In November 1992, America voted for change. The change seems to be the removal of the last vestige of the Judeo-Christian values and standards upon which our country was built–thus leading America into a completely pagan system which blots out all remembrances of God as surely as Communism did in the old Soviet Union. In a well-written editorial in Israel My Glory, Elwood McQuaid writes:
“Our mandate at this moment is to proclaim and live out a clear contradiction to all of the spiritual and moral corruption that is plaguing the nation. Thank God, there is a Redeemer.
“Let’s pursue, with every fiber of our beings, Paul’s pattern for pagan Rome: So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:15-16).”
The gospel is the answer to the moral quagmire of our day, and we need to be revitalized in our sense of urgency as we see “the day approaching.” But if you are like me, the question that immediately arises is “How?” Let me introduce you to a book that addresses that question in a fresh and vital way. It is called Evangelism for the Faint-Hearted. Does that sound like you? Well Floyd Schneider, missionary to Austria, has put some basic biblical principles to work in his life and efforts in Austria and shares them with us in this fine book. The jacket of the book says that it will show you how to: Make friends with non-Christians; Start conversations with your unsaved friends; Turn these conversations around to spiritual topics; Convince your friend to read the Bible with you; and Lead the Bible study. This is not a theoretical book but an intensely practical one. The questions (or should I say challenges) at the end of each chapter expect you to “do it.” A comment on the back cover reads, “We have just started using these principles, and the 18 believers in our small church have started 10 Bible studies with their unsaved friends.”
Another book on the same topic is a new one by Mr. John Reid called Eternal Dwellings. This one will create a sense of urgency within you to preach the gospel. Do we really believe that there is a heaven to be gained and a hell to be shunned? Do we really believe that those left behind after the rapture of the church will enter the most awful time of suffering that this world has ever known? This book takes a long hard look at the destinies of all mankind, using many scriptures to prove the torment of hell and the bliss of heaven. He tackles many questions like “Can a God of love cast a soul into hell?” or “What is hell really like?” or “Is there really eternal punishment?” or “Who are the elders of Revelation?” or “Who is in the Millennium?” What I really liked about this book is that Mr. Reid does not speculate–he quotes scripture. And where the Scriptures are silent, so is he. There is hardly a sentence in the whole book that he does not have a scripture reference in it. This is a real study book.
Now for some updates on previously written articles. First of all, the biography of Mr. Darby which was mentioned last November. Sometimes production schedules do not always work the way it was planned, so those of you who have been trying to find this book have been unsuccessful. Gospel Folio has some on order and as soon as they are available we will be able to fill your orders. Then, as noted earlier, the five-volume Vine commentaries mentioned in January’s article are out of print! But John Ritchie Publishing is bringing out a number of Vine commentaries in single volumes. The ones that Gospel Folio have right now are Romans, I Corinthians, and Galatians.
May we all not only read, but, as Floyd Schneider says, “Do it.”