 Samuel Chapter 1. This is a solemn warning for us to not destroy, or boast in putting down, God's people. We know Saul had tried repeatedly to destroy David yet David mourned his judgement and death. Too often we as believers gloat in the demise of a saint whom we deem to be "missing God". The more I go on with Jesus the more curved balls I can get from some believers...yet they are people dearly beloved of the Father and for whom Jesus died. We are called to love our enemies, for whom Jesus also died, so how can we bypass the saints! Remember satan's plans are always to destroy and bring division...always.

Of late God has called us to be part of Every Nation Church in Dublin. This is both exciting and daunting. It is the church previously pastored by my dearly missed and departed friend Ray Shiels and I trust that God knows what he is doing placing us here!

In parallel with this I believe God has called me once monthly to take our 7 seater car to various towns around Ireland on the last Saturday of each month to do some street outreach for Jesus. As I write Bray, Drogheda, Dundalk, Limerick, Wicklow, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford, Newbridge, Roscrea and Carlow are on the agenda. Plans are in formation and my earnest desire is that they re the plans of our Wonderful Holy Spirit and not Ant!! Let me know your thoughts.

Photo shows Oliver last year in Temple Bar getting the attention of the Law and the Ladies!

GOD IS NOT ALL-FORGIVING

2009-01-09T13:23:00.005Z

Okay...Come down off your high horse and consider this. There was once a judge who sat in authority in the courts of the land. Regardless of the crimes brought before him he always said to the perpetrator "I forgive you..you are free to go". What an absurdity! Such a judge would be a BAD Judge..or more to the point he wouldn't be a judge at all because he would have no regard for the law. Is God in heaven, our creator, a judge or not? If He is He cannot be "All Forgiving". Too many people on the street say he is all forgiving but our call as believers is to explain that Jesus died as the payment for our guilt before Holy (perfect) God. When the pin pricks of guilt hit we must avoid the temptation to lash out at the messenger saying "Don't Judge". God is a judge and I too judge Molesters, Terrorists, Rapists, Thiefs and Gangsters. God goes further and judges all men and finds all guilty and then places that guilt on His beloved son's shoulders, let's Him take the rap and offers not a universal amnesty but a promise of forgiveness to those who turn to Him in humility. God is forgiving but not all forgiving and without the shedding of (His) blood there is no forgiveness. Happy New Year.

THE BLOODY GOSPEL

2008-12-17T13:35:00.004Z

"With many other words he warned them and pleaded with them" Acts 2:40. How few do that today! Most preaching is of the variety which is scared to warn and plead. What's the root of this? Is it rampant humanism in the body of Christ? Is it compassion turned sour and into "devil petting" or is it a lack of faith and knowledge of the fate of the unconverted? I'm all for compassion...genuinely!. I'd be lost without God's compassion but if we decouple compassion and love from the bloody message of the cross we immediately are in heresy. John 3:16 and 17 shows God's love manifested in the crushing of His only Son...the only way the Justice of Holy God can be satisfied. When I was recently preaching on Grafton Street about this "Bloody Gospel" someone spoke to me after, one to one, and was offended by such mention of violence. He thought this was similar to a radical islam message. I explained that the only blood this referred to was the innocent blood of the Lamb of God and that other human blood was useless as it was unholy and a worthless currency for redemption before Holy creator God.

WHO WILL CRY WITH ME?

2008-11-30T00:27:00.002Z

Today a man in his late forties went to Howth with a single intention: To end HIs life. He was heartbroken over a rejection by his daughter and was also living a life on methadone. He cried out in prayer and then changed his plan. Hours later he was walking in Temple Bar and met myself and 3 brothers lifting up the Holy name of JESUS. He was bitter over a previous church experience but God gave opportunity to minister to him, pray for protection, minister the gospel of salvation, healing and deliverance and invite him to a place of healing to which he promised to come tomorrow. He may come...or he may not but my sincere prayer is that the destroyer would not have him but that he would fall on the rock which is Christ. That is one side of the story...the other side is that thousands of others today looked the other way and rejected Jesus. Who will cry with me over these two stories?

The Photo is of George Whitfield preaching at Leeds in 1749...I look forward to meeting that chap!

Who does the work?

2008-11-14T21:29:00.006Z

We have turned the Church into some kind of hand out welfare programme where people come and Watch! No wonder it's half dead! The five fold ministers job is NOT TO DO ALL THE WORK but to equip the Saints for Work (Read Ephesisans 4:11-13). We should have more activity outside than inside! I am an evangelist and my job is to equip and train people to share their faith...not to have them sit back and watch me do all the work myself. a Healthy body is a functioning body not a "Couch Potato". I love hearing gifted teachers and preachers but God's plan is that I'd be trained by them and get up and out with this training. We need bums off seats not just on seats!!!

Who ya lookin at?

2008-11-08T23:37:00.005Z

Adam and Eve were God focussed before sin and then after sin they became self focussed, becoming aware of their nakedness and hiding from God. What Gospel are we bringing to people today? Is it the message about the holiness of God, the depravity and lostness of man and the sufficiency of the death of the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ...or...is the message that they are beautiful and need only to realise it! I first heard this message from my brother about 25 years ago when he was a Hare Krishna and spoke of the need for "self realisation" that we are in fact gods!! Sadly I am hearing this message again in Christian circles when I should be hearing the gospel!

We are all made in God's image but boy has sin corrupted all and seperated all from Holy God. That's why all religions utterly fail. They all deal with "self improvement" but what improvement to imperfection can produce a holy person whom could live with a Holy God for a second or eternity? Sin has a price and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. The justice of God must be satisfied. I truly deserve eternal hell. Why? Because I broke the perfect law of God! The last unholy guy in heaven got turfed out and took a third of the angels with him. Since that day no more unholy are getting in. We don't need to be telling people they are "good" when they are in fact monstors of iniquity whose only hope is a humble sorrow and repentance and turning toward God in faith in light of Calvary...Anything else is Humanism.

FREE SURGERY..NO WAITING..NO SIDE EFFECTS!

2008-10-19T23:53:00.003+01:00

While I was getting a lift home from my son's rugby match yesterday by my friend he complained about his sore elbow. He even mentioned the possibility of needing surgery to have it fixed. He had been lifting heavy things from his attic following a clear up at the end of a messy divorce. Some object had slipped but his pal was below so instead of instinctively letting go he held on and did painful damage to his elbow.

I said I knew a surgeon who was free of charge, could operate without side effects and could do it all instantly! When we got home and were having a cup of coffee in my house I again asked if he'd like Jesus to heal him now. I showed him Jesus' promise in Mark 16 "they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover" He admitted to being a skeptic on these matters. I said God is not looking for faith from him at this time. He then asked me "what if I don't get healed". I said we'd talk about that later if he didn't get healed.

I then held his elbow and asked the risen Christ to heal him. I felt a small heat and minor vibration then and I knew God was touching him. I then asked him to flex his elbow and lift up something. At this stage he went "Bug eyed" and testified to a complete healing in amazement. It was then that I got to clearly explain the difference between religion and a living faith in the risen Jesus who proved his divinity by His resurrection. To God be ALL the glory. What I learnt from this was the way the heart is opened by the miraculous. Now I'm HUNGRY!

Ray meets Jesus, in person.

2008-10-14T23:40:00.003+01:00

Time itself will vanish in heaven I believe. We only use time down here because we need a measuring stick for the brief "vapour" before eternity so we can wisely rest, plan and be good stewards of the opportunities and resources God gives us. Jesus was never frantically carrying around a massive list of good works to do. NO. He simply acted in obedience. Clearly that's our call too. I don't know about you but I know for me the challenge is HEAR God. How can a kid obey his parent if he can't hear them!
My dear friend Ray Shiels, pastor of Every Nation Church in Dublin went to be with Jesus this week. He was one who recklessly obeyed God and thereby inspired many. I miss him but rejoice at the thought of him in the presence of Jesus. God bless and surround Caludine, Jack and Sam. Read the tributes on Wolfie's blog at http://wolfinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/tribute-to-my-hero-friend-ray-shiels/#comment-1200 (cut and paste this url into the browser window)

Debt Purge (God's style)

2008-10-11T22:45:00.005+01:00

Man's plan: Enslave others in debt if you can get away with it. God's plan: The Jubilee (Read Leviticus 25) where debts are purged on a periodic basis. If debts are not purged (wiped) periodically then they will wipe themselves in due course (toxic debt they call it). Like all violations of God's principles there are consequences when ignored. A wee bit of other news caught my eyes recently "The World Health Organisation and UNAIDS, the UN agency that co-ordinates the global fight against Aids, said there was compelling evidence that the operation can reduce infections among heterosexual men by up to 60 per cent." (Times 28-3-07). I'm not suggesting us lads do anything dramatic but I love when "science" thinks they've discovered something new which was already written by God Himself.
Peter the fisherman spoke of nuclear physics (2 Peter 3:10) when under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The writer of Hebrews spoke about quantum physics and the binding force of the atom in Hebrews 1:3. David wrote of "the paths of the seas" in Psalm 8:8 thousands of years before Matthew Maury plotted them for the first time in the 1800's (His inspiration was indeed Psalm 8!). God's word is full of Gems, many yet to be unearthed but the primary gem is the purging not of debt but our sin by the bleeding and dying of a chap who was entirely innocent (indeed the only ever innocent one) Jesus Christ. Wow! He will give you a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3)

COUSIN LOSES HEAD AT DRUNKEN PARTY

2008-09-20T18:50:00.004+01:00

Haven't posted much of late.The reason is because I have not been fishing for souls but have been ministered to by God almighty and built up following a number of trials my close friends might know about.

If your cousin and greatest supporter had his head chopped off because a wicked king because he made a rash promise during a moment of seduction and manipulation at a drunken party ...how would you feel? More to the point if you withdraw to a private place and then had crowds following you looking for something would you not be tempted to tell them to get lost for a while?..Not so Jesus (Matthew 14:14) "He had compassion on them and healed their sick". Guys...the pity party is officially over! The needs of the lost have not gone away...and nor has God's compassion towards them. He wishes none to perish but ALL to come to repentance and the knowledge of God through Jesus.

Photo shows Leonidas' wife lifting high His Holy Name in Burundi.

CANT DUMP ADAM WITHOUT DUMPING JESUS!

2008-09-01T23:34:00.004+01:00

The Creation moments website had a fab article today. Look lads..wake up and smell the coffee!! We have let the athiests and humanists whip the foundation from under our noses as we have let them put Genesis on the same footing as Santa Claus! Lord have mercy on them but they are in for some awful shock when Truth is revealed in person in the clouds!!
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)
What does the Bible's teaching on creation have to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, let’s see what happens to Christ's work of salvation if creation is untrue and God actually used evolution. Death in the animal kingdom must have come into the world long before the first man and before sin. If death is not a result of sin, why did Christ have to receive the penalty for sin by death on a cross? So, in challenging man's origin, evolution challenges the origin of sin and its effect on man. Thus, evolution challenges the very heart of Christ’s work! The Bible tells us that all Scripture was given to make us wise unto salvation. That includes Genesis. John's Gospel tells us that all things were created through the Word Who became flesh.

We see that Word in action in Genesis One when we read, “That Word Who made us and everything is the very same Word Who came and purchased our salvation.”

So Genesis, right from the very first words, is actually the beginning of God's revelation to us of the Person and work of the Son of God - our Savior, Jesus Christ. If we reject God's revelation about His Son in Genesis One, we have only part of a Savior - and only part of Christ is no Christ at all!

And the photo... The woodpecker hits the tree so hard and fast that if he didn't have amazing shock absorbers he'd crush his skull. If he didn't have special claws on this feet he couldn't stay on and ...wait for it...if he didn't have an amazing long tongue wrapped around cavities in that amazing shock absorbing skull he couldn't lick up the prey through the newly bored hole!! Now O Evolutionist tell me which awesome bit of these 3 evolved first!! What a designer our God is! Have a fab day. Ant

A Wild Thought!

2008-08-11T18:26:00.002+01:00

Here's a wild thought: Jesus rose from the dead! I have had people on the street get all serious and sincere on me, tilt their head and stare at me with "loving" concern while they softly and seductively ask "Do you really believe that?". Oh how the foul breath of the enemy permeated the mind and messages our unguarded thoughts in suggesting that we never really thought deeply enough about this cornerstone of our faith. Then I have felt the warm envigourating breath of God well up inside me as I proclaim to the "enquirer" "I do..really!".

Now fast forward your thoughts to an average religious service in Ireland or the western world where a professional minister with a head education exceeding his heart education, consumed and bedevilled with a philisophy of man centered humanism and a view of "god" created in man's image. Such a man or woman has an authority bestowed on him by fellow unregenerate sin enslaved man as oppose to by a Holy God. I have heard such ministers embrace the ways of this world in a shocking way and misrepresent God almighty with astonishing ignorance of the truth. They believe in the universal salvation of all..a most deadly and dangerous doctrine in the light of the fact that upon death ( a 100% statistic) eyes will be truly open to the depravity of man and the Holiness of God and His address (heaven). If Jesus walked the earth again today like he did before He would be again crucified by the Irish and other nations...don't doubt it or flatter yourself with the thought that we are "better". No we are better at covering up our rottenness, that's all.

We need the message proclaimed: The reconciliation of Love and Holiness. Jesus Himself took God's wrath when he clothed himself with all the sin of humanity. Your judgement was on Him..Aha...now you see why the resurrection matters! It proves Jesus was God, had no sin of HIs own and can forgive you while the justice of Holy God is satisfied. Without the shedding of (His) blood there is no forgiveness...No wonder the devil hates the resurrection!

From HIV positive to HIV negative

2008-07-13T21:25:00.005+01:00

From HIV positive to HIV negative...Yes our wonderful Lord Jesus did it last week for Paul in our neighbourhood. He turns our minus to a plus by the cross. Nothing is too hard for HIm. The enemy was defeated by the cross of Calvery when the only innocent man ever Jesus gave His life as a ransom for you and for me. Every demonic power was publicly shown defeated in the spirit realm...be sure of that! Holy God found a way for us to be changed (through repentance and faith) and cleaned up! Dont reject such a wonderful gift. Call out to Jesus now for mercy and new life and dump your pathetic religious efforts to please him.

The photo comes from some UK city where a brother is lifting up a sign I printed from my computer. He must have met Oliver somewhere but I was mightily blessed to find the photo on Flickr. Seed is being sown throughout Europe by this simple sign! John, my evangelist friend,went to the famous San Fermin Bull Running Festival in Spain and after the orchestra finished a piece he boldly came from behind, stepped on stage, sang a hymn, shared a word and left handing out Spanish Gospel Tracts which were printed by his pal Dick in Ireland, with the sound of police sirens in the background...To God be all the glory!

What are you worth?

2008-07-01T08:50:00.002+01:00

Value is determined by the price one is willing to pay for something. The Mona Lisa is often called "Priceless" because it is so valuable. A modern abstract canvas painting may seem worthless to many but if it came into your possession you would be foolish to throw it out and not put it up for auction if there were others who were willing to pay hundreds of thousands of Euro for it!
How much is your life worth? You might think its worthless, just a fat unwanted oversized carbon footprint which arrived in a meaning less way and would be better off absent from this sacred planet!...Think again!... You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Wonderful Creator God and just as the value of a work of art is determined by the amount people are willing to pay for it much more your value is determined by the fact that God our Creator BANKRUPTED HEAVEN by sending HIs beloved son Jesus to take your place in suffering God's wrath against sin and purchasing for you eternal life in right clean relationship with HIm. Bin the sin and surrender to Jesus if you have not yet done so!

God's Gig

2008-06-16T18:16:00.004+01:00

Temple Bar Square 1am Sat 14th June 08: "Ahh go on let me play your guitar and sing a song" the lady asked. "NO" I firmly said. "She's brilliant...go on let her" the friends asked. "This guitar is only for Jesus...Do you know Amazing Grace?", "I do she said". So I played 4 verses of the awesome hymn and she had a great crowd stopping voice. It must have been around 50 people who were standing by the time she sang the last verse...I knew what was next...but noone else did! Before the applause cut in at the end I raised my voice and spoke of Grace: "God's Riches At Christ's Expense". I spoke for about 3 minutes on how valuable each person was...Value being determined by the price one is willing to pay. I told of how God bankrupted heaven by paying His beloved son for YOU (pointing at a person in the crowd) and you (at another!). He shed his blood to pay the high price for us to come back to the Creator forever. As I began this message at least 2 people tried to stop me. They liked the performance but not the preaching. They thought it was their Gig but they were wrong... it was God's. Only eternity will tell if someone heard the truth that night...For Jesus I'll gladly make an eejit out of myself..Hallelujah! Ant

2 Sore throats, 1 Prayer, 1 Miracle!

2008-06-13T00:09:00.005+01:00

As we spoke to the 3 street wise lads on Grafton Street this evening we cut straight to the point...This wasn't about religion but Relationship. I could drink all I wanted, take drugs all I wanted, live loosely all I wanted...truth is that when Jesus give me a new heart I didn't want any of that. I then declared that Jesus was alive and can heal the sick today. I asked one chap if he had a sore ear, thinking the Lord had impressed this thought on my mind...but not being sure! He said no but he had larengitus and was amazed that I seem to know he was sick.."How did you know that? " he asked me and then turning to his pal he said "Did you tell him?" . Surprisingly the pal also had a sore throat and was indeed a bit hoarse. I asked them both if they would like me to ask Jesus to heal them and they agreed. So as I lay hands and one and asked Cian to lay his hand on the other we prayed for a miracle. The pal said he felt better and looked a bit amazed while...guess what...the other guy said he felt just the same.

We said goodbye soon after that but as we again gathered to pray for the chaps in their absence we had a sense that God touched them and we again asked our wonderful Lord to touch the chap who was yet to be healed.

Healing is dramatic and wonderful but we all know that the greatest miracle is that of the new birth and the changing of a heart of stone to a heart of flesh...Let God get all the glory! Next fishing trip ? 11pm Temple Bar Friday night. Thanks form your support!

NO BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

2008-05-22T23:22:00.006+01:00

"He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise across the temple courts" Mark 11:16. How often have I carried "baggage" or "merchandise" into God's presence? God wants me to come just by myself before Him and not to trust in anyone or anything apart from HIm. I have bought the merchandise of "reason" and "the world" and foolishly thought that I can still serve him unfettered! It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! Walk free in HIm!

The photo shows Cian on Grafton Street tonight losing his life but getting blessed in the process and making an eternal impact on the Thursday night shoppers! Please note the new "UPCOMING OUTREACHES" Section to the left where I advise on the next time I'm out. Txt me on 087 9795454 and either join in or watch (and pray!). God Bless you. Ant

Truly Innocent and Truly Guilty

2008-05-17T02:45:00.003+01:00

"Who is the most important person in your life?" I asked the man after him spending the last 15 minutes forcibly telling me that the message of the Gospel is "Loooove". "My mother" he answered. "That's idolatry...It's good to love your mother but to put her before God is to break the first commandment!". Earlier in the evening I asked another chap "Do you think there was ever a time that Jesus sinned", "Sure he sinned" replid my friend. I then looked him in the eye and with pointed finger said "That a lie and the the devil is the father of lies. He was the innocent lamb of God who was slain for your sins and mine".

When I consider the incredible power and simplicity of the gospel (the innocent dying for the guilty) I realize that we need to make sure that people understand that Jesus was truly innocent as we are all truly guilty. As long as souls are separated don't stop outreaching! Ant