Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Or maybe we should say, “Pray for the true happiness of St. Patrick to return today!”
My friend, Evangelist Adam Fields, is a native Irishman. We have fun trying to copy his cool Irish brogue! But the bigger element of Adam’s life to copy is his fervent desire for his native people to return to the holiness of God! This is what St. Patrick was all about! You see, St. Patrick . . . well, let’s get this straight from the the Irishman himself. Here’s what Adam said about St. Patrick and the day named after him.
Ireland was once known for its saints and scholars. Today, it’s known for its jokers and drunkards. The serpents that St. Patrick chased out, the Irish have once again welcomed in with open arms. We need a reformation and a St. Patrick is needed today more than ever before.
Patrick was a young British man that was kidnapped by bandits, taken to Ireland and sold as a slave around 400 AD. He was able to escape slavery after some years and stowed away on a ship to France. It was in France he heard the call of God to go back to Ireland to preach the Gospel. One night he had a dream that the people of Ireland were calling him to come and preach the Gospel to them, and he believed this was God’s call on his life.
After some years of study and growth, Patrick did in fact return to Ireland and preach the Gospel—the good news of freedom from sin through Jesus Christ—to the very people who had once enslaved him. Patrick used the three leaf shamrock to explain the trinity to the people of Ireland and converted the chieftains and kings to Christ until the whole nation became Christian.
Patrick is an example of a true evangelist. Though not an Irishman himself, he made one of the biggest impacts on Irish History of anyone. It was in the wake of the revival started by Patrick’s evangelism that Ireland became known for its saints and scholars. The “Christian” people of Ireland turned from their pagan ways and came to respect the study and understanding of the Word of God and it changed their culture. If Patrick knew how he is remembered today with drunkenness and sinfulness, he would weep.
Ireland must repent. The church is riddled with politics, money hungry, egotistical leaders, and abuse that has been covered up. Their god is their belly. The people are not flocking to churches because they see through the suit wearing charlatans. Not so with our Evangelist Patrick! He is one that must be studied as he accomplished more than most preachers ever did. He won souls to Christ, sought the face of Christ and honored the Trinity. I’m proud of this heritage but the corruption of the church and our culture is sickening. Oh that the Irish would come back to the Bible and flee dead religion! Oh that the Irish would have a Patrick to resist the serpent—the devil—and watch him flee in Jesus name!
While I lived in Ireland, I devoted my all to preaching in the streets. May we see a return on thousands of Gospel seeds that were planted. A reformation is needed today more than ever and a Patrick is needed today more than ever before. God bless Ireland and may He send a mighty revival so the name of Jesus is revered again. We can take encouragement from Patrick’s witness that the Gospel is powerful. The Gospel affects every aspect of life. It changes our minds and it also changes our lives! The preaching of the Gospel changes nations!
Tiocfaidh ár lá
Evangelist Adam Field
Wow! No wonder Adam’s preaching here in America hits the mark! Oh that America would return to the Holiness of God that her forefathers believed and taught. Our nation was founded on the very principles that St. Patrick sacrificed to preach—holy lives, dependent upon a Holy God and the ultimate authority of His Word. This is what grants people freedom.
Adam’s condemnation of sin in his native land is forthright, and the same could be said about America. Yet, we are grateful that there are still some people preaching the Gospel like Adam and like our Irish friend Evangelist Bates, still sticking by the stuff at 79 years of age ministering to the Irish people. They both will tell you, “Ireland needs revival!” And so does our native land of America!
So wear green and remember the shamrock’s picture of our triune God. And tell someone, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” while you breathe a prayer for repentance, revival and reformation for both Ireland and America!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Eric
