Characteristic of the Great Awakening

"With the heart man believes to salvation. Although a man has believed some body of divinity, unless those principles which he has believed in his head have taken root in his heart so that he loves God's Son , rejoices in His salvation, denies himself, takes up his cross, follows the Lamb through all manner of reproach, his knowledge only makes him boast. He is blind and can not see far. He has never felt the authority of God's grace within, and how can such a person love the Savior of the world?

Before a man's life can be changed the Gospel must penetrate the very citadel of his personality; its message must take root in his 'heart'. The authority of God's grace must be felt within. This was the distinguishing characteristic of the Great Awakening. In Wales, Rowland was one of the first to prove its reality.

From Daniel Rowland and the Great Evangelical Awakening in Wales

By Eifion Evans

Whitefield On Open Air Preaching

Let not the adversaries say I have thrust myself out. No, they have thrust me out. And since the self-righteous men of this generation count themselves unworthy, I go out into the highways and hedges, and compel harlots, publicans, and sinners to come in, that my Masters house may be filled. "George Whitefield"

All The World Is Your Pulpit Go Share Your Faith !

I profess to be a member of the church of England; but if they will not let me preach in a Church, I will preach anywhere. All the world is my parish; and I will preach wherever God gives me opportunity. You will never find me disputing about the outward appendages of religion. Don't tell me you are a Baptist, an Independent, a Presbyterian, a Dissenter: tell me you are a Christian. That is all I want. This is the religion of Heaven and must be ours upon earth.

"George Whitefield"

Whitefield on Preaching

If they will not let me preach Christ crucified, an offer salvation to poor sinners in a church, I will preach him in the lanes, streets, highways and hedges; and nothing pleases me better, than to think I am now in one of the devil's strongest holds.

"George Whitefield"

Whitefield on Open Air Preaching

To confine our communion within church-walls, and to think Jesus could not preach in a field as well as on consecrated ground; this is Judaism, this is bigotry: this is like Peter, who would not go to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, till he had a vision from God: and when his conduct was blamed by the disciples , he could not satisfy them till he had acquainted them with the vision he had seen. "George Whitefield"

Stirred To Preach Open Air

The Baptist of the Southern Colonies in particular benefited from Whitefield's influence. Baptist churches and Baptist people were few in the South at the time, unbelief was entering among them and a zeal for soul winning was rare. But moved by Whitefield's ministry many of these churches became firm in the faith, and a new fevor began to characterize them. They increased in number with great speed as men-many of them farmer preachers-preached the gospel in tents, in barns, and in the open air. Souls in great number were one to Christ. "George Whitefield"

Personal Witnessing

Every open air preacher should not only address the hundreds, but he should be ready to pounce upon the ones, and he should have others with him who have the same happy art. How much more good would come of preaching in the streets if every open air preacher were accompanied by a batch of persons who would drive his nails home for him by personal conversation!

"Charles Spurgeon"

The Open Air Preacher

An Open Air Preacher, who has to go out quite alone, must be in a very unfortunate position. It is extremely helpful to be connected with an earnest living church, which will pray for you; and if you can not find such a church where you labor, the next best thing is to get half-a-dozen brothers or sisters who will back you up, go out with you, and especially, pray for you. "Charles Spurgeon"

Life and Times Of Howell Harris

This is an account of his first visit to St. Davids in Pemprokeshire. His preaching was most terrific and alarming there as in every other place then. No thing was proclaimed but destruction: it was some what like Jonah's preaching to the Ninevites. An extract of the account is the following , being translated into English. " The moral state of the inhabitants of St. Davids and the country around when Mr. Harris first came to the place, resembled what is said of the inhabitants of Laish, that they were quite and secure or as the Apostle John says, the whole country lay in wickedness, and were sleeping undisturbed, and the veil of ignorance and darkness covered the whole region. 1st John 5:19. Some attended the established Church on the Sabbath mornings, but in all probability this Church and its ministers were then slumbering as others, if indeed they have ever been awakened;- while the multitude flocked together into houses, where music , dancing, and all manor of amusements imaginable were going on. In summer they had select places in the fields to meet together on the Sabbaths, where all ranks and ages carried on their sports, dreaming that none on earth were more happy than they. Suddenly came Mr. Harris to St. David's in the midst of this careless, thoughtless mood; and information being given that a stranger would preach at the appointed time, the multitude came together;- the place was the cross in the middle of the street:- and thus without delay the preacher proceeded to deliver his message, exposing the sins in which the town and country lay and were guilty of ;- every particle of his speech flashed and gleamed so vividly, as lightning, on the consciences of the hearers, that they were terrified, and feared that the day of judgement had overtaken them: yea so powerful were the effects accompanying his words, that bold and hardy men, being seized with fainting fits through fear and terror, fell as corpses in the street. Mr. Harris on this occasion completely put an end to the sinful and ungodly practice of plays and sports, which were usually carried on during the Sabbath, so that nothing of the kind was anymore to be seen in this part of the country.

" It is said that Mr. Harris would not generally take any text out of the Bible when preaching; and when he took one, he would not mention the place whence it was taken. Another thing stated by the old people is, that Harris at his first visit, did not in his delivering his message, given so much as the slightest hint of any means or dispensation existing, whereby a sinner might be spared or saved, but proclaimed in undisguised and positive terms the certain and unavoidable destruction of such. But when he came the second time to the country, he brought the healing Balm with him in its full extent, in due adaptation to the dimensions of the wound.

From :The Life and Times of Howell Harris

Evangelism, Then and Now

Evangelism, Then and Now

Quoting Joel Beeke . . .

	Puritans and modern evangelists both use persuasive argument in evangelism, but the content of those arguments differs. Modern evangelists do not believe that the necessity of holiness is a suitable subject for the unconverted, so they do not present the gospel as a divine remedy for corrupt and impotent sinners. Puritans, by contrast, believed that the best news in the world for sinners who are truly convicted of sin is that deliverance from the power of sin is possible through faith in Christ. Such sinners need more than forgiveness or pardon; they want sin to be put to death in themselves forever. They want to live for the glory of God. They want to be holy as God is holy. They want to be conformed to the character of the Father, the image of the Son, and the mind of the Spirit. Joseph Alleine distinguished between true and false converts in this manner: "When [false converts] have as much as will save them, as they suppose, they look no farther, and so show themselves short of true grace, which always sets men aspiring to perfection (Phil 3:13)." An important mark of saving faith, then, is that a convert not only wants to be delivered from the corruption of sin, but that he also hungers and thirsts after righteousness and holiness. Modern evangelism has lost sight of that motive. Holiness is treated as something separate from salvation.Thus [today's] message that seeks to convince people to embrace Christ is generally an appeal to self-interest.
From:	Puritan Evangelism: A Biblical Approach

Journal Entry from George Whitefield

One Day During 'The Great Awakening' . . .

Quoting George Whitefield . . .

	Journal entry from Sunday, March 4, 1739 - - Arose much refreshed in spirit and gave my early attendants a warm exhortation as usual. Went to Newgate and preached with power to an exceedingly thronged congregation. Then hastened to Hanham Mount, three miles from the city, where the miners live altogether. God favoured us in the weather. Over four thousand were ready to hear me, and God enabled me to preach with the demonstration of the Spirit. The ground not being high enough, I stood upon a table and the sight of the people covering the green fields, and their deep attention, pleased me much. I hope that same Lord, who fed so many thousands with bodily bread, will feed all their souls with the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, for many came from far. At four in the afternoon, I went to the mount on Rose Green and preached to over fourteen thousand souls. God was so good to allow all to be able to hear me. I think it was worth while to come many miles to see such a sight. I spoke with great freedom, but thought all the while, as I do continually, when I ascend the mount, that hereafter I shall suffer, as well as speak, for my Master's sake. Lord, strengthen me for that hour. Lord, I believe(O help my unbelief!) that Thy grace will be more sufficient for me. In the evening I expounded [the Word of God] at Baldwin Street Society, but could not get up to the room without the utmost difficulty, as the entry and court were much filled with people. Blessed be God, the number of hearers much increases and as my day is, so is my strength. Tonight I returned home much more refreshed in joy and longed to be dissolved and to be with Jesus Christ. This has been a sabbath indeed to my soul! --HT: ReformationTheology.com
From:	George Whitefield's Journals (at age 24)

Charles Spurgeon on Open Air Preaching

The naysayer says it’s a waste of time to preach to people on street corners because no one is listening. The store owner says he’s bad for business. The timid Christian is embarrassed by what he says… Listen to what the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon (1834 – 1892), had to say about all this “foolishness.”

You that preach in the streets, go on preaching Him. I saw a man preaching the other day with no creature but one dog to listen to him, and I really thought that he might as well have gone home. But I met with a story yesterday, which I know to be true, and it showed me that I was making a mistake. There was a woman who for years had been is such dreadful despair that she would not even hear the gospel.

She became very ill, and she said to one that called on her, “You sent a man to preach under my window 3 months ago, and I got a blessing.”

“No,” the friend said, “I never sent anyone to preach under your window.”

“Oh,” she said, “I think you did, for he came and preached, and my maid said that there was no one listening to him. I did not want to hear him; and as he made so much noise , my maid shut the window, and I lay down in bed; but the man shouted so that I was obliged to hear him; and I thank God he did, for I heard the gospel, and I found Christ. Did you not send him?”

“No,” said the good man, “I did not.”

“Well,” she said, “then God did. There was nobody in the street listening to him; but I heard the gospel, and I got out of my despair, and I found the Savior, and I am prepared to die.”

Fire away, brethren! You do not know where your shot will strike, but “there’s a billet for every bullet.” (That is, there’s a home for every sermon.)

—From Spurgeon Gold, compiled by Ray Comfort

Mission operations out of Doors

In raising a new interest, and in mission operations, out of door services are a main agency. Get the people to listen outside that they may by-and-by worship inside. You want no pulpit, a chair will do, or the kerb of the road. The less formality the better, and if you begin by merely talking to the two or three around you and make in pretence of sermonizing you will do well. More good may be done by personal talk to one that by a rhetorical address to fifty. Do not purposely interfere with the thoroughfare, but if the crowd should accumulate, do not hasten away in sheer fright: the policeman will let you know soon enough.
– Charles Spurgeon

Campus Outreach 4-7-2010 Univ of North Alabama

Lisa, Diane and Myself hit the campus to share the words of eternal life with the students of UNA today. We handed out many tracts and CD'S today and I was able to spend some time to share the Gospel with a student named Steven. He said that he went to church and thought the Bible was a good manual to try to follow. He seemed to think that if we followed good enough that we would be ok. I was able to take him through the law and was able to share about Gods grace and that he can't keep Gods law and needed to be covered by the righteous merit of another Jesus Christ. After I shared the whole council of God with him he seemed to understand that his works will not get him into Heaven. I challenged him to pick up his Bible to examine himself to see if he is in the faith from 1st John. Our friend Shaun stopped by to hang with us for awhile and we also saw Ken today we haven't seen him for a few weeks he said he has been ill and is fighting some viral infection. Lisa had a great conversation with a girl named Casey and was able to share the Gospel with her also.Please pray for these students that GOD will open up their eye's and change their hearts. May GODS name be high and lifted up on this campus.

Glory to our King,

Frank

Witness downtown Florence Alabama on Good Friday

We went to the 1st Friday event in downtown Florence to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My Dear Bro. Dennis came down to visit us this weekend to help us celebrate my daughters Baptism on Sunday. We had a street ministry in Chicago when I lived there and we hit the streets alot up there so it was a Blessing to me to hit the streets with Dennis again. We arrived early to get set up and knowing the beautiful weather God supplied I thought it would be very crowded with people and it was. We started out by handing tracts out to people walking by us and after awhile we decided we should read through Matt.26-28 about the death,burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ after all it was Good Friday. So we got up on the stool and lifted up our voices through these chapters. after this a few more of our friends showed up to hand tracts out and witness they were, Andy, Lisa, Shannon, Pat, and some friends from Huntsville Paul, Glenn and Liz. The women were handing out tracts and trying to talk to some and the men were open air preaching. I preached some and Dennis open aired on John 3:16 it was a Blessing. Paul, Andy and Glenn also lifted up their voices like a trumpet. We spent around 4 hours down at 1st Friday. Many people took tracts the Gospel was preached and some even took books from us (Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ). It was a glorious night and the Gospel was proclaimed. I also thank the Lord for my Brothers and Sister from Huntsville who drove over an hour to share the word of Eternal life to this lost and dying world. Glory be to GOD!!! Make sure You check out our You tube videos from the night.

Until the nets are full,

Frank