I have prayed to the Lord before I wrote this response to you, so as not to be speaking from my flesh or to stumble a brother like yourself.
You said the reason for posting these video's was to "comfort the saints". I am a sinner saved by Grace and the wonderous provisions of Jesus Christ, and I am here to tell you that I am NOT comforted.
Quite the opposite, I am grieved to my core, to the depth of my soul for several reasons in response to what I viewed on your video's.
The first reason I am grieved and heartbroken is that you are NOT preaching the Love of Jesus, His sacrifice, His Passion, you are not preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Instead your are haranguing and dealing out harsh human condemnation upon lost and hurt people, and doing it under the guise of some twisted interpetation of what you percieve as the "Lord's calling" upon you, to engage in argumentative public confrontations upon people who live on a knife's edge of decideing whther to drink of the Living Waters or not, and you instead in your fleshly immaturity offer them bile and wormwood. I do NOT see the Heart of Christ in your public utterances.
We are told to make the Gentiles ENVIOUS of this great love we have recieved, and there is nothing in your public ministry that would make the Gentiles envious of what we have recieved.
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You say you preach out of love to save the lost, from those who do not believe in this great salvation, to save them from eternal separation from a just God, but after witnessing your public ministry, I say that you are doing the opposite, you are driving them AWAY from Jesus.
I noticed that your "audience" maintains a far distance from you. Don't fall into the delusion that this is because you are holy, and the devil within them recoils from this holiness. It is because even the lost hurting conused poeple wandering the campus can discern that there is no love within you, only a hateful argumentative harsh spirit, and people, instinctly recoil from such venom, as you display. There is no meekness, no love, and no humility nor winsomeness in your public discourse.
I know you fancy yourself as engaging in a "John the Baptist" type of ministry, but remember this, John the Baptist was only a forerunner of Christ, who said he was not fit to tie the sandals of Jesus. and John the Baptist was in loving intimate ministry with desperate people, he touched them when he baptised them, He got up close and personal when ministering to the lost and hurting.
You have told me that you loved the "Life of Brainerd", and I assume you have read this annointed and wonderful book of this saints journals. I have read it three times, I say that not to boast, but there is something heavenly and inspiring about the writing of this precious saint. Fully the first third of his journals is lamenting his unworthiness for minstry and his unprofitability to discharge his calling of God, he underwent much preparation and self examination before he went among the Indians and frontier folk, and then he preached to them with gehtleness and humility, and the fruit recived was a true miracle, so uplifting.
Have you REALLY read this book with an open heart? Have you ever tried to model your ministry on this yielded saint?
From what i have seen on the videos I think not.
Even two "church-goers" as you so termed them, called you on what you are doing, and instead of engaging them in a respectful repose of listening, you just shouted over them. That black sister was testifying with more authority than you could muster. I oculd discern that she loved Jesus, and you were doing your worst to alienate her. That gray haired lady, who called you a little boy, was trying to engage you in correction, and you just shouted her down.
Thats not Jesus' love, that just fleshly religious pride and immaturity.
Dear sister Diane wrote you a wise post and you totally blew her off, or even addressed her concerns in a thoughtful loving manner, rejoicing that an older sister in the Lord was attempting to help steer you in a direction that will yield fruit.
You just closed your ears and mind, because you are OUT of submission to the Body of Christ, you are out of submission to Godly correction. You are a 21 year old kid, newly saved and you are wandering around like a bull in a china shop, except that china is just a piece of ceramic, we are talking about the souls of people.
Furthermore, I always thought the title of this minstry of yours "Operation Shock and Awe" was a poor choice of words, totally out of synch with the message of Grace, its more like something that a bunch of zealot kids cooked up.
I remember my BC days, and if I was unfortunate to stumble across your public ministry, your ill prayed out public utterances would have driven me far from a God whose message is Love and Grace in Jesus Christ. I shudder to think how many of the lost you are driving away on those public campus's.
Now let me talk about the plank in my eye. Krispy and I had been engaging in cyber tussles over the most trivial issues, stuff we disagree on, but God loves us both, and in the unity of Christ, and thru PM's we have come to love one another, it was only THRU Christ that we were able to do this.
I write these words not to hurt you, or insult you,make you feel bad about yourself, or to discourage you from public ministry, I write them as the Lord leads me, because I am so grieved at what I saw in those videos, and I must admonish you on this, and urge you to seek a time in the desert to be honed by God, becuase you are going off the rails, big time, and stumbling others in the process, and bringing discredit to Jesus' message of love and grace in Him.
Many will try and flatter you, I was quite baffled why instead of adressing the concerns of Diane, you post private emails written by those who desire to flatter itching ears. It smacks of religious pride.
I pray Greg reads this and discerns my intent on writing such a harsh letter to you, not to start trouble, but by clearly and forthrightly rebuking you in the Holy Spirit, not in my flesh nor in my opinion.
Here's the last thing that grieves me, in the past those in this fellowship have attempted to call you, a 21 year old, on a ministry that has gone awry. I feel that all I have poured out from my heart to you will just fall on deaf immmature eras, and you will just continue to engage in a ministry that bears bile, argument, confusion and hatred, while dressing it in the Robes of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I won't pray against your ministry, but I pray you will wake up and see your error.
Hoping against hope, bartle
