Tony Miano and Women Open-Air Preaching

Tony Miano and Women Open-Air Preaching

Brethren of the Biblical Evangelism Community, this is written specifically to you. I chose to write this in a blog post as it would be too long for a post on Facebook.

I ask you to consider and deeply think over a few things. Why is Tony’s thought process changing in regards to women involved in various aspects of street ministry? Could there perhaps be some deeper issues going on? I’ve read the postings and not once has Tony said a woman would be sinning if she open-aired preached. Not once has he even hinted he thought any woman was sinning in the way she was evangelizing.

Tony has been a respected, trusted leader, teacher, mentor and friend to most all of you. One thing many of you have loved about him was his frankness and tenacious ways of standing for Truth and defending the Faith. Do you throw all that out the window now? Could it be some feathers are ruffled at the subject hitting a little too close to home? Do you feel like Tony is telling you that for all this time you have been doing evangelism wrong? Well guess what, this is how the other side of Christianity feels when we approach them with Biblical Evangelism. They perceive it as we are attacking the way they are doing evangelism. They see it as someone thinking they know more than they do. They don’t stop and think about the amount of time, study, prayer and reading in the Bible. All they hear and see is someone saying “You’re Wrong in the way you are doing it.” Have you had resistance in getting your church or Christians friends on board in Biblical Evangelism? If so, then perhaps at this moment you know exactly how they feel. Perhaps this should be time to reflect on the perception the BE community is putting across to the Churches. Perhaps you should search yourself and the way you have approached your church and Christian friends in regards to evangelism. How has your tone and demeanor been when approaching them? Has it been an attitude of you’re wrong and I’m right?

Perhaps instead of condemning, you should be searching and asking why. Instead of slamming, accusing and you’re wrong, open up scripture and read and stuffy for yourself. When a person reaches a point where he or she thinks they know everything and are not willing to listen and discuss an issue, they need to step back and spend some time in private prayer with God. If this point arises their pride is clouding the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Do I think a woman should OAP as the term is applied to street ministry, I will tell you now. I don’t know. I’ve read what many have had to say on it from both sides. I’ve been going through scripture, reading and praying for God’s will to be revealed on the subject. The conclusion I have is, I don’t know. There is scriptural basis to support both sides. In the beginning Tony stated this is his “Opinion” to take what he says and open the word and read what God has to say for yourself. He is not throwing something together on the whim of a moment. He is spending some hard dedicated hours into searching out what God has to say on this. He is risking much for his love of not only the word of Christ but for you, his brethren that he loves so very much. Would you rather have a silent Tony on a subject God has been teaching something new to him, or one like you’ve always known, a Tony that will speak the truth on any subject no matter the cost. Do you think for a moment Tony would take such a stand on a whim and without deep consideration and deep prayer?

I will say based on some responses I’ve read, there are men and women who both would do better to remain silent and not step atop a box. The reactions at times have been, spiteful, hateful and worldly. When someone can not have what they want they either pout and complain or erupt and say things they should not. Some even seem to be more concerned with their wallets than what scripture truly has to say on the matter. I think one reason for such an uproar over this even before it is published is simple. People are scared they are wrong, not that Tony is wrong. Don’t let your pride or wallet cloud your discernment.

This was not to be an issue to divide brethren over but to further all our understanding on an issue that has long been ignored. Ignored because no one spent the dedicated time in researching the matter to the fullest and then been willing to stand on what was learned.

Tony is no different than he ever has been, the difference is you just may not like what he is saying this time. I think we all owe it Tony to at least wait and see what he discovers and comes up with.

We are to nourish and train up one another in all love, patience, kindness and understanding. Have you been doing that, well have you?

I know what many may think about me, I’m right in there with Tony and will go along with whatever he says. Nope, you’re wrong. I love Tony enough to tell him when I think he is wrong, but it would and will never be done in an open forum. Then it would be from a Bible point of view, not my own opinion. The Bible tells us to take our disagreements to the one in private. I’ve seen little being done in private in all of this. My allegiance is to God and His word first. If Tony were to ever get into any type of heretical thinking or teaching, I’d be the first to tell him. As far as his book goes, I’ve taken a wait and see approach. One can not comment on something he doesn’t have all the facts on. I guess a person could but then that wouldn’t be very biblical, now would it.

Tony on more than one occasion explained why he posted the content that he did. He was trying to make the information be such that was presented in the most precise way and would cover all the surrounding issues. Did he make a mistake by doing that? Probably, but how many times do you expect him to apologize for it? If you’re not willing to accept his apology then tell him, but in private.

If he gets a little zealous in the truths he is discovering then let it be. Don’t you get excited when the Lord blesses you by opening your eyes and hearts to something new? Don’t be so impatient, the book will come along and we all will be able to read it at some point. He has put together a very learned team to dissect his book, line by line and then a couple of other Very high learned pastors and teachers to scrutinize it. All this will be done before the book is ever available. I have no doubt these trusted men will find and point out anything that does not align with scripture.

Tony is human, Tony is excited about writing this book. Tony loves the Lord and the Bible more than any other man I’ve been around. He has done so much for so many, can’t we extend to him the same grace? Love him and help him and encourage him and most importantly pray for him. Let the book rise or fall on its own merit but don’t jump to conclusions and state he is wrong before you even know what the content is.

Brethren, we don’t have to always agree on everything to serve or Lord but we are to serve our Lord in a way that honors God. Let’s try to remember that and do it from this point forward.

Sin List

Sin List

Dear Brethren,

While Christians are never sinless, we should be sinning less and less. How is this accomplished? First it is by praying and asking the Lord to open our eyes to the sins in our lives and to give us the strength to overcome these sins.

With this being Easter weekend I think it would be the most suitable time to examine ourselves and our walk.

When is the last time you took a long hard look at yourself and examined the sin in your life? Over the course of this weekend I have been doing a sin inventory on myself. I have prayed and been looking at the top three areas I find myself most vulnerable to falling and failing in.

Each person has certain areas that are an Achilles heel for them. The thing is to examine and find and know where your weakest points are. For me, this has been a bit of a challenge as I have not wanted to admit mine.

So I encourage each reader to do their own sin inventory and spend some time in solitude prayer with the Lord. Pray for open eyes and a renewed heart, to be a vessel fit for Holy and honorable use.

May the Lord keep and sustain you.

A Bloodless Gospel

A Bloodless Gospel: Part 1

In a recent advertisement of a Sunday evening service in one of our American cities it was stated that there would be three attractions: a newly released film, one of the top singing sensations of our day, and a rendition from the Broadway wonder Cats.  It is somewhat startling when an unusually gifted and popular preacher, or his advertising committee, thinks of the Gospel of the Son of God as having so lost its power to draw that it must be bolstered up by putting on a selection from very questionable entertainment as an additional attraction to help out our once-crucified and now glorified Savior and Lord.

 Do you think this is new? Do you think this is just going on in our time? Think again. Now read this at it appeared originally.

"In a recent advertisement of a Sunday evening service in one of our American cities it was stated that there would be three attractions: a high-class movie show, a popular gospel pianist and his wife, and a melody from the opera, "Madame Butterfly," rendered by a well-known Prima Donna.  It is somewhat startling when an unusually gifted and popular preacher, or his advertising committee, thinks of the Gospel of the Son of God as having so lost its power to draw that it must be bolstered up by putting on a selection from a very questionable opera, rendered by a professional opera singer, as an additional attraction to help out our once-crucified and now glorified Savior and Lord." This was in a sermon preached in 1922 by R.A. Torrey’s.

Torrey went on further to expound; "This advertisement set me to thinking as to what really was the great attraction to men in this day as well as in former days. At once there came to my mind the words of our text containing God's answer to this question: "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." There is nothing else that draws like the uplifted Christ. Movies may get a crowd of empty headed and empty-hearted young men and maidens, and even middle-aged folks without brains or moral earnestness, for a time, but nothing really draws and holds the men and women who are worthwhile like Jesus Christ lifted up. Nineteen centuries of Christian history prove the drawing power of Jesus when He is properly presented to men."

Now, we can add nearly one hundred more years to when this was written. In the next excerpt Torrey was speaking of the Apostates of his day. Reading this, think in terms of the known heretics and false teachers that proliferate in our Post-Modern, Seeker Sensitive, Prosperity, Hell populating, Politically Correct Society today.

"Many of their ministers have been intellectually among the most brilliant our country has ever known, but their churches even under scholarly and brilliant ministers die, die, die!  Why? Because Unitarianism presents a gospel without atoning blood, and Jesus has said and history has proven it true, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  "Christian Science," strangely so called, for, as has been often truly said, "it is neither Christian nor scientific," draws crowds of men and women of a certain type, men and women who have or imagine that they have physical ailments, and who will follow anything, no matter how absurd, that promises them a little release from their real or imagined pains."

In today’s terms the above would be describing the Health, Wealth and Prosperity Wolves.

"It also draws crowds who wish to fancy that they have some religion without paying the price of true religion, genuine love, real self-sacrifice, and costly sympathy. But Christian Science does not draw all men, that is, all kinds and conditions and ranks of men. In fact, for the most part, it does not draw men at all, but women, and the alleged men it draws are for the most part women in trousers, and men who see an easy way to make a living by preying on the vulnerability of luckless females. No, a bloodless gospel, a gospel with a Christ but not a Christ lifted up on a cross, does not meet the universal needs of men, and so does not draw all men."

This speaks volumes on easy believeism. The false gospel blasphemy by ones such as; The Joel Osteen’s, T.D. Jakes, the Benny Hinn’s Rick Warren’s of this world. Not only them, but a vast number of Protestant preachers of all denominations that have reduced the gospel down to, say this prayer, raise your hand, walk down this aisle. You are now saved. Welcome to the family of God! Lies!!! Nothing but Lies, you hear!!!

They should proclaim, “Welcome to the fast track path to Hell!” but instead they teach “You now have a false sense of security, go live it up, eat drink be merry do unto yourself as you want to do unto yourself!” “The only thing that matters is now, happiness and self fulfillment.”

They spew venom from the pit of Hell, all the while presenting it as the answer to all of mankind’s problems. They give their itchy ear listeners a warm fuzzy feeling that will end in an eternity of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The world’s gospel, the abomination they spread is not the True gospel of the Bible. It is a Bloodless Gospel that has no power to wash one clean from their sin and crimes against an Infinitely Holy, Righteous, God.   

"Note, the words, "Draw all men." Does "all men" mean all individuals or men of all races?  Did Jesus mean that every man and woman who lived on this earth would be drawn to Him, or did He mean that men of all races would be drawn to Him?  The context answers the question. The Greeks, as we have seen, came to one of the apostles, Philip, and said, "We would like to see Jesus," and Philip had gone and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip had gone and told Jesus. Our Lord's ministry during His earthly life was to Jews only, and in the coming of these Greeks so soon before His death our Lord saw the sign of the coming days when by His death on the cross the barrier between Jews and Gentiles would be broken down and all nations would have their opportunity equally with the Jews, when by His atoning death on the cross men of all nations would be drawn to Him. He did not say that He would draw every individual, but all races of men, Greeks as well as Jews, Romans, Scythians, French, English, Germans, Japanese, Americans, and men of all nations. He is a universal Savior,"

"He is a universal Savior, and true Christianity is a universal religion. Mohammedanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and all religions but Christianity, are religions of a restricted application. Christianity, with a crucified Christ as its center, is a universal religion and meets the needs of all mankind and so our Lord said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  No race has ever been found anywhere on this earth to which the Gospel did not appeal and whose deepest need the crucified Christ did not meet. Many years ago, when Charles Darwin, the eminent English scientist, came in contact with the Terre del Fuegans in their gross degradation, he publicly declared that here was a people to whom it was vain to send missionaries, as the Gospel could not do anything for them. But brave men of God went there and took the Gospel to them in the power of the Holy Spirit and demonstrated that it met the need of the Terre del Fuegans, with such great results that Charles Darwin publicly admitted his mistake and became a regular subscriber to the work."

in John 16:8-9, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me." 

"But in spite of all our attempts to drown or stupefy or silence our sense of sin, our consciousness of guilt before a Holy God, we all have it, and, it will not disappear.  Nothing gives the guilty conscience abiding peace but the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.  And so Christ lifted up draws all men to Him, and even wicked ministers of Satan, like the preacher I have just referred to, sometimes come to their senses and flee to the real Christ, Christ crucified, as I hope this one may.  Yes, Jesus, Jesus only, Jesus lifted up on the cross, Jesus crucified for our sins, making full atonement for our sins, He and He alone meets the deepest need of us all, and so His cross draws us all men to Himself.  Happy the man or the woman who yields to that drawing. Woe be to the man or woman who resists that drawing; final gloom, despondency, and despair are their lot."

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:6;8.  There is nothing that draws men like love. Love draws all men of every region. No love draws like the love of God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 that verse has broken thousands of hard hearts.

Have you laid down your life for Christ? He gave His so that you may be saved. I ask you even if you "think" you are saved, please visit the following website and read what it has to say.

 Do not ask Jesus in Your Heart

Empathy and Newtown Shooting

What is truly an expression of a lack of empathy is the actions of some of the media. I have watched some of the coverage on news channels and have seen some of the pictures that reporters posted. One would think that at a time of such a tragedy, there would be a little more compassion and sympathy on the part of media covering the events.
It sickens me to see a microphone shoved in the face of a crying man while cradling his children. It sickens me to see a woman trying to get her children away from the scene and a reporter, who seems to be in pursuit, trying to get a statement from her. It sickens me to see these children who just underwent such a traumatic experience, having photos snapped of them while being lead out of the school.
These same children while being photographed were at times screaming, crying and in a state of hysteria. How many of these children, after this, have had to deal with a plethora of reporters trying to interview them.  
All this epitomizes the truth of man cares not but for his own self interest. If it will benefit them or further their cause, everything is open game. For proof click here:Swarming Vultures

Some of these media outlets are quick to blame everything and everyone for this abominable act. Everyone and everything but the one that is truly at blame.
Man himself.
One reporter stated, "The devil came to Newtown." No he didn't. He's been there all along, just like everywhere else on Earth.

There is but one solution, there is but one thing that will change these types of things from happening. The One True Whole, Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Share it Today in Boldness, Truth and Love. 

Please click here to read What is the Gospel?

Leave the Bullets at Home and Let the Enemy Win

The title of this, "Leave the Bullets at Home and Let the Enemy Win" may seem strange but I hope to bring some light to the subject.

Would a Navy Seal, Green Barret or Army Ranger allow himself to be dropped behind enemy lines with no bullets and armed with only a BB gun. Well, unless he had a death wish or was just a Fool he wouldn't.

No soldier in their right mind would ever go into any battle situation unprepared. Yet, soldiers for Christ seem to do it all the time. They head off with tracts in one hand and their Bible in the other. Yet they are leaving their barracks, aka their home, without the most powerful weapon against the stronghold of the enemy, Prayer!

The book "The Fundamentals" states it far better than I could hope to attempt:

Everything else, therefore, depends upon prayer. To the praying soul there becomes possible the faith which is the grasp of the human spirit upon the realities and verities of the unseen world. To the praying soul there becomes possible and the natural obedience which is the daily walk of the disciple with the unseen God. To the praying soul there becomes possible the patience, which is the habit of waiting for results yet unseen and hopes yet unrealized. To the praying soul there becomes possible the love that, like a celestial flood, drowns out evil tempers and hateful dispositions, and introduces us to a new world of gentle and generous frames. To the praying soul there becomes possible and increasingly real the holiness which is personal conformity to an unseen Divine image and ideal, and the innermost secret of a heavenly bliss.
 Those who yearn for revivals naturally lay much stress on preaching. But what is preaching without praying! Sermons are but pulpit (or street, I might add) performances, learned essays, rhetorical orations, popular lectures, or it may be political harangues, until God gives, in answer to earnest prayer, the preparation of the heart, and the answer of the tongue. It is only he who prays that can truly preach. Many a sermon that has shown no intellectual genius and has violated all homiletic rules and standards has had dynamic spiritual force. Somehow it has moved men, melted them, moulded them. The man whose lips are touched by God's living coal from off the altar may even stammer, but his hearers soon find out that he is on fire with one consuming passion to save souls.

Praying souls become prevailing saints.
Praying feeds missions at home and abroad.
A praying heart is the one thing that the devil cannot easily counterfeit.
The pivot of piety, therefore, is prayer.
The revival of the praying-spirit is not only first in order of development, but it is first in order of importance, for without it there is no advance.

Prayer imparts God's Power!

One last key point; We cannot make up for lack of praying by excess of working. In fact working without praying is a sort of practical atheism, for it leaves out God. It is the prayer that prepares for work, that arms us for warfare, that furnishes us for the activity.

For to go it "Alone" without a praying heart is a relying on self and not on the Giver of it all. 

How do you prepare for battle? Do you lay aside prayer as something that is an accessory to only be grasped at a time of desperation, or do you embrace this most powerful blessing given unto man? Before you head into the streets, before you head into the mall, before you head to that "Outreach" arm yourself. The more you shore up your soul now, the less weaknesses the enemy will have to use against you then.

Take the time, prepare for the battle on your knees and rely on God and not yourself.

If you have been blessed to have an opportunity to be involved with prayer with like minded brothers and sisters. I urge you, take advantage of it and unleash the power of prayer.

My prayer for any brother or sister that reads this is, that you will pray.