Battle Log

Wednesday, 8 May, 2019

Posted 17 May 2019, 2:25 PM by Matthew Andersen. Permalink

On Wednesday in Brisbane city, there were many people around and as always many people heard the gospel. The team of eight split throughout the area and were able to have consistent conversations over the course of the afternoon.

The first five conversations of the afternoon were short and sad. It isn't that they were a waste because the intention was to share the gospel and why it was needed (God's existence and our guilt) but the first five who were approached were fueled by their love for sin and desire to be their own God. There was a Buddhist lady who wanted to trust in her own ideas. She had no reasons or arguments as to why Buddhism was true and when challenged she saw that her system was greatly flawed with no standard giver, no judge and no justice and in the end she admitted, "I just want to live a happy life my way and not have to answer to anyone". She was very offended at the law.

A lady who was using the idea of "Metatrons Cube" to argue that there is no God. Ironically, it is a pattern and patterns need Creator's, just as does everything else with a beginning and complexity. She too didn't want to acknowledge God's existence and was upset that she would be challenged in what she wanted to believe.

Chelsea, saw God's existence and the law but sadly had a friend turn up and had to head off before the conversation could continue. A man almost instantly sat down where Chelsea was and was asked the same question and created a silly strawman argument to try and argue that God is evil. He used this to justify his own actions as not that bad. This was followed with a conversation with Gabriel who saw the law and his guilt then started arguing that there was no such thing as right and wrong.

But after almost and hour of conversations that were with people who were hardened against God, along came Anna. She too at first was quite opposed to the idea of God and was shown the building builder analogy and said that it made sense but was still not keen with God's existence. This was revealed all the more as the law, like a mirror, showed her sin. It was at this moment in honesty Anna said, "I don't want to believe in a God who tells me what to do". Anna showed that her problem wasn't one of intellect, or being "too smart" for God, it was one of idolatry, she wanted to be God.

Anna was shown why this was unwise and stronger yet, foolish. Anna started trying to take the conversation down other routes showing that she did not know the gospel so the opportunity was taken to ask Anna if she knew what Jesus had to say about how someone gets to Heaven. Anna didn't know, she thought it was by being good and not doing the wrong thing. Then for the first time in her life, with a few well placed and chosen questions she comprehended the beautiful message of grace that God offers to sinners.

Anna was on the ball, comprehended the gospel immediately and was able to get challenging checking questions correct to show that despite her prior disposition she had no trouble understanding the simplicity of how someone is justified. Sadly at the end of the conversation after coming to understand the offer of forgiveness, Anna still chose to reject it because she said she was unwilling to give up living life her way. Even when shown that God's rules are for our good.

The last conversation was with a man who after going through the law got quite upset and declared that he didn't think there was a God. He then said, "I grew up in the Church for twenty one years and then I left". When asked why he said, "Because I had my eyes opened and learnt the real truth about the Bible". He had to leave but was challenged briefly that it wasn't really knew knowledge that caused him to leave the Church rather it was a choice he had to make. There were things he wanted to do that God said no to and the choice he had to make was whether he would throw out sin or God.

He looked gobsmacked that he had been seen through, acknowledged that was the case and then had to head off.

Please be praying for those today who heard of God's existence, God's law or the extent of the gospel. Please be praying specifically that Anna would reconsider her initial rejection of the gospel and instead trust in Christ alone for her forgiveness and as a result turn from her sin and live for God. Please also be praying for that last man that the reminder that he rejection of God was on the basis of sin, not intellect would cut him to the heart and that he would turn and read his Bible once again and come face to face with who God really is.