Passive Evangelism?

Passive Evangelism?

“Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

The first time I heard this phrase it really bothered me, and I didn't really know why.  Something stirred in my spirit, and I asked "where did that come from?"  Since then, I have challenged a few who really like this phrase, asking them where in the Bible this is written or implied.  "Love your neighbor" and "live as an example" often come up.  Let's explore this statement together, along with it's origin, implied and true meanings, and its place in the Bible and Christian life.

Following is an excerpt from this website:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/11/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/

"GLENN T. STANTON

FactChecker: Misquoting Francis of Assisi

Note: FactChecker is a new monthly series in which Glenn

T. Stanton examines claims, myths, and

misunderstandings frequently heard in evangelical circles.

...One very clever and popular quote we often knock around

among ourselves is . . .

Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

It is always attributed to St. Francis of Assisi---founder of

the Franciscan Order---and is intended to say that

proclaiming the Gospel by example is more virtuous than

actually proclaiming with voice. It is a quote that has often

rankled me because it seems to create a useless dichotomy*

between speech and action. Besides, the spirit

behind it can be a little arrogant, implying that those

who "practice the Gospel" are more faithful to the faith

than those who preach it.

But here's the fact: Our good Francis never said such a

thing.

None of his disciples, early or later biographers have these

words coming from his mouth. It doesn't show up in any

of his writings. Not even close really. The closest comes

from his Rule of 1221, Chapter XII on how the Franciscans

should practice their preaching:

“No brother should preach contrary to the form and

regulations of the holy Church nor unless he has been

permitted by his minister . . . All the Friars . . . should

preach by their deeds.”

Essentially, make sure your deeds match your words.

While there's a nice and good sentiment in the statement

---be sure you live out the grace and truth of the Gospel-

--the notion as it is typically presented is neither practical,

nor faithful to the Gospel of Christ. It does not align with

St. Francis' own practice.

His first biographer, Thomas of Celeno, writing just three

years after Francis' death, quotes him instructing his co-

workers in the Gospel thusly,

“The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he

will later pour out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot

within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold.”

Mark Galli, senior managing editor at Christianity Today,

wrote a wonderful little book on Francis as well as a

clarifying brief article on the myth of this quote. He

explains that Francis was quite a preacher, actually more

along the lines of Jonathan Edwards or Billy Sunday than

most of those who misquote him would like to think. Galli

quotes Thomas' biography,

“His words were neither hollow nor ridiculous, but filled

with the power of the Holy Spirit, penetrating the marrow

of the heart, so that listeners were turned to great

amazement.”

Our man clearly spent a great deal of time using his words

when he preached, "sometimes preaching in up to five

villages a day, often outdoors. In the country, Francis often

spoke from a bale of straw or a granary doorway. In town,

he would climb on a box or up steps in a public building.

He preached to . . . any who gathered to hear the strange

but fiery little preacher from Assisi." He was sometimes so

animated and passionate in his delivery that "his feet

moved as if he were dancing."

Duane Liftin, president of Wheaton College,

recently addressed the trouble with this preach/practice

dichotomy in an important article. Of preaching the

Gospel in deed, he explains,

“It's simply impossible to preach the Gospel without words.

The Gospel is inherently verbal, and preaching the Gospel

is inherently verbal behavior.”

And the "deed" proclamation of the Gospel is not biblical

either. Paul asks the Church at Rome (Romans 10:14):

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not

believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have

not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

So next time you hear one of your brothers or sisters in

Christ use this quote to encourage or challenge you in

your labors for our faith, gently guide them from the land

of misinformation and make-believe into truth.

-----Glenn T. Stanton is the director of family formation studies

at Focus on the Family and the author of five books on

various aspects of the family, including his two most

recent, Secure Daughters Confident Sons, How Parents

Guide Their Children into Authentic Masculinity and

Femininity (Waterbrook, 2011), and The Ring Makes All the

Difference: The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and

the Strong Benefits of Marriage (Moody, 2011)."

DEFINITIONS:
*Dichotomy

Noun

A division or contrast between two things that are (or are

represented as being) opposed or entirely different.

**Preach

PREACH, v.i. [L. proeco, a crier; precor.]

1. To pronounce a public discourse on a religious subject,

or from a subject, or from a text of Scripture. The word is

usually applied to such discourses as are formed from a

text of Scripture. This is the modern sense of preach.

2. To discourse on the gospel way of salvation and exhort

to repentance; to discourse on evangelical truths and

exhort to a belief of them and acceptance of the terms of

salvation. This was the extemporaneous (Spoken or done without preparation) manner of

preaching pursued by Christ and his apostles. Mat 4:10.

Acts 10:14.

PREACH, v.t. To proclaim; to publish in religious

discourses.

What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the house-tops.

Mat 10.

The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the

meek. Isa 61.

***1. To inculcate (Instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction. )in public discourses.

I have preached righteousness in the great congregations.

Psa 40.

To preach Christ or Christ crucified, to announce Christ as

the only Savior, and his atonement as the only ground of

acceptance with God. 1 Cor 1.

...My heart is to empower the people of God to be bold

and effective, and to recognize error which strays (even slightly)
from God's word...

We must LIVE our lives as a light.

Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a

hill cannot be hidden.

Mat 5:15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a

basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the

house.

Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before

others, so that they may see your good works and give

glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We must be a good example.

Tit 2:7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good

works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,

Tit 2:8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so

that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing

evil to say about us.

We must obey the word, though it comes from the mouth of a human (even a hypocrite), because it is God's authority... but we are not to follow their bad examples.

Mat 23:3 (Jesus said to his disciples) “so practice and observe whatever they

(pharisees, who sit on Moses' seat) tell you--but not what

they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

Mat 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay

them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not

willing to move them with their finger.”

Godly living holds promises for now and later.

1Ti_4:8 for while bodily training is of some value,

godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for

the present life and also for the life to come.

Preaching is more powerful than life-example.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the

power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to

the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed

from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live

by faith." (Underline/bold added).

Php 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and

rivalry, but others from good will.

Php 1:16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am

put here for the defense of the gospel.

Php 1:17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not

sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

Php 1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in

pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I

rejoice.

(So it is not strictly necessary for love to be displayed, or a relationship to be present for the Gospel to have its power and effect.)

(There is a subtle line of error, practically undetected, in this "Assisi" quote. It says “If I live my life right, people will be drawn to Jesus without me saying a word.” But how can we, who are righteous by faith alone, lead anyone to God with our undeniably flawed lives, no matter how transformed they may be, without preaching about Jesus' saving grace? And how does one receive this grace? By faith and confession, according to the Word.)

More verification that the written Word of God is a vital ingredient.

2Ti 3:15 and how from childhood you have been

acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to

make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and

profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for

training in righteousness,

2Ti 3:17 that the man of God may be competent,

equipped for every good work.

2Ti_4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of

season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete

patience and teaching.

Tit 2:15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

The discomfort and awkwardness of sharing the Gospel is a battle we all must overcome.

We must recognize that Satan wants to keep us quiet and “seeker sensitive”.

His schemes usually appears as a half-truth, to introduce a minor

amount of error that through time and use becomes accepted in our minds as Scriptural

truth. We remember that Jesus said we would be hated by the world, because it does not know Him or the Father. He said we would be persecuted. He said that destructive doctrines and spirits would try to infiltrate the church. He warns us to remain sober and alert, testing the spirits, and that any spirit that denies Jesus Christ is of the anti-Christ.  I ask this:  Is "living out the Gospel" quietly without words acknowledging Jesus Christ?  Or is it saying "don't offend, don't push away...  no one likes a pushy Christian..."?

Mat 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and

put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for

my name's sake.

2Ti 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ

Jesus will be persecuted,

In fact, adhering to this un-Biblical principle HINDERS the

spread of the gospel, and even possibly delays the return

of Christ:

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be

proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to

all nations, and then the end will come.

So if we succumb to a "silent approach", we are potentially falling

into the trap of Satan who says "Shhhhhh, don't talk

about Jesus, we don't want offend anyone."

Rom 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in

your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith

that we proclaim);

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that

Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him

from the dead, you will be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified,

and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Rom 10:13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the

Lord will be saved."

Rom 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they

have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of

whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear

without someone preaching?

Rom 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are

sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those

who preach the good news!"

Rom 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For

Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard

from us?"

Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing

through the word of Christ.

Don't worry about pushing people away with the Gospel. That should not be a determining factor.  Jesus said some of your seed will fall on rocky ground, thorny ground, shallow ground, and get eaten by birds. You just scatter seed. Let God bring the growth and increase, like Jesus explained to His disciples. Then you harvest also, what others have sown. Pray that your seed falls on good ground! And don't be intimidated by rejection or offending with the Gospel. It simply will be an offense to those who are perishing. And know that this IS what the Father is doing. It's what Jesus did in every town he visited. It's not something we have to wait for a “go” in our spirits. We already have the Go here in our hands. Trust that God's word will do the work as you deliver it.


2Co 2:15  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
2Co 2:16  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
2Co 2:17  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.


1Co 1:18  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2Co 4:3  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 

2Co 4:4  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

2Co 4:5  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 

Much is at stake, so we must persuade.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat

of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for

what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

2Co 5:11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we

persuade others...

Act 4:29 And now, Lord... grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

Act 4:30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Often Misquoted As Scripture: 2) "Money is the root of all evil."

2) "Money is the root of all evil."

It says nowhere in the Bible that money is wrong or bad.

In fact, God WANTS us to PROSPER!

---We are to have our hearts and minds on heavenly things.

Jesus and Paul encourage us to have our minds set on heaven:

 Col_3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

We are to seek first the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33), and to store up treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy (Matt 6:19.20). Yet there are many examples of men and women who did seek God first, and “all this was added to them.”  Abraham was a rich man, because God blessed him. King Solomon was also exceedingly rich, and blessed by God. There were many wealthy women who supported Jesus' ministry, and Paul's also. Psalm 1 talks about the righteous man who lives by God's laws will be fruitful and prosperous. Proverbs is full of wisdom on how to handle money, lawsuits, lending and borrowing, and more. Jesus spoke parables about the Kingdom of God, equating it to a master who leaves his estate in the hands of his servants, telling them to invest his assets in his absence. God tells us that tithing (giving ten percent of our income) into the “storehouse” will open the windows of heaven on us, causing our cups to run over with blessing, more than we can contain.  Malachi 3:10,  "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

It is the LOVE of money, the obsession with making money, and the hoarding of money and goods for the sake of having them, for ourselves – these things are harmful, and are the roots of all kinds of evil.

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10)

Luk 12:15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Luk 12:16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

Luk 12:17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

Luk 12:18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

Luk 12:20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

Luk 12:21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Often Misquoted As Scripture: 1.) "God Helps Those Who Help Themselves."

Often misquoted as Scripture:

1) "God helps those who help themselves"

There is nothing in the Bible to suggest that this statement is true. On the contrary, we see that God is always ready to help those who are humble and willing to call on Him. Proverbs does talk about lazy people and how they will come to ruin, albeit God is always there to help them.

Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Prov 15:9 “The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.” Prov 20:4 “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.” Prov 26:13 “The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!'”

What we know about God:

-We know that God helps anyone who calls on Him. (Romans 10:13, “For all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”)

-We know that God sent His son BEFORE we asked for it. (Rom 5:8 “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”)

-We know that God is a Father to the fatherless, and a protector to the widows – those who cannot easily help themselves (Psalm 68:5), and that He is near to the brokenhearted. Psa_34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

So, we see that God helps those who call on Him in time of need. He even sees our need before we ask, and is ready in His eternal habitation to provide for us. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. He loves us, and has called us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless, seated in heaven together with Christ, and to be an heir to the throne of God as His children. We did not do anything to earn this. As we know,  living by the Law will never suffice. It is only through grace by faith that we are saved! So, “God helps them who *cannot* help themselves.”

Foundation of Faith, Part 3

So far we've talked about the importance of faith as a "lens" through which we view the Bible.  We've made comparisons between faith and skydiving, investing money, and even simply sitting in a chair.  Hopefully I have painted a clear word-picture of faith's role in understanding the Bible.  Also, we've looked at how fearing God will lead to making (and understanding) godly decisions, and why God makes certain decisions we may not understand at first.  (We will go deeper into this topic soon).  In this third part, I'd like to look at what faith is....   and what it can do!

I go to a great church pastored by a great man of God and his wife and older sons.  At first I was very closed, and skeptical as usual.  It took a while for me to warm up to the "in your face" style of preaching, non-crucial opinions and viewpoints that I didn't agree with, and the occasional feeling of being offended!  Soon, I was faced with the option "dig in or run."  I dug in.  Too my surprise, these little differences seemed to lose their divisive power, and I began to see the genuine heart of love and concern that the pastor has for his church and community.

We attended a leadership class last fall, taught by our pastor.  In it we learned about faith in a way I had not seen before.  Let's look at this verse from Hebrews:


Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

An interesting point to note is that in the original Greek "Now faith" is considered one word.  In fact, it is more than that, being a single concept, "NOW-FAITH".  Right-now-faith.  Nowfaith.  Faith, now.  One may read (as I always did), "Now, (talking about) faith, it is the assurance..."  But in the original language and by the intent of the author, it was meant to say "Now-faith" (faith that we have right now) is the assurance of things hoped for (in the future), the conviction (my belief-based reality) of things not seen (yet).  What on earth does this mean!?  Perhaps this helps:
Hope is what we are longing for, praying for.  "I hope I can pay my bills."  "I hope I get well soon."  "I hope my parents will get back together."  But if all we do is hope, there is no assurance.  Faith is not hope.  Because faith is NOW.  Hope is future.  Now-faith says "By God my provider I will pay my bills, because He promises that my leaf will not wither (Psalm 1)."  Now-faith says, "God is my healer, I will not continue to suffer."  And now-faith says, "God desires that all men know the truth, and that what God has joined together let no man separate, and God has given us as believers the ministry of reconciliation through prayer, and that the prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much, and ....."

Now-faith stands on God's word as true, and provides evidence in our spirit that what we ask for, if it is in line with God's will, will be given to us.  Standing on God's word is key.  We can try to say, "I have now-faith for a new car."  But is God saying to you, pray for a new car?  Maybe!  So if He is, then ask!  But whatever you do, stand on His word in now-faith, faith that brings the hope of the future into the now, as though it were already done (the conviction, or evidence, of things not seen).  "John 14:14  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."  (John 14:13, John 15:16, John 16:23 , John 16:24, John 16:26, Matt 7:7, Luke 11:9); 1 John 3:22  and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. ; 1 John 5:15  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

So we see that God finds pleasure in answering our prayers.  He wants us to experience His faithfulness and generosity.  If we ask in faith, it's like plugging into the greatest power source of all time.  A great evangelist to Africa, Reinhardt Bonnke, used a fuse as an analogy for faith.  Imagine a bolt of lightning, millions of volts of electricity, striking a power pole.  Electricity travels through the wires for miles, into every home connected to it.  It travels through each wire in each wall, and out of each outlet into every appliance plugged into it - toasters, tv's, light bulbs, hair dryers, computers, and the radio.  Imagine turning on your radio, but no sound comes out.  It's plugged in, but not a sound.  "Ahhh!  Perhaps the fuse..."   Upon inspecting the fuse, you see that it is "blown", or perhaps even missing.  Replacing that tiny fuse with a new one is all it takes to harness the amazing power of electricity.

In the same way, God's power is available to flow into our life, powering every part of daily existence with purpose and providence, peace and over-coming strength.  Faith is the fuse which lets the power flow all the way to it's intended destination and accomplish its purpose.  In fact, doubting God's faithfulness causes us to be "tossed about, back and forth, like waves in the ocean... unstable in all that we do." (James 1:6,8)  So the opposite of faith not only disqualifies us from receiving from God ("James 1:7  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."), displeases God (Heb 11:6), but also hinders God from doing the miraculous in our lives and live of others.  "Mark 6:5,6  And he (Jesus) could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching."  "Matthew 13:58  And he (Jesus) did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief."

Jesus said in John 6:63  "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."  God's word is spirit and life.  We can only access its power for life, answered prayers, and miracles through faith.  He said "true worshipers will worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23,24) In order to access God's kingdom, and even to worship God, we must do so in spirit.  Mortal man can participate in this spiritual realm only through faith.  So, as I have always believed, faith is simply a DECISION!  It's that easy.  Just choose to believe, and give doubt the boot!  Speak it out with your mouth (because your tongue is a rudder for your life, James 1), and your heart will follow.  Then, to your surprise, things will start making sense like never before.  If you've never exercised faith in Jesus, please click on the tab at the top of the page, "get Jesus".  Its a fun but serious way to "install" Jesus into your heart via faith.

Feel free to post questions or comments.  I will be happy to further explain or support these statements.

Foundation of Faith, Part 2

So now, having established that we need to approach God and His message to the world (the Bible) with faith and fear of the Lord, let's ask "why".

Let's say you're at the bank, depositing your check.  The teller greets you with smile, and asks how your week was.  She listens while processing your transaction, occasionally glancing up with a smile and a nod, letting you know she is listening.  As she finishes, she asks you if you'd like to take part in a promotion the bank is offering, which is a great interest rate on 15 year bond.  All you need, she informs you, is a thousand dollars to open the account.

The promise of return in this story is 150%, a truly appealing offer.  But the initial cost is high, and you wonder if you will ever see that money.  After all, its for 15 years, and you won't be able to access it until then.  You may need to think about this...  or not.  Depending on your trust in your bank, the integrity of the teller, and the FDIC, it may be an easy choice.  Either way, you will need to exercise some faith and step out in trust.

The offer of understanding and salvation God gives us is quite similar.  There is an initial cost of trust we spend for the promise of a return.  Fortunately, we see the trustworthiness of God's "bank" in many ways.  There is nature (a sustained system, with countless examples of God's provision for us and the animal kingdom).  There are His witnesses, people who have experienced His glory through miracles and answered prayers.  There are concepts and established principles like love, honor, help, hope, sacrifice, faithfulness, patience, service, and many other intangible, yet powerfully positive ingredients of life.  "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights, who does not change over time."  James 1:17  "...No one is good except God alone." -Jesus (Luke 18:19)  "...God is love." 1 John 4:8  "He will never leave us or forsake us."  (Deu_31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; 1 Kings 8:57; 1 Chron 28:20; Heb 13:5).

So, to receive from God, it is possible to say we must give a "deposit" of faith.  Romans 1:17  "For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"

"From faith for faith" means we need an amount of faith to lead to greater faith.  It's like the faith one would need to jump from the plane, with the parachute strapped tight to their back.  Someone says, "I trust in this parachute to open just fine."  But if they do not jump, it's because inside they really don't trust it.  In order to prove the faith, and in order to experience the awesome thrill of the skydive, one must take the initial jump!

As we say "yes, I believe", and in our hearts we mean to be open to God, then we will begin to experience what we were not able to before.  And as I pull the cord and the 'chute opens, I realize "I can trust this."  And next time, the jump of faith will be easier, because we've proven God's reliability.

And why do we need to approach the message of the Bible with fear and respect?  The skydiving instructor says, "Now make sure you pull your chute at 3000 feet, otherwise you will not slow down to a safe landing speed before you hit."  One who does this will land safely.  One who thinks this warning is rubbish will suffer broken bones or worse.  But isn't that limiting the thrill of the jump?  And in life, if we look at God's word as an over-protective instructor, trying to limit our fun and experience, then it's quite possible that we will hit the ground... hard.  Because God loves us He gives us guidelines and ways of living that lead to positive outcomes, while enjoying the "ride".  The fear of the Lord will cause a man to view the "rules" as a life-giving force, and not a hindrance.

   Psalm 1:1-3  "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers."

Foundation of Faith, Part 1

A friend of mine, an older gentleman, shared a priceless GEM of wisdom with me, concerning auto-mechanics.  He said, "When diagnosing an engine problem, you can break it down into three simple categories: Fuel, Air, and/or Electrical."  This way of looking at mechanical problems, looking through this "lens" so to speak, has helped me to see much clearer and has saved time and trouble and frustration.

In the same way, we will need to look at the Bible with a few "lenses" on.  Imagine having a strange set of goggles, equipped with many different lenses to help filter light, color, and magnify whatever you are looking at.  In order to bring clarity to God's word and decipher the code, we will have to look at it with these High-tech Goggles.

The most important "lens" on our goggles is faith.

"For without faith it is impossible to please God, for all who come to God must believe that He is(exists), and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6.

Faith in God is different than belief in God.


James 2:19  "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!"

The difference is easy to show with a chair as an example.  If I see a chair, I can say "I believe in that chair, that it exists."  Go ahead, sit down!  "Wait...  what if the chair breaks, and I fall on my back?"  The chair is sturdy, see?  Faith would cause me to sit in the chair, believing what I have heard about it, and acting on that belief.  I can believe in the chair, but have no faith in the chair.  Faith without actions to back it up is dead faith, useless, and does not accomplish it's purpose.  Check out these verses:



James 2:14  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
Jas 2:16  and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Jas 2:17  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Jas 2:18  But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!
Jas 2:20  Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
Jas 2:22  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
Jas 2:23  and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God.
Jas 2:24  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

To read the word of God, but not look at it with the lens of faith on will limit our understanding because we come pre-disposed to believe that the "chair will not hold".  It is only after we sit in it that we exercise our faith, and our understanding is increased.  Make sense?  Great!  Check out these verses, too:


Psa_111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Pro_1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Pro_9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Pro_15:33  The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Isa_11:2  And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

What is "Fear of the Lord"?  Well, do we fear fire?  I do!  I know that fire has the potential to burn, kill, destroy.  But I also know fire can be used for cooking, heating, and light.  I respect fire's unlimited potential, power, and capability.  Therefore, I use great caution when making, using, and putting out fires.

I fear guns, because guns have the potential to kill, maim, and cause great sorrow.  But since they have been used to preserve freedom, save innocent lives, and put supper on the table for billions, I use them with extreme caution and respect for their potentially devastating power.

I fear the Authorities of Law.  They have the authority to pull me over and fine me 100's of dollars for disobeying speed limits.  They have authority to arrest me for misconduct, seize my goods when I don't pay my bills, and even kill me if I am guilty of murder or am considered an immediate deadly threat to their safety or the safety of others.  Therefore I fear the Law, and respect it's authority and obey it's precepts.

I fear God.  The LORD created heaven and earth with his words.  He invented gravity, light, and delicious food.  He made lightning, the roaring oceans, and the greatest creatures to the smallest microscopic wonders.  He created my soul.  I fear God because He is just and has no favorites among men.  I fear Him, therefore I respect His awesome power and ultimate authority.  Fear of the Lord is as important as Faith in Him.  Mixed together, these two elements will help us to see God's word from the right perspective; because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.

Welcome To my first Blog, "The Truth Be Told"!

This is my first Blog ever!  I held off for so long, because the word "blog" sounds so strange... like images of a bloated frog on a log in a bog.  Nevertheless, inspired by my awesome brother and his thought provoking questions regarding God and Christianity, I decided to begin a collection of "answers and ideas" from the Bible.  My wonderful wife suggested I do a blog, versus a newsletter, because its updated and archived.

I was inspired  to create this blog as a way to share and discuss FUNDAMENTAL VALUES and points of interest of the Christian Faith and Walk of Life.  Specifically, I would like to begin to teach and build a FOUNDATION of fundamental truths, then discuss issues that are most important in our society today.  I will not be bashful about addressing Biblical and world views on Creation vs. Evolution, the Gay/Lesbian topic, and Verbal vs. Non-Verbal evangelism (as in some circles, they are in contradiction).  Other topics may include:  "Why Does the Old Testament God seem so different from the New Testament God?"; questions such as, "How could a God of love kill innocent people?", or "Why are there so many contradictions in the Bible?"  "Did Jesus really die on the cross?  Or did he swoon/faint?"  "Is Jesus really eternal God, an equal part of the trinity (three-part entity of God)?  Or was he created (begotten)?"  "Division of Church and State?"  These and other topics like them have caused many people to question God's perfect love, intentions, and word.  They have in many cases cast doubt on the validity of the Bible, and it's relevance to today's modern world.

I love the Word of God, and the Absolute Truth it provides.  There will be many things I say or write that readers such as yourself may, or may not, agree with.  I invite you to make comments, share viewpoints, ask questions, and interact with me/others.  I value your opinion, rebuttal, and insight.  PLEASE remember that these are viewpoints/angles/perspectives, and that I do not want to infer that I KNOW all things.  I do, however, have a clear explanation from the word of God for many of these topics/questions.  If you wish to share, please do so respectfully.

As a final "disclaimer", I encourage you to grab a Bible and read it for yourself.  Read the verses in context, and alongside other verses of the same nature, from multiple authors.  A "study Bible" may have useful information, especially information on each book/letter written, to whom it was written, time and place and culture, author, etc.  This information can be extremely helpful while investigating controversial or confusing topics.  Finally, always read the Bible with an open mind and heart.  Allow the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal mysteries and truths to you.  Welcome to the greatest adventure of all time!

In Christ's Awesome Love,

Randy Erickson