Battle Log

• Battle Log
• Brisbane (QLD) Team

In Australia it has been noted that rarely do people outside the Church understand grace. It is rare to hear someone say after hearing the Gospel, "Ah that means I can sin all I want and God will let me into Heaven". Rather, a far more common response when asked to repeat how one is saved, goes like this, "So I have to believe in God and follow the ten commandments". Self-salvation is rampant among Australian's. Everyone thinks they're good and they will get to God by their actions.

This is very much the case amongst the churched people of Australia. Many people went to religious private school or attend church once or twice a year and on the basis of that, and the "really good" life they live, they think God will let them into Heaven.

This Wednesday in King George square was very much filled with conversations of that nature.

An early conversation was had with church-going Tom. He said it was his good works and church going that were going to get him to Heaven. He saw God's law and standard and saw that he was not good rather that he had failed desperately.

Then he was asked for the solution and declared, doing good works and trying harder. It was pointed out that future obedience doesn't pay for past disobedience. The Gospel was shared and Tom was surprised. He had never understood it before. Please be praying for Tom that he would as a result of this conversation seek not just to try harder, but to find salvation in Christ alone.

Soon after this conversation an older gentleman was engaged in conversation. He originally said that he didn't believe in God at all but soon declared that he had a long religious history and had just slowly over time stopped going to church. Through the conversation as he heard of the desperate state of the human heart he tried to argue again that it is all about trying to be good because we're not that bad. But when he heard of God's punishment, that sin deserves Hell, he got up and left very quickly.

This man knew that God was good and must punish sin and so he was attempting to "hide" from God. Please be praying that God leads him not just to hide but to run to God for salvation!

Three others in this, "I'm good" boat were Tatum, Ollie, Shona and Milano and Bryn. It is scary how rampant the works-righteousness belief is across Australians. It would be awesome if Australian Christians, one conversation at a time, could engage with their family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours sharing with them that Jesus' offer of salvation is not one based on our obedience but based on His! Choose one friend this week that you will purposely plan and pray about speaking to this week!

One other conversation was had with a lady that attends a local church and was really struggling with assurance. She wasn't sure that Jesus could love her because of all of her past sin. It was an encouraging conversation as she heard of the depths of God's love for her in Christ and was pointed to a few resources to grow in understanding of the height, breadth, depth and width of God's love for those in Christ Jesus.

Please be praying that she would be strengthened and encouraged by this understanding of God's love for her and would be motivated by it to want to share it with others!

On Wednesday afternoon right as the outreach was coming to a close, the Lord Mayor, who the team had spoken with before was heading by.

One team member briefly asked him a question, "Do you think God will let you into Heaven when you die?" To which he responded, "I certainly hope so!"

After he had finished speaking with someone else, another team member who had spoken to him two years earlier was able to re-engage with him.

When asked what he was trusting in to get him to Heaven, he responded, "being a good citizen and believing". He briefly heard that God requires perfection and therefore was encouraged to read the tract and hear what God did so that sinners could be forgiven.

Please also be praying for our Lord Mayor, that God would bring him to repentance and a saving knowledge of the truth!

View previous Brisbane (QLD) report (31 October 2018)

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Brisbane Team (Night) (QLD)

Meets Fridays (7-10pm) & Saturdays (6-9pm) & Sundays (7:30-9:30pm) in King George Square.

Contact Ryan Hemelaar for more information.

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