Would you agree that accuracy in speech, in words is important? Very important? Vital? In everything. This is why we must be diligent, vigilant in measuring our words, our speech. The words we use to communicate to others.
Especially for anyone who is a /believer/disciple/born again individual follower of Jesus, the Christ, Yeshua, the Messiah. Wouldn’t you agree?
Therefore, it isn’t being critical in the context it’s only thought of in the times we live. Not nitpicking. To be critical, according to one of the most exacting and clear dictionaries of words and their meanings, the 1828 Noah Webster dictionary defines critical as such;
critical
CRITICAL, a. [L. Gr. See Critic.]
1. Relating to criticism; nicely exact; as a critical dissertation on Homer.
2. Having the skill or power nicely to distinguish beauties from blemishes; a a critical judge; a critical auditor; a critical ear; critical taste.
3. Making nice distinctions; accurate; as critical rules.
4. Capable of judging with accuracy; discerning beauties and faults; nicely judicious in matters of literature and the fine arts; as, Virgil was a critical poet.
5. Capable of judging with accuracy; conforming to exact rules of propriety; exact; particular; as, to be critical in rites and ceremonies, or in the selection of books.
6. Inclined to find fault, or to judge with severity.
7. [See Crisis.] Pertaining to a crisis; marking the time or state of a disease which indicates its termination in the death or recovery of the patient; as critical days, or critical symptoms.
8. Producing a crisis or change in a disease; indicating a crisis; as a critical sweat.
9. Decisive; noting a time or state on which the issue of things depends; important, as regards the consequences; as a critical time or moment; a critical juncture.
10. Formed or situated to determine or decide, or having the crisis at command; important or essential for determining; as a critical post.
This is about accuracy and being aware of the words used. Our words have an impact on the hearer or the reader. Or should. Many do even if we don’t think much about this fact. And that’s what this preface to the article below is about.
FACTS vs. a story.
FACTUAL HISTORY vs. telling a story.
Children learn from very early on that people tell them stories. All kinds of stories. Well, I guess now children are given a device that has programmed voices in them storing stories to tell. The child learns, as I did, as you did, that these stories were, well, just stories. Made up stuff. Not real. Someone’s imagination. Fiction.
When speaking or writing of the Word of God, telling or writing the actual factual realities and historical accounts of Scripture to anyone do not think for an instant in the mind, in the heart you’re telling a story. Don’t say or write, “Let me tell you a story,” or, “There’s a story about some good news…”
There are no stories in God’s Word. Really. Nothing made up. Nothing mythical. No fantasy. No fiction.
It’s all real. The realest most accurate, factual, amazing history book ever written and it is a critical account of people, places, and events. The only book, in all the world’s religions, to contain about 30% prophecy. All of which that was written in the historical timeline has come to pass. With very little prophecy to come to fruition. And you know, as I do, that it will. Every word will.
Let’s stop telling stories — and begin accurately relating the events, the people, places, and subject of the Word of God; Jesus, eternal life, or eternal death.
Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen happens for a reason. There are no coincidences. Not a one. We of our free will sin, act, speak, and do everything we do with the Triune God outside of time, Who is without beginning or ending knows everything, and can’t learn anything knows our thoughts, what we will say, do, and every hair on our heads.
It’s all about Jesus.
He’s no story.
When we continue to say words such as story it sends a signal to the brain of the hearer or the reader that is different than if we would say or write, “Can I please tell you something very real?” or whatever you might come up with without using the word story.
Oh, yes, you may have to actually speak more than six words, or write more than 140 characters. Oh my!
Why is berevity the god of so many? Communication has died and gone away. It’s one reason things are as they are. When folks are only given 10% of something, or less, and not much more the space in the mind is left void of accurate, factual, real information.
Let’s give it to each other.
Let’s REALLY give it to each other.
And others…
No stories. Unless you want to tell them a story — but there aren’t any stories in the Holy Bible, just the historical, factual, actual, accurate accounts of what has happened, why, who and Who, and what will happen and why, and what to do about it all as an individual hearer or reader.
In the words of Sgt. Friday from the old TV program Dragnet…
“Just the facts, just the facts Ma’am.”
Not calling anyone out for being wrong, or bad. Just lacking accuracy, not being critical enough.
Because what is taking place is wonderful and not just a story. It’s historical. Factual. Real. More than just a story.
Read on…
Ken Pullen, Tuesday, Christmas Eve, 2024
From Silence To Salvation: Bible Translation Is Igniting A Spiritual Awakening
December 19, 2024
By PNW Staff
Reprinted from Prophecy News Watch
Imagine holding a treasure in your hands—a book that holds answers to life’s biggest questions. Now imagine not being able to read it. That’s the reality for the Sakalava people of Madagascar, whose vibrant culture has thrived for generations without the Word of God in their language.
The Sakalava are a proud, resilient community known for their hospitality and tight-knit villages. Life here is tough—fields are cultivated with bare hands, water is carried long distances, and homes are often little more than mud walls and thatched roofs. But through it all, the Sakalava smile, laugh, and share what little they have. Beneath this warmth, though, lies a spiritual silence—a longing for something that feels just out of reach.
For decades, the Sakalava people have lived without access to the Bible in their heart language. Most cannot read, and the few translations of Scripture available are in Malagasy, the official language tied to a history of oppression. Imagine being handed a message of love and hope in a language that reminds you of pain. For the Sakalava, it wasn’t just words that needed to change—it was the way they were heard and understood.
A Journey to the Heart of a People
Enter Laura, a determined young woman who landed in Madagascar in 2013 with a heart full of faith and a vision she didn’t yet fully understand. She didn’t come with grand plans—just a desire to listen, learn, and love.
Her first days in Sakalava villages were eye-opening. Churches existed, but the sermons were in Malagasy, leaving the Sakalava disconnected from the gospel’s life-changing message. Laura quickly realized this wasn’t just about language—it was about dignity and identity.
So she did the unthinkable: she set aside her own ideas and immersed herself in the Sakalava way of life. She learned their dialect, shared meals under the stars, and spent hours hearing their stories. It was in these quiet moments—sitting on woven mats, surrounded by the hum of cicadas and the laughter of children—that she truly understood the depth of their longing for God’s Word.
A Movement is Born
Laura’s work soon caught the attention of Rosina, a respected local leader with a heart for her people. Together, they started small—just a handful of women and children gathered to hear Bible stories told in Sakalava. They sang songs, laughed, and even cried as the stories came to life in a way they had never experienced before.
Word spread, and what began as intimate home gatherings grew into a movement. Entire families began attending. Young people, once caught in cycles of despair, started asking questions about hope and purpose. The hunger for more was undeniable.
But there was still a barrier: the Sakalava needed the full Bible in their own language. That’s when Laura discovered Spoken Worldwide, a ministry that provides Oral Bible Translation (OBT) and Scripture engagement to communities who cannot or do not read. With Spoken’s support, the team started translating Scripture into the Sakalava dialect—beginning with the Book of Ruth and the Gospel of Mark.
These weren’t just words spoken into a microphone; they were carefully crafted to capture the heart and soul of the Sakalava people. And when the first translations were shared, the impact was electrifying.
Transforming Lives, One Story at a Time
Rosina now leads young adult groups where these oral Bible stories are shared. She’s seen firsthand how the Word of God in their own language is changing lives. Young men who once drifted toward drugs and despair are finding hope in the story of Jesus. Women are rediscovering their worth through the message of Scripture.
For the Sakalava, these stories are more than history—they’re personal. They’re finding a God who doesn’t just speak to the world at large but speaks directly to them.
Be Part of the Sakalava Story
This isn’t just a story about translating the Bible—it’s about transformation. It’s about bringing hope, dignity, and connection to a people who have waited far too long to hear God’s love in their own language.
The work isn’t finished. The Sakalava people are still waiting for the full Bible in their heart language, and every step forward is a celebration of what’s possible.
Your support can empower the Spoken OBT team to continue translating Scripture for the Sakalava and for the thousands of other communities around the world waiting to hear God’s Truth. Together, we can ensure that every family in remote villages hears the gospel in the language they understand and cherish.
Imagine the joy of a Sakalava mother hearing the story of Jesus in her native tongue for the first time. Or a child learning to sing Bible songs that connect them to God’s promises. This is the future we’re building together.
This is what happens when language becomes a bridge rather than a barrier.
Let’s bring God’s Word to the Sakalava people and the many other communities who cannot read—one verse, one story, one life at a time.
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