Alistair Begg :: Personal Life of the Preacher / Discussion Panel

[jeffsbored13]

i'm done. God bless mr. begg for his message. i just think a totally different approach is needed if we are to gain the ground we need b4 the beast shows. and btw, that is still a LONG way off, though i know no one knows the time, too much still has to happen. way too much. i hope the rapture is real, though im not convinced. in the mean time, we need to bring in the kids (teens), and the best way to do that is to use science n logic. i just don't see enough of that, anywhere. done. God bless u!

[jeffsbored13]

n now for the big one. i'm so disappointed that none of these guys are talking about what's really going on in the world. im not a conspiracy theorist, but facts are facts, and the evidence is overwhelming that not only are our goverments not looking out for the good of the people, but the big companies are doing the most evil things imaginable. and it's proven that the ecumenical movement will b the church of satan. no mention on bot. just like no shows about creationism to bring in the kids??

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Government corruption and corporate corruption are nothing new at all. Governmental and corporate corruption have been around since there have been governments and corporations. And, according to the Bible, it will continue thus until Jesus returns to the earth. Everybody already knows government and corporate corruption exist. (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 What most people, especially Christians, don't know or are all too willing to ignore is that spiritual corruption in the form of sin exists and it will send people straight to hell if it is not corrected through Christ's atonement. It's far more important to get that corrected than it is to spend time trying to correct governments and corporations or warn people against them.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 It's far more important for souls to be warned against and saved from the second death in hell, which is for all eternity, than for them to be saved from governments and corporations, which are temporal at best.

[jeffsbored13]

but it seems too many are sending their $ to asia n africa, which is good- they deserve the Word as much as anyone; it's our mission. but charity starts at home. this is why Islam is growing faster than christianity. i've seen it in the poor neighborhoods here in st. louis. they help the locals, n i just don't see churches making the same ovations to the poor here in amerika. i'm not being mean at all, but the whole camel through the needles eye saying comes to mind. that n the love of $ one too

[jeffsbored13]

i was really let down when i found mr. beggs website, n it's mostly an online store. i love his preaching, but i just get uncomfortable when they ask for $, because those who are true christians will give without asking, so asking just convinces those easily influenced, and those are usually the folks who can't afford to give, n do so out of guilt or not seeing the fact they sell airtime to advertisers, like all radio. i know $ is needed for missions, and i know missions are important.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Actually, you can download quite a few of his messages for free. Missions aren't important; they're absolutely vital.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 In fact most of the messages on there that I've found can be downloaded for free.

[jeffsbored13]

things are bothering me though, n i would like feedback. first off, mr. bot. i think he's sincere, but how come no one has told him that mentioning race in relation to everyone he mentions who isn't white makes him sound a bit racist. i don't think he is, but it gives ammo to those looking to discount him. now, i've found that fully a third of the programming is spent with various shows asking for $. i can't tell you what a turn-off this is. it's radio. they make $ on commercials, as all radio.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Not all radio is commercially funded. Most Christian radio stations are listener funded. That is, all or nearly all of the funding the station receives comes from donations from their listeners. I don't know about all the stations that Truth for Life--Alistair Begg's radio program--is on, but on the one where I listen to him, that station is one of the ones that is listener funded. Likewise, his radio ministry is listener funded.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Also, yeah, I can see how mentioning race may appear to be a bad thing, but really it isn't. I can't really explain it, but it isn't bad. People who are discerning would be able to tell if what he said was mean-spirited or not and anyone who would use that as ammo against him would only be doing so as a side attack because they can't successfully come against the truth of what he is preaching. That truth that he preaches I have found to be rock solid.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Rock solid theologically, that is. And if--or rather, since--what he is preaching is Biblically sound and God approves it and blesses it, then any attack that comes against him from the side like that will not succeed.

[jeffsbored13]

ok. im a recently returned lifelong christian. i've just discovered this guy n ravi too on the radio. i like their style a lot, n i think more should use these type of approaches to the Word. now, the bad part, and please, i'm not trying to offend anyone.as a child of the 70s, i was there in the 80s when all the televangelists fell, n remember how it jaded me at a rebellious time in my life. now heres the questions, if anyone feels like responding. ok, i've found bot radio, and listen for hours.

[jeffsbored13]

wow. i just discovered this guy on the radio, and he blows me away. that said, i must admit to being a new/lifelong christian; meaning that i've always believed in God, but i backslid, so much so that i'm still not in a good place, but i'm trying. some things i would like some clarification on. i'm not accusing anyone of anything, but as a child of the 70s, i was there in the 80s when all the televangelists fell. it affected me. now that i'm 'back', i must say that i'm concerned about things.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 I know that with all those answers I've posted to your questions, it must seem as though I'm picking on you or something to that effect. Please rest assured that I'm not. When I was a new believer--and yes, I believe you are still pretty new--I had some of the same concerns. But the Holy Spirit has helped me to get to a point where I don't worry about it much anymore because I know that no matter how much I worry, God is still in control and my worry will do no good.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 In fact, I have learned that that kind of worry will actually shut me down and hinder whatever ministry I do have going. It's one of satan's favorite tools, for that very reason.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 And concerning what you said about "so much so that I'm still not in a good place, but I'm trying", let me tell you this: You can never go so far away from God that His Arm is not longer still. You can never go anywhere that God is not there and can bring you back if you want Him to. (Read Psalm 139:7-18) (Cont'd...)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 The only way you cannot be brought back to repentance and into God's grace and mercy is as long as you refuse to repent and you refuse His grace and mercy. I hope you have not done that. I hope that you are listening to God's call on your life and you are repenting of your sins, just like I am.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 And as for being "still not in a good place, but I'm trying", this video to which I'm going to direct you--yes, it's by Pastor Alistair Begg--will help you, as it helped me, to realize that He justifies me not by what I do, not by what has been done in me, but by what He has done FOR me. It's only six minutes long and it's titled "Justified By What's Been Done For Us - Alistair Begg". Put that title in the Youtube search box and you'll find it and be able to watch it.

[jeffsbored13]

@rickyfan3956 thanks- trying to load it now. wow. i've been reading a few of these, and yours, and i'm just surprised how many people on here seem so normal. not all, mind you, but more than on most vids. mr. begg appeals to folks with a brain, i guess. theres just so many 'christians' i see that are doing things that make the rest of us look bad, as it always seems they're the ones who make their 'christianity' so obvious. i try n not judge, as i'm new to this, but it's hard, it's so important.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Trust me, hon, if there is anything good about me, it only comes from God working in me. Without that, there is NOTHING good about me.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 You're right, though; we are not to judge people to condemn them. We are only to judge between right and wrong and to speak the truth in love, not condemnation. When we are tempted to condemn other people for their sins--past or present, repented of or unrepented of--or when we are tempted to respond in kind when someone mistreats us, we need to do as I heard Pastor Begg say on the radio the other day (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 and ask ourselves, "What if God were to deal with ME for MY sin in that way?" In other words, what if God were to deal with ME for MY sins against Him and others in the manner in which I have dealt with others for their sins against me? It's a sobering thought.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 As far as other Christians who, as you say, try to make their Christianity so obvious...man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. (1st Samuel 16:7) And Jesus talks about those kinds of people in Matthew 6:1-5 and He says that those people have their reward in full, right now, because all they were after anyways was the praise of men and not the approval of God. Well, they got the praise of men, so they had all the reward they would ever get.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 But keep in mind that your perception of some of these people may only be just that: your perception. And sometimes perceptions can be a bit flawed or skewed, depending on a lot of factors. So don't be too quick to judge. Ask God for discernment (James 1:4) and then only judge between right and wrong. And pray for those people, too, because if they are erring, they need all the prayers they can get.

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 When I was in music school in Texas, something happened that parallels what you were talking about when you said "[they] make their Christianity so obvious." There were a lot of good musicians in my school who'd had various accomplishments and successes under their belts and it seemed that, at one point, there was a lot of bragging and chest-thumping going around in the music department, which is a bad thing because it breeds resentment, LOTS of resentment. (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 So, during one of the weekly meetings of the Music Students' Association, one of our professors--Tim Danielson, a meek, seemingly timid man who, it seemed to me, hardly ever said two words to any of us unless he had to--got up in front of everyone and announced that he had something to say about some goings-on in the music department that were bothering him. (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffisbored13 And the first thing he brought up was all of the sickening displays of bragging and chest-thumping going on in the music department. And he pointed out that if a person truly IS a good musician, he or she won't have to brag about it. His or her music will speak for itself. (THAT shut a lot of us up, I think, because it's true!) (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 Similarly, if a person truly is a Christian, they will not have to brag about their Christianity. Instead, you will recognize them by the fruits they produce. (Galatians 5:19-26) And, in truth, a Christian SHOULD recognize that there is NOTHING, in and of themselves, over which they can brag. We are all sinners and there is NOTHING good about us! (Matthew 19:17a, Mark 10:18, Romans 3:9-18) (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 If there is anything good coming from one who is in Christ, it is only because God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are working within and through that individual. And, again, if that IS happening, (Cont'd)

[rickyfan3956]

@jeffsbored13 said Christian won't have to brag to anyone about it; the Holy Spirit will make it readily apparent by causing the believer to produce good fruits. (Luke 6:43) Instead, if we must boast about something, let us boast in our God and in the Lord Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:2,11)

[rickyfan3956]

What a gift God has given this man! I thank God that he (Alistair Begg) obeyed the call of God on his life!

[meinaim]

the sermon was awesome good, the talking and joking afterwards, just waste of time.

[terriergal]

it's too bad about Macdonald, hearing all this good teaching from Begg and then 1-2 years later teaming up with Mark Driscoll and the even worse Steven Furtick (abuser of the flock).

[pauljohn788]

I have listen to Alistair on Christian radio. Now "in person". What a lovely representaive of Jesus. He is a blessing to us all!

[sneedledout]

rubbish, filth, slime, boo

[MRKetter81]

@sneedledout troll

[mamamia5130]

Great series and blessed to have this resource.

Ummmmm....am I the only one that thinks Pastor Bob's facial expressions remind them of Ellen Degeneres? Just a tad????

[markeich1963]

Thank God for men such as these.....

[detzold1]

"What people need most from us is personal holiness..." the key thought is the whole talk! Powerful....

[RevConwell]

Alistair is pretty much my favorite teacher of the Word. His podcasts are downloaded everyday to my iPod, and I never miss an opportunity to be strengthened, rebuked, and challenged through his teachings. Thanks for sharing this!

[kittyprincess394]

where did this take place?? I attend the church that he preaches at every sunday and I really like how he teaches us about the bible. Once I hit middle/high school age, I started attending sancuary instead of youth group. God has given Alistair a gift (I'm agreeing with multihannah1995) :)

[Hankandthetanktops]

thank you for this post. i am very thankful that God speaks through the vessel of Alistair so that i may be able to obtain HIS word with clarity. both through Begg and Todd Friel* (thats a wink to him as well)

[stop08it]

such a great preacher. even when i was not a christian and would overhear his messages on my mother's radio, he peaked my interest. He never sugarcoated anything.

[MolterFamily]

This guy is awesome! I can't wait to see more of his involvement with Calvary Chapel.

[christimacc]

It's the deadpan, British sarcasm (Yes, I know he's a Scotsman), that makes me laugh. And it flows so well when he wants to emphasize a point, bringing it home and making it stick.

[AsaphProject]

Anytime you can combine the Gospel of Jesus with the sound of Braveheart you've got a winning combination.

[MolterFamily]

@InTheSpirit12 I've never heard Alistair Begg say that he is a Calvinist.

[InTheSpirit12]

@MolterFamily

I thought he was a calvinist but you are correct he has never claimed it out right, so I recant my last statement. I believe he is a reformed baptist from what I have read. I know he is a strong advocate of reformed theology and I love his preaching.

God bless

[MultiHannah1995]

Excellent preacher/teacher. God certainly uses this man...He has given Alistair quite a gift.

[Azishome]

@MultiHannah1995 Come on, Brother. I am a Pre-Trib, Premillinneal Dispensationalist. And I am an Alistair Begg student of the Gospel.

I will listen to his Eschatology, and he is so right on so many points.

But when we disagree, I thank God that the Gospel is being preached.

I hope you are being humorous and not contentious.

[MultiHannah1995]

@Azishome I also hope that I can be humorous and not contentious. But, I fail at that regularly. If I disagree with Alistair it is only on minor points and never on the core important items. His "bedside" manner is very much appreciated.

[jesuaflores]

good preacher