I have been in Tim’s position more than once! This is reality! STOP THE CENSORSHIP!
Acts 4:13: “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.“
Originally from here.
“Street preaching” (also known as “open-air preaching” and “open-airing”) is the public proclamation of a religious message. It is often accomplished with a voice louder than that used in conversation. For the purposes of this article/section, “street preaching” refers to the public proclamation of the law of God and/or the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the public reading of God’s Word. Other religions, such as Islam, employ “street preaching” as a method for sharing their religious message.
Christian street preachers find support for their craft in the Word of God where there are numerous examples of street preaching in both the Old and New Testament (this will be addressed in a later article). Additionally, Christian street preachers also draw biblical support for their craft in the definition of the New Testament Greek word translated “to preach.” The Greek word is kerusso. The word, which appears 60 times in the New Testament, is defined as follows:
“To be a herald, to officiate as a herald, to proclaim after the manner of a herald, always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed; to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done; used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles and other Christian teachers.1”
Street preaching has a rich, post-apostolic age history. It has always been a part of Christianity, including the early church fathers, the pre-reformation teachers of the Middle Ages, the reformers, the Puritans, the pastors and circuit preachers of the Great Awakening, the revivalists of the early 20th century, and the heralds on the streets around the world today.
My whole view of dreams is this: (1) They are not Sigmund Freud psychological subconsciously derived images conjured up by myself. (2) Dreams come from the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17). (3) Dreams come from the devil (Jude 1:8). In Bible times, nobody viewed dreams as self-derived; they come from either God or the devil–that’s what I believe.
Dreams never stand or fall as divine in their origin by themselves. The same passage that speaks about Holy Spirit-inspired dreams (Acts 2:17), also speaks of signs and wonders for confirmation’s sake (Acts 2:19). You have to have these as well:–if you would be convinced a dream could be from God. No way should anyone just gullibly trust a dream, because its a dream. That would be no spiritual discernment. Plus, you also have to judge people by their fruit (Matt. 7:20; 1 John 4:1; Isa. 8:20). All of these things have to factor together in order to make a reasonable conclusion about the divine or demonic origin of a dream.
Dream Bibliography
Cutten, George. The Psychological Phenomena of Christianity. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908. Chapter VII: “Dreams.”
Jackson, John Paul. The Biblical Model of Dream Interpretation: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Soulish Methodology. 3 CD Set. Flower Mound, TX: Streams Ministries International, 2006.
Milligan, Ira. Understanding the Dreams You Dream. Revised and Expanded. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2010.
Riffel, Herman. Dream Interpretation: A Biblical Understanding. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1993.
Thomas, Benny. Exploring the World of Dreams. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1990.
Love that creates; and
Love that brings blessing.
Love that shines light; and
Saves men from Hell.
Love that is righteous; and
Comes down from Heaven.
A fatherly discipline
I want to have.
Love based on faith; and
Based on the Gospel.
Love based on hope; and
Freedom from sin.
Love that repents; and
Love that believes–
Love that breathes holiness—
Precious to share.
Down in the spirit of my heart; down deep where the Holy Spirit dwells, behind all knowledge, behind all thoughts, behind all passing feelings, and passing moments, behind all economic concerns, and petty struggles of life:–the ground of all that I do, is based on a simple urgent conviction: I WANT TO RESCUE THE PERISHING!
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
…
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.[1]
And although “duty demands it,” in my heart I feel it. Do you feel it too? The Holy Spirit put it in me the day I first felt I was saved from the wrath of God and Hell (Romans 5:9). From the moment I first repented from all sin and believed Jesus took the punishment for my sins. I have been given a spiritual sight to see the flames of Hell; not a physical sight, I don’t physically see Hell-fire. But the Holy Spirit put the sight in my soul from the moment I was first saved; and He gave me a security in the Cross that by my repentance and faith in Jesus, my sins ARE forgiven:–and a strong faith-based (or revelation-based) desire to preach the Gospel to all of mankind (Mark 16:15), as much as possible, before I die:–if I might just gain the ear of a few perishing souls, drowning in the sea of sin. Maybe it’s because I have police officers in my line that I have these feelings, I don’t know; a heroic, loving, urgent desire to save dying people in grave danger. It orients everything I see. At times I wonder why so many pastors seemingly don’t see this. It seems they don’t have faith in Hell; they don’t believe in Hell; and because of that, they don’t believe in salvation from it, and conclusively, don’t believe in the Gospel. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that Jesus came to save sinners from the eternal wrath of God in the flames of Hell; and He has provided a narrow way out:–the CROSS of JESUS. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matthew 7:13). All who repent from sin and believe that Jesus bore the anger of God at our sins on the cross, will receive forgiveness of sins, and eternal life, provided they continue in repentance and faith (Romans 11:22). “‘He himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:24).
The “Love” Gospel vs. The Gospel of Jesus Christ
True Christian love seeks and saves the lost! (Luke 19:10). It doesn’t settle for natural friendships and relationships; nor does it boast in one’s social skills. Love simply seeks to point men away from Hell and towards Jesus.
A different message is being preached in pulpits today. It’s a message of how much God loves everyone—it’s a trend, it’s a fad, and will peter out in time, as do all sweet-sounding heresies; it’s a syrupy hermeneutic influenced by psychology: unconditional, continual love: “God is love” (1 John 4:8), a cupidic, sentimental love, that does not speak out against sin, that accepts the sinner “just as I am,” without demanding, or providing, the necessary means for moral transformation by repentance and faith in the blood of Jesus. This is not the love of God spoken of in the Bible! God’s love is universal, but so are His holiness and justice. And unless pastors and elders and Christians in churches get a hold of this, they will never realize that they are worshiping a love idol. A love-god of their own imagination. The real God is “angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11). But this new love-god being spoken of in this nation’s churches has no Ten Commandments, no Day of Judgment, and virtually no Hell: maybe “eternal separation from God” and His love, but never the eternal Hell-fire that Jesus spoke of in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This is a different god than the one Jesus taught about; a god with no Hell is not the God of Jesus:–and woe to the man who follows any crafty idol, a “loving” one or otherwise, other than the God that is revealed through Jesus Christ in the Synoptic Gospels. I trust Jesus; and I will choose to take Him at His Word; why should I mince the words of Jesus, when He went through all the trouble of suffering and dying on the cross for me and the whole world? “‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered” (Matthew 20:22). JESUS SAID:
Matthew 5:22: “I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be IN DANGER OF HELL FIRE.”
Matthew 5:28-29: “I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for YOUR WHOLE BODY TO BE CAST INTO HELL.”
Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, BE AFRAID OF THE ONE WHO CAN DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN HELL.”
Matthew 18:8: “It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be THROWN INTO ETERNAL FIRE.”
Mark 9:42-28: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, TO GO TO HELL, INTO THE FIRE THAT SHALL NEVER BE QUENCHED—where
‘THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE,
And the fire is not quenched.’
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be CAST INTO HELL, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where
‘Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.’
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be CAST INTO HELL FIRE—where
‘Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.’
All of these warnings come from the Captain of Our Salvation, Jesus Christ! (Hebrews 2:10). He is the One in charge of the armies of Heaven (Revelation 19:14). He is the One who will judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1). JESUS is the One in charge of sending men to and saving men from Hell. So, better to be saved at the Mercy Seat of the Cross in this life, than condemned at the Judgment Seat of Christ in the next (Romans 3:25; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Hear me! I am trying to RESCUE your perishing souls in DANGER! Do you believe you have a soul? Jesus did.
Do you see, do you see–all the people sinking down?
Don’t you care, don’t you care–are you gonna let them drown?[2]
George wandering like a lost soul among the tombstones, Clarence trotting at his heels. Again George stops to stare with frightened eyes at a tombstone. Upon it is engraved a name, Harry Bailey. Feverishly George scrapes away the snow covering the rest of the inscription, and we read: IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED SON –– HARRY BAILEY –– 1911-1919. “Your brother, Harry Bailey, broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine.” George jumps up. “That’s a lie! Harry Bailey went to war! He got the Congressional Medal of Honor! He saved the lives of every man on that”–“Every man on that transport died. Harry wasn’t there to save them because you weren’t there to save Harry. You see, George, you really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?”[3]
Jude 1:23: “OTHERS SAVE WITH FEAR, PULLING THEM OUT OF THE FIRE.”
There’s only one way to do this. Hell is not a flood of water, but of fire. The right way to save others is not by non-judgmental, sentimental friendships and relationships; not by anything passive or worldly-minded. People who would take such an apathetic approach must not see either the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of the devil. There’s only one way; and the matter is URGENT…
Mark 16:15: “PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE!“
—–
[1] Fanny Crosby, “Rescue the Perishing,” 1869.
[2] Keith Green, “Asleep in the Light,” 1978.
[3] It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).
Originally from here.
In honor of Reformation Day, here are some complaints I’m nailing on the Wittenberg door.
Long before there was an Occupy Wall Street, Martin Luther staged the most important protest in history. He was upset because Roman Catholic officials were promising people forgiveness or early escape from purgatory in exchange for money. So on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed a long list of complaints on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.
Luther’s famous 95 theses were translated from Latin into German and spread abroad. Like a medieval Jeremiah, Luther dared to ask questions that had never been asked, and he challenged a pope who was supposedly infallible. Through this brave monk, the Holy Spirit sparked the Protestant Reformation and restored the doctrine of grace to a church that had become corrupt, religious, dysfunctional, political and spiritually dead.
I am no Luther, but I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called “Spirit-filled” church of today struggles with many of the same things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have “indulgences”—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have super-apostles. We don’t support an untouchable priesthood—we throw our money at celebrity evangelists who own fleets of private jets.
In honor of Reformation Day, I’m offering my own list of needed reforms in our movement. And since I can’t hammer these on the Wittenberg door, I’ll post them online. Feel free to nail them everywhere.
1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around.
2. Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we could end up spreading deception.
3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.
4. Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.
5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.
7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.
8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.
9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.
10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit.
11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride.
12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.
13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.
14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a public voice.
15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.
Ronald Reagan (U. S. President, 1981-1989)
See also: Rules for Economic Growth
Ronald Reagan is known as the poster child for conservative Republican views of capitalist economics. So, what are some rules for economic growth that we may take from him? Firstly, we have to operate under the assumption that his free market capitalism is only Biblical when regulated by the Biblical laws of faith in God (Deut. 8) and generosity to the poor (Luke 16). Otherwise, all economic growth is vanity, self-centered greed, and deceit. Secondly, although Reagan had a degree in economics, his forte was acting; and so, most of his economic ideas came from his economist advisors Alan Greenspan, Milton Friedman, and others.
To extract some helpful rules for economic growth from Chapters 4-5 in Leonard Silk’s Reagan the Man, the President (1980):–
1. Work for a company–totally unrelated to the government (free trade).
2. Aim for better living standards (better house, etc).
3. Be productive–at work, create more products, sell more products.
4. Work, Save, Invest, and Produce.
5. Avoid government aid programs (welfare, Medicaid, food stamps, etc)
6. Avoid minimum wage jobs.
7. Avoid government jobs.
8. Working/Earning –> Saving –> Investing
9. “Investment…growth of productivity”
10. Productivity + Investment –> Real Economic Growth (p. 63)
11. Friedman: investments are essential to economic growth (p. 66)
12. Working or Investing in Car Companies, Oil Companies, and Gold. (pp. 76-79)–gold is a more stable currency than the inflationary American dollar; however, investing in stocks appears to be the most reasonable form of investment, having the most potential for economic growth, when compared to bonds, or gold – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_as_an_investment#Investment_vehicles
13. Japanese and German people invested 25-35% of their yearly income and they had tremendous economic growth–we should do the same: “whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). (p. 75)
See Matt Schoenfeld’s Learning to Invest – ch. 2 – on investing in stocks and bonds – Christian book
Originally from here.
“Sharing Jesus with friends” is not “going into all the world and preaching the Gospel” (Mark 16:15). NEVER will you see a “friendship evangelism” guy preaching repentance from sinful ways, faith in the cross of Jesus for forgiveness, and salvation from eternal damnation in the flames of Hell!
I received the following message from a friend on Facebook. While it is a topic I’ve tackled many times in the past, I thought the way my friend honestly asked her questions accurately expressed how many Christians feel about sharing the gospel with their friends. Her words also helped to reaffirm what I have believed for a very long time. “Friendship Evangelism,” as it is most commonly taught and practiced by Christians, is neither friendship nor evangelism.
With my friend’s permission, I would like to share her note with you; and then I will answer her questions.
I have made a lifetime of friends, and up until about 6 years ago, I was a partier and not walking with the Lord. Since become a Christian, I have made myself known to all, but not gone out of my way to share the gospel. I know my friends “think” they know what the Bible says and I also know that they don’t want me to preach or share. I have hoped that Facebook would encourage them to ask me, but they don’t.
I watch like a voyeur, their lives on Facebook and I hate it. I see them post pictures of nights on the town, glazed eyes, draped over a different guy in each shot. Today I read as they talked about spending money frivolously and obnoxiously. I see so much “selfism” and today it really started to hurt.
I keep thinking that, by example, they might want to know more or ask…instead I see them avoid my page and my comments. They never address anything I say regarding our Savior, God, or the written word, and only comment on the “regular” things I post.
Most of my “friends” from the past, I still DO care about their salvation. I’m certain that my approach will mean the end of life-long friendships. Should I just keep exposing the Lord to them? Our Christmas cards and small other things are about all the contact we really have. Should I just go for broke and risk turning them off completely? I know it would mean the end of friendships in most cases.
Part of me knows that losing these friendships shouldn’t matter. I’m more concerned that is I can keep the door open, they might …might…someday come to repentance. I want the door to remain open.
I need some advice. I’m pretty sure your going to tell me to go for it…but I thought you might have a perspective or a way that I should use as an approach . . .
[P.S.] I’m thinking of how to approach evangelizing them. I know the approach that Ray [Comfort] uses, letting them convict themselves through the 10 Commandments (which really works) and you too have mastered it. I have also been told to have them read the word themselves because the word has power. As a chicken, I was hoping to be “non-confrontational” and send it in a letter. A letter of love, and a pouring out of my heart for them. But that leaves them with the ability to not answer, or reply. I know that God would use me MUCH better if I had the nerve to deliver my (HIS) message in person. I want to engage their minds. I’ve never been a “chicken.” I don’t want to fail God. I want my (HIS) words to pierce. So…praying and waiting for His inspiration and His way to lead me, and maybe your words will help push me into the world. I’m NOT ashamed of Him, I’m afraid of them, so to speak. I know if He is with me, who can be against me? Why…do I struggle? Oh, the flesh.
Before I answer my friend’s questions, it is important that I preface my commentary with a few clarifying remarks. First, my commentary is not a critique of my friend–neither of her love for Christ nor of her love for people. I do not question her salvation or the genuineness of her desire for her friends to be saved. My commentary will be, however, a pointed critique of what I believe is a profoundly effective tool of Satan (1 Peter 5:8) — “Friendship” or “Relationship” evangelism.
What Is Friendship Evangelism?
I believe many Christians practice “Friendship Evangelism” with sincerity. But sadly, it is a sincerity most often born out of ignorance (1 Peter 1:13-16), an ignorance of the Word of God in general and biblical evangelism in particular. At the same time, I feel no such obligation to extend charity toward authors, pastors, teachers, speakers, and movement leaders who propagate this spiritual fraud upon followers of Christ — both true and false converts. Theirs will be a stricter judgment (James 3:1).
Now, let me take a moment to answer a couple of baseless objections to what I will put forth as my position, before I even articulate my position. I do this in advance of making my case because I know for some Christians “Friendship Evangelism” is treated as if it is sacrosanct — an essential evangelism tradition. I use the word “tradition” since there is no biblical support for this methodology and/or philosophy for ministry. It is traditions like this one, “friendship evangelism,” that are evidence of the sad reality that modern-day evangelicalism, especially the American variety, has yet to completely break free of Rome. For Rome also holds traditions with more reverence and gives tradition more authority than Scripture (Matthew 15:1-6).
Let make it very clear that Christians are called by the Word of God to be both friendly and relational. “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). To be opposed to “Friendship Evangelism” as it is most commonly practiced is not to be opposed to friendship or relationships. But a godly and biblical Christian will put God and friends before and above friendships (Luke 14:25-27).
Second, a common objection to any argument against “Friendship Evangelism” is, “There are many ways to share the gospel and friendship evangelism is one of them.” Not so. There is only one way to communicate the gospel, which can take different forms — the Bible’s way. Any methodology that is extra-biblical (meaning the Bible neither commands nor condemns the activity) should be approached and applied with extra care and caution. The immeasurable harm done by “Friendship Evangelism” is evidence that the American Church has thrown caution to the wind and has operated carelessly when applying this extra-biblical, faux-evangelistic methodology.
Does Friendship Evangelism Cause Harm?
How do I know “Friendship Evangelism” has done great harm? I meet false converts who are byproducts of this unbiblical form of evangelism almost daily on the streets. They have been welcomed into the Christian community. They have been converted to the creature comforts of the church, but they have never been converted by and to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I once attended a baptism where several people were baptized. One teenage girl stood in the pool to share her “testimony” before being baptized by the pastor. Her testimony, albeit paraphrased, went something like this: I grew up Roman Catholic. I started to attend this church. I’m more comfortable with Christianity, so I want to be baptized.” And the pastor baptized her as a follower of Jesus Christ.
With the above in mind, I will now address my friend’s questions and concerns.
Friendship Evangelism Doesn’t Preach Christ
My friend wrote:
“I have made myself known to all, but not gone out of my way to share the gospel.”
In a sentence my friend summed up one of the great deficiencies of “Friendship Evangelism.” With the shockingly low number of professing Christians sharing the gospel with a single person in a year’s time (or in a lifetime), it’s obvious most Christians practicing “Friendship Evangelism” are part of that indefensible number. Why? By engaging in the practice of “Friendship Evangelism,” the Christian spends far more time making themselves known to their friends than making Christ known (1 Corinthians 2:2) to their friends.
Many Christians who practice “Friendship Evangelism” have been led to believe that it is evangelistic to live a perceptible Christian life in front of unbelievers, or to openly admit to unbelievers that they are Christians. There is nothing remarkable about such an admission, especially in America. The majority of the American population will indicate on surveys and censuses that they are Christians. Many Christians will answer the “What religion are you” question with “I’m a Christian” for no other reason than they are not Jewish, Muslim, or Atheist. To check the Christian box is the default position of most Americans. But many are no more Christian than the Jew, Muslim, or Atheist.
Part of the evidence that “Friendship Evangelism” is not evangelistic is that the practice makes the Christian known but it all-too-often fails to make Christ known.
My Friends Don’t Want to me Preach Christ to Them
My friend wrote:
“They [her friends] don’t want me to preach or share.”
Modern evangelicalism has wrongly placed an unregenerate sinner’s felt needs over their very real need of salvation. This is not to say that we shouldn’t address a person’s felt needs. In doing so, one can often discover that the root of a particular felt need is sin; which then presents the opportunity to share the law of God and the gospel with that person. However, where evangelicalism has woefully dropped the ball is in the practice of trying to meet felt needs and stopping there, as if to address felt needs is the same as evangelism.
Dear reader: if you feed, clothe, and house people for the glory of God (Matthew 5:16), but you do not share the gospel with them, all you have ultimately accomplished is making those same needy people warmed and filled on their way to Hell. You have merely made their bodies more comfortable. You’ve done nothing for their souls.
More to the point regarding my friend’s assertion: of course the unregenerate person doesn’t want their Christian friends to proclaim the gospel to them. Why? They hate Jesus (John 15:18). They love their sin (Job 15:16) and they hate God (Romans 1:30). Cockroaches don’t run to the center of the floor and square dance when you turn on the kitchen light. They flee to the dark regions underneath the cabinets and appliances. They hate the light, and so does the unregenerate sinner (John 3:20). Their love for the darkness of their sin is so great that any holy light brought to bear in their lives is not only uncomfortable and unpleasant, it is detestable.
Sadly, modern evangelicalism has responded to this reality by doing everything it can to engage lost sinners in their culture, and according to their felt needs, without ever bothering to flip on the light switch of the gospel. Modern evangelicalism has allowed how lost people feel about “the light” to determine whether or not it shines the light. Many Christians have become man-pleasers to the point of hiding the gospel from people (Matthew 5:15). In doing so, they cease to live as servants of God (Galatians 1:10). Frankly, it doesn’t matter what lost people want. What matters is what they need, and what they need is salvation by the grace of God alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), through faith alone (Romans 1:17), in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:12). What they need, whether they feel it or not, is to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15; Luke 13: 1-5; Acts 17:29-31).
Here is a funny video that parodies the totally ridiculous nature of friendship evangelism.
Friendship Evangelism is not Evangelistic
My friend wrote:
“I keep thinking that, by example, they might want to know more or ask…instead I see them avoid my page and my comments.”
Part of the evidence that “Friendship Evangelism” is not evangelistic is the practice of “Assisi-ism.”
Francis of Assisi is far-too-often quoted as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” There are two problems with this quote: 1) it is unbiblical; and 2) Assisi never said it. Catholic scholars have methodically and exhaustively searched the extant writings of Assisi and cannot attribute the quote to him. These days, this is common knowledge. Yet Christians continue to refer to the mythical quote, and worse they errantly apply it in their lives. The quote also has a modern-day translation. It goes something like this. “Live your life in such a way that people ask you why.”
While it is true that our good works, when performed for the glory of God alone, can cause lost people to glorify God (Matthew 5:16), it is not to say by living a Christian life in front of lost people that they are going to see Jesus in you. Why? The reason is simple enough. Unregenerate sinners are spiritually blind.
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).
It is also important to note what Matthew 5:16 doesn’t say. The verse says nothing about people coming to genuine repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing.
Not only are unbelievers spiritually blind, they are also dead in their sins. Not asleep. Not sick. Not in need of a little help. They are dead.
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3).
The Gospel is a Spoken Message
The gospel is a spoken message–meaning it is communicated in verbal and/or written formats. The gospel is not communicated through interpretive dance, random acts of kindness, or mimes.
“How then will they call on him of 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? 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!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:14-17).
With 160,000 people dying every day, and the vast majority of them facing God’s judgment (Matthew 7:13-14), it amounts to depraved indifference to wait for the lost people around us to see something special in us and ask what’s different about us. We are commanded by God’s Word to go (Matthew 28:18-20) and preach (Mark 16:15) the gospel to as many people as we can, whenever we can, as often as we can (Acts 1:8). Time is far too short to wait for what will never happen — spiritually dead and blind people seeing Jesus in Christians, believers who are still clothed in sinful human flesh.
It is also rather arrogant, self-righteous, and self-absorbed for the Christian to think he or she regularly looks like Jesus. Jesus was and is God (John 8:58; John 10:30; Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 2:5-18). The Christian is not. Jesus was and is without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Christian is not. Jesus was and is perfect (Hebrews 1:3). The Christian never will be perfect this side of Heaven. And since an unbelieving world hates Jesus, the spiritually dead and blind are going to see in you what is most appealing to them (Romans 1:28-32; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) — your sin. People are also going to look for you to sin in a failed attempt to justify their own unbelief (Luke 10:29; Luke 16:15).
Friendship Evangelism makes Friendship More Important than Evangelism
My friend wrote:
“I’m certain that my approach will mean the end of life-long friendships.”
The tragic result of “Friendship Evangelism,” as Christians most often practice it, is that friendships often become more important than the souls of friends. Christians have been wrongly convinced that they must take time (often lots of time) to cultivate relationships with people so that, someday, they may gain the lost person’s permission — to “earn the right” — to share the gospel with them. So the Christian invests time, energy, and resources sincerely trying to establish loving and caring relationships with people. Is it wrong to do that? No. But the all-too-often tragic result of the practice is that if the Christian ever feels the desire to share the gospel with his lost friend, he won’t. Why? The Christian doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the relationship he has worked so hard to build. So, again, the friendship becomes more important than the soul of the friend.
Upon closer inspection, this is really selfish behavior. Does the Christian believe that he is so valuable that his lost friend can’t live without him? Or is it that the Christian derives so much pleasure out of the relationship, from what his lost friend does for him, that he doesn’t want to ruin a “good thing”?
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). If Christians truly love their lost friends they will give up everything, even their very lives and certainly their relationships, so that those same lost friends might have eternal life. Or do Christians really want their friends to be with them in this life more than they want them to be with Jesus having received eternal life?
No One Goes to Hell Because You Weren’t Their Friend
My friend wrote:
“Part of me knows that losing these friendships shouldn’t matter. I’m more concerned that is I can keep the door open, they might …might…someday come to repentance. I want the door to remain open.”
No Christian can close a door that God wants open. No Christian can open a door that God wants shut (Revelation 3:8). God is sovereign (Acts 4:24), and He doesn’t need our help. God needs nothing from people (Psalm 50:7-15). The gospel alone is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). God, by His grace, chooses to use His children to communicate the life-saving gospel to a lost and dying world. No one goes to Heaven because we’ve made friends with them, and no one goes to Hell because we’ve failed to establish relationships with them.
Conclusion
In closing, let me reiterate that Christians should be loving (1 Peter 4:8), merciful (Zechariah 7:9), gentle (Galatians 5:23), and kind (Proverbs 21:21) to people. We should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Evangelism is not a game. It is not a sport. It is what God has commanded every follower of Christ to do. Evangelism is a lifestyle — not that the way we live our life is evangelism, but rather our verbal proclamation of the gospel should permeate every aspect of our life and impact every relationship we have.
My friend understands all of this. She knows what she must do. She acknowledged as much toward the end of her note. I hope I’ve answered her questions, and maybe some of yours too.
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till Heaven and Earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of Hell fire.
See also: Ronald Reagan on Economic Growth
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. –Psalm 37:25
From the outset, I want to admit that this article is almost a point-by-point summary of chapter 16: “The Basis for Economic Growth” in David Chilton’s Productive Christians (1981). However, I added my own spin to it, and made it more into a body of “law,” which is in keeping with Chilton’s spirit. Chilton maintains that consistent obedience to the Gospel, to Biblical law, and especially to the economic growth laws borne out in Biblical free market capitalism–will indeed, lead to personal economic growth…no matter how poor you are! I have enumerated over 40 such rules based on Chilton’s chapter–all of which are very powerful. But by no means are these rules exhaustive–they’re just to get my Christian economic philosophy started; a theology of financial progress “on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
(1) Increase Productivity – Through Hard Work and Rising Wages
(2) Capital Investment (savings)
(3) Free Enterprise (working for companies and corporations)
(4) 13 RULES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH (BAUER AND MYSELF) – These are based on my reversal of the anti-development attitudes listed by P. T. Bauer [Dissent on Development, 1971, p. 78; David Chilton’s Productive Christians, 1981, p. 219].
1. Interest in Making More Money and Living in a Better Home, etc
2. Progressive, Forward-Thinking Mindset When Challenged by Poverty
3. Feeling Personal Responsibility to Provide for Your Family
4. Self-Control or Restriction of Leisure and Recreation
5. A Work-Life Balance
6. A Mindset of Achieving a Specific Economic Goal–in Time:–and Calculating When Specifically, and At What Time Exactly Those Economic Goals Can be Met, Realistically.
7. Emphasis on Responsibility-to-Provide Instead of Fate (like poor Hindu castes)
8. Remaining Discontent with Just Performing the Routine Duties of Your Job–and Instead Keeping a Mentality That Says: “This Job Has Low Pay, But I’m Going to Do All I Can to Keep It, Until the Lord Opens Up a New Door for a Higher Paying Job (and/or a Job with Better Working Conditions)”–Same Attitude Towards House, Car, etc
9. Assertive Personality–Boldness About Your Personal Rights–sometimes people in the workplace are jealous of your job position; or they just don’t like you–and they will be mean to you, or attack you because of it (workplace bullying); they may try to come up with various reasons to disqualify you; and make it look like you are not fit for this office job, etc. Stand your ground, politely and professionally; and if you feel attacked by a co-worker, or even by a person in the company’s leadership, tell your direct supervisor in a polite manner, in confidence. But don’t overemphasize it, or use “drama,” or blow things out of proportion. After telling your supervsior, let it roll off your back; and don’t hold anything against anyone (Mark 11:25); go back to work and be productive.
10. Curiosity, Job Experimentation, and Willingness to Change (Flexibility) to Better Jobs, Better Homes, etc–Being Willing to Move As Many Times by Faith in Jesus, As Much As Possible, Until the Desired Job and House Result, etc, is Achieved. According to Richard Bolles’ The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide (2010), the best job hunting methods, according to his in-depth statistical research are the following:
(1) Do homework on yourself (what, where, how), making an inventory of your “transferrable skills” (this inventory is in the book, p. 85) (86% Success Rate).
(2) Join a job club, using the Yellow Pages to identify fields of work interest (70% Success Rate).
(3) Use the Yellow Pages to call every company you are interested working for (69% Success Rate)—note: from personal experience I’ve found a 50:2 ratio generally applies to cold calling through the Yellow Pages as much as filling out job applications:–that is, for every 50 calls or applications, you will generally get 2 interviews to pop up.
(4) Physically visiting a company and asking if they are hiring (and hand-delivering your resume) (47% Success Rate):–again, the 50:2 ratio applies here:–I have personally found this to be the most effective method in my life.
(5) Ask your friends and family for any job leads (33% Success Rate).
11. A Mentality That Says: “Man-Made Products Are Okay”–Not Everything in God’s World Has to Be All Natural and Eco-Friendly–Manufacturing, Industrialization, Factories, etc–Are All Okay–God Said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). While Christians should have respect for nature, the great outdoors, as God’s creation–we’re not called to be tree hugging New Agers. It’s okay to work for a factory, a warehouse, an assembly line, an office.
12. A Mentality That Says: “I Might Be Poor and Needy Right Now, and I’m Willing to Ask for Charity, and Even Beg for Money–But It’s Not Okay for Me to Continue to Rely on Charity and Handouts–I Need to Economically Grow through Hard Work–So I Can Provide for Myself and Family; and Be Generous and Give to Others in Jesus’ Name.”
13. A Mentality That Says: “Although a Wife’s Biblical Responsibility is Housekeeping and Homeschooling (Titus 2:5; 1 Timothy 5:14; Proverbs 22:6)–If the Wife Can Supplement Her Financially Struggling Husband’s Income–That’s Biblical Too (Proverbs 31:10-31) – see flexjobs.com (but beware of scams); note: it might take you 60-70 job applications until you get 2-3 legitimate job interview opportunities (so, make a list!).
(5) Making It a Goal Not to Rely on Government Aid Programs (Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, food stamps/EBT cards, government housing, FAFSA college grants, or even big tax refunds) – While it could be argued that these are forms of charity, provided by God through the human leaders of America, it could be more strongly argued that it is a form of socialism (faith in the government/like Nazi Germany); and that it is stealing from taxpayers! While I won’t say it’s a SIN to receive government aid, I will say it should be a goal for every Christian to be prosperous enough NOT to have to resort to government assistance in any form.
(6) When giving money or anything to the poor, be also willing to give them pointers on how to find a job (otherwise by only giving them something, you are encouraging them to be lazy, and to continue in their poverty).
(7) Biblical Economic Growth Instead of the American Dream. Economic growth should not be pursued from an American Dream viewpoint, but rather from a Biblical faith-based viewpoint (see Deuteronomy 8). The Christian is to live by faith in Christ for His financial provision and increase; a faith that Jesus Christ says this to you for job opportunities: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My Word, and have not denied My Name” (Revelation 3:8); which knows that God is Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord our Provider, Genesis 22:14); that “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19); that says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This implies (1) the pursuit of God by faith, (2) the pursuit of holy living or growth in Biblical obedience, and (3) the gradual accumulation of wealth and possessions (they are “added to you”), as God blesses your endeavors at job hunting, hard work for your company with a productive mentality, etc. All of this continually makes the choice to remain Christian and faith-based in your work ethic, in your economic growth, in your working, saving, and investing. Giving thanks not only on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life, that you have been blessed by God to work in this job, and are trusting Him lead you to even better job opportunities in the future! All of this totally, even forcefully, rejects the idea that you are a self-made man. You don’t “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps,” but by faith and prayer, you ask God to HELP YOU pull up your bootstraps, because it’s hard to pull them up sometimes! Self-reliance only leads to the pride of wealth. 1 Timothy 6:10: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” This is to seek economic growth for selfish, non-Christian means; basic GREED and covetousness, which is IDOLATRY (Exodus 20:17; Colossians 3:5). Chilton says, “Autonomous capitalism is a washout. It is an attempt to grab the blessings of God by secularist methods…It is a libertarian lawlessness” (Productive Christians, p. 220). Chilton goes on to mock Robert J. Ringer’s books Restoring the American Dream, Looking Out for #1, and Winning Through Intimidation. He concludes: “This kind of ‘capitalism’ can produce only cultural disintegration. Nothing will change a spiritually enslaved culture apart from freedom in Christ” (p. 220).
Jesus said in Luke 12:15-21:
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And He told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
It’s clear the sin this man committed with his whole life was the sin of autonomous, self-reliant, selfish capitalism. There was no fear of God in his economic decision-making. As he accumulated wealth and possessions through hard work, he did not consult the Holy Spirit about how to be generous and distribute it to the poor. God called him a FOOL because he saved all that money for himself, and God was angry that none of the poor will receive the abundant harvest of his crops: God asked, “Who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Nobody. That makes God VERY angry. A couple of chapters later, in Luke 16:19-26, we read of another rich man, who had a poor godly beggar outside of his house named Lazarus—but the rich man never gave him anything—he did not generously distribute to the poor in Jesus’ Name. He was a fool too, because the Scriptures say this:
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom (Paradise). The rich man also died and was buried. And being in TORMENTS in HELL, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I AM TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME!’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’”
Let that put THE FEAR OF GOD in us, that as we seek Biblical faith-based economic growth, that we always consult the Holy Spirit about how to give money to poor beggars like Lazarus! Jesus asked, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). It’s simply not worth it to spend 40-50 years of our lives accumulating wealth, and spending it on ourselves alone—and then end up being TORMENTED FOR AN ETERNITY IN THE FLAMES OF HELL, simply because we stopped fearing the Lord, and stopped giving to beggars. Therefore, from a Christian viewpoint, pursuing economic growth is FOOLISHNESS if you (1) don’t fear God and (2) don’t give to beggars! So, fear God and give to beggars!
The only kind of capitalism worth living by is a capitalism centered in reliance on God as Jehovah-Jireh, hard work with a productive mentality, faith in God’s protection, provision, and preservation; and a deeply rooted supernatural worldview in light of your job opportunities, and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in your work decisions, and saving, and spending. Otherwise, you’re basically no different than a hard working “winning through intimidation” atheist who is “looking out for number one”! That’s social Darwinism (survival of the fittest and natural selection). God’s got a better plan—survival of the faithful and supernatural guidance…for better job opportunities and better living conditions. That’s God’s way of prosperity! Biblical capitalism has the fear of God in it; and takes heed to the warning of Moses in Deuteronomy 8:10-20:
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me” (autonomous, self-reliant capitalism). But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.”
So, capitalism + the fear of God = Biblical economic growth! What is the American Dream? It is capitalism without the fear of God—it is an atheistic, agnostic capitalism—God will destroy all heads of families, heads of corporations, and heads of state who function this way! Pray for America to repent of this; to turn away from the sin of self-reliant capitalism and towards a God-reliant capitalism!
(8) Never “Give Up” on Economic Progress; Never See Your Job as a “Dead-End,” But as a Means to a Better End; as a Step to a Better Job Situation.
(9) A Mentality That Asks Not: “Do I Have a Future?”—but Instead Asks: “Do I Trust God Enough to Help Me Progress Economically Into the Future?” Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
(10) Seeking a Stable, Regular Work Schedule in Which You Can Keep a Routine Sabbath-Rest once a Week (Exod. 20:8-11); note: I don’t believe Sabbath-keeping is necessary for salvation from Hell (Colossians 2:16), but I do believe, as Jesus did, that “the Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27)—as a divine blessing for his spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It’s easier to maintain a work-life balance this way; and avoid workaholic habits.
(11) Seeking a Better Job; and Higher Pay.
(12) Self-Control About Spending Money on Recreation, Household Appliances, and Expensive “Toys.” (frugality, rationing, thriftiness:—less focus on entertainment-focused spending (less materialism); more focus on earning greater amounts of money for useful practical purposes—a sort of economic asceticism; some call this “the simple life,” or “simplicity,” such as Vernard Eller and Richard J. Foster)
(13) An Attitude of Self-Love and Self-Preservation—one that is the opposite of suicidal; a positive, forward-thinking, economically progressive mentality; one that perseveres through trials and tribulations; a confidence in God for supernatural and natural provisions, and a readiness to give Him thanks and praise and worship; NOT feeling apathetic, depressed, or careless about his poverty—the man who will grow economically cares about and thinks about this subject quite often, and he tests his “economic growth theories” frequently, until he achieves the economic results he is praying for.
(14) Developing a Friendly, Professional Attitude. Friendliness, trustworthiness, and good social skills—these are essential for economic growth, because in any business, or professional, corporate office job—a set of good, professional, friendly social skills are a must, if you plan on being good at customer service, representing a company, supervising a team of employees, getting along with people at work, or interacting with a business manager. The ability to exercise self-control—especially over the tongue—and to avoid being aggressive and argumentative—are all keys to developing a professional attitude. I would add that reading the Bible, and other good intellectually satisfying books for recreation, are a good way to polish your vocabulary; and develop your ability to speak and talk like an educated, well-bred person who works in a professional office environment. Never stop reading books, but don’t use ridiculously large intellectual words around people either—that will make you come off as a know-it-all.
(15) Willingness to Get Married—and Have the Wife Work Until the Husband is in an Economically Desirable Position to Provide for the Family Sufficiently by Himself (Proverbs 31:10-31).
(16) Willingness to Be Plugged into a Godly Church Where Friendships Can Be Developed; and Friends Can Be Resorted to for Economic Help (charity, advice, job leads, etc).
(17) Respect for Civil Rules and Civil Authorities:–the police, employers, landlords, etc—so to avoid unnecessary economic hardship (going to jail, receiving fines, getting fired, being evicted from rental property, etc)
(18) Avoiding a Poverty Mentality. Even though “evangelical poverty” can be used to cultivate a deeper Christian spiritual life (as in the case of St. Francis of Assisi)—generally, a poverty mentality makes no sense for married life or family life—it is counterintuitive, illogical, and unreasonable to “be fruitful and multiply” sexually (Genesis 1:28), if your bank account is not also being fruitful, and multiplying more money. In other words, don’t try to have more kids, or buy more things, unless (1) you are growing financially, and (2) you have received clear dreams, visions, voices, and signs from God in response to prayer.
(19) Avoid Living Near Slums or Ghettos! Not only to avoid associating with people who could influence you or your family with a negative, hopeless poverty mentality; but also to avoid their life-threatening, gang-infested, drug-infested environments with crack houses, etc; to avoid apartments and houses that are usually very ugly, depressing, and unpleasant to live in; in which the landlords may not be honest in their financial dealings according to the law; in which rental properties owned by such slumlords go without maintenance problems being fixed. To live in such a place is not conducive to “being fruitful” or to “multiplying” (Genesis 1:28), because you or your kids can DIE EARLY if you live by such places! Being shot or stabbed by drug dealers or gang members! Being KILLED and dying prematurely, stops all economic growth in your life, because then you are DEAD; if you’re dead, that means you can’t go to work, get better jobs, or grow economically anymore, nor can you have anymore kids:–that is the opposite of being fruitful and multiplying! Living in or near a ghetto is ultimately not God’s will for anyone; and is not conducive to Biblical economic growth. Find somewhere affordable to live, maybe out in the country—it doesn’t matter; just as long as it’s not a ghetto, or something like it. Living in that kind of environment is not only dangerous, but can put you into an economically careless, even hopeless, reckless mindset. It might be a big shock to your system, to step out in faith and just move out of a ghetto, into unknown territory—especially if you have been raised in a ghetto. But why stay in that hell any longer? God will lead you to a promised land if you trust Him! GET OUT OF EGYPT! Escape from the Land of Goshen! That’s a slave mentality! You don’t need Moses to lead you out; you’ve got Jesus! I’m white; and I love blacks, Hispanics, etc. as much as anyone—save yourselves! Save your families! Do what’s best for your kids! You might not see the other end of the tunnel! But if you trust Jesus, He is able to lead you through it! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!! ESCAPE FROM THE GHETTO NOW!! Man, I feel like a liberation theologian or something (but I’m no Marxist or socialist or Democrat:—remember that personal responsibility before God, fear of God, hard work, and changing to bigger and better jobs is the goal—and breaking free from reliance on government handouts). I think any civil rights leader would agree with that. Proverbs 31:9: “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
(20) Mothers Should Teach Their Kids to Read and Write – see Siegfried Engelmann’s Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
(21) Maintain the Attitudes, Motivations, and Habits of a Hard-Working Middle Class Man (within a Biblical framework):–a faith-based work ethic; but on the other hand, not the mentality of a “corporate Christian” who glories in or idolizes his career.
(22) Don’t be jealous of others who have more money and possessions than you do—focus on your own relationship with God (Exodus 20:17). In fact, it can be helpful to make friends with Christians more wealthy than you are—so you can glean economic advice from them, and better yourself financially. Envying the wealthy will only distance you further from wealth.
(23) Seeking Better Living Standards. House, car, clothing, etc—should be the primary goals of economic growth. (However, you should not be materialistic or a lover of money:–beware of American Dream mentality, Deuteronomy 8.) Balanced out by generous giving to poor beggars in Jesus’ Name (Luke 16)—which gives out of surplus (and at times even more—by the leading of the Holy Spirit).
(24) The True Gospel of “Lordship Salvation” Must Be Preached to the Poor—By Way of Open Air Preaching; and Evangelism in All Forms. And as they yield to the rules of Scripture, they will develop healthy views of work, life, and economic growth. Tithing and giving to churches and charities must be done freely, “without compulsion,” and “according to their income” (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7)—to remind the poor that their jobs come from God; and that they are to distribute their earnings exactly as God wills, their “conscience confirming it through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 9:1). And Christians can trust that God will economically bless and prosper the “cheerful giver” to advance the cause of the Gospel of Christ.
(25) Avoidance of Debt: “forgive us our debts” (Matthew 6:12).
(26) Thrifty spending; frugal living; being economical; sparing; rationing; making things last longer; penny-pinching (but never being stingy when it comes to Spirit-led generosity to the poor).
(27) Gradual Accumulation of Savings—and Distribution by your “conscience confirming it through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 9:1); and conviction received through Bible study.
(28) Learning Trades from Community Colleges—Acquiring Certifications for Jobs with Higher Wages (this assumes a high school diploma or GED already).
(29) SUMMARY RULE #1: Future Orientation—The Assumption that Progressive Development and Productivity are Possible and Desirable (Chilton, p. 227).
(30) SUMMARY RULE #2: The Rule of Law—Widespread Obedience to the Commands of the Bible (Chilton, p. 227)
“The only hope for the real elevation of the poor is capital accumulation (saving money) and productivity (creating products; and making more money for your company, by working hard for your company). And the only hope for capital accumulation and productivity in the long run is cultural obedience to God’s law in all human action” (Chilton, p. 228).
WARNINGS ABOUT THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH
AND THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL
The following are summaries of thoughts gathered from D. R. McConnell’s A Different Gospel, chapter 10: “The Doctrine of Prosperity: Success and the Upwardly Mobile Christian.”
1. The Hundredfold Return. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the Gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). This teaches that those who live by faith in Christ, and are willing to go through seasons where they sacrifice all they love for the sake of the Gospel–God will see to it, that if they are faithful to the Gospel and the righteous life that it calls Christians to, He will economically bless them 100x as much as they were before the sacrifice was made–even better houses and lands! But be careful of pastors, especially TV preachers from a Pentecostal prosperity viewpoint, who would try to manipulate you to give to their ministries with a verse like this: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 3:38). This verse should apply to giving to the sorts of things sanctioned in the Word of God: such as giving to poor beggars, widows, orphans, etc; and godly evangelistic ministries like HeartCry Missionary Society, for example; not to mention, to give tithes and offerings to your local pastor, if you deem him worthy.
2. Seeking Economic Growth Never Justifies Self-Indulgent Materialism (Storing Up Treasures). Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” I can prove that this verse is about materialism or obsessions with possessions, because in a verse preceding it, in which Jesus begins to teach against materialism, He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). By this Jesus is definitely condemning hoarding up “treasures”:–physical, touchable things that you can see and feel, that could be put into the category of “treasures” or should we say “luxury items.” Being like a pirate seeking a treasure chest is completely opposite to being a Christian, no matter how sophisticated it looks:–if you’re running after the accumulation of treasures, then in the eyes of Christ, YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN A PIRATE! ARRRGGH!
3. Food, Drink, and Clothing (Basic Needs):–Jesus Promises that God Will Supernaturally Provide These Things for People Who Seek Firstly the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (Matthew 6:25-31, 33).
4. 3 Indictments Against the Prosperity Gospel: (1) Self-Indulgent Materialism or Storing Up Treasures, (2) Worldly-Mindedness Instead of Spirituality, and (3) Making God Out to Be a Means of Just “Getting Rich.”
“The doctrine of prosperity is, in fact, a carnal accommodation to the crass materialism of American culture…It actually degrades the poor, claiming that their poverty is the result of ‘dishonoring’ God…It is a direct contradiction of the examples of the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and all the heroes of faith, who were “destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, men of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:37-38). The doctrine of prosperity is not worthy of such men” (McConnell, pp. 179, 181).
5. God’s Warnings to the Rich.
(1) Against materialism, luxury items (treasures), selfish material wants and lusts, leisure, comforts, and the love of or attachment to possessions and “toys.” (Luke 6:24; Mark 6:19-21; Matthew 6:24; Mark 4:19; James 5:1-3).
(2) Against unbelief in the Gospel; or faith in money instead of God (Mark 10:25).
(3) Against pride of wealth and faith in money (1 Timothy 6:17).
6. God’s Concern for the Poor.
(1) Give to the poor (Mark 10:21; 14:7; Galatians 2:10; 1 Timothy 6:18-19).
(2) The poor are usually more spiritual, “rich in faith,” and respond easier to the Gospel (Luke 6:20; 4:18; Mark 12:43-44; James 2:5).
(3) Don’t dishonor the poor (1 Corinthians 11:22).
Bibliography
Bauer, P. T. Dissent on Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. Pts and chs 2a3, 2a5, 2a9, 2a10, 2b13, 2b14, 4.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.12, 6.2, 6.8, 8.4, 8.6.
Bolles, Richard N. The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When “There Are No Jobs.” Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2010. Chapter 4: “The Best and Worst Ways to Look for a Job.”
Burkett, Larry. The Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1989. Part One deals with budgeting; Part Two deals with insurance, inheritance, and retirement; Part Four: “Ten Keys to Successful Investing.” From an evangelical Christian viewpoint.
Carroll, Peter. Puritanism and the Wilderness. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Although this book did not contribute to this article, it is related to the subject of Christian economic growth; this charts the intellectual and economic development of the New England Puritans as they built a society from scratch out of the forest. Within are demonstrated Biblical economic growth laws which could be applied to personal Christian economic growth today. See also Gary North, Puritan Economic Experiments (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989), pp. 51-54.
Chafuen, Alejandro. Faith and Liberty: The Economic Thought of the Late Scholastics. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2003. Ch. 10: “Profits.”
Chilton, David. Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators. Tyler, TX: The Institute for Christian Economics, 1981. Chapter 16: “The Basis for Economic Growth.”
Greenspan, Alan. The Map and the Territory. New York: Penguin Press, 2013. Chapter 7: “Uncertainty Undermines Investment”; Chapter 8: “Productivity: The Ultimate Measure of Economic Success”; book uses the phrase “economic growth” very often; an up-to-date book on economic principles by one of the chief economic advisors to Ronald Reagan during his presidency. Greenspan has a PhD in Economics from New York University.
Gregory, James. American Exodus: The Dust Bowl Migration and Okie Culture in California. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Examines the role of economics and holiness-Pentecostal faith among the Okies during the Great Depression. Some insights on economic growth, as they move from total poverty to suburban living. This subculture was illustrated in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939). See also Dan Morgan’s Rising in the West: The True Story of an “Okie” Family from the Great Depression Through the Reagan Years. New York: Knopf, 1992.
McConnell, D. R. A Different Gospel. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995. Chapter 10: “The Doctrine of Prosperity: Success and the Upwardly Mobile Christian.” This is a to-the-point Biblical critique of the Prosperity Gospel, taught by many Pentecostal and Word of Faith preachers, like Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Frederick K. C. Price, and others on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). It provides a needed balance to not only materialism in general, but also exposes the cultic, metaphysical nature of positive confession.
North, Gary. Wealth and Poverty: Four Christian Views of Economics. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984. Chapter 1: “Free Market Capitalism.” North is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA); he received a PhD in History from the University of California; and has written prolifically on economics from a conservative Christian capitalist viewpoint. He is a long-time friend of congressman Ron Paul; and once served as his research assistant in 1976 during his Republican years.
—–. An Economic Commentary on the Bible. 31 vols. This is extremely profound! Gary North’s life work! See especially Wisdom and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Proverbs, formerly titled God’s Success Manual.
Oslington, Paul, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Christianity and Economics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Rostow, W. W. The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Chs. 2, 3, 4, 7.
Sproul Jr., R. C. Biblical Economics. Ch. 4: “Prosperity” and Ch. 5: “Profit.”
—–. Economics for Everybody. Ch. 3: “The Path from Work to Wealth”; Ch. 4: “The Route From Scarcity to Plenty.” DVD and Study Guide.
U. S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2014-2015. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Works, 2014. An essential encyclopedic resource on every single job category in the United States. Each job has in-depth statistical information provided by the government. The “Nature of the Work,” “Training, Qualifications, and Advancement,” “Rate of Employment,” “Job Prospects,” “Yearly Earnings,” and “Websites” for Certifications and Further Information are included for each job category. This book is an essential resource for career services in universities and community colleges.
Websites
www.bls.gov/ooh/ – Occupational Outlook Handbook
www.garynorth.com – Christian; capitalist; economist; theologian; Bible commentator.
www.glassdoor.com – Great website for evaluating companies based on insider reviews.
www.mises.org – Website on “classical liberalism” / capitalist economics.
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From Wikipedia article: “Economic Growth”:
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From Wikipedia article: “Development Economics”:
