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How true is this...?

I have no doubt that one reason why evangelistic preaching has been lost especially in Reformed circles is due to its association with Arminianism and the more recent high-powered pressure tactics used to get people "to the front". Anyone concerned to maintain a God-honouring ministry will want to keep as far away from that as possible. However, any basic study of church history will soon reveal that the altar call is a modern innovation that only goes back to the century at the most. So, we do well to reject it as a component of evangelistic preaching.

Well, I lean to the Calvinist side, but I do NOT think Arminianism is to blame for all the current ills of the church. Rather, I would blame worldliness. Twenty-first century "Christians" simply love the world more than they love their Lord. That includes -- BIG TIME! -- the love of self. No more self-denial. We want self-esteem! No more repentance. We want integration -- that is, we want it all, sin and salvation too.

Regarding alter calls, again, they are not the great evil that some people claim. There is nothing really wrong with going forward during an alter call and proclaiming your new found faith in Christ Jesus. Phony, easy-believism can be had other ways too. We have always had, and will always have, false converstions, false teachers and false doctrines to contend with in the Church. We just have to stay aware and stop thinking we can improve on the gospel of Jesus. We just end up misleading the lost into a fake security. You don't have to be a strong free-willer to fall into the new gospel-of-self trend. If I were to blame any one practice in the church, I'd blame the New Age craze -- contemplative "prayer," labyrinths, ecumenism and universalism -- more than anything else.

Don't worry, God has saved His best for last. He is going to raise up His army, the "church which is HIS body", the "bride of Christ". "A great people and a strong there has never been the like". Miracles will be as common as McDonald's hamburgers. And for anybody who tries to stop them from preaching THE Gospel of the Kingdom, as Mr. T once said "pity the poor fool". They will reap a world harvest, and then shall end of fallen man, and Satan's dominion come, and the Kingdom will commence, with Jesus Christ returning to rule and reign forever.

Acts 3
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Ephesians 1
22 And hath put all things under his (Christ's) feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

I am very concerned about the absence of evangelistic preaching today.

ROTFLM*O!!!!!! Pull your head out from where the sun never shines, for the Gospel is being preached 24/7/365 to BILLIONS, with a "B".

Quit being a whiny loser and join the winning team--GOD'S TEAM!!! Amen and AMEN!!

I lean to the Catholic side, and I think you're dead right. Materialism is so blasted insidious, even people who think they are really trying to be good Christians rise to the bait. In my church there is surgical preaching against it, which is apparently effective with some of the listeners: Is there anything you love more than you love Jesus Christ? Why is that thing more lovable than He is? Check again, and then check again. It really is good preaching, and on the whole and over time people who hear it seem to try harder to commit their whole lives to the Lord. Does that sound evangelical? Would you be surprised to learn that my church is a Catholic church offering the ancient Latin rite of Mass?