Fighting The Good Fight Of Faith

But thou O man of God, 

flee those things; and follow

after righteousness, godliness,

faith, love, patience, meekness. 

Fight the good fight of faith, 

lay hold on eternal life,

whereunto thou are also called,

and hast professed a good

profession before many witnesses.

1Timothy 6: 11-12

     The last blog I asked two questions about money, if it was wrong to pursue money and to have money, and many will say that it is not wrong. But is it? Not necessarily, for money is not wrong, money is not alive, has no power, cannot make a person do anything, money is inert. So, money in itself is not wrong, to have money is not wrong, to pursue money is not wrong. What may be wrong is to be pursuing money for the wrong reasons: i.e., to be wealthy, to have things, to show everyone how smart you are, to show everyone that you are special, very talented, and should have the respect due to your wealth and ability to accumulate wealth. Verse 10: "For money is the ROOT! (my emphasis) of all evil...." It isn't money that is the problem it is the ROOT! The word ROOT in the Greek in the natural means ROOT. Here the word ROOT is not being used in the natural, as in speaking about the base of a tree, the root from which is gets is water and life source, no, here it is being used metaphorically. In this metaphorical sense it means: cause, origin,or source. Sometimes this Greek word means "Bitterness" (Hebrews 12:15). Who or what is the ROOT? You! Me! We draw from money as the source, the cause, how we handle money even how we deal with others. Is money driving us towards God, or away from God? That question is at the heart of the matter. An example from my childhood: My family, dad, mom, my older sister, me, my younger brother, sister and another sister, seven in all lived in a home with three bedrooms, one for mom and dad, one for sisters, and one for brothers. No dining room other than that part of the kitchen where a table would fit, a living room, one bathroom, garage, (which we turned into another bedroom, bath, and laundry), all of lived there, slept together, and all were not harmed psychologically, (well, that might be debated: HA!), but it wasn't because we did not have a large house and each child had their own bedroom, a dining room (which is often rarely used), a two car garage full of play toys, and yet we have all done really well. Today, a person must have a large home, and each child must have their own bedroom, at least two bathroom, and each child must be able to decorate their rooms, and all this costs money making it necessary for both parents to work to pay for all this. BUT THEY LOOK SUCCESSFUL TO ANYONE FROM THE OUTSIDE! We still own that home, and it was home, not just a place to come, eat quickly and go to other events that makes a person feel good about themselves, (Which in most cases if done properly is not wrong to enjoy i.e., sports, dancing, etc.), sleep and rarely have time with mom and dad, (They are too busy making money to pay for all this), and this is where the ROOT of money has its evil, in the minds of those who want some sort of recognition of being successful. Why? Do you not know that all you accumulate will be used by others, and you will not take one thing to heaven. In fact, God will ask you a question about how you used your time and money. 

     Paul writes, that because of the ROOT of money some will be seduced, notice the word: SEDUCED! Seduced from the faith, yes, for with all this accumulated wealth, or seemingly wealth, for some is nothing more than the use, the overuse of credit cards making for more debt to be paid and the need for more money, all taking time and money from a better use: care for those in your congregation, for those in need, both in your home, Church, and in missions. We speak of Christianity as a thing to pursue but we do not live according to what we say. People in other countries have little, or nothing, sick, and a bad way, and yes we send missionaries, but we do little to aid those in need. In fact, often, just because we feel good about sending someone, a missionary, we feel as we have done something godly. We see pictures of dying and sick children, and we do nothing, but our homes are large, we have all the toys, things which will seduce us to not attend Church, at least regularly, and do nothing about those we see on TV that are in great need. But we are going to heaven! Oh! God will do what God, will do for He knows their plight, and God will do what God will do, therefore we excuse ourselves from doing. Paul writes that as Authentic Christians we are to flee such things and pursue, not money, but righteousness, that which is truly godly, to have patience, (actually the Greek word translated "patience" means to have endurance), and to pursue meekness (That means we do what we do not for our glory but for the glory of God). 

     Is all this easy? No! We must fight the GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. How is this done? We do not pursue riches, we do not allow ourselves to be a bad source that draws from the ROOT sustenance that is harmful to our faith, our witness. God has called you and has given to His children eternal life, therefore our lives must be a profession of the faith we say we have and this faith is expressed in how we handle money. We may, and many of us have not handled money as we should have, but we are alive and we can change to do right so that we have a good profession before many witnesses. Quit looking for blessing, be a blessing, you are already blessed, you have eternal life, and you cannot be taken out of the hand of God. What more do you want? Be a blessing and a good witness and when you stand before 

God to give an answer for your life you will hear: "Well done faithful and discreet slave."

I am a wonder unto many;

    but thou art my strong refuge.

Let my mouth be filled with thy

    praise and with  thy honour 

all the day.

                  Psalm 71: 7-8

Become a faithful and discreet slave

Richard L. Crumb

Is Having Money Wrong? Is Trying To Be Successful Wrong?

For we brought nothing into

this world, and it is certain 

we can carry nothing out. 

And having food and raiment 

let us be therewith content. But 

they that will be rich fall into

temptation and a snare, and

into many foolish and hurtful

lusts, which drown men in

destruction and perdition.

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. 

1Timothy 6:7-10

     Many people live their lives as though it will never end. It isn't that they do not know about death, it is that they live as though it will never happen to them. Women are taught, preached at, demanded that they get empowerment, to be as a man, to be as good as a man, get a job, have independence, live a cosmopolitan life, and if married, live as though you are not, only living together. This may seem as though I am speaking against women. I am not! Men, have become effeminate, taught to look into themselves and see the feminine side of themselves, to be rich, independent, worldly, look "macho," be tough. Men have done exactly that: they have foregone their role as men, to be the provided as women have foregone their role to be a woman, to be a mate, and men have also, as they have silently said: "If they want to do what a man does, well, I will sit back and let them." The root of all this is "money," to have all the "play toys" a person can accumulate, to have the biggest house, the most expensive furniture, cars, and more, all to show the world that this person is successful and important. He or she is not! God does not care one iota about your success as a person of this world. God cares about your relationship with Him, with Jesus Christ and that you are led by the Holy Spirit according to His word. An Authentic Christian, one who has Authentic Christian Faith does not have the business of this world as their main focus, no, he or she has as their main business to bring others to the Saviour of their souls. You have brought nothing into this world and you will not take anything with you when you leave this world, and you are leaving whether you like it or not. In time for almost everyone people will no longer think of you, or remember you, example: Do you know the name of your great grandfather, what he did? Maybe, some may but most cannot remember this long past history. So why this rush to be rich, to be successful as the world determines success? Why not be successful in the eyes of God, Whom you will have to give an account of for all you have said and done? Are living now for God, or for yourselves? Oh! You say: "I am doing this for my children, good, I am doing this for others, good, I am doing this for my retirement, good, all this is necessary but all this does not supersede what you are to be doing as first and foremost in your lives. It is God first, second, third, etc., and you in the last place. If you are doing all for God, doing good, work, setting aside money for you children, good, but all this is not your most important focus or work as an Authentic Christian: you are to be doing all for God and if there is some good that comes from this, (I say this for there is trouble in this world which we cannot run from, some by our own hand and some by the hand of others), some will recognize what you are doing and others will not: but God sees all things. 

     Liberal Christianity has hurt the cause of Jesus Christ the most for it has allowed the culture of this world to infect the Church leading people to believe they are doing the will of God when in fact all they are doing is the will of this world. Do good things come for liberal Christianity? Yes! They have orphanages, do medical care, aid the homeless, even send out missionaries, and yet they do this for reasons that are in line with the transformation of society. The Church is the answer to societies needs, this is what the Church must achieve, but not at the expense of bringing the Gospel to the world. Many people join with this liberal ideas of Christianity, they feel somewhat godly, but their faith is not based upon Scripture, their faith is in their work. 

     Seeking riches will bring upon a person many snares, even going so far as to turn a person from Authentic Christian Faith to a faith in themselves, in this worlds attitudes. There is a most pressing need in the Church and that need is education according to the doctrines set forth in Scripture, not some new ideology or theology, rather the simple words of Scripture. Yes, some words are hard, we may even rebel, but those words are there not to hurt us, but to deliver us from error, from heresy, and turn us into the people that God is leading us to be. 

     It is good that by our good work money and success may come but that is not the primary focus for our money or success. What are you doing with your money, or success? Buying a bigger home? Buying fancier, and faster cars? Buying "play toys?" Or are you using this money and success in the service of God, to bring the Gospel to a lost and dying world? Are you caring for those in your Church? Those who have nothing and have needs, are you making sure that they have the necessities of life? Or, are you just attending Church, building up big stockpiles of money for a later day? Man, what a foolish thing that is for no one knows the day or hour, the minute of their death, sickness, and debilitating disease that makes all this wealth some foolish to have worked so hard for and now, this person cannot use it. Start at home, start in your Church, then extend to the world of Christians, and then the world that are not Christians, not necessarily in sequence but done, and bring comfort, peace, joy to those who need comfort, joy, and peace. Isolation is sticking your head in the sand but the problems of this world will not go away. Prepare now for the battle of life making a place where people who are the children of Christ may gather together, and forget your pride, your need for riches and success, bring all to the foot of the cross. 

Better is the poor that walketh

     in his uprightness, than he

that is perverse in his ways,

    though he be rich.

                   Proverbs 28:6

Store treasures in heaven

Richard L. Crumb

Who Or What Is Moulding Your Faith? The Emerging Church?

If any man teach otherwise,

and consent not to wholesome

words, even the words of our

Lord Jesus Christ, and to the 

doctrine which is according to

godliness he is proud, knowing

nothing, but doting about questions

and strifes of words, whereof cometh

envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

perverse disputings of men of corrupt

minds, and destitute of the truth,

supposing that gain is godliness: 

from such withdraw thyself. 

But godliness with contentment is

great gain.

1Timothy 6:3-6

     The early Church had to face many obstacles to their faith and so do we today we face many obstacles to our faith and not all from those outside of Christianity, for much comes from within. We all have heard of "sugar coating" something, and this is to hide or veil the truth of a matter. The Bible calls this "tickling of ears." Some who preach have the idea or concept or invariable, essential Christian doctrines would be contrary to a proper and healthy "conversation" as they experience the "Story of God" in their lives and the lives of others. Think upon this: Absolute truths necessarily mean there are absolute errors. In this present culture, a pluralistic culture where by everyone has "truth" or "truth beliefs" and those who are teaching and preaching other doctrinal theologies believe that to address the essential truths of the Bible would alienate and hinder the ability to reach the unsaved. Truth is truth, and not "truths." Yes truth must be conjoined with love, but not sacrificed to love. 

     The Emerging Church, a doctrine presented by some Churches and hard to define as there are many shapes and are often in constant changes, but in the foremost theology there is similarity one to the other, and is often seen in their unorthodox methods for reaching the lost, this they do by the use of candles, couches, statues, sculptures, poems, open microphones, musicians playing wild rock music, dressing as the world dresses, using open microphones, relying on testimonies, etc., which if used right can be useful. But the Emerging Church movement is known for its relativism and weak theology, even and updating of the Gospel that really is not the Gospel at all. Some pastors seem to be more concerned with being nice, having a "touchy' message to touch people's hearts, rather than teach the actual truth of the Gospel that was given by our Savior Jesus Christ, inspiring men to write by the Holy Spirit. Is it all bad? No! But if I had a gallon of pure water and put a teaspoon of dirt in it, is it still pure? It may be drinkable, but you are not drinking pure water. In time more and more dirt is put into the gallon of water and soon a person comes to acquire a taste for this impure water. Some of the heresies being preached and taught is a denial of hell, who deny the absolute necessity of faith in Jesus Christ, and by this deny that Jesus is the only way, even to teach that it is ok if someone did not want to believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some teachers and preachers of the Emerging Church movement do not openly deny the essentials of Authentic Christian Faith but consider them to be somewhat irrelevant to their view of the "Christian Movement." 

     What is the "Emerging Church" emerging from? It is emerging from the established, modernistic (rational), traditional Church that appears to be stuck in traditionalism, and is out of touch with the postmodern society. The Emerging Church want to do away with what they consider as a sterile religion and are reassessing the need for a new, more adaptive and relative approach to reach the unchurched. In other words, they have fallen into a place where truth is relative and it is very and even more important to have the conveniences of life, home, food, entertainment, all which is so pervasive in this society. 

       God's word has not changed, and the doctrines of God have not changed, and the method to reach the world has not changed: We are to take to the world in a simple, quiet, and respectful to God way, the Gospel, the truth and not attempt to mold the truth in such a way so as to dupe people into become "Christian." The words of Jesus are harsh, demanding, and many do not like this and attempt to modify His words to a more pleasing "ear tickling" way which is not the way of Jesus. In fact Paul in writing to Timothy instructs that we are to shun such people. More will be written in regards to this seemly harsh requirement. Hold on to your seats for this may be in opposition to what you have come to believe, but it will be straight from God's word. In complaint about it: take it up with God. 

Yea, mine own familiar friend,

     in whom I trusted, which 

did eat of my bread, hath lifted

     up his heel against me. But

thou, O LORD, be merciful unto

     me, and raise me up, that I

may requite them.

                    Psalm 41:9-10

Run from evil

Richard L. Crumb