​What is Wrong With Our World?
Almost on a daily basis each of us is confronted by the reality of a world that is in rebellion to its Creator. The desecration of the Lord's Day, the proliferation of pornography, the escalation of crime and violence, the breakdown of moral standards, the legalisation of abortion, the break up of families and the explosion of child abuse all remind us that we live in a sinful society which has forgotten God.

What is wrong with our world? Sin. Mankind is in rebellion against God.

What is Wrong With the Church?
Almost as often we wonder what is wrong with the church. Why has the church become so ineffective? How can it be that so many Christians in so many churches have such a diminishing effect on the moral climate of society? Can we honestly say that we have been praying and working against evil when we see evil increasing? (Matt 18:18-20; Psalm 94:16). Has the salt of the earth lost its saltiness? Is the light of the world being hidden under a bowl? (Matt 5:13-16).

During the last 22 years of travelling extensively and ministering in 23 countries, I have had the privilege of witnessing several churches operating as God intended them to - in revival. Since experiencing the powerful presence and blessing of God in the revivals of Romania and KwaSizabantu it has been very hard for me, and other missionaries of Frontline Fellowship, to fit back into the shallow and half-hearted state of most churches in South Africa.

​From the perspective of the persecuted churches, and in the light of the revivals, it becomes crystal clear what is wrong with the average church in the West. Our churches are devoid of the fear of the Lord. The reverential awe and worship of God is missing. Most congregations lack true spiritual leadership and never practise Biblical standards of church discipline. Many church-goers feel like Christians, but think like humanists. They believe they have Christian hearts, but it's quite clear that most have humanist minds, reading more of the newspapers than they ever do of the Bible, and watching TV more than they worship Christ.

Like the church of Laodicea it could be said of many church-goers:

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm -neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth... you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked, so be earnest and repent.” 
Rev 3:15-19

The Church is like a rescue boat. The rescue boat must be in the sea rescuing the perishing, but the sea must not be in the boat. In the same way the church must be in the world rescuing the perishing, but the world must not be in the church.

The tragedy of the modern churches is that: by lowering its standards to allow the unconverted easy access, the church has become flooded and swamped by the world. It is now becoming increasingly difficult to discern any substantial differences between the opinions, moral standards and even conduct of “Christians” and the pagans.

The published statistics of church growth and the vast numbers coming forward at mass crusades are impressive. Yet those of us who deal with the individual in the pews and on the streets are deeply disturbed. The church generally seems to be growing only in quantity. The quality of devotional and spiritual life and moral standards seems to be deteriorating even more rapidly than the church is expanding in numbers. It is as though the churches have become like huge combine harvesters, yet lacking cutting blades: impressive machinery, much noise and activity —but often ineffective in dealing with the harvest.

If the Gospel is the cutting blade of the church, then we need to ask: what could have blunted our Gospel preaching?

What is Wrong With the Gospel Preached?
Listening to the average “Gospel” message proclaimed from all too many pulpits, and on radio and TV, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that most evangelistic messages today are man-centred, emotion based, weak and shallow. The "Just believe" gospel is cheap. Judas sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver. We just give Him away free. The "Just pray this prayer" message is superficial and it produces superficial converts. The "easy believism" so often proclaimed is synthetic. It's like white bread. All the natural goodness has been refined out and artificial ingredients have been added.

The Missing Parts of the Gospel Message
Seldom does one hear the nature of God taught on, expounded and explained. To assume that our hearers truly understand and appreciate the majesty, the holiness and the glory of our all-powerful, all-knowing, infinite and eternal Creator is presumptuous.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom (Prov 9:10). The Lord's mercy extends to those who fear Him (Acts 10:35). The Lord instructs those who fear Him (Psalm 25:12). The foundation for effective service is the fear of the Lord (Joshua 24:14). The Lord's great blessing is upon those who fear Him (Psalm 31:19). Yet, how often do we hear these great truths proclaimed?

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7) and ”...through the Law we become conscious of sin“ (Romans 3:20). Yet how often do we proclaim the Law of God?

Martin Luther declared: “The first duty of the Gospel preacher is to declare God's Law and show the nature of sin.”

John Bunyan said: “The man who does not know the nature of the Law cannot know the nature of sin.”

John Wesley suggested that evangelists should preach 90% Law and 10% grace.

Charles Finney wrote : “Failure to use the Law is almost certain to result in false hope, the introduction of a false standard of Christian experience, and to fill the church with false converts.”

Charles Spurgeon declared: “They will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and Holy Law.”

As our Lord taught:

"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law... Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heav 
Similarly the wrath of God, the doctrine of eternal judgement and the reality of Hell receive scant attention in most modern sermons. "For they would not follow His ways; they did not obey His Law. So He poured out on them His burning anger... " 
Isaiah 42:24,25

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you fear God. " 
Luke 12:5

"Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." 
John 3:36

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” 
Romans 1: 18

“Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law... Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 5:17-19

​Similarly the wrath of God, the doctrine of eternal judgement and the reality of Hell receive scant attention in most modern sermons. "For they would not follow His ways; they did not obey His Law. So He poured out on them His burning anger... " 
Isaiah 42:24,25

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you fear God. " 
Luke 12:5

"Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." 
John 3:36

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” 
Romans 1: 18

Even the heart of the Gospel message —the redemption achieved by the blood of Christ's atonement on the cross receives surprisingly little emphasis from most modern evangelists.

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” 
Hebrews 9:22

“God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood.” 
Romans 3:25

The Scriptures declare that: "the blood of Jesus, His Son purifies us from all sin.” 
1 John 1:7

Yet how often do we proclaim that message?

Also conspicuous by its absence is a Biblical emphasis and understanding of repentance. I have heard prominent evangelists say that "repentance is just saying you're sorry"!

By way of contrast the Bible emphasises three aspects of repentance:

• Conviction —a change of mind
• Contrition —a change of heart, and
• Conversion —a change of life.

"Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him...” 
Isaiah 55:7

It is not enough to confess our sin, we also need to reject sin mentally, to loathe it and forsake it. Repentance involves a change of habits, a change of belief and a change of behaviour.

UnBiblical Additions to the Gospel
In place of the Biblical message of the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the Law of God, the wrath of God and eternal judgement, the need for repentance from sin and faith in the atonement through Christ's blood, many have substituted a series of unBiblical innovations:

Nowhere in the Bible will you find any example of an evangelist, apostle or disciple using any of the following popular phrases or techniques:

"God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Instead Scripture makes it clear that God is angry with those who refuse to obey and eternity in hell is His plan for the unrepentant.

“Accept Jesus as your personal Saviour”. “Accept” is the weakest word possible and it is never used in any evangelistic context. Why don't we use the powerful words used in the Bible? eg.

“God ... now commands all people everywhere to repent”
Acts 17:30.

​A call to submit to Christ or to surrender our lives to Him as Lord and Saviour would be more Biblical than a weak appeal to "accept Jesus".

“Only you can open the door of your heart. Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking. He is a gentleman and will only come in if invited. The handle is only on the inside. Only you can let Him in.” This imaginative emotional appeal ignores the sovereignty of God. In the case of the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus it would appear that our Lord kicked the door in without any "permission" from Saul (Acts 9).

Nowhere in the Bible do we find a single incident of an evangelist or disciple using such imagery to describe conversion. Throughout the Gospel and the book of Acts we are challenged to come to Christ and seek entry into His house. Now we are expected to believe that the situation has so reversed that Christ now comes to us and asks us to allow Him entry!

Perhaps this concept is derived from Revelation 3:20. However, that verse is part of Christ's letter to the church at Laodicea. Far from being an evangelistic message it is a severe rebuke to a lukewarm church:

”I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm —neither hot nor cold —I am about to spit you out of my mouth.... Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock... "
​Rev 3:15-20

It is tragic that part of this letter written to warn the church against the danger of half-heartedness, worldliness and compromise could have been so abused as to produce lukewarm, semi-saved converts. If only the full context of this passage was used as often as verse 20. Or have strong Biblical words like “rebuke”, “discipline”, “earnest” and “repent” become unacceptable to today's congregations?

Similarly the insipid phrases "Just believe" and "just pray this prayer" are unBiblical. We certainly must believe —but it is the entire Bible which we must study, believe, obey, proclaim and apply. We must pray, but we need to do much more than “just pray”. The Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ commands us to "Make disciples... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." To place a “just” in front of any of the commands of Scripture is to devalue all the other important requirements.

Along with these phrases we have accepted several inadequate slogans to convey apparently Christian messages such as: “Christians aren't perfect - just forgiven". While it is true to say that we are forgiven, yet are imperfect, the insertion of the overused “just” turns this slogan into a dangerous half truth. Are we only forgiven? Are we not regenerated as well as redeemed? And what about sanctification? If we have not evidenced a dramatic transformation in our beliefs, moral standards, way of life, behaviour and conduct then it is doubtful if we are even forgiven (Galatians 5:19-25).

The Gospel According to Our Lord Jesus Christ
The recorded examples of how our Lord counselled individuals for salvation stand in sharp contrast to our modern message and methods.

The rich young ruler was earnest. He did not merely raise his hand while every head was bowed and every eye was closed. He did not merely walk down the aisle in response to an impassioned appeal. No, while every eye was opened and every head raised he ran to Christ. Rather than merely bow his head and repeat a set prayer, he fell on his knees before Christ and pleaded

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" 
Mark 10:17

What was our Lord's response? Did He say "Just believe " or "Just pray this prayer"? Did He tell him that God loved him and had a wonderful plan for his life? No. Jesus rebuked him: "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone." Our Lord began with the nature of God and the nature of man. Only God is holy. All men are sinners.

You may ask why Christ rebuked him. Surely our Lord Jesus is God? Yes, but did the young man realise that? Was he merely seeking to flatter man or did he realise with Whom he was talking?

​Next our Lord reminded him of the Ten Commandments: "You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother. "

Many would ask what the Law has to do with eternal life. The Scriptures state that: “The Law was our tutor, to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Gal 3:24

Telling people that “Jesus is the answer” before they are even asking the question is not helpful. No teacher hands out answer sheets to the students before an exam. Declaring that “Jesus saves” to people who are not yet conscious of a need to be saved is ineffective. Until people know the “bad news” of hell they are not ready to know the “good news” of heaven. Until our hearers appr
eciate the eternal implications of the Holiness of God and the depravity of man, the holy Law of God and eternal judgment — they are not ready to receive the glorious message of redemption through the sacrifice of Christ.

To put it more bluntly: until we understand that we are wicked sinners, lost and justly doomed to an eternity in hell we are not ready to appreciate truly the message of

“repentance and forgiveness of sins,” 
Luke 24:47.

Incredibly the young man declared that he had obeyed all those commandments since he was young. No doubt he was an extraordinary individual —morally upright and devoutly religious —yet he lacked an awareness of his sinfulness. The greatest fault is to be aware of none.

So our Lord tells him:

"one thing you lack... Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me" 
Mark 10:21.

Some may say that the Lord was demanding several things of him, but it actually amounted to one thing: repentance.

Our Lord had singled out the first commandment "You shall have no other gods before me", and the last “You shall not covet.” The rich young ruler had apparently made an idol of his wealth. His riches had become more important to him than obedience to God.

The Ten Commandments deal with our relationships with God, our parents and other people. They deal with God, worship, speech, time, authority, life, love, property, truth and conscience. They forbid polytheism, idolatry, profanity, desecration of the Sabbath, dishonouring of parents, murder, adultery, theft, perjury and coveting. By studying the Law of God we come to realise how far short we fall.

The message to those who recognise their transgressions is one of repentance and faith. And as repentance without faith is not true repentance, so faith without repentance is not true faith.

When he heard what our Lord required, “the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth” (Mark 10:22). Instead of chasing after him and lowering the standard,

“Jesus said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said again, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!’”
Mark 10:23-24

How often don't we claim that it is easy to be saved. Yet our Lord didn't lower the standard. In fact He taught that it would be hard to enter the Kingdom of God. Not only hard for the rich but hard for anyone!

“The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, 'Who then can be saved?' Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible ...” 
Mark 10:26-27

Do we realise the implications of this? All mankind is lost and no one can save himself. Neither can any pastor, evangelist or denomination save anybody. No amount of sacraments, praying, singing or preaching can save anyone. Eloquence cannot do it, neither can emotional techniques or a charged atmosphere.

“With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” 
Mark 10:27.

​A Biblical illustration of conversion is found in John 11 when our Lord stood before the tomb and called out: "Lazarus, come out!" Now Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. Is it reasonable to call upon a decaying corpse to respond? Nevertheless that is what evangelism is. Outside of Christ we are dead in our transgressions and sins (Eph 2:1). Faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8) and faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). "The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Rom 1: 16).

Only the Word of God can save, so why do we subtract from this powerful life-giving Word? And why do we think we can add anything of value to it?

Jesus then emphasised the need for sacrifice and for endurance of persecutions. Finally He promised blessings, rewards and eternal life to those who obey His message (Mark 10:28-31).

This then is the bold and balanced Gospel of Christ: God is a holy God and His righteous standards are seen in His Law. Man is sinful and needs to repent from his wickedness and trust in Christ. This repentance and faith is to be evident in obedience to Christ, a willingness to sacrifice and to suffer persecution. To those who do so He promises great blessings, rewards and eternal life.

Instead of offering a weak, diluted, man-centred message of “believe and receive”, we need faithfully to proclaim a Christ centred, Bible based and Holy Spirit led message of “repentance and obedience.” Rather than making converts we need to: “make disciples ... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

It is this message which deals with the heart of the matter. Anything else would be as inadequate as placing a band-aid plaster on a cancer. However, the Gospel of Christ faithfully proclaimed would result in a purged, purified, prayerful and powerful church —prepared to honour and obey Christ in all areas of life.

This article is taken from a chapter in the Discipleship Handbook

​Dr. Peter Hammond

Livingstone Fellowship
P.O. Box 74
Newlands 7725
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email: mission@frontline.org.za
Email: info@ReformationSA.org

If you have been praying for spiritual Revival and Biblical Reformation - then this Biblical Worldview Summit is the ideal place to start. Set aside the last week of June and join with other Christians who are dedicated to changing their world for Christ. By God’s grace you will experience a renewed joy, a revitalised devotional life, a restored vision of what God wants you to do for Him in these challenging days. Do you have an appointment with God on 24 June at the Biblical Worldview Summit?

“Create in me a pure heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me … Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners will turn back to You.” Psalm 51:10 – 12

The Biblical Worldview Summit will be held at the Mizpah Camp and Conference Centre, near Grabouw. It is set in a nature reserve overlooking a dam. For more information on this life changing event visit www.frontline.org.za; to book your place contact: Frontline Fellowship, PO Box 74, Newlands, 7725, Cape Town; Tel: 021 689-4480 or e-mail: info@frontline.org.za

“Will You not revive us again that Your people may rejoice in You?” Psalm 85:6

​THE BAROMETER OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
Erroll Hulse in “The Vital Place of the Prayer Meeting” writes: “You can tell with a fair degree of accuracy what the church is like by the demeanor or substance of the weekly prayer meeting. Is there genuine evangelistic concern? If so, it will be expressed in the prayers. Is there a heartfelt longing for the conversion of unconverted family members? If so, that is sure to surface. Is there a world vision and a fervent desire for Revival and the Glory of our Redeemer among the nations of the world? Such a burden cannot be suppressed…Intercession in the prayer meeting will soon reveal a loving church that cares for those who are oppressed and weighed down with trials and burdens. Those bearing trials too painful or personal to be described in public will nevertheless find comfort in the prayer meeting, for there the Holy Spirit is especially at work.”

Matthew Henry wrote: “When God designs mercy, He stirs up prayer.”

Peter Masters in “The Power of the Prayer Meeting” writes: “In the prayer gathering preoccupation with ourselves as individual believers slips away, and we become a group of people longing for the blessing of others, and for the prospering of the cause. In the prayer gathering we are refined and honed… It cements unions and promotes respect… the church that prays together, stays together.”

Jonathan Edwards in: “A Call to United, Extraordinary Prayer” writes: “Prayerfulness is the natural response of a heart that is fully caught up in all Christ is to us and for us, over us and within us, through us and before us and upon us. Christ defines our agenda in prayer. Christ opens up the door to Heaven to present our prayers…Christ is the ultimate answer to all our prayers.”
Jonathan Edwards also encouraged children’s prayer meetings: “God, in His Word, has shown a remarkable regard to little children. Never was there such a glorious work amongst persons in their childhood…He has been pleased, and in a wonderful manner, to perfect praise out the mouths of babes and sucklings; and many of them have more of that knowledge and wisdom that please Him, and rendered their religious worship acceptable, than many of the great and learned men of the world….”

During the time of the Reformation, churches often held daily services for preaching and prayer, every morning and every evening. During the severe persecution in Sudan, many churches held daily prayer meetings - each morning and evening. Some of the fastest church growth in recent years has taken place in South Korea where most church members consistently participate in early morning prayer meetings – daily.

“If it is true that the kind of piety in a church rises no higher than it manifests itself in a prayer meeting, so that here, has one a barometer. All changes in spiritual life are faithfully recorded, then certainly too much attention cannot be given, by both the pastor and people, to the conducting of the prayer meeting.” (Lewis Thompson “The Prayer Meeting and Its Improvement” 1878).

“For this reason I bow on my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to His power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:14 – 21

Dr. Peter Hammond
Frontline Fellowship
PO Box 74
Newlands
7725
Cape Town, South Africa

  admin@frontline.org.za

Does your church, or school, plan to celebrate the Reformation this October? If you are in the Cape Town area, please join us for the Reformation and Revival Seminar Saturday 25 October in Cape Town; and Friday 31 October, Reformation Celebration Service at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek at 1pm), or invite Reformation Society speakers to address your school or church.

You can also organise for inspiring Reformation films to be shown at your cell group or college.

If you want to transform your community, and if you are praying for Revival, then contact the Reformation Society for resources you can use to inspire your family, school and congregation with examples of excellence.

"Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" Psalm 85:6

In order to make the most of our local church, and to put first things first, we need to protect our Sundays as a Day of rest and a Day of worship, and reject TV, daily newspapers and the world's music as worldly distractions and time wasters.

The various sacraments and ordinances of the Church are an important part of the Church's mission and witness:  baptism  testifying to the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life; the Lord's Supper  illustrating the atonement of Christ; the marriage service  which points to families as the basic building block of society; and funerals  emphasising the importance of being prepared for eternity and the Day of Judgement, because "it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the Judgement" Hebrews 9:27.

The qualifications of Church leaders is made clear in Acts 6:2-6; 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-16.  We need to carefully examine our lives in the light of these passages.

There is an urgent need to Reform our churches, to bring all aspects of our congregational and personal life in line with the Word of God.  We cannot allow the Great Commission to be "the great omission" in our local churches.  Missions are the very lifeblood of the Church.  We exist to be a house of prayer for all nations, making disciples, teaching obedience to all things the Lord has commanded.  The last Command of Christ must be our first concern.  We cannot afford to be ignorant of our history, or selective in the use of Scripture.  "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God.we will.give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word." Acts 6:2-4.

We need to be "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" Acts 6:5.

And our church ought to be ".a house of prayer for all nations" Mark 11:17.

In our commitment to study, believe, preach and apply the Bible to all areas of life, we cannot flinch from confronting whatever abuses and threats face us, no matter from which quarter it comes. We are not anti-Catholic. Some of our friends and colleagues in the fight for the right to life of pre-born babies are Roman Catholic. Many of the churches that we deliver Bibles and aid to, in Muslim and Communist countries, are Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics are frequently our allies in the battle against the greatest threats confronting us today: Secular Humanism, Communism, Materialism and Islam. But the message and ministry of the Reformers is of immense importance and relevance for us today. They dealt with primary issues of authority, salvation and God's Word. Our Faith and freedoms are at stake.

In the words of Martin Luther: "If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God's Word, except precisely that point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle front besides is mere a flight and disgrace, if he flinches at that point."

The Greatest Century of Reformation

By Peter Hammond

Reformation Society
P O Box 74
Newlands 7725
Cape Town
South Africa
Email: info@ReformationSA.org
Website: www.info@reformationsa.org

The publishing of our new book Biblical Principles for Africa has sparked a lot of interest and controversy. We have been greatly encouraged by the many enthusiastic endorsements and positive responses to Biblical Principles for Africa. Just in these first 2 weeks, hundreds of copies of the book have been purchased and we've had many phone calls and E-mails with positive feed-back from those who appreciate and support its message.
​
There have also been a number of media opportunities as a result, including on Christian and secular radio stations. What has also been remarkable, has been the absolute hostility many have towards the Bible and Christianity. At our first Book Launch, at Parliament, one journalist responded to my Power Point presentation God's Law or Chaos, by saying: "If the choice is between God's Law or Chaos, I'd rather have chaos!"

I suppose Christian charity, work ethic, honesty and prosperity doesn't make as much news as crime, corruption, debauchery and lawlessness.

On a secular national radio programme (702 Talk Radio/Cape Talk), I was astounded at the intense opposition to the book from listeners calling in. Naturally, none of them could have actually read the book yet, however, the vitriolic outbursts revealed a prejudice against Christianity and a hostility for the Bible which seems to be increasing in many circles.

More importantly, it is easy for opponents of Christianity to criticise, but - what are our critics doing for the lonely, the widows, the orphans, the sick, the aged and the refugees?

Peter Hammond

Frontline Fellowship,
P.O. Box 74,
Newlands,
7725,
Cape Town,
South Africa
E-mail: admin@frontline.org.za;
​Tel: +27-21-689-4480

​One of the results of this 'me generation' obsessed with self-gratification is that the cohesive unity of our communities has vanished. In this age of mobility and prosperity, loyalty is being rejected. Loyalty to family, wife, church, denomination, work and country is evaporating. This is an age of rebellion and self-assertion - doing your own thing. Long-term commitments seem to be no longer acceptable to most of this self-seeking generation.

It is the responsibility of God's people in the Church to offer our confused and searching young people an exciting challenge, a worthwhile cause, a demanding mission and opportunities for action. But we must again teach our people, by word and example, of the need for long-term commitment and uncompromising standards of loyalty to God and country, to church and mission, to duty and honour, to family and friends. Personal, wholehearted commitment to Christ and His cause is at the heart of the Gospel.

We have to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. Are you committed to Christ? Are you wholehearted committed to His standards of duty, honour and loyalty - no matter what the cost?

By faith and obedience we can turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones, crisis situations into opportunities for ministry, battles into victory. We are 'more than conquerors' (Romans 8:37) and 'overcomers' (1 John 5:4) through Christ.

Dr. Peter Hammond is the author of Putting Feet to Your Faith and The Greatest Century of Missions