Ray Comfort

Best-selling Christian author Ray Comfort answered web-conference question

Ray Comfort's ministry has been commended by Franklin Graham, Ravi Zacharias, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Josh McDowell, Dr. Norman Geisler, Bill Gothard, David Wilkerson, Joni Eareckson Tada, and many other Christian leaders. He has written for Billy Graham's Decision magazine and Bill Bright's Worldwide Challenge.

His literature is used by the Moody Bible Institute, Leighton Ford Ministries, Campus Crusade For Christ, Institute in Basic Life Principles, and the Institute for Scientific & Biblical Research. He has also written more than 60 books and is a regular platform speaker at Southern Baptist State Conferences. His videos were seen by more than 30,000 pastors in 1992, and he has spoken in more than 700 churches, from almost every denomination.

In 1989, he was invited to leave his home country of New Zealand and become the Pastor of Evangelism with Hosanna Chapel in the city of Bellflower, in Southern California. The purpose of the invitation was simply to bring the Way of the Master teaching to the Church of the United States.

More to that Ray Comfort, along with Kirk Cameron co-hosts “The Way of the Master,” program that has already won seven awards, and is now on 31 networks, and is in 70 countries. It will debut on TBN on September 15th.

Ray lives with his wife Sue in Southern California, and they have three grown children, Jacob, Rachel and Daniel.

Dear Ray, How did you find the Lord? Thanks, Sebastian (Sebastian, Philadelphia, US)

He found me, when I was on a surfing trip way back in 1972. Matthew 5:27-28 slew me and brought me to the cross. Never been the same since.

Hello, Ray. Praise God for your TV programs that teach to share the Gospel! They became a big blessing for me personally and a great encouragement to share the Good News with the unbelievers. Please, tell about your church, what ministry you carry, how many people are in your church? Do you have small groups and what programs do you practice in church? (Sergey, Russia)

I don’t have a “church,” but I do attend one in Huntington Beach, California. I think there are about 700 people.

Many Christian colleges have used you literature. But how do you personally stand against lust, how do you fight against your own will? (Mnemonika)

I’m not sure how many colleges use our literature, but we sell 22 million gospel tracts each year, and I’m sure a lot of these find their way onto college campuses. I fight lust by walking in the fear of the Lord. When you know that God is holy and that He sees everything you do, you are careful with your eyes and the imagination of the heart. If something catches my eye that shouldn’t, I quickly do a John 1:9.

Dear Ray, thank you for your ministry and for making it so much easy to share the Gospel. How did you find your destiny? What helped you to understand what the right way to go is? God bless you! (Melissa, Los Angeles, USA)

Your destiny is in tied up Mark 16:15. Don’t wait to find it. Make it happen. People are going to Hell--reach out to them today (see Jude 1:23).

Mr. Ray, do you enjoy Way of the Master yourself? Can you tell of any funny stories or accidents that happened during the filming of the program? (I guess there were plenty of them!) Thank you! (Andrey, Toronto, Canada)

I LOVE watching the program. I can hardly believe that a TV program teaching people how to reach the lost is being aired on 31 networks and going to 70 countries. I have to pinch myself. Lots of funny things happened. We have included bloopers on Season 3--see www.wayofthemaster3.com

Hello, Mr. Ray! What is most important to you – the ministry in your church, Way of the Master or being a best-selling author? And besides all that you have quite a big family… Is it hard to balance all that? (Anna, Germany)

I have a family of three grown kids, and eight grandchildren. Not hard to balance at all. I do a lot of praying and writing between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM.

Dear Ray! What are your experiences from working with Kirk Cameron? Are you good friends? Have there been any conflicts between you? God bless! Thank you. (Christian, Sacramento, USA)

Kirk and I are the best of friends. No conflicts at all. We have been careful never to let anything ruin our friendship and ministry.

Dear Ray, was it hard to leave your hometown and move to a different country? What where your first thoughts when you came to the United States? (Adeline, Paris, France)

It was hard to leave New Zealand. I cried my eyes out when I was praying about it and knew it was a reality, and the day we left, it wasn’t that difficult because I had dealt with it in prayer. Besides, we have email, phones, and I have been back 14 times over the last 20 years.

The fourth commandment is that we observe the Sabbath, is it truly on Sunday or is the Sabbath still the Sabbath of the Old Testament (Rayfield, Raleigh, USA)

There is no command anywhere in the New Testament for Christians to keep the Sabbath holy. Early Christians meet on the first day of the week, and we are told not to let anyone tell us what day to keep.

Hello, dear Ray! How do you spend time with your family? How old are your kids? Was it hard to raise them all? Thank you. (Dana, United Kingdom)

We had family devotions every day. They are now in their 30’s. I traveled in the weekends and spent the whole week days with the three kids. Loved it. I have a book that gives details--How to Bring Your Children to Christ and Keep them There.

What are your plans for the future? Any new projects? (Alexander, Kiev, Ukraine)

I have a few new books coming out soon and we have started work on the Fourth Season of our TV program.

Are you in good relationship with Slavic churches in the United States? Are there any Russian pastors who you are friends with? (Shepetovka, Sergey, Ukraine)

I don’t think I know any. But I do like stroganoff.

What do you think about Hollywood and its bad influence on the society all around the world? Do you think Christians really can change something about it? And do those prayers for Hollywood stars really help? God bless! (Kirill, Moscow, Russia)

I wrote a book called Hollywood Be Thy Name that deals with that exact subject.

Do you have opportunities to share the Gospel with other actors? Is everyone in the team filming Way of the Master a Christian? (Rach, USA)

Kirk has more opportunities than I do. Yes, everyone in our immediate team are Christians, although we do hire lighting and sound crews that aren’t (we make sure we witness to them).

Was it hard for you to start evangelize your friends and relatives? (Nikita, Lvov, Ukraine)

It was, and it is. I would rather witness to 1,000 angry atheists than family.

Were you born in Christian family? How did you come to know Jesus personally?(Ludmila, Russia)

I was born into a non-practicing Jewish family. You could write a book about it (I did)--Out of the Comfort Zone.

What are your favorite things to do during your free time? Do you get to travel a lot? (Aya, Germany)

Eat cereal and be with my wife Sue. I dislike travel (I have been on 2,000 flights--had enough :). I love being at home.

What is the best way to bring to church my mother’s husband who is sure that his good works will save him and says he doesn’t need God? Should I just pray for him and leave it to God or continue to talk to him about it, although he doesn’t really listen… Thank you for your ministry and may God bless you and your family! (Sveta, Kiev, Ukraine)

Keep praying and speaking to him. Listen to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” freely on line www.livingwaters.com

Mr. Ray, why are Christian television and Christian movies are so boaring and fall short of Hollywood films? (Alex, New York, USA)

Lack of money--bad scripts. Got $20 million?--I have a great script.

Who are going to personally vote for? (Peter, California, USA)

I would never vote for any person who advocates the murder of children in the womb. Never.

How do you feel about the fact that you have spoken in more than 700 churches of different denominations? Do Christians of different denominations have good relationship between each other or they still keep “fighting”? (Denis, Kiev, Ukraine)

I have learned that every denomination thinks that they are right (otherwise they wouldn’t be in that particular denomination), and they all have different beliefs. It’s taught me never to be adamant about anything but the necessities of salvation.

Considering all the wars and hurricanes, growing depravity and hatred even in churches can you say that the Second Coming is going to be very soon? (Brother George, California, USA)

Not long to go. We have to reach out to the lost while there is still time.

How did you meet your wife? Is your marriage happy? What three things would you suggest for keeping the marriage strong and happy? Thank you! (Emily, UK)

We met in a bank in the late 1960’s. We work together every day--and are the best of friends. We’ve been married for 38 years (to each other) and we are more in love with each other now than when we met. Three keys: 1. Prayer and read the Word together daily, 2. communicate about everything, 3.make 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 the recipe for the marriage.

What do you think about those horrible violent attacks on Christians in India? Can Hollywood stars help draw attention to this and influence the world community to do something about it? (Maniana, USA)

The attacks are terrible--we need to pray for the Indian Church.

Do you consider yourself a successful person? If yes, in what areas? May God bless you! (Vladimir, Ukraine)

I consider success as being faithful to whatever God has called you. I have tried to be faithful, and I look forward to hearing those words “Well done, you good and faithful (not necessarily “successful”) servant.”

Dear Ray, I just would like to thank you for your ministry! May God bless you and your family and help you in anything you do! (Maria, USA)

Thank you for your kind encouragement. Please keep us in prayer.

What was the reason Way of the Master began its existence? For how many years has it been filmed? Thank you! (Natasha, USA)

Living Waters (my ministry) has been going since 1974. The Way of the Master television program began in 2002. We created it after Kirk preached a message of mine called “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” and our website got over one million hits the next day. You can freely hear that message on www.livingwaters.com top left of the Home Page.

What is your experience from working with Billy Graham, Bill Bright and other famous Christian ministers?

I have never worked with Mr. Billy Graham, although Franklin Graham has kindly commended our ministry. I have written for Bill Bright, been on his wife’s radio program, and Kirk and I once had breakfast with him at his house.

It is very hard for me to just go out on the streets and start to evangelize any person I see. Can I just “be the light to this world” in my life and show people Christ through what I do and how I live? And share Christ with my close friends and family without going out to the streets? It seems to me that there should be a special gift of Evangelist to go out on the streets… What do you think?

That’s like saying that there are people starving to death outside your window, and you don’t have the gift of feeding them. Do you care that people who dying in their sins are going to Hell? Does that concern you? Does it concern you enough to learn how to share your faith? We need your help. You are not going to be stoned to death, or burned at the stack. Don’t listen to your fears. Trust God. We need your help.

You are a famous minister of God and have reached quite a lot of success… But you certainly have done mistakes that you might regret today. What of them would you never repeat in the future? Thank you! (Eugene, UK)

I would never step into a room on TV with a stack of angry atheists, without making sure that we have some supportive Christians in the audience. When Kirk and I did a debate on ABC TV, one of the atheists involved was afraid of flying, so he couldn’t make it to California. So I decided that we would have to go to New York. Then he was afraid that Christians would shoot him to death, so he didn’t want a large crowd. So we decided that 100 people would be allowed in. He found 50 atheists, and I said to the pastor of the church in New York to invite his congregation (to make up the other 50). The pastor got his 50, and sadly they probably didn’t even know who Kirk and I were--so they were very passive. Meanwhile, the atheists were like angry, loud, drunken fans of the losing team at a super bowl. It made the debate extremely difficult. Next time, I will make sure it is an even match. That’s about my only regret.

TAGS: Ray Comfort Franklin Graham Ravi Zacharias John MacArthur David Jeremiah Josh McDowell Dr. Norman Geisler Bill Gothard David Wilkerson Joni Eareckson Tada Bill Bright Campus Crusade For Christ Hosanna Chapel Kirk Cameron Way of the Master

[09/14/2008]

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