DESSIE: DUBLIN'S DELIGHT

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!).

God's Gig

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

Pleasure Boat or Lifeboat?

Today on Grafton Street the Word of God was proclaimed publicly by way of preaching tract distribution and one on one witnessing. The team was assembled by a series of text messages and mobile phone calls. The organization was simple and lightweight but the message was not! Some listened with interest many ignored and failed to stop. Why I ask myself is there such indifference to a message that will be remembered for eternity either in Hell with regret or Heaven with thankfulness? I often think the spiritual climate needs to change as does the passion and unction of the preachers as does the comfortable arrogant attitudes of many. May God give us grace to make the message of the cross more urgent and vivid and cause the true state of peoples hearts top be expose before a holy and loving God who seeks repentance.

A German brother who joined us today told us after that in Austria there are now more Muslims than Protestants. Immediately I said to him that that was probably because the Muslims are getting out there while the church sleeps. For a fab video on the topic of the complacent church acting as a pleasure boat and not a lifeboat! Cut and paste the following address in your web browser address window http://www.fullflamemovie.com/screening-room-sea.htm Be blessed by Jesus and be a blessing for Jesus. Ant

My glorious 2007

As I consider what has happened over 2008 (so far) it seems like a wonderful whirlwind. God has led me by His Holy Spirit to do some things I could only previously dreamed of. I have, by God's strength publicly preached, prayed, worshipped, led people to Jesus and proclaimed His name in about 7 Irish towns or cities (above photo is me in Cork in August) and 3 in England. About 18 months prior I had done none of this even though I knew my Lord and Saviour. So what is the difference? I can only put it down to one thing that is the call of God. It started when I believed God was calling me to nightime evangelism in Dublin, having no clue of how, where or when and with a sizeable amount of fear and trepidation about violance and vomit on the streets.

On the balcony of Trinity church in Abbey street after one Sunday meeting I got talking to Derek and Decaln who informed me of a group of christians who went out on Fridays at 11pm on Grafton Street and held large yellow "John 3"7" signs. I went the first night, a balmy summer night and met the people and took a sign myself. What amazed me was that very soon strangers were approaching and asking questons like "What is John 3:7", " What does it mean to be Born again?" and countless other questions (right up to 2am and beynd) about Jesus and the gospel. I was blessed to share my faith and I knew God used me as a blesssing to speak the word of life to others.

Back in the late 1980's when I first met Jesus I did a lot of "street work" but we often, infact nearly always coldly approached people with Gospel tracts, surveys or questions with a view to explaining the cross which on a few occasions we got as far as. This new "method" amazed me as each encounter was started by the enquirer! A few months later I met up again with my old evangelist friend and veteran street preacher Ollie. He had recently employed a new method of outreach by way of holding up a small but highly visible sign saying "JESUS". Red letters on white measuring only about 6 inches wide but visible from about 25 metres away or more. I joined Him one day in this mad adventure and I was instantly astounded by the impact of this method. He is the name above all names and we are called to lift him higher but I never thought that God would have me do this literally! The effect on the passers by was awesome. It caused a reaction in almost everyone. Most looked with amazement and stared, some turned their face away ( like in Isaiah 52!), some called out snearing comments (inspired by guess who!), some asked "What are you doing?" and some shook our hands with a big smile and blessing! The oppertunities to witness about the cross were ever more numerous than the "John 3:7" led to.

God led me to hold up this Jesus sign over the Woman's mini Maraton in Dublin and over the Dublin City Marathon and the exiting masses from the All-Ireland football final on Jones Road outside Croke Park. I believe it is both a prophetic act to lift up HIs name in this land and a practical method to start discussions about the cross. Various people in different places in UK and Europe are doing this now and the results, though mostly difficult to measure, are amazing. I have heard of whole offices discussing Jesus all day long as a result of a saint boldly holding up "the name".

During the year I bought a portable stool so that on a crowded stret I could be head and shoulders above the crowd with the sign or preaching. At the end of the year God brought me into contact with another street preacher in Dublin called John and I believe that 2008 has much in store with regards to co-labouring with him.

My passion for the Church in Ireland is that they "Wake up" and bring the gospel message back central to their focus. Let us never take our eyes off Jesus and in so doing our eyes will never be off the lost for whom He came and died and sent HIs Holy Spirit to empower us to reach!! Pentectostals or charismatics have this odd idea that since they were baptised in the Holy Spirit they "have it all now" and can just limp on for the rest of their life on earth.. My Bible tells me different. It tells me that the same crowd who received the Baptism or infilling to overflowing of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 got it again in Acts 4 when they prayed. I now pray for a fresh infilling of the Holy SPirit EACH time I go out for Him....and guess what...He is faithful to that prayer. Have a great 08. Ant

A Prophetic Act in Mullingar!

After I finished my work in Mullingar I want back to my car and asked God for a fresh infilling of HIs Holy Spirit. I had a leading to lift up the "Jesus" sticker but boy did I need the courage. Then God showed me 2 trees in front of me and let me know that it was the magnificaent creator of all thingas that I represented...now I didn't feel so small. He also let me know that noboody else was going to lift up his name in this town today. So I went to the busiest junction(outside McDonalds) and with much trembling lifted up the newly laminated sign. The signpost to heaven. IMMEDIATELY I felt a huge wave of joy and encouragement. I eyeballed the drivers in the traffic jam and the people on the pavements. Spiritual war broke out and I was on the winning side. From a great distance people stopped and looked, some mystified, some smiling, some hiding their faces (see Isiaah 52 for that!) A group of teens asked me what it was about and heard why Jesus went to the cross for them! It was only an hour of fishing, some nibbles but none landed, yet God alone knows the effect of this silent proclamation in a sleepy midland town. TO lift up the name above all names over the towns of Ireland is a prophetic act! Even the Irish constitution recognises HIm as the supreme authority...What about you?

40,000 women see "Jesus"!

40,000 women (and a few men in drag!) saw the name of Jesus at the 1 mile mark of today's womens mini marathon. Some cherred, some called out his name, some smiled, some were puzzled, some mad, some mystified, some mocked, but few were unaffected...all in the space of 40 minutes! I have no idea how God has or will use this witness but I know He called me to lift high HIs name today and it was a privilege. I pray it encouraged the saints and convicted the sinners. Ant.

Wonderful fish tank for fishing!

The matchless name of Jesus! No other name under heaven by which we can be saved and reconciled to God. We sensed that God wanted us to leave Grafton Street this Saturday afternoon and go elsewhere. So we ended up on Henry Street, wonderful fish tank for fishing! The name was lifted, the word preached and worship lifted to the King of Kings! Anjola preached and the impact was significant. We were joined by Norman from the North of Ireland who, though confined to a wheelchair with MS, was proud and delighted to hold aloft the precious name. We were greeted on Henry Street by a brother in the Lord who had an eastern european friend with him. I had a private chat for about 10 minutes with this man and he heard the gospel clearly and expressed a desire to know God more fully. I told him about repentance and faith in the One who took ALL his sins and he promised to consider it. What I only found out later was that his believing friend had cried out to God that morning that somehow he (the european friend) would hear the gospel that day!! What a mighty God we joyfully serve.

Last night on Grafton street some people prayed to receive Jesus. Much seed was sown. Only eternity will reveal the true and lasting impact of what went on. If you are reading this and you know Jesus personally...Pray that the Lord T H R U S T S labourers into the Harvest! If you are a pre-believer and don't know Jesus yet then go to the VIdeo Vault on the Right hand side and listen to "Ant in Liverpool" where I preach my socks off!! Then post a comment or e-mail me with your reaction.