A book

of papers

Frederick A. Landy
I give all the praise, glory and honor to God my Father, His Son Jesus
Christ and the precious Holy Ghost! This book is dedicated to all of those
who have influenced me to be about the things of the Lord.

To every single individual that has been a positive Godly role model in my
life, this book is for you!
A book of papers

Frederick A. Landy
 2013 by Landy's Gospel Creations

Published by Landy's Gospel Creations

2012-2013 Landy's Gospel Creations. All Rights Reserved.

www.lgc.spruz.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means---for
example, electronic, photocopy, recording---without the prior written
permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in
printed reviews.

Landy, Frederick A.

A book of papers
 Table of Contents

Introduction..........6

Narrative Assignment (Jude Project III):'Favored by God:

the children of Israel...................8

The 21st century Western church: a major role to

play........44

The 21st century church's mission: faith &

discipleship.............................73
Epilogue...............106

About the author............108

 Introduction

There are papers that we write for our classes in school, papers that
we write in hopes of receiving a scholarship and even papers that we write
for the purpose of reporting information on our jobs. The topics vary given
the type of class that we are in, scholarships we are looking to receive and
businesses/organizations we are employed with.

With that being said, this book is a compilation of various papers

that I have selected to include in this book. These papers were written
during the first two years of my Graduate studies in the Master of Arts in
Ministry Leadership (MAML) degree program at the Grand Rapids
Theological Seminary (GRTS) located in Northeast Grand Rapids,
Michigan.

To reiterate, each chapter is a paper that addresses various topics

that I was assigned to write by my professors during my first two years of
seminary. I pray that this book brings about enlightenment, discussions
and ultimately is a blessing to all who reads it.

-Frederick
Narrative Assignment (Jude Project III)

Favored by God: the children of Israel

Frederick Landy
BBL-501(Biblical Hermeneutics)
Widder
Due: 14 March 2012
 Introduction

Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped

along the Jordan across from Jericho. Now Balak son of Zippor saw all

that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified because

there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of

Israel.

Numbers 22:1-3 (NIV)

 How can I overpower these people? Will they overpower me?

These two questions sets the pace of what Balak son of Zippor, who was

king of Moab, could have inevitably been seeking answers for. With such

questions going through his mind, having become frightened by the many

Israelites who had defeated the Amorites, because there king would not let
them pass through their territory so they could get to where they were

going, could be one of the causes of such fearfulness.1

With having such questions going through his mind, Balak son of

Zippor summons for a now money-hungry, selfish and pagan prophet, who

1
The book of Numbers chapter 21 verses 21-26 gives direct information upon his
fearfulness. When God is on our side, what can man do to us? The answer to that is
nothing. The Israelites had Yahweh on their side and there was nothing that no one
could do to them!
actually was one that was used by God in earlier times. Yet, overtime he

forgot what the true meaning of being a prophet of God really was about.2

This summon or call for Balaams services is being done out of

Balaks nervousness and uncertainty of what the children of Israel may do

to him and the people of Moab. As the text renders an understanding of

the dilemma in the first few verses of Numbers chapter twenty-two, the
2
See II Peter 2:15-16; this passage of Scripture lets Bible readers know that Balaam was
used by God at one time, but because of covetousness, Gods Spirit left him. Another
reference to this in Judges 11:19-22.
Bible says that Balak knew of how the Israelites had overpowered the

Amorites with the help of Yahweh and so having that in his mind, he is

seeking Balaam to curse the children of Israel, Gods chosen people.

Furthermore, it is not at all surprising that Balak is showing signs

of nervousness and uncertainty, given the various accounts of how the

Israelites conquered the surrounding cities. It could be said that the

children of Israel were probably not entirely concerning themselves about

the king of Moab, more so than them reaching the land of Canaan.3

At this point, it can be stated that this narrative fits perfectly where

it is at in the book of Numbers as a whole. This is so, by the given the

Victories over the Canaanites & Sihon & Og accounts in Numbers

3
See Deuteronomy 1:8; this can be implied given that Moses is still the leader of the
children of Israel. Knowing that he is, it can be said that they are at the end of their
wandering years and are now about to break forth into the conquest to take Canaan.
The old generation had died out and now the new generation was coming forth. This is
to prepare Joshua to lead them into the promise land later on.
chapter twenty-one. It fits in the Bible as a whole in an orderly fashion,

seeing that a previous book, the book of Exodus, is where the wandering

began and through it all, forty years to be exact, the time span from

Exodus to Numbers could have mostly likely been that length of time.

In light of this paper, it looks to address all the aspects that exist

within a narrative: geographic location, speed of the narrative, details

within the narrative (repetition, allusions, etc.) and lastly the meaning of

this narrative at that particular time and its meaning in todays time.

NARRARTIVE STUDY

GEOGRAPHY

For the children of Israel started out in the desert of Sinai in

Numbers chapter one and was commissioned by God to then move to the
desert of Paran of Kadesh in Numbers chapter ten. The next place we read

that they go is to the plains of Moab in Numbers chapter twenty, which

sets the geographic context of the narrative.

In Numbers chapter twenty-two, the children of Israel, those who

survived the period of desert wandering for forty years along with the

subsequent generation, are the main target of the antagonist, Balak son of

Zippor. The reason being is because they are now in his territory and he
feels that they are a threat to him.4 So, once again, the setting of this

narrative takes place on the plains of Moab.

SPEED of the narrative

This particular narrative begins very slowly in its pace. I believe

this is done so that the Bible reader can really come to a place of

comprehending what he or she is reading.

4
See Exodus 16:35 & Numbers 14:33-34.
 This narrative relays to its reader that there is a king by the name

of Balak son of Zippor who summons a diviner by the name of Balaam

son of Peor to place a curse on Gods people, the children of Israel. This

has to be established slowly so that the reader does not miss who the target

audience, antagonist and the accomplice all are. This will be given in

further detail in the next segment of this paper.

 After this has been given, we see the sending of the elders to

Balaam from Balak so that he can come to curse the children of Israel. At

this point, there is some momentum given to the text, because the Bible

says that the elders go back more than once to Balaam and then finally

Balaam goes with them, though he is disobeying God. Through him

saddling his donkey and the donkey seeing the angel of a Lord, the fast
pace is slowed and the narrative becomes more of a slow pace, because

this part of the narrative is very significant.5

5
See Numbers 22:20-21. This part of the narrative has to be comprehended, so else one
will not understand the descriptive or the prescriptive purpose of this narrative. Verse
20 in the New Living Translation (NLT) and the New International Version (NIV) reads,
That night God came to Balaam and said, Since these men have come to summon you,
go with them, but do only what I tell you. The difference is in the New American
Standard Bible translation (NASB), God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the
men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to
you shall you do. This must be accounted for, given why God was angry in verse 22.
 Chapters twenty-three & twenty-four moves in a slow pace given

the seven altars that are built and the sacrificed bulls & rams that are

constantly repeated and given emphasis upon. Also to see how Balak

insists that Balaam needs to see the children of Israel from the difference

angles, the three high points he takes Balaam, so he can know how his

Different translations bring different meanings even through transliteration and it is

important to take note of that.
competition looks, validates the slower pace. By chapter twenty-four, the

reader can feel that an even slower pace has been introduced given the

conclusion of the whole matter which is presented through the two, Balak

and Balaam, going their separate ways.

DETAILS

As it has already been alluded to, the king of Moab, who would be

considered the antagonist, is looking for his accomplice, Balaam, a

diviner, to place a curse upon the target audience, the children of Israel.

Having sent word to this diviner, it took a while for him to go with

the elders that were sent to him, but once he did, the rising action begins to

develop.
 It must be stated that Balaams donkey plays a significant part in

the narrative. While Balaam was on his way, in disobedience, wanting the

commodities in which the king offered him, the donkey brings warning to

him that he must not go. Throughout this particular part of the narrative,

Balaam is thinking that the donkey is just being stubborn. These instances

were actually warnings and finally since he does not catch on right away,

the donkey begins to talk.

 It has been stated by many Bible scholars that to Balaam, this

probably was not a surprise to him that the donkey was talking, because he

was a diviner or sorcerer. Yet, the Lord caused this to happen so that he

could to get his attention through the donkey and be aware that the angel

of the Lord was blocking his way.

 When "the angel of the Lord" speaks and finally lets Balaam go,

one can still sense the initial hastiness in Balaam in trying to get to the

king by means of the prior message sent to him.

Upon Balaam arriving, Balak asks him if he thought that he could

not honor those he summons with extravagant gifts. At this point, there is

some arrogance and pride being sensed by the king through the text. In

addition, Balak invites Balaam on the top of Kiriath Huzoth, and holds a
feast to share his plans on having the children of Israel cursed. Eventually,

the next day they go up to Bamoth Baal so that Balaam could see Balaks

so-called threat and competition.6

6
Numbers 22:12 lets us know that what or who God has blessed no one can curse. The
children of Israel were blessed by God and Balaam was told that they were when the
men came the first time. For someone to go and still try to curse a people that God has
divinely blessed is preposterous in trying to understand. This is where the error of
Balaam becomes more evident, because of what God had spoken to him and yet he still
goes.
 Furthermore, Balaams oracles or messages are then introduced in

Numbers chapter twenty-three. This leads way to the various rituals being

incorporated so that a divine or celestial permission may be given in order

to curse the children of Israel.

This is done three times and each time, Balak takes Balaam to

various high places so that he could see portions of the children of Israel
and maybe by doing so, it could bring him to a place of being able to

receive that divine or even celestial permission.

Just by this part of the narrative alone, there is great significance in

it, given the repetition of the seven altars and the sacrificing. This

repetition shows the persistence in the king to have the children of Israel

cursed. The seven altars built to sacrifice the bulls and the rams are all

done three times. This ritual seems to bring about a more religious and
holy mindset to make the process more impactful, when in actuality we

learn in chapter twenty-four, Balaam was, in a sense, going through the

motions.

It must be stated here that yes, God was revealing himself unto

Balaam given by what Numbers chapter twenty-four verses one and two

states, Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel,

he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward
the wilderness. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe

by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

These verses alone lets us know that what he was asking Balak to

do, could have just as well been disregarded, yet through his hasty and

anxious ways, he incorporated it.

One believes that by this chapter, Balaam is now able to see

clearly, because verse two states, the Spirit of God came on him. He was
not depending upon his own finite knowledge and strength, but rather on

the wisdom of the eternal, only wise God.

It can be stated that by Balaams fourth oracle and final oracle,

Balak had to be very angry with what he was hearing. This can be sensed

through the latter verses of chapter twenty-four. Throughout this narrative,

to be more specific, chapter twenty-three, Balaam felt the need to consult

evil spirits, as diviners do. Yet, going back to how he started out as a
prophet of God, it can be stated that now, because of greed and self-

ambition, he fell away from fulfilling the true mission that a prophet of

God must fulfill and by doing so, ended up turning to divination and

sorcery.

Many prophets of old were not to say what was on their mind, if

you please, but what God gave them to speak. They were not to tell people
what they wanted to hear, but rather what God wanted them to hear. They

are Gods mouth-pieces.

To answer the question of where do we find another example of

such an error as this? it can be found in II Kings chapter five. The Bible

says that the prophet Elisha was commanded by God to let Naaman know

in order to be healed of his leprosy he must go wash seven times in the

Jordan. This was not the answer or even the way Naaman wanted the
answer to come. He wanted immediate action. From there, he was

convinced by his servants, so he did what the prophet told him and was

healed. This made him so excited that he wanted to give Elisha gifts, but

Elisha declined, knowing that his reward was in heaven. But there was one

by the name of Gehazi, Elishas servant, who was greedy and decided,

[since his] master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not

accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, [he was

going to] run after him and get something from him. What a mistake he
made by doing so, because by receiving the gifts that his master declined,

he became stricken with leprosy.7 The lesson to be learned by these

examples is that we must obey the Lord and not follow such behavior as

disobedience, because it will only lead to destruction.

CONCLUSION

7
See II Kings 5:20-27.
 The narrative presented here in Numbers chapters twenty-two

through twenty-four teaches Israel the lesson that God is not a man that

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should

repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He

not make it good? Seeing that this is what Balaam stated in his second

oracle, it ties in with how God had to fulfill for the children of Israel here

in Numbers, what he told Abram all the way back in Genesis chapter

twelve, because truly God is faithful. He keeps His word!

 How this narrative applies to us today can be summed up in two

Scriptures. The first is Romans 8:31 where the apostle Paul stated, What,

then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be

against us? This relays that we have the victory and are more than

conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord. With the children of Israel

having God on their side, the same can still yet be said for us at the present

time.
 The second Scripture is Philippians 1:6 which states, being

confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it onto

completion until the day of Christ Jesus. This gives us the confidence,

today, in knowing that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Gods

divine will, must be completed in our lives and what a beautiful thing it is

when we are in agreement with what God longs to do in our lives.

 This narrative goes to show how Jude, the writer of the letter of

Jude, understood the error of Balaam, seeing that he was deceived into

going to Balak in order to put a curse on a blessed people. The greed he

had for material things is a lesson in and of itself. Jude verse eleven is

where we see Balaam mentioned and this is so that those who read the

letter will not follow such an example, but rather be filled with the

precious Holy Ghost and have Jesus Christ deep down in our hearts so that

we can live lives pleasing in Gods sight.

 Bibliography

The Holy Bible. New International Version, (NIV)

Archaeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk through
Biblical History & Culture. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2005.

The Holy Bible: New Living Translation, 2nd ed. Carol Stream,
Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2007.
The Holy Bible. New American Standard Bible, (NASB). Iowa

Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1995.

The 21st century Western Church: a major role to play

Frederick Landy
Johnson
MIN-560 (Global Impact)/Reflection paper #3
Due: 30 March 2012
 Introduction

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trials you are suffering,
as though something strange were happening to you.

I Peter 4:12

This should not be happening to me, Im on divine assignment by

God! Why is there so much hostility and hatred being shown toward me,

Im just trying to be the best disciple of Jesus Christ that I can be? Such
statements can be traced all the way back to the very situations that the

Holy Bible has taken into account, and one prime example is that of David

by means of his drawn out struggle against Saul. Yet, through it all, we as

saints of God in today's time, have Jesus Christ, the Greatest Example, to

show us how to go through such trials & tribulations that we are and will

be faced with.
 There is no doubt about it that Christs way is a suffering way.

This is a true statement that must be introduced to new converts and given

as a reminder to the saints of God.

We should not go about this Christian journey thinking that when

the world hates us, it should not be so, when in actuality, this is supposed

to be.
 There are many missionaries all over this world spreading the

Good News, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to various nations, tribes and

languages. This is the commission that was given back in Acts 1:8.8

Having such an understanding brings forth the various points that

this paper looks to address. With the given question of what is the role of

8
Acts 1:8: but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth. This is why it is a must for us to be about our Fathers
business now because these are the last and evil days.
the 21st century western church in Global missions? it can be addressed

with the provided observations.

The 21st century Western church should bring awareness to Her

missionaries that there is a possibility that they will face death threats,

persecutions and even irate confrontations when entering into other

countries to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ, teach that there is to be no

compromising the word-of-God no matter what and lastly to teach that

prayer is essential in all things.

CONTENT

First, the 21st century Western church should bring awareness to

Her missionaries that there is going to be a possibility of facing death

threats, persecutions and even irate confrontations when entering into

other countries to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 There should not be any holding back of any information that is

needed to be made known by means of missionary work. The awareness

that the persecutions one could face while in other countries is far more

intense than the persecutions presented here in the United States, must be

communicated.

Such an observation was brought to light by Brother Yun in his

book The Heavenly Man. In chapter twenty six A New Kind of

Persecution, Yun states that when he went to preach in Canada, there was

a lady that came to him and tried to make it be as if he was not who the

various newspapers and magazine articles stated that he was. The initial

issue was that she did not believe that he had fasted for the length of time

that he stated he had when he was in prison over in Asia. Through this

experience, Yun stated that he had never come across an experience like

that and so it made him really consider the question of whether physical

abuse was worse than verbal abuse.

 What an observation and a necessary issue to be addressed. For

truly the mouth of the wicked seems to never rest in plotting harm on the

righteous.9 What Yun brings to light is that the difference in the Eastern

countries versus that of the West is many times in the East their thoughts

of physical abuse, specifically against the saints of God, are usually

followed through with bodily harm of some sort, whereas in the West,
9
Proverbs 15:28, The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the
wicked gushes evil. This is a word for all the righteous saints of God; no matter what,
the wicked have the intentions to hurt and not help. This is their make-up and it must be
relayed to missionaries.
people talk and talk and talk about those who are in ministry, but many

times that is all that is happening, at least for now that seems to be what is

taking place throughout the West.

By bringing forth this awareness, it is not to discourage the

missionaries or the saints of God, neither is this is not to limit the power of

God in the lives of each missionary, but rather, it is to just speak the truth
in love.10 At the end of the day, the blood of Jesus will never lose its

power, no matter what.

Once again, missionaries going to do Global Missions must be

aware of the physical or bodily harm that could come about when on the

mission field. This is not just for missionaries, but for all of the saints of

10
Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 4:15, that we must speak the truth in love, because
that what brothers and sisters-in-Christ should do. We should bring about such
awareness with an emphasis on help others to count up the cost. No one wants to be
ill-prepared for anything and so the same mentality must be applied for the church.
God. It as I heard a wise preacher once say, You dont have to be a

preacher, if you live right, the world will hate you. This is so true in its

giving, be it that Christs way is a suffering way and that should never

escape our memory.

Second, this very important detail cannot be left out and that is the

21st century Western church should teach that there is to be no

compromising the word-of-God no matter what. As given through the first

point, just the thought of being possibly bodily harmed for being a

Christian who is on the mission field spreading the Good News can make

anyone compromise in order to save his or her life. This type of thinking

should not be so, because its just as apostle Paul stated in Galatians 2:20,

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in

me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who

loved me and gave himself for me or what about II Corinthians 5:15,

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for

themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

These particular passages of Scriptures brings forth the

understanding that born again Believer n longer lives to please him or

herself, but that God is to be glorified and if that involves persecutions,

which it will, then we should glorify in those things.11

11
See Romans 5:3-5.
 Its like when the apostle Peter denied knowing Christ as it was

predicted by Jesus.12 Let us not deny that Jesus Christ is Lord! Yes, Jesus

did come in the flesh and no one should lead the saints into thinking

otherwise.

Lastly, the 21st century church should be teaching that prayer is

essential in all things. Jesus stated in Mark 14:38 to His disciples Watch

12
See Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31, Luke 22:31-34 & John 13:36-38; the actual
occurrence is in Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62 & John 18:15-18, 25-
27.
and pray Look at the dialogue that is happening in the Garden of

Gethsemane starting at the verse 32:

32
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples,
Sit here while I pray. 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him,
and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 My soul is
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he said to them. Stay
here and keep watch.

35
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible
the hour might pass from him. 36 Abba, Father, he said, everything is
possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you
will.
37
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon, he
said to Peter, are you asleep? Couldnt you keep watch for one hour? 38
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is
willing, but the flesh is weak.

What Jesus is relaying here is that there has to be consideration

taken to the things around us. The devil is going to and fro through the
earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.13 There must be

much praying that is happening in order for the saints to be able to

withstand the devils schemes. This is very serious because most of these

schemes surface more on the mission field than anywhere else.

13
See I Peter 5:8-9. The implication here is that we must, again, watch and pray and
even as apostle Peter states in I Peter 5:8, be alter and sober. This is a must for
anyone that is going into missions. What may sound good and look good may very
well be the opposite. That is how the adversary works; bringing counterfeit
opportunities & false proclamations that is far from the word-of-God. As it has been
stated, it will be stated again, let us watch & pray.
 As Engel & Dyrness stated in their book Changing the mind of

Missions: where have we gone wrong, when it comes down to Harvest

Global Mission, it has been seen that more older adults rather than

younger adults are involving themselves in missions. The zeal is not there

in the younger adults as given by chapter one, so basically by chapter six

the mentioning of a missionary renaissance is introduced.

 This would really be a necessary incorporation for the times that

we now live in. There is nothing wrong with a missionary renaissance

taking place in order to bring about the much needed revival of having

fresh, young minds to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.

It must be stated that if they do not have a strong prayer life, one

can easily become very discouraged while on the mission field. There is

no way that anyone who is a disciple of Jesus Christ can make it without
having constant communication with the Maker & Creator of all things,

God!

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, these are the last and evil days and Jesus Christ is

soon to return. The Bible reveals this in that of Matthew 25:1, 13, At

that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their

lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and
five were wiseTherefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or

the hour With knowing such a passage of Scripture, it behooves us all

to be about our Fathers business right now. We do not want to be like the

fivethat were foolish.

One of the ways that the Western church exemplifies that She is

going about doing what Jesus Christ has commissioned is simply seen

through Global Missions.

 Knowing that it takes having the 21st century Western church to

bring awareness to Her missionaries that there is a possibility that they

could face death threats, persecutions and even irate confrontations when

entering into other countries to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ, teach

that there is to be no compromising the word-of-God no matter what and

lastly to teach that prayer is essential in all things is the foundation that

must be laid for the times that we are now living in.
 There should be no holding back any information, but rather these

things must be addressed so that one can count the cost.14

14
Luke 14:28 states, Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit
down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? This can be
compared with what Jesus stated in Mark 8:34, Then he called the crowd to him along
with his disciples and said: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross and follow me. This just stated that if one really is going to go the
way of Jesus Christ, he or she must know that it is a suffering way! But through it all, the
Bible declares in Psalm 34:19, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord
will deliver them out of them all and that sums it all up.
 As I also heard a wise preacher say, There are no people in the

world that are Gods people, but holy people. This simply states that as

being a child of God there will be many trials and tribulations that will

come about, but the confidence that we have is in knowing that it will not

last always.15 We must lives pleasing in Gods sight, because if we witness

the Gospel there will be people who will ultimately look to see if we are

practicing what we preach.

15
See Psalm 30:5.
 The mission field is calling for those who are sincere in seeing

people come to Christ and ultimately building a personal relationship with

Him. God is love and Jesus Christ is the evidence of that. As I conclude

many papers, so I do the same with this paper, as it is written, Ecclesiastes

12:13,Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear

God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
 Bibliography

The Holy Bible. New International Version, (NIV). Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.

Yun, Brother & Paul Hattaway. The Heavenly Man. Grand

Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2002.

Engel, James F. and William A. Dyrness. Changing the mind of
Missions: where have we gone wrong? Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
The 21st century churchs mission: faith & discipleship

Frederick Landy
Johnson
MIN-560/Reflection paper #1
Due: 03 February 2012
 Introduction

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And

how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can

anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are

the feet of those who bring good news!

Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)

 The question of what is the mission of the church? brings about

many Scriptures which imply the most direct, clear-cut, and at times, very

concise answer to the question. In the above passage of Scripture, the

apostle Paul lets the saints in Rome know that in order for those that have

become a part of the body of baptized Believers to have come to be of

such, it could not have happened unless a messenger of the Gospel had

shared the Good News with them. This is quite palpable in that regard.

Another Scripture that comes to mind, in reference to the question,

is John 9:4 where Jesus was in the process of healing a man born blind

from birth. Jesus states, As long as it is day, we must do the works of

him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work... This very

familiar passage of Scripture can constantly be heard from many pulpits

and podiums where the word-of-God is taught and preached, yet it holds a

far greater significance than what one can even imagine. Once again, this

particular text captures Jesus in the process of healing a man that was born

blind from birth and this statement comes after His disciples asked Him in

verse two, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born

blind?
 In light of this paper, the picture that this particular text paints is

how there are many Christians who go to church, may it be Saturday or

Sunday after Saturday and Sunday and yet do not come to the full

understanding of what the mission of the 21 century church really is.

There are many who are born again, yet do not understand the concept of

what the household of faith is, let alone are they living by faith.
 Furthermore, the term church must be defined and two

definitions rendered are: a building for public, especially Christian

worship. often Church: The company of all Christians regarded as a

spiritual body; a specified Christian denomination: the Presbyterian

Church; congregation. Having the understanding of the scholarly

definition of the term makes it quite natural for anyone who is a new
convert to say that by going to church, with more of an emphasis on the

first definition, the building, then that is all it takes to be a Christian.16

I believe that the mission of the church should exclusively consider

that the saints of God must be taught the unadulterated gospel of Jesus

Christ which cannot help but to develop ones personal relationship with

the Lord Jesus, understanding that it takes having faith in God which is

16
The American Heritage Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006-2009. keyword
st nd
search: church; 1 & 2 definitions.
developed, many times, through corporate worship and lastly,

understanding the work of the Holy Ghost. It is my belief that these all

bring about true discipleship and should be the foundation by which the

mission of the church is derived from.

CONTENT

First, being taught the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ which

develops ones personal relationship with the Lord Jesus is a must, right
from the beginning. I constantly emphasize at the church in which I preach

& teach, How can someone effectively witness about Jesus Christ if they

only "know of Him?" It takes having a personal relationship with Jesus

Christ in order to be able to be an effective disciple of Jesus Christ. With

the Biblical implications that were given earlier, Romans 10 and John 9, it

shines much light upon the work that the church of the 21st century has
before Her. There is much to be done and it must be done while it is day,

because night [is going to come] when no man can work.17

When I think of this particular passage of Scripture, it really brings

forth how there is no time to be wasted on being idled-minded toward the

mission of the church, but rather, it is time to be productive and effective

in our efforts as possible. Many times, this does not come about because

17
See John 9:4
many people are not being taught the true Gospel, but rather a

compromised or watered down Gospel.

Furthermore, Robert E. Coleman, distinguished Professor of

Evangelism and Discipleship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

emphasizes in his book The Heart of the Gospel: The Theology behind the

Master Plan of Theology that discipleship is a must and has to be really

emphasized to the saints of God in these last and evil days.

 Coleman mentions in his introduction that C.E. Autrey stated,

Theology is to evangelism what the skeleton is to the body.18 I believe

this quote sums up that there must be a framework that constitutes how

one does evangelism. This lines up with the first foundation by which the

mission of the church is derived from: to have a personal relationship with

18
Robert E. Coleman, Heart of the Gospel: The Theology Behind the Master Plan of
Theology, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011, 9.
Jesus Christ, which comes through having been taught the gospel of Jesus

Christ?

When it came down to me having received Jesus Christ as my

personal Lord and Savior, it was through the preached word-of-God and

the witnessing of the Gospel by someone else about Him. Once we

become saved, water baptized, and filled with the Holy Ghost, this

constitutes us as being a part of the body-of-Christ. Then from there we

must develop a relationship with the Lord Jesus and then go about

compelling others to Christ Jesus.

In addition, Robert E. Webber, who is a Myers Professor of

Ministry at Northern Seminary, makes the point in his book, Ancient-

Future Evangelism: Making your church a faith-forming community, of

how evangelism and Christian formation should be fostered around the

measure of faith, if you please, that each child of God has. This comes
through emphasizing that the local church is a part of a bigger picture,

the body-of-Christ. With knowing such an important detail as this really

brings about clarity on what the mission of the church as a whole rather

than a particular local church is supposed to be. It is quite obvious that

the first foundation by which the mission of church is derived from would

need to be explicated.
 Webber points out that trying to properly communicate faith to a

culture so deeply tied to ceremonial rites and rituals is just as prevalent

today as it was in ancient Israel.19 This leads way to the second foundation

by which the mission of the church is derived from which is to teach

having faith in God, which is developed, many times, through corporate

19
Robert E. Webber Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making your church a faith-forming
community. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999, 14.
worship. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, not giving up meeting

together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another

and all the more as you see the Day approaching. This simply states that

a faith-forming community can only be formed when the saints of God

come together in worship unto Yahweh.

 Such an occurrence is a necessity in these last and evil days in

order for the church to be able to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in all

truth.

In light of Colemans book, it follows through with the second

foundation by which the mission of the church is derived from! When

engaging into Jesus commission to His disciples, particularly in the

Gospel according to Matthew chapter ten verses five through ten, there are

specific details given about preaching the Gospel. Consider:

5
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go
among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the
lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: The kingdom of
heaven has come near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who
have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give Do
not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts 10 no
bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is
worth his keep.
 What the Bible reader, more so studier, will notice here is the

divine instructions given as to how to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Just by taking this passage of Scripture into consideration, I believe true

discipleship comes forth once a new convert has been given the proper

teaching of what the duties of a disciple of Jesus Christ are.

The true purpose of what a disciple does, in ones opinion, is

summed up in verse 7. Jesus states that they must proclaim...: The

kingdom of heaven has come near. If a disciple of Jesus Christ becomes

more concerned about material goods and money, though Jesus does

mention it in verse 10, the true purpose of what a disciple does, as

mentioned in verse seven will always be overlooked. If a person does not

become a servant among the people in whom he or she preaches to, rather

than looking to be served, then there is also going to be great conflict in

this second foundation ever being realized, let alone integrated.

 Lastly, the question of how can someone effectively witness

about Jesus Christ if they only know of Him? is one that is a common

sense question. The Bible lets us know that when it comes down to

salvation it takes first, confess[ing] our sins and [knowing] that He is

faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.20 Afterwards, I believe that it takes doing as Romans

20
SeeI John 1:9
10:9 declares, Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in

your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then [we] shall be saved.

Furthermore, I believe, once one has gone through this protocol

and also having become baptized in the water, then thats when the

opportunity to become a disciple of Jesus can be obtained. We are shaped

through being taught the word-of-God and having faith in God. We are

shaped through the questions we have about Scripture being answered and
those that must be tabled and taken to the Lord in prayer. We are shaped

through when we use wisdom and incorporate sound doctrine in our

everyday lives; Through the prayers being sent up for the new and the

seasoned child of God so that God can have His way in each of their

lives, their shaping is beginning because of such an action.

When Gods perfect timing comes forth, true discipleship founded

upon faith in Jesus Christ through the Gospel will begin to flourish
mightily in all of our lives. Never forget that Gods timing is always

perfect timing. So with that, the mission of the church should always be to

allow God to have His own way through the power and presence of the

Holy Ghost. Leaders within the church must be aware of not producing

premature disciples who think that they have it all together when in

actuality, he or she does not. Though they may feel like they are really for

true discipleship, the question is what has the Lord said?

 The Holy Ghost has come to help the children of God live a life

pleasing in His sight. John 14 gives much insight on such a topic. This is a

necessity also if one intends to go forth in full power in discipleship. We

must not quench the spirit by means of how we go about being true

disciples of Jesus Christ, when we never even consider Jesus. 21 How can

anyone be a disciple of Jesus without considering Jesus, truly it is very

improbable.

21
See I Thessalonians 5:19.
CONCLUSION

There are many churches that are full to the capacity on Saturdays

and Sundays for worship, yet the laborers in the vineyard are few. For the

laborers who are in the vineyard they must know that the message to be

preached at all times is The kingdom of heaven is at hand! This simply

means that its time to tell a dying world that Jesus Christ is soon to return
and now it the time to accept Him into their hearts and receive the Holy

Ghost in order for a life full of true joy, peace and love can come forth.

We are living in the last and evil days and Christ is soon to return.

So with that in mind, the same declaration in which I began, I end, How,

then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they

believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear

without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless
they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who

bring good news!

May we, as it is written, Matthew 28:19, therefore go and make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Theres no better time than now. For truly

the time is now.

 Bibliography

Church. (2009). American Heritage Dictionary [online].

Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006-2009,
accessed February 1, 2012, from
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/church/;

Internet.

Coleman, Robert E. The Heart of the Gospel: The Theology

 Behind the Master Plan of Evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 2011.

Webber Robert E. Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making your

church a faith-forming community. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 1999.

The Holy Bible. New International Version, (NIV). Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.
 Epilogue

This book has looked to bring forth discussion on topics of great

importance within Christianity. There is no given theme that this book has
looked to introduce; it is just simply A book of papers.

You may have seen a common pattern in these three papers, given
that they are all biblically based and brings forth lessons for the people of
God.

Remember, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.

Its not mom, though you want to make her proud. Its not pastor, though
you do respect and honor the man or woman of God. It is God, the Father
of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of you (presuming one has been
saved, sanctified and filled with the precious Holy Ghost). Once this is
realized, then the rest will follow. In closing, I declare as it is written in
Psalm 67:1, New International Version, May God be gracious to [you]
and bless [you] and make his face shine upon [you], Selah
About the author

Frederick A. Landy, the son

of Mr. Allen and the late Mrs.
Tarrela L. Landy-Dunbar, is a 2006
graduate of South Aiken High
School and before graduating from
high school, Landy received a
diploma in General Christian Studies
from the A.F. Bible School,
Roseville, California. After
matriculating to college, on May 2010, he graduated from the University
of South Carolina Aiken, where he earned with induction a Bachelor of
Arts degree in psychology with a concentration in sociology, both located
in Aiken, South Carolina. While in his undergraduate studies, he was
privileged to have been the Minority Achievement Program 2006 Mentor
of the Year, USC-Aikens 2008 Homecoming King, and a charter member
for a new organization: Men Achieving Leadership, Excellence, and
Success (M.A.L.E.S.) National in the spring of 2008, and the 2009 Most
Inspirational Mentor of the Year. Also he served within the Student
Government Association as the 2009-2010 Senator of Intercultural
Programs.

On August 09, 2009, he was licensed to preach the Gospel of Jesus

Christ and with that, In October of 2009, God blessed him with his first
gospel cd project, Focus on Jesus 2009, with DunbarEntainment
Productions, founded by a childhood friend, Mr. Jermaine Dunbar. This
brought about being featured in the University of South Carolina Aikens
newspaper, The Pacer Times and also the local newspaper, The Aiken
Standard. Through this, Landy established LGC Landys Gospel
Creation which is a Christian Entrepreneur ministry that can be found at
www.lgc.spruz.com. Furthermore, it is his mission through preaching and
singing to make it known that Jesus Christ is soon to return and now is the
time to get our houses in order!

Beyond all of the accomplishments, honors and accolades of this

educator, recording gospel singer & songwriter, entrepreneur, son,
grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend, they all do not compare to the day
Landy accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and received
true Sanctification and was filled with the Holy Ghost. As Ephesians 2:8
states, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is
not yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Landy has recently earned a Master of Arts degree in Ministry

Leadership from Cornerstone Universitys Grand Rapids Theological
Seminary and also was a Youth Counselor at Coit Elementary School
located in Northeast Grand Rapids. Landy has had the privilege to serve,
over a year and a half as the senior pastor of an inner-city, multiracial,
non-denominational church by the name of Christ-faith Bible Center
located in Northeast Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also has previously
served as the worship leader and Associate Pastor of Sovereign Word of
Life Ministries International, Southeast Grand Rapids, Michigan and the
pastor of Praise Tabernacle of Prayer located in the heart of the city of
 Aiken, South Carolina. Landy's next step is to be a professor of Ministerial
& Biblical Studies and to also continue preaching and teaching the Gospel
truth, being a youth counselor in the public and charter schools along with
making strides in the Gospel music industry. Educationally wise, it is his
desire, sometime in the very near future, to begin working toward a Ph.D.
in Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
concentrating in Urban Education.

To book the author as a guest speaker, simply email a request to asklgc@yahoo.com.