--THE ARCHAEOLOGIST'S SPADE AIDS THE CHURCH
--By: Steven Ortiz--/ [Unearthing Truth]
--DECISION/ (April 2017)

--[The above mentioned article is in this month's DECISION magazine, by BGEA.]

Steven Ortiz explains 'Unearthing Truth'. The interview by Jerry Pierce, Managing Editor of Decision magazine asks Steven several questions regarding discoveries found in archaeology of the church and if this effects Bible believers/ Christians. We are addressing the last question, as it pertains to this topic, 'saving faith'.

**--Question: What is the relationship that you see between your work in Biblical archaeology and the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you know of people whose exposure to archaeological evidence led them to saving faith?

**--Answer: Saving faith only comes with an encounter with the risen Lord. I rarely reference my work in archaeology when I am sharing my faith. I believe people come to faith only when they realize their need for a Savior because of their sins. It is usually a distorted view of themselves ('I'm a good person') that is the problem. If this were not true, then evangelistic crusades would be focused on showing slides of archaeological discoveries rather than a call to repentance.

I don't know of anyone who has come to saving faith because of archaeological evidence, but I have known several who have lost their faith because of "so-called" archaeological evidence. This is why we need evangelical scholars who are able to articulate and handle the archaeological record. We have been excellent at training students to handle the Biblical text. We need to train a new generation to handle the archaeological text. -(Decision)~~

["The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--These, O God, You will not despise." -(PSALM 51:17)~~
[There are way too many people being fed a watered down gospel and are called to the front of the church to be saved. So they go only to make sure 'their ticket is punched', to make it into Heaven. That will not work. God knows each man's heart. "The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. (Psalm 94:11))~~
Please do not be deceived in believing many of the television Pastors/Teachers, and (some) well-known pastors and teachers in the world today. Beware of the LDS (Mormon Church), the Jehovah Witness Church, and Universalist Church. Does their teaching line up with all of the Bible? From what I have read, they do not.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he does the will of My Father in heaven...and I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!(deceived people)" (Please see Matthew 7:21-23)
I know of many that claim to be 'saved' and do not bear fruit for the kingdom of God. (see Matthew 12:33-37) The truly 'saved' person will never be ashamed of Jesus Christ.
--/'GREAT ARE YOU LORD'/ By: Casting Crowns~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZqV6i98SkA>
--------