Genius The Movie - See It Here

Ray Comfort has just released an exciting new movie about John Lennon on the 50th Anniversary of the birth of the Beatles. Please check it out and promote it because of its evangelistic content. Check it out here!

 

180 Behind The Scenes

Ray Comfort's anti-abortion movie called "180" is really causing a stir on the internet. A lot of atheists and pro-murder people are up in arms over Ray's unfair tactic of using the truth against them. If you want to hear the truth about the conspiracy theories and the background story to this inspiring project then you will enjoy the next 23 minutes as Reformed Youtube Extraordinaire Lane Chaplin hosts Ray Comfort and Tony "Lawman" Miano on his Rightly Divided online show. For those of you who don't know who Lane is, he is the guy who posted Paul Washer's Shocking Message on youtube in its entirety. Lane is the guy that everyone, who has preaching videos longer than 11 minutes, wishes they could be:

Kirk Cameron Lands Some Punches

Stephen Hawking - the world-renowned theoretical physicist - finds no room for heaven in his vision of the cosmos. In a recent interview, the 69 year old said that the human brain is like a computer that will stop working when its components fail.

There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," Hawking told the paper. It's not the first time the world-renowned thinker has made controversial statements about religion and the existence of God. In "Grand Design," a book Hawking published last year, the physicist declared that it was "not necessary to invoke God ... to get the universe going."

For Hawking, the concept of religion is in constant conflict with his life's work - science, and understanding the most basic ways in which the universe works - and it's almost impossible to reconcile the two. In an interview with Diane Sawyer last June, Hawking noted that "there is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win, because it works."

He has maintained this position since very early in his career, telling German newsmagazine Der Speigel in 1988 that "what I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began."

Kirk Cameron, in an interview, took exception to Hawking's comments which, in turn, invoked the wrath of cyberspace. Criticizing a man with a physical disability is akin to touching a sacred cow in the eyes of many, hence the barrage of criticism and mockery pointed in the direction of Kirk Cameron. All of this commotion prompted Kirk to post this comment on his Facebook page:

To say anything negative about Stephen Hawking is like bullying a blind man. He has an unfair disadvantage, and that gives him a free pass on some of his absurd ideas. Professor Hawking is heralded as “the genius of Britain,” yet he believes in the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything (Sir Isaac Newton called atheism “senseless and odious”) and that life sprang from non-life. To speak on issues of science and violate it’s essential laws is like playing checkers with a someone who changes the rules when he’s losing. Why should anyone believe Mr. Hawking’s writings if he cannot provide evidence for his unscientific belief that out of nothing, everything came? He says he knows there is no Heaven. John Lennon wasn’t sure. He said to pretend there’s no Heaven. That’s easy if you try. Then he said he hoped that someday we would join him. Such wishful thinking reveals John and Stephen’s religious beliefs, not good science. They may imagine all they want, but I lost my faith in atheism long ago and prefer to stay within the realm of reality.

That was an outstanding response - certainly landed a few punches there! But more importantly, kudos to Kirk for having the courage to weigh into a debate like this at risk of looking mean and, furthermore, exposing himself to the giant intellect of Stephen Hawking. At risk of sounding unloving by actually giving the most loving response. At the heart of all this I think Kirk, like many of us, realizes that atheism has no arguments for the non-existence of God. Rather they have a lot of rhetoric for why they hate God . . .

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools . . . (Romans 1:18-22)

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:19-20)

Here is a great interview from Way Of the Master's web based program On The Box where Tony Miano questions Kirk Cameron about the whole controversy surrounding his comments about Stephen Hawking:

Kristuskirken Reformed Baptist Church Of Denmark - My Life In Denmark (Part 15)

I am proud to attend and be associated with Kristuskirken which is the first Reformed Baptist Church to be planted in Denmark. Kristuskirken is a church which preaches Christ crucified without apology. A church where the Bible is the sole rule for all matters of life, faith, and practice. Kristuskirken is a church that recognizes the Holiness of God, the utter sinfulness of all men, the reality of God's wrath, the constant danger of hell, the necessity of the Christ's death as a penal substitute on the cross, the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, the call on all men everywhere to repent of their wickedness, and the glorious eternal hope for those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ - Who is the resurrected Savior.

Kristuskirken was formed in November 2009 by several Christian families in Denmark who were desperate for fellowship and a place where the Christian Gospel would be preached in purity. Everywhere we looked we saw either a society headed for hell, or liberal churches leading the way there. Kristuskirken was birthed out of necessity - the necessity that God's great Name be glorified and magnified in Denmark. Kristuskirken was also birthed out of a desire to see a sinful people saved by a merciful God. The same God that saved sinners like us.

For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:11-15)

Kristuskirken meets at 10am every Sunday.
Gyvelvej 1
8850 Bjerringbro
Denmark
Phone +45 8668 0345
Email henrikruth@gmail.com
ALL ARE WELCOME!!!
Lunch is provided.

KRISTUSKIRKEN DOCTRINE
Kristuskirken holds to the 1689 Baptist Confession Of Faith. Our desire is to be absolutely clear about who we are and what we believe. We are well aware that there is no shortage of churches that desire to be as vague as possible to those who visit in the hope that they will join regardless of beliefs. Kristuskirken wants to be sensitive to the One True Seeker - the One Who came to seek and save the lost. For this reason we welcome all to attend - believer and unbeliever alike - in the knowledge that our preaching is not aimed at comforting the believer and accommodating the unbeliever. Our preaching and teaching is aimed at building up the Christian, and bringing conviction upon those who are not. We love people so much that we are not willing to conceal any of God's message to mankind.

KRISTUSKIRKEN IS A MEMBER OF THE NINE MARKS NETWORK
Kristuskirken is one of only three churches in Europe that are members of the 9 Marks church network. This is a network of churches that grew out of the ministry of Mark Dever and his landmark book "Nine Marks Of A Healthy Church". It is a model for advocating, planting, and growing healthy biblical churches. You can find us here in their directory where it reads that:

Kristuskirken is a newly planted Reformed Baptist Church in Denmark. We hold to the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. We place great emphasis on the authority of Scripture, the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, gospel purity, and the call on all people everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. We believe that evangelism should be normal Christian behavior. We stress the biblical importance of male headship. We love the fellowship of believers and seeing sinners come to saving faith. And we desire to see God's Name magnified and exalted in Denmark.

KRISTUSKIRKEN MISSION
We at Kristuskirken are very grateful for the guidance and assistance we have received from Paul Washer and his Heart Cry Missionary Society. Brother Washer was the chief instigator in provoking the pioneering work of Kristuskirken when he came and ministered to us in 2009. Kristuskirken is a proud financial supporter of the preaching ministry of Paul Washer and of the heart Cry Missionary Society. They train faithful indigenous ministers of the Gospel all over the world at a fraction of the cost of sending a western missionary. We also consider ourselves to be one of their mission fronts.

KRISTUSKIRKEN EVANGELISM
Kristuskirken is proud to be a Way Of The Master Evangelism Embassy. Two of our members have travelled to California to be personally trained by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron at their evangelism academy. The ministry of Way of the Master recognize Kristuskirken as a church that teaches and practices biblical evangelism. We actually go out on the street to share the Gospel with strangers. For those who would like to see this in action come and join us in Bjerringbro on Saturdays. You can also watch these videos (please excuse the background noise):





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A Breath Of Fresh Air In The LA Smog

Some of you may be aware that I am currently visiting Southern California with my family. When people refer to the pollution in LA they normally refer to the smog haze that hovers like a blanket over the city. But sometimes I think of the theological pollution that emmanates from Southern California (think Orange County) and hovers over mega-church suburbia like a therapeutic blanket of self-esteem and sensuality.

However, many of my personal friends and Christian brothers (and sisters) live in the greater Los Angeles area and are responsible for a lot of theologically fresh air too. Wonderful ministries like Way of the Master, John Macarthur's preaching ministry Grace To You, and Joni Eareckson Tada are based in Los Angeles. These are ministries at the forefront of rightfully furthering the Gospel around the world. It has also been refreshing to find some outstanding local churches as well, including Grace Community Church pastored by John Macarthur, where I will be attending the next Shepherds' Conference.

But during this visit I have kept hearing people I respect, raving about the church that has the giant cross erected beside the 91 freeway as you head east from LA. My wife and I couldn't help ourselves, so yesterday we went to check out Kindred Community Church. We were overjoyed to attend a local church that is another true biblical breath of fresh air. Pastor Philip De Courcy originates from the Catholic/Protestant battleground otherwise known as Ireland. He is a shepherd who loves the flock enough to preach the less palatable parts of Scripture and warn them of the perils of sin. A pastor who labors in the word and preaches through it verse by verse - not pet subject after pet subject!

I often find myself compelled to write and warn of the many subtle evils that pervade modern evangelical Christianity. And when I see something good, something that puts Christ on display in the form of a healthy local church, I am compelled to write about that also.

There is also a postscript to this story that I later found out. Kindred Community Church has a very short history, but it is one that paints a glowing picture of the Sovereignty of God . . .

The False Gospel Of Hillsong (Part 5) - From The Horse's Mouth

Over recent days I have documented a lot of written information concerning Hillsong's "presentation of the Christian gospel". But for today I thought it would be worthwhile to hear it from the horse's mouth!

Todd Friel of Wretched Radio toured Europe in 2007 visiting some major reformation landmarks while doing filming for the fourth season of The Way of the Master television series. While in London, he inadvertently bumped into leaders of Hillsong London who were also filming. Todd took the opportunity to grill them on their knowledge of the Christian Gospel. Check it out by clicking here

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A Biblical Defence Of The 5 Pillars (Part 2)

In my previous series, "The Anatomy of the Gospel", I broke down the Gospel message into five basic components (as an attempt at constructing a helpful witnessing framework) and called them the "Five Pillars of the Gospel". This is the second part of a series of posts in which I will biblically defend each of the "five pillars" I laid out as the fundamental elements necessary to faithfully proclaim the Gospel.

DEFENDING PILLAR 2 – THE DEPRAVITY OF MAN

I Corinthians 15:3 states that Christ died for our sins. The obvious implication here is that we must be sinners if Christ died for our sins. Scripture teaches mans depravity on many occasions - here are some examples:

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known." "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10-23)

Ok, so maybe Paul could say something so brutal to our fragile self esteem, but surely not Jesus . . . then check the verses that immediately follow John 3:16:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:17-20)

Does the natural man know he is a sinner (as Joel Osteen suggests) therefore nullifying our need to preach on sin and define it. Absolutely not. Mr Osteen clearly hasn't visited any prisons recently because if he did he would have found a building full of self professed wrongly convicted people. Indeed the Scripture teaches that "every man proclaims his own goodness" (Proverbs 20:6) and is "clean in his own eyes" (Proverbs 16:2). That he "suppresses the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18) and has a heart that is "deceitfully wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9).

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

If we are to teach that Christ died for our sins then we must define what sin is:

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)

And how do we come to a knowledge of our sin:

if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." (Romans 7:7b)

A faithful proclamation of the Gospel, therefore, must present men as sinners and bring this knowledge by the use of God's law.

So the law functions first of all to kill me, to end my self creation - all attempts to write my own life movie and reinvent my character. The gospel inserts me into a new script: "alive in Christ" (Michael Horton - Christless Christianity p129).



On Monday I will continue with a biblical defence of PILLAR 3 – THE NECESSITY OF JUDGMENT.

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Go To "The Anatomy Of The Gospel" Series

Obama To Enter Diplomatic Talks With Raging Wildfire

Barack Obama has taken diplomatic skill to a whole new level. This video courtesy of www.onion.com . . .


Obama To Enter Diplomatic Talks With Raging Wildfire

This video is an excellent satire that highlights the delusions of grandeur that world leaders can have and also the delusions Christians can have in the political process. We should support things that are morally right and stand for righteousness - this is all part of exercising the biblical worldview. But the only way to bring about genuine change is to prioritize our energies towards the proclamation of the Gospel. Because the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

Only God can change that sinful heart. We may receives plenty of good counsel on how to conduct ourselves or bring about change but it will all turn out to be a complete failure with no positive results unless conversion lies at the heart of the process. From that point on godly counsel serves as a valuable outlet to demonstrate how God has changed us inwardly. Please hear me on this – there are good programs out there but unless God has done a regenerative work in our hearts the program becomes worthless. This is the issue that must be explored before all others.

The issue of being transformed or “saved” by God has become the Evangelical no-brainer of the 21st century. We all like to think we’ve got a tick in the salvation box and it’s time to move on to more interesting stuff. If that is your thinking then you need to take a holy pause. It can be a dangerous assumption to think that we or our neighbor are “right with God”, especially if there is no outward fruit of inner transformation. I have to confess that I spent many years of my Christian walk with only a shallow understanding of the Gospel. When I stopped trying to move on from it and started to mine deep into it I was able to find pearls of wisdom and treasures of truth that transformed my life. To correct a famous quote of Billary Clinton “it’s the Gospel stupid”.

Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron have an entire ministry (Way of the Master) focused on understanding, experiencing, and articulating the Christian Gospel rightly. They do a lot of interviews and street witnessing, and regularly speak with professing Christians. This has made me acutely aware of the massive subculture out there who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny Him with their lifestyle. Christianity for most of these people hinges on good works, church attendance, birthright, or baptism. I think Keith Green summed it up well in the seventies when he said that “going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger”.

But easily the most deceptive and alarming trend that Ray and Kirk have exposed is the multitude of professing Christians out there still living in slavery to their pet sins all the while entrusting their salvation in a ”sinners prayer” that they once recited. I’m not saying that altar calls are totally wrong, but what I am saying is that prayer does not save people – it is the One we are praying to who saves us (provided it is the biblical Jesus) and initiates a miraculous transforming work within us. Jesus told Nicodemus “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3b) and that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5b). Jesus is talking about a lot more than a sinner’s prayer here. What Jesus is referring to with water and Spirit is explained in Ezekiel 36.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness (there’s the water), and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you (there’s the Spirit). And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

It is God Who is speaking in these verses and it is worth noting how He explains conversion and Who it is that does the converting. I will sprinkle clean water on you; I will cleanse you from all your idols; I will give you a new heart; I will remove your heart of stone; I will put MY Spirit within you; I will cause you to walk in MY ways; I will cause you to obey MY commandments. God does everything when he saves someone – even the ability to walk in obedience is a gift from God. This is what happens when someone is truly born again.

Please understand that this is not about judging every person’s salvation. But it is a call not to take salvation for granted. It is a call to heed the Apostle Paul’s advice to the church in Corinth (II Corinthians 13:5) and “examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith”. To see whether we are bearing the fruit of the Spirit that testifies to His inner work. CJ Mahaney always reminds his church members to preach the Gospel to themselves daily. In his book “The Cross Centered Life” he says:
These are God’s promises to all who respond to His wonderful plan of salvation. Too many of us have moved on from that glorious plan. In our never-ending desire to move forward . . . too many of us have stopped concentrating on the wonders of Jesus crucified. Too many of us have fumbled the most important truth of the Bible, and therefore we’ve suffered the consequences (p17).

And I have really labored this point because it gets so easily bypassed in our haste for practical solutions to every conceivable problem. Genuine conversion and the resultant indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the foundation that must be in place in order for us to enact all other biblical principles. Wherever we are in our relationship with God, let us pause and take stock. May we come humbly before God and examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. May we fervently explore the endless depths of Christ’s love for His Church demonstrated in the cross.

What You Missed At Deeper

For the last two years Living Waters/Way Of The Master (the evangelism ministry of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron) has held a conference called Deeper. I am one of the priveledged people to attend both conferences. Coming from the reformation watelands of europe it was such a rush to fellowship with thousands of like minded Christians and be assaulted by powerful sermon after powerful sermon. It can be quite overwhelming for someone living in an apostate land. For those of you who weren't there here are some bite sized samples (the DVD's can be purchased here) . . .

First up is the man with a brain that's bigger than Richard Dawkins' faith in himself . . .



Deeper is so huge that even Mike Seaver got excused from detention . . .



And the stage had been sanitized to the point where Todd Friel will even venture onto it . . .



Mark Cahill - a man so intense his head could explode at any moment . . .



Johnny Hunt downed a Red Bull before he preached . . .



I cannot reveal this man's identity but I can tell you that his intials are EZ . . .



And how about the man who was genetically engineered in the 50's using DNA from George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, and Mini-Me . . .



For some reason the video of Greg Koukl is not available on youtube yet but I can tell you that it was an outstanding apologetic presentation on the Trinity. It is a great ride when you get to listen to a top drawer apologist when he is "in the zone".

In hindsight, the only counsel I can offer is to be there when Deeper 2010 rolls around!

Is Kirk Cameron An Evangelism Actor?

Do you ever wonder if Kirk Cameron is an evangelist or an actor whose acting career has extended into evangelism videos? Do you wonder if witnessing encounters like this are engineered events far removed from real life? It's a fair question . . .



Reality TV has become an oxymoron. It seems that most things get staged, one way or another, and are rigged in an effort to improve ratings or gain publicity. Kirk Cameron is someone who learnt to thrive in this environment. He grew up in "Tinsel Town" and became very successful at Hollywood's game of succeeding at pretending to be someone else. In the late 80's and early 90's Kirk won adoration in living rooms all over America as a fictional character called Mike Seaver. Mike Seaver might be long gone but Kirk Cameron soldiers on as a co-host of the TV series The Way Of The Master. This time around he's kept his real name but you may be left wondering if the character is still fictional. Does he revert back to an insecure celebrity in an ivory tower once the cameras stop rolling? Is the evangelism captured on film a thin veneer for a man who likes to live in isolation from the general public? Well I know the answer!

I got to scratch through that veneer and guess what I found - more veneer! To put it more accurately I found out that there was no veneer. What I found was a humble man (almost as humble as I am) who is keen to share the Gospel with strangers and hungers to learn how to better represent Christ on this planet. What you see on film is "reality reality television". It's how he really is!

Recently, when visiting Atlanta for the Deeper Conference, I had the great fortune of eating at a restaurant with a group of people, one of whom had an uncanny resemblance with Mike Seaver. Kirk, not being a local in Atlanta, asked his hosts if the restaurant had been "sufficiently tracted" (that's Raycomfortese for making sure all staff have received Gospel tracts). When he found out that it hadn't been "sufficiently tracted" he then took it upon himself to hand out tracts to each of the staff and then proceeded to preach the Gospel to them. Kirk is definitely the real deal. It was me who walked out of the restaurant feeling like an actor that night!

OFFICIAL - The REAL Cause Of Michael Jackson's Death

Michael Jackson's tragic death makes him a part of the ultimate statistic - that one out of one people die. Death is the great leveller. Rich and poor, young and old, black and white, famous and common - they all meet together at their heart's final beat. Put your hand on your chest. Can you feel that heartbeat? Do you realise that it's the beat of your own funeral march - every beat moving one closer to the final beat before you cross the threshold of eternity. Are you right with God????

Click here for a self examination!

My Hero is Only Thirteen (Part 2)

The amazing story of 13 year old Deborah Drapper continues from yesterday. Here, in part two, we get to hear Deborah's views on relationships with the opposite sex, the authority of the Bible, as well as seeing her in action sharing the Gospel with typical "streetwise" British teens. Oh no, I'm so afraid for Deborah because she is home schooled and doesn't have many friends her own age and hasn't read a "church growth" manual. How can she possibly relate and contextualize in this hazardous mission field??? No worries about that - she follows the "Way of the Master" . . .



Continued tomorrow . . .

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Way Of The Master Profiles - Trish The Phone Fisher

TRISHA "FISH WITH TRISH" RAMOS

If Todd Friel sounds like Peter Brady then Trisha Ramos looks like Marcia Brady! If you see this Texas Ranger marching your way you can be certain of being arrested by the Gospel with a very high probability of being interrogated live on the radio. Many of you who listen to Wretched Radio on thursdays will be familiar with Trish. She is the phone fisher that always lands the most interesting, bizarre, and diverse fish to be witnessed to on the radio. Whether it's a Buddhist monk, a Rabbi, a Freemason, or a Mormon named "Elder", Trish will get them on the show. Some of these have been a wonderful education for me to gain exposure to different worldviews and learn how to witness to these people without being intimidated. Trish films follow-up witnessing encounters with these people on her website and blog and they are always worth checking out. I love her website and it is loaded with great evangelism tips . . .



Trish is an almost indispensable cog in the Way of the Master engine. She is the logistical brain behind the massive organizational requirements of many of their various outreaches and events. She also edits Ray Comfort's books which is akin to being on the Titanic with a bucket in your hands. Ray churns out books almost as quickly as he churns out ideas and it is a great testimony to Trish's efficiency that she can cope with a tsunami like that coming at her.

Trish and her husband Emilio are two of my favorite people anywhere and I count myself so fortunate to know them. They are a big part of Sovereign Joy Community Church in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. It is a small newly planted church in a sea of mega churches offering every conceivable "40 Days of Your Best Prayer of Jabez Now" program. But at Sovereign Joy you get pure undefiled exposition of God's Word by Emilio and his fellow elder Jay (cannot spell his last name). Inspite of Emilio being the world's only 29 point Calvinist (who can smell an Arminian at 1000 paces), I regularly download his sermons. He and Trish are a part of a beautiful Christian family of believers. I must confess that I do envy anyone who lives within a 500 mile radius of Fort Worth.

But the most beautiful thing of all about Trisha Ramos is her broken spirit that weeps in gratitude for her Savior. I believe it is that which drives her on relentlessly to preach the Gospel on the only two occasions it is ever necessary - in season and out of season!

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Todd

TODD "FREAKISHLY TALL" FRIEL

Todd Friel who is the host of Wretched TV and Radio (formerly Way of the Master Radio) always claims that he is the "wretch the song refers to" (ie Amazing Grace). He is a man who is acutely aware of the mercy God extended in saving him from his sinful past. Yet remnants still remain that Todd needs deliverance of. When it comes to germophobia he takes it to a whole new level. The only reason that the product "Purell" has survived the global financial crisis is due to Todd Friel's continual financial support. In fact Todd has a Y3K stockpile of Purell so large that it can be seen from Google Earth. This hand sanitizer exerts a control over Todd that exceeds his ADOS (Attention Deficit Ohhh Shiny object). He will only travel to geographic regions where Purell has already blazed a trail before him. Needless to say that I breached countless hygiene protocols on my visit to his studio where Brainiac and Hip Hop have also been "infected" with Todd's germophobia.

But the man with the cleanest microphone in the universe has become an indispensable part of my Christian education. In an overly sanitized
Christian media I am so glad that Todd's germophobia never crosses onto the airwaves. I still maintain that the freakishly tall one is the funniest man in the world with a sound hermeneutic. Speaking of which, Herman Who is one of the most helpful products available for helping the everyday church goer practice biblical discernment through the application of proper hermeneutical principles. If you go to a church where you hear stuff that leaves alarm bells going off in your head this DVD presented by Todd Friel will help a lot.

But the education I speak of comes through the openness and diversity of the Wretched programs. In a "Christian media industry" plagued with over sensitivity and an unwillingness to talk about many of the hot button issues that persist unresolved, Todd charges at them like a bull at a gate. But he is no theological slouch and Wretched is an arena for all those who love to reason from Scripture. Does he always get it right? Will you agree with everything? Will you always love Todd? The answer to all these questions is no - but that is not the point!!! You will engage your mind and the biblical text and get pointers to help you find countless wonderful Christian resources that your local sissy boy seeker sensitive dude will never tell you about.



Todd may come across as abrasive to some. But I know him and have met him and have seen that he shares the glorious Gospel with compassion and humility to a dying world even when the microphone is switched off and the camera isn't rolling. Todd's the real deal - warts and all. He has been one of the singularly great influences of my Christian education both directly and indirectly (through pointing me to the right fountains to drink from) and I am proud to count him as a precious brother in Christ.

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Scotty

STUART "SCOTTY" SCOTT

Scotty is the "tech-head" for Living Waters / Way of the Master and makes Ray Comfort look good when he's on the radio in their California studio. As well as dealing with all things technical, Scotty is the MacGyver of open air preaching. He is always equipped with flip charts, prizes, and a "fully loaded" soapbox. He is equipped for any logistical crisis . . . and any apologetical crisis for that matter as well.

As a regular listener of Wretched Radio (formerly Way of the Master Radio) I was quite familiar with the regular sound bites that Todd Friel would play of this Scotty guy who does open air preaching. My favorite heckler on those soundbites has always been a certain university student who thought that Scotty seemed a bit older than the average guy on campus. This provoked the question "are you thirty or something?" I'm still hoping to get that particular guy to heckle me someday and soothe my mid-life insecurities. His public profile might not register as high as Ray Comfort but I have learnt a lot about open air preaching from Scotty including the use of apologetics to draw a crowd and springboard into the Gospel.

I first met Scotty when I travelled to Amsterdam to join up with Way of the Master when they were filming the fourth season of the TV series. I had never seen him before but had heard his voice countless times. So when a camera got shoved in my face together with some rapid fire questions I recognised the voice instantly. I have since had the great priveledge of "hitting the street" with Scotty on several occasions and have loved having the chance to probe his sharp biblical brain for pearls of wisdom. He preaches regularly in his own "hood" as well as Huntington Beach on saturdays. If you live in the area and hunger to learn and grow in evangelistic zeal then track down Scotty. You'll find him easy enough - he's the guy with all the gear!



Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Ray

RAY "BANANAMAN" COMFORT

Ray Comfort is the founder of the Living Waters/Way of the Master ministries and his passion for evangelism is the heartbeat of what these ministries are all about. Originating from the South Island of New Zealand, he has brought gasoline to the smouldering ashes of American evangelism. Ray is so intense about evangelism that his attention span for all else can change direction at warp speed. In an age where ADHD is very much on the rise, he is the first diagnosed case of ADOW (Attention Deficit Ohhh Witnessing opportunity). If it speaks and moves then Ray will witness to it! He will be there in a flash charging into battle, tract in hand and urgent in voice.

This willingness to rush at every witnessing window of opportunity is probably the root cause of another field where Ray excels. If clumsiness was an Olympic sport then Ray Comfort would be a gold medal certainty. He is like a walking "ground zero" leaving a trail of debris everywhere he goes. When Ray is not witnessing it is only because he has collided with, fallen over, or broken some object within his fallout zone. New Zealand's reputation as a safe place to live only came about after Ray Comfort's relocation.

I weigh these words carefully but I do not believe it is an overstatement to say that Ray is the modern day penguin who dived through the ice barrier of engaging with the outside world through the forum of open air preaching. He is not the first nor the only, but I do believe he has breathed new life into a forum that had declined markedly since the days of Whitefield. Most open air I saw growing up was a one way street of proclamation (and I am grateful for godly people who had the courage to stand up and proclaim God's Word). But with Ray Comfort it is always a two way street engaging, contending, and pleading with sinners bound for hell.



One thing about Ray Comfort that boggles my mind is how he can write
so many books with his compulsive preaching disorder. He has written more than 800 books so far and I'm sure there are more rolling hot off the press as I write. A recent book to make waves carries the title You Can Lead An Atheist To Evidence But You Can't Make Him Think. Amazingly it is now the bestselling book in Amazon's atheist category.

He is outselling atheism guru Richard Dawkins' book "The God Delusion" which may well be the latest thing that got up his nose. Dawkins, using his gigantic intellect, denies the existence of God. But he does believe in the "Bananaman" which is his pet name for one Ray Comfort. Yes, Ray Comfort is merely the mild mannered Clark Kent persona of the legendary Bananaman - taller than Gary Coleman, faster than airport security, sharper than a bowling ball, and able to leap onto soapboxes with great difficulty! No wonder Dawkins is afraid to debate him. But maybe Dawkins knows about the skeleton in Ray Comfort's closet - yes, he literally has a skeleton in his closet and I think it is the transitional form Richard Dawkins is still looking for!

The fact of the matter is that Ray Comfort understands what Scripture teaches about the atheist. That the atheist knows there is a God but suppresses the truth in unrighteousness as Romans chapter one tells us. I am grateful for the brilliant apologists out there who pull out the big argumentative guns on the evidence of God, but Ray knows the effective battlefront with the atheist is the realm of morality rather than knowledge - which sums up my joy in meeting and knowing Ray Comfort. I have rarely met a man more generous, who cares so much for the downtrodden, and loves his Savior. It is these three things that manifest themselves so strongly by his devotion to the most generous, caring, and loving thing anyone can devote their time to doing - proclaiming the glorious Gospel of our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ.

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Mark the Dean

MARK SPENCE

Mark Spence is the Dean of the Way of the Master School of Biblical Evangelism which is a distinctly unique course in that it's entire focus is driven by personal evangelism. I have completed the course and found it to be jam-packed with beneficial training for one on one witnessing, open air preaching, being salt and light, witnessing to cults and false religions, powerful apologetics, and a proper theological understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That last point concerning the Gospel is so critical in a culture of modern evangelicalism plagued by "decisional regeneration" and false conversion. Mark wrote the text book for the school and I have continued to use it long after graduating. It is a valuable resource whenever I find myself confronted with witnessing and evangelism challenges.

Mark likes to describe himself as the father of five (yes he has five kids) and the husband of one. He is a man who is most readily found discipling his family and it is this that he sees as his primary occupation and calling in life.

I first met Mark when Way of the Master were in Amsterdam filming their fourth season. I was very wary of Mark to begin with as I have a general policy of keeping well clear of anyone wearing a straight jacket. It turns out that Mark was being used as an illustration and crowd puller by Ray Comfort while he open air preached although I am almost sure it was used as a form of punishment for Mark's bizarre sense of humor. Sterner measures are obviously required because he always managed to escape the straight jacket before Ray had finished preaching. One of the things about that sense of humor is that it is almost impossible to tell when Mark is being serious and when you are the impending victim of his latest prank.

I also found out that escaping straight jackets was just the entree. Mark was also able to unleash a dazzling array of light shows and card tricks. While not necessary, special talents like these can be used powerfully to draw crowds, capture attention, and swing the subject from natural things to the spiritual realm.

When not wearing a straight jacket, Mark can also be found standing on the soapbox and preaching open air. This is when the hearer is left in no doubt as to the seriousness of the message and the sheer weight of eternity on the line. One of my favorite memories of my time in the USA was on Hollywood Boulevard when Mark used open air preaching as a forum to voice his oppostion to homosexual marriage. Soon after he'd poked his stick in the hornet's nest of gay activism they all came swarming around his soapbox. Mark managed to hold their attention as he intelligently debated with them drawing an even bigger crowd and paving the way for Tony Miano to step up and preach a thundering Gospel proclamation. Mark is a brilliant apologist and loves the use of presuppositional apologetics to dismember any non-Christian worldview as a springboard to preaching the Gospel. Let's just say that I like having him on my side. . .


Recent years have seen the rise of the "angry atheist". These are atheists who love to reinforce their own personal delusion by trying to launch an intellectual assault on biblical Christianity. The Christian has nothing to fear as all of these arguments are empty, lacking in logic, unable to penetrate Scripture's authority, and can be easily responded to. This reveals nothing more than what the Bible teaches in the first two chapters of Romans - that the real issue always boils down to one of morality rather than intellect. The atheist, like any unregenerate man, knows there is a God but loves his sin and will do almost anything to suppress that truth in unrighteousness. Mark recently spoke at an atheist lunch where he had the chance to respond to these many hollow objections that atheists like to throw at the God of the Bible. Dinner With 40 Atheists is a great DVD and well worth the view. It reveals Mark Spence in his element demonstrating his familiarity with Scripture and his skill as a Christian apologist. The guy has got to be at least half as smart as Ravi Zacharias!

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Lawman

TONY "THE LAWMAN" MIANO

Lawman is probably best known to regular listeners of Wretched Radio (formerly Way of the Master Radio) for his exploits as a phone fisher finding strangers to witness to over the phone during the program. Lawman worked for 20 years as a deputy in the LA County Sheriff's Department with the latter part of that career as a chaplain to the law enforcement community. This picture of Tony the Lawman was taken just after he downed a "Red Bull" in record time and may not accurately reflect the seriousness with which he approaches the task of evangelism.

My family and I spent two months in LA last year and a lot of that time was taken up by me covering Tony's back. Lawman trusted me in a lot of tight situations and knew I could handle the firearm he gave me to carry. Admittedly it wasn't a real one but it certainly played a big role in our bonding process. With 20 years of law enforcement experience he is someone I always felt safe with in the "hood" and never felt the need to wear neutral gang colors. Lawman is what we Aussies call a "unit" and not someone any sane criminal would want to mess with.

Lawman became involved with Way of the Master through his relationship with EZ. "Back in the day" when EZ was a gangster of epic proportions and tried to "roll Lawman up" only to become the "rollee" himself. They met regularly over the following years during visiting hours. EZ eventually offered Lawman a job soon after he completed his parole. Ok ok so this story is a complete fabrication. I just wanted to give the readers a window into the verbal jousting and role playing fantasies that can occur between EZ and Lawman during the course of any regular working day.

The truth is that Tony "Lawman" Miano is part of the Way of the Master team because he lives and breathes the Great Commission. You can read about Lawman's evangelism adventures on his blog "The Lawman Chronicles" which I have to admit is one of my favorite blogs and appears on my list of "xcellent blogs" in the right hand margin. He is a modern day George Whitefield with thunder in his voice as he stands upon his soap box and proclaims the Gospel. Lawman is not ashamed of the Gospel and willing to raise his voice to preach in almost any situation or location. But don't be fooled by this tough guy portrayal. Tony is a broken and humble vessel who pants for God's glory, weeps for the lost, and rejoices over one sinner who repents.

Lawman's experiences in evangelism have opened his eyes to the many parallels between his life on the beat and his life on the soapbox. The spiritual armor described in Ephesians chapter six formed the basis for his book"Take Up The Shield" which compares the uniform of a police officer with the armor of God. It is a great book and reveals that Tony Miano is no lightweight when it comes to grasping biblical theology and putting it "on the road". With the enormous mass of experiences, adventures, and discoveries within the bounds of Scripture I think it is only a matter of time before a sequel hits the shelf.

Lawman heads up the evangelism training conducted by Way of the Master through their "Ambassadors Academies" and they do a bang up job. I attended the October academy last year and it was one of the truly great experiences of my life. If you want to develop your witnessing, open air preaching, or need an environment to help break the ice with fear then these training camps are unique and powerful. I had a friend from Denmark attend the Academy with me who is shy by nature but is now a completely changed man with regards to fervency, zeal, and boldness. It was during this Academy that Tony "the Lawman" Miano delivered his landmark sermon "Don't Quit". Hear this sermon and be encouraged and challenged to take this glorious Gospel beyond the four walls of a church building.

I count myself extremely blessed to know Tony and hope it isn't too long before I get to wear my badge (and water pistol) as his deputy again as we hit the streets together.

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Kirk

KIRK "GROWING PAIN" CAMERON

One of the real highlights of my last visit to the US was Kirk Cameron coming good on a personal promise to buy me an In'N'Out burger. For those of you unsophisticated, uncultured, unrefined, and uneducated people out there In'N'Out is simply the best burger joint ever and yet tragically will never expand beyond the California border (I think it was a Governator campaign promise). One of the few regrets of my two week visit to California was that I only managed to eat there twelve times. Just doing my bit to avert America's slide into recession!

Anyway, nothing says "Man Date" like red meat and this meat tasted so good it could have been sacred cow. Speaking of sacred cows, Hollywood is loaded with them. A-list celebrities that are untouchable and never get their "hands dirty". Kirk Cameron is another breed altogether. Sure he's seen the view from the "top", but he is a man who understands that Christians are people who start at the top and work their way to the bottom. Kirk is someone who understands what Jesus meant when He said "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all" (Mark 9:35). Kirk and his wife Chelsea are the real deal, people who live to serve and honour God with all they have been blessed with.

In a society full of tabloids obsessing about brangelina, botox, and busted marriages, Kirk and Chelsea are a true Hollywood abnormality. I mean how can Kirk possibly speak with authority on marriage (ie on O'Reilly) when he's only ever done it once and that was 17 years ago. Parenting is seen as their highest calling and they do this with evangelistic fervor as they hotly pursue the goal of raising true disciples from their tribe of six children. Kirk also manages the acting career of his tractor (true story) and even managed to get it a nonspeaking role in the third season of Way of the Master where Kirk gets to sit on it (does that qualify for a supporting role?) and take it for a drive. Like I said - Hollywood abnormalities.

It was great to do the "man food" thing with Kirk at In'N'Out, chew some red meat, and share evangelism war stories. Here's one Kirk lived to tell and a great example of his willingness to get his hands dirty . . .



But wait there's more! There is another chapter to this witnessing encounter that recently unfolded on Hollywood Boulevard during the October Ambassador's Academy. While out doing witnessing and open air preaching, Ray Comfort noticed another open air preacher who looked strangely familiar. It was none other than the big guy from the video who said "Jesus never said that" - remember him! Well it turns out that God radically saved him. In an era of "decisions" driven madness, faithfulness to the message has always been the barometer by which we should measure success. But it is a real encouragement to see real fruit from the labor of evangelism. This will hopefully send a strong message to those who are being seduced by church growth methodology to embrace biblical theology instead. It is the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) and I rejoice to have co-laborers like Kirk who have the guts to take their Christianity to the battlefront where damned sinners stand on the edge of eterntiy.

Kirk is an actor by profession and his livelihood has a lot of dependance on public acceptance and popularity. To his credit he has refused to compromise on many issues that other "high profile christians" tend to be either silent or inactive about. By partnering with Ray Comfort, Kirk really stepped up to the plate of overtly contending for the Christian worldview, putting himself in the line of fire of every celebrity God hater. He has also confined himself to quality family projects with Christian themes (click here to find out more about his latest movie "Fireproof") and refuses to do on screen kisses with anyone but his real wife. I once heard a preacher describe a real man as someone who submits to God's Word and is being conformed day by day to the image of Christ by loving his wife and leading his family. In an "Evangelical landscape" loaded with high profile sissy boys forever apologising for the hard truths of Scripture, Kirk Cameron stands out as a "real man".

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher

Way Of The Master Profiles - Hip Hop

DAVID "HIP HOP" SHANNON

Hip Hop is the editing maestro at Wretched Radio (formerly Way of the Master Radio). All the good meat as well as a lot of funny stuff comes from Hip Hop's labor in sifting through the web and editing the gems he finds for each 50 minute program. I must say that due to much of Hip Hop's work on Wretched Radio, it has served on many occasions as my personal launching pad for finding golden nuggets of godly wisdom and/or narrowing the search.

I met Hip Hop last October when visiting Atlanta for the Deeper conference. With a name like Hip Hop my imagination conjured images of Snoop Diddy P Puffy Doggy with droopy drawers. What I found instead was a guy whose pants don't hang around his knees, and always has Purell on tap should any unclean redneck (I couldn't possibly be talking about myself . . . or could I?) enter the studio. Yes, that's right, Hip Hop has succumbed to Todd Friel's germophobia and now dwells inside a germ free bubble . . . at least that is what he thinks.

When I visited the studio last October I made a very serious breach of hygeine protocol with Hip Hop. Yes that's right, I drank from his can of drink (and the bottom dregs at that). Hip Hop wasted no time in pronouncing my crimes against the microscopic world of germs by informing Todd Friel of my misdemeanors. I told Hip Hop how sorry I was (not at all!) for drinking from his can. Please don't blame Hip Hop for his germophobia. It could only be the corrupt influences of Todd Friel that brought this about. The truth of the matter is that my breach was deliberate and I was merely testing the Wretched Radio office speed of response to any hygeine threat.

Hip Hop is actually a big part of what makes Wretched Radio and Wretched TV so hard hitting and powerful. He is the guy that makes Todd look good with his punchy and nicely edited audio and video clips. And not only that, Hip Hop adds a distinct dimension of humor to the Wretched Radio team as he satirically looks back on his church background.

Hip Hop is a guy who is passionate for the Gospel. As such he counts himself priveledged to be able to labor daily in his passion and even get paid to do so!

Hip Hop Trivia
Hip Hop and Mrs Hip Hop are the last known surviving case of people using cloth daipers on a baby . . . I guess we all have a claim to fifteen minutes of fame!
Hip Hop does the best ever impersonation of Creflo Dollar . . . better than Creflo himself without the Rolls Royce!

Other Way Of The Master Profiles Can Be Read By Clicking On The Links Below:
Brainiac
Duane The Producer
EZ
Hip Hop
Kirk Cameron
Lawman
Mark Spence
Ray Comfort
Scotty
Todd Friel
Trish The Phone Fisher