Letter ..1

Dear Alan,

Just to say that I heard the Bob Gas tape and found it very interesting and informative, especially with its facts and figures; also his attempt to apply prophecy to world events of today. I think I would have to say it was one of the better Baptist messages I have heard and better than Billy Graham. One is certainly made to feel we are at the end time. And I think that with some editing it could be helpful in awakening those who are not awakened to spiritual things. His appeal to accept Christ was good, wasn't it.

• Yes it was basically a typical 'Baptist' message:
  smart, witty, entertaining and polished (‘and my people love to have it so’), and as I said, even helpful to non-believers.
  
  And while I found it very interesting and informative, yet, did you notice that it entirely missed the real message of the moment - repentance of a lukewarm, indeed corrupt and corrupting Laodicean traditional evangelical & penticostal church.

• Gass of course being a good 'once saved always saved' die-hard, one wouldn't expect him to have the opposite message which deals with the real need of the hour - sin, righteousness and judgment to come on the church! (Revelation 18, for example, if you want to get into prophecy!).
  
  He reminds me of a naturally gifted archer firing his arrows at the bulls-eye with great skill and accuracy, hitting the bulls-eye every time! and getting a great and enthusiastic and emotional response and applause from his spectators ...... only/except sadly/mistakenly shooting for the wrong board! the wrong bulls-eye - no mention, no revelation, no idea of where the trouble of this world really lies and what God's Word says we should be doing to fix it. Certainly, feeding the orphans wont fix it, though such is an exceedingly honourable work.
  
  And writing 0SAS daily readings all over the world won’t fix it either. Have you seen his 'The word for today’? - I'm afraid chaff not wheat. It chokes in my throat. It's amazing how much truth one can have, isn't it, without having the truth, or in fact the Spirit.
  
  I know that if he had the message. such sermons wouldn't need (in fact wouldn't fit with) the usual dose of Baptist humouring they think their sermons need to wash them down. Laughter would be replaced with a ‘solemn assembly’ for sure. - a 'weeping between the porch and the altar'.
  
  Actually I don't ever read of the message of Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, John, Jeremiah, Ezekiel raising a laugh. Can you find one jest in the whole Bible? except it says ‘it increases unto more ungodliness'.
   

• But Laodicea doesn't understand about those things.
  
  As I said in my last letter, I have written Mr Gas and sent him my testimony etc, but received no reply. I once wrote a tract called ‘A Gas-balloon Gospel’, (not that I would send him that). Perhaps I should send him, 'Why the Arabs?' - the aspect he is missing.
  
  Still, I did take the good out of the tape, and can imagine it being helpful to awaken a non-believer (provided it was followed with the ‘full gospel’), or being an encouragement to true believers (provided they understand that there is not going to be a 'great' Church at the end-time, but indeed a great falling away' and a small despised persecuted remnant left - the filth and offscouring of the earth, of whom the world is not worthy! though through the ages it has varied from Noah's 8 souls to Elijah's 7000, none escaping their share of tribulation).
  
  However, brother, I can understand you getting a blessing from it, especially as you balance it out with what we know to be God's saving truth in these last days.
  
  Thank you for the opportunity of hearing it, Alan.
  
  What else do you have?
  
  With Christian love to you and the family.
  
  Brother: Donald Wilson