Denis Hayes publications and poetry

01/08/2026

QUOTATION FROM CS LEWIS about Jesus Christ

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God". That is the one thing we must NOT say.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell.

YOU MUST MAKE YOUR CHOICE. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.

You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
(Capitals added)

31/07/2026

FACTS AND FEELINGS
Despite a tendency among intellectuals to dismiss the message of salvation in Christ, it is also the case that the present day obsession with ‘being offended’ by someone’s remark, opinion or stance on an issue has acted as an antidote to an objective presentation of the facts.
The contrariness of dismissing verifiable truth in favour of a light touch approach to avoid injuring anyone’s feelings has influenced the style and content of Gospel preaching, notably in moderating Biblical teaching about what were once core issues about sinfulness, Heaven and Hell, satanic influences and eternal damnation.
Speakers are increasingly cautious about preaching the full Gospel for fear of alarming and upsetting the hearers and inviting accusations of arrogance or inducing unnecessary alarm. Partly as a result of this tentativeness, aspects of teaching, scholarly debate and discussion about sensitive subjects have been largely avoided.
The revealed truth of the Bible may be dismissed by secularists as being too extreme if it generates inner conflict in people’s minds. While deliberate attempts to cause offence will be rightly criticised, attempts to substitute the need for faith in Christ with a more palatable alternative, thereby avoiding the possibility of irritating listeners, inevitably leads to a diluting of the full Gospel message.
Jesus is both a ‘rock of offence’ (Romans 9:33, KJV) over which people stumble and fall; or the ‘rock of our salvation’ (Psalm 89:26, KJV) upon which each person may boldly stand.
Christians must never be afraid to proclaim the love of Christ, the need for having faith in him and the risks attached to rejecting his offer of eternal life, simply to ease consciences.
Provoking interest in the truth of the Gospel, whatever the person’s initial reaction, is the means by which the Holy Spirit convicts and saves.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes (2024), available on-line.

26/06/2026

Time to protect marriage, not some pseudo-form of it! Please sign.

Marriage works. Don't let the Governmen…

02/04/2026

THE SIN BEARER: A sketch by Denis Hayes (free to use)
CHARACTERS: A Traveller and a Stranger

A traveller (male or female) staggers across the stage carrying a heavy suitcase, stops, wipes off the sweat, staggers on, stops again and sits down despondently…

TRAVELLER: My feet are killing me and my shoulders are aching. I’m sure my arms are longer than when I started! {Holds out two arms making one look longer than the other}

A STRANGER (male) appears from the side, stops, looks at the traveller, smiles and walks towards him/her…

STRANGER: Hello, my friend. You seem to be struggling with that heavy load. Where are you heading?

TRAVELLER: {Looking & sounding slightly irritated} Where am I heading? What sort of a question is that! I’m doing the same as everyone else… journeying through life and doing the best I can.

STRANGER: Yes, I know that you are on life’s journey but tell me what is weighing you down so much. You look exhausted.

TRAVELLER: {Defensively} So would you be worn out if you had to carry such a burden all the time. {Sits up} Anyway, who are you? And where is your suitcase?

STRANGER: {Gently} I don’t possess such a thing. In fact, I am someone who helps other people to carry their burdens.

TRAVELLER: {Looking puzzled} Help them carry their burdens! But you can’t carry other people’s burdens! We all have to carry our own!

STRANGER: Well, you’re correct in saying that we all carry our burdens but you are wrong when you say that we must carry them alone.

TRAVELLERr: {Thoughtfully} Well, fair enough! Friends and relatives can help, I suppose… but they’ve got their own burdens, so there’s a limit to what they can do! Anyway, most of them can’t be bothered!

STRANGER: What you say is true… but I have a better idea about dealing with your burdens: Let me carry them for you.

TRAVELLER: {Stands up with hands on hips and shakes a finger at the stranger} Now, look here, whatever your name is; you know as well as I do that we are all landed with the same problem and we simply have to fight & persevere to get rid of the burden or at least learn to put up with it. Don’t come to me with your fancy ideas!

STRANGER: {Calmly} I understand what you say… but tell me … what is in the case that makes it so heavy and hard to bear? Please show me.

TRAVELLER: Yes, I’ll show you, alright {Undoes the case and, with difficulty, lifts out a weight with the word SIN written on it and thumps it on the floor} Look, this is the problem… It’s called “sin” and it’s so heavy to carry through life.

STRANGER: {Gently} If you place your trust in me, I will carry it for you and you won’t be burdened by it any longer.

TRAVELLER: {Proudly} I don’t need your help, thank you very much! I prefer to rely on myself and do things in my own way.

STRANGER: Well, if you can deal with sin yourself, why haven’t you already done so?

TRAVELLER: {Aggressively} Don’t you think I haven’t tried? Watch! {Lifts up the weight with difficulty and tries to destroy it} There! See! Nothing happens! It’s too strong!

STRANGER: Yet you still say that you will deal with the sin and cares of this world through your own efforts?

TRAVELLER: {Less sure than before} Yes, yes, I’ll find a way eventually, if I keep trying. I’m sure I can… {Tails off, pauses and looks hopefully at the Stranger} Are you truthfully saying that you will carry my burden of sin?

STRANGER: If you trust me and believe that I am the WAY, the TRUTH & the LIFE, we will walk the path of life together and I can guarantee that you will be free from the burden of sin forever.

TRAVELLER: {Looking pleased} You mean that I won’t ever have any problems or difficulties again?

STRANGER: {Laughing gently} Oh, I cannot promise you a trouble-free life… but you will have the assurance that all will be well, whatever the circumstances… because I will give you a bright future and a certain hope.

TRAVELLER: {Thinks carefully then slowly} Okay, I agree. {Suspiciously} But what’s the catch? What’s the price? How much do you want for carrying my sin?

STRANGER: {Smiling} There isn’t a catch! … And I have already paid the price when I died upon a cross at a place called Calvary. I took your sin upon myself and crucified it. Whoever believes in me will be set free from the consequences of sin forever.

TRAVELLER: {Puzzled} But I still don’t get it. How come you took my sin upon yourself?
Why you! Who are you, exactly?

STRANGER: Just call me… (Places the weight inside the case with ease then puts a hand on the traveller’s shoulder)… the “Sin Bearer”.

They slowly walk together off-stage, ‘silently’ talking, the traveller carrying the case.

28/03/2026

IT IS A THING MOST WONDERFUL by William Walsham How

It is a thing most wonderful, almost too wonderful to be,
That God’s own Son should come from heaven
And die to save a child like me.

And yet I know that it is true: He chose a poor and humble lot,
And wept and toiled, and mourned and died,
For love of those who loved him not.

I cannot tell how he would love a child so weak and full of sin;
His love must be most wonderful, if he could die my love to win.

I sometimes think about the cross and shut my eyes
And try to see the cruel nails and crown of thorns,
And Jesus crucified for me.

But even could I see him die
I could but see a little part of that great love which, like a fire,
Is always burning in his heart.

It is most wonderful to know his love for me so free and sure;
But ’tis more wonderful to see my love for him so faint and poor.

And yet I want to love thee, Lord,
O light the flame within my heart,
And I will love thee more and more
Until I see thee as thou art.

24/03/2026

REJECTING OR ACCEPTING CHRIST
The sad fact that many people choose to ignore or reject Christ is testament to the fact that even though salvation comes through hearing and receiving the Gospel message, it is equally possible to reject or dismiss it as irrelevant or untrue.

The Apostle Mark records the stark choice that Jesus sets before us: ‘Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved but anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned’ (16:15, NLT). The inclusion of the word ‘refuses’ reveals that every mature person is faced with a choice to accept or reject what Jesus says. Refusal, however, has grim consequences; namely, carrying the burden of sin throughout life and facing an uncertain eternal destiny.

Jesus spelled out the situation with glorious candour: “I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life’ (John 5:24, CEV).

It will be noted that Jesus refers to the fact that believers have ‘already gone from death into life’, which denotes that their eternal life begins here-and-now, thus confounding the suggestion that someone can subsequently lose his or her salvation, though sincerely held opinions differ on the matter.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024).

16/03/2026

BEYON HUMAN INTELLECT
I have highlighted the principle that no one can become a genuine disciple of Jesus based solely on embracing an intellectual argument. Even thoughtfully prepared, conviction-led preaching and testimony is not sufficient in itself to bring about repentance and convert a person.

Nevertheless, while accepting that human effort will not in itself cause people to commit their lives to Christ, God the Holy Spirit uses both preaching and testimony to bring about belief and trust in Christ as Saviour.

God has also graciously used unconventional means to reach groups of people who have never been exposed to established forms of evangelism or have resisted being persuaded.

There are numerous well-attested examples of people turning to Christ after having dreams and visions, as well as through reading Spirit-empowered Christian literature...

The sad fact that many people choose to ignore or reject Christ is testament to the fact that even though salvation comes through hearing and receiving the Gospel message, it is equally possible to reject or dismiss it as irrelevant or untrue.

The Apostle Mark records the stark choice that Jesus sets before us: ‘Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved but anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned’ (Mark 16:15, NLT).

The inclusion of the word ‘refuses’ reveals that every mature person is faced with a choice to accept or reject what Jesus says. Refusal, however, has grim consequences; namely, carrying the burden of sin throughout life and facing an uncertain eternal destiny.

Extract taken from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024).

09/03/2026

A RIGHTEOUS WOMAN: Extracts from Proverbs 31, NLT…

She opens her arms to the poor� and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;� for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;� she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,� and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household� and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;� her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
‘Many women do noble things,� but you surpass them all.’

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;� but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

04/03/2026

EMPLOYING GODLY WISDOM
It is understandable if some Christians are reluctant to discuss their faith with someone of superior intellect for fear they may struggle to respond adequately and thereby do more harm than good.

The key principles to invoke when we are witnessing in any situation but especially when dealing with intellectually superior minds are fourfold:

1. Rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak.
2. Talk about the things we know and draw from our own experience of God at work in our lives.
3. Admit when we don’t know the answer, as we can’t know everything or we would be God!
4. At the same time, agree to find out more about perplexing issues and later share the knowledge and insight with the person concerned.

Regardless of the person’s attitude—smug, supercilious, engaging or sincere—continue to show the love of Christ and pray for his or her salvation. Sometimes, the most stubborn sceptic is the most vulnerable to the overwhelming power of the Spirit. It is the casual, vaguely disinterested scholarly person who provides the greatest challenge.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024)

23/02/2026

HYMNS BORNE OF TRAGEDY
Have you heard of these people?

Horatio Spafford / Edmund Sears /
George Mattheson / Henry Francis Lyte

They all composed wonderful hymns from out of tragic circumstances…

Horatio Spafford: It is well with my soul
Written in 1873 after losing his four daughters in the Ville du Havre shipwreck. Spafford penned these lyrics while passing the spot in the Atlantic where they died.

Edmund Sears: It came upon the midnight clear
Written by Sears in 1849 during a time of personal illness and depression, compounded by the violence of the Mexican-American War and European revolutions.

George Mattheson: O love that will not let me go
Written by Mattheson in 1882, who was blind, on the evening of his sister's marriage, which brought back the pain of his own fiancée abandoning him after he lost his sight.

Henry Francis Lyte: Abide with me
Written in 1847, as Lyte was dying of tuberculosis, serving as a desperate plea for God's presence in his final moments of life.

Christians are not exempt from suffering , injustice and heartache… but see what Christ endured… (Isaiah 53: 3-10)

We are now in the period of time referred to as LENT remembering how Christ spent 40 days alone in the wilderness under the severest pressure imaginable… He was abandoned in every sense of the word… yet emerged victorious, as He quoted Scripture and banished the devil from His presence… An example for all of us!

Does trouble in our lives mean that God has abandoned us? No! See Romans 8: 35-39 (NLT) which makes it clear that he never leaves or forsakes us.