Bringing the gospel back

If you have read this blog for a while, you have heard me voice my disappointment over the Hallmark Channel’s choice to bow to the demands of the LGBTQ community. This Christmas season, Hallmark will air the first “holiday” movie featuring a gay couple who are struggling to adopt a child. But, there is good news for all of you who just groaned inwardly.

There are a LOT of people who don’t want to invite unbiblical thinking into our homes. I’ve written several emails to the board of directors at Hallmark. I’ve also used my blog platform to encourage others to take a stand. 

The good news: our voices are louder than we might have thought. 

Welcome GAC to your televisions

I hope I’m not jumping the gun because this is a new station. But, everything I have read points to a channel you and your family can enjoy this Christmas without wondering if the “holiday” movie will offend. 

GAC’s tagline is “Stories well told.” They are promising to honor family, faith, and wholesome entertainment. 

Bill Abbott is the former CEO of Hallmark and is now directing the GAC channel. An article I read said, “Abbott, who helped Hallmark grow its streaming content and become one of the most popular family-friendly channels in the market, left in Jan. 2020 after the company came under fire after a commercial (and movie) featuring a gay marriage.” 

Again, the GAC station is new and I’ve not seen a lot of their programming yet, but I am encouraged by what I’ve read and seen so far. I wanted to alert you to the new channel for your Christmas season, but I also wanted to remind you that your voice and your values really do make a difference in the world.

Like Paul, we should be “unashamed of the gospel”

Honestly, I think Romans 1:16 is the theme of 2021 for me. I hope it will be for you as well. That verse says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” 

I am blogging this month on what it means to be reconciled to God, drawn into a close and righteous relationship with our heavenly Father. Our theme verse for the month says that God has entrusted us with “the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). You and I have been called by God to share his gospel message with boldness, unashamed and eager to be reconciled to God and help others do the same. Our boldness is born from the fact that the gospel is the power of God “that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). 

Christians have been blessed with God’s power through the Holy Spirit, and we have been given a message that can bring anyone into a reconciled relationship with their heavenly Father.  

Just when did Christians begin to feel “ashamed” to share our message with the world? 

We have been labeled “intolerant fanatics” by some, and that’s okay

I ran across an article last week that I used in my Bible study lecture. I googled “How is intolerance defined?” 

One article listed these three criteria: 

  • In general, an intolerant person displays fanaticism when defending their beliefs and stances.
  • They need security and certainty, even if it isn’t real.
  • They impose their way of seeing the world on others.

Consider the definition above in light of Jesus’ words to his disciples. Jesus “said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15–16). 

As I told my Bible study, those who share the gospel message might be considered intolerant fanatics by some standards, but we are disciples by the standards Jesus gave us. We have to choose who we are wanting to please and choose the goals we want to achieve.  

God doesn’t want to tolerate sin because it harms his children. He wants to forgive and redeem sin so people can be reconciled to him. And we are called to be his disciples. 

Disciples are unashamed of the gospel and share the message through the power of God’s Spirit. Disciples help others be reconciled to God and gain the promise of eternal life through Jesus. 

Your influence is more powerful than you realize

Why are God’s people choosing to stay quiet when we have been given this privilege as a disciple of Christ? 

When did we start following the world’s suggestions instead of God’s commands? 

  • Is it inappropriate to share the gospel, or is it an opportunity?
  • Are we forcing our beliefs on others, or are we sharing the gift of salvation we received?
  • Do we have “personal” truth, or is Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)?

I often say, “Christians have a message some might find offensive so it has never been more important to speak his truth with his love for others. Our message can seem offensive so we have to work hard not to be offensive ourselves.” 

Christians have not been set aside, as some might suggest. Our message is actually standing out in our culture. 

  • Abortions are happening less often now. Even still, one is too many. Every abortion is taking a human life. Continue speaking up for those not yet born.
  • Television networks are noticing their numbers dwindle as a result of their programming. We vote our values every time we watch—or don’t watch—a program.

Christians should never underestimate our influence. Our only job is to yield ourselves to his Holy Spirit so that Jesus can speak through our words. You will never feel ashamed when the Lord has used your life and your voice to share biblical truth. 

Our message of reconciliation

If you know John 3:16–17, you can lead someone to faith in Christ. The entire gospel message is found in those two verses.  

Let’s fill our homes with strong, family values. Let’s fill our lives with the confidence that comes from living God’s values. Let’s fill our words of influence with “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” 

I’m going to fill my house with a lot more of the GAC station. I will vote with my remote in gratitude for a company that wanted to stand out in the crowd. My hope is that the channel will steadfastly hold to Christian and family values and become one of the most-watched stations in our country. 

Christians who are “unashamed of the gospel” are going to bring that message back to our culture. It’s beginning to happen thanks to all of us who are “intolerant fanatics,” also known as disciples of Christ.  

I’m in. 

Are you?

Every good person needs God

We spent ten beautiful days in Vermont, watching the trees turn the colorful shades of fall. We hiked along streams and through the dense woods, amazed at the sheer beauty of God’s creation. I had never been to Vermont before, and the natural beauty didn’t disappoint.

We learned a great deal while there about the history of the fourteenth state and the history the state is writing today. Jim and I spent a lot of time on our daily hikes talking about the contrasts and what the culture of Vermont should teach us today. 

Six bookstores – zero Bibles

Jim and I rarely walk past a bookstore that we don’t enter, especially when we are traveling. Bookstores are one of the best places to absorb the culture of an area because they sell what people want to read. After visiting the sixth bookstore in Vermont, I decided I needed to spend time somewhere else. 

I found some beautiful wooden boxes in the first bookstore and was hoping they would fit a Bible I have. I carried the box all over the store, looking for their shelf of Bibles. Finally, I asked the woman at the front desk where they might be. 

She reacted with a look I don’t have words for even now. She told me they didn’t carry Bibles. 

I probably reacted with a look she didn’t recognize either. We were both confused. 

I think she was wondering why I would be asking for a Bible in her bookstore. I was wondering why a bookstore didn’t carry the most important number-one bestseller ever printed. I thanked her for the help, purchased a couple of cards I liked, and then left the store.  

The woman at the bookstore was kind, but I’m fairly certain she was also very lost. There was a line of people behind me waiting to check out. I wish I could have invited the lady at the bookstore to have a cup of coffee and a conversation about the Bible.  

Lots of churches – little worship

Jim and I also have a habit of visiting churches wherever we go. We like to walk in the sanctuary and get a feel for what God’s people are up to in the area. 

Vermont has some of the most quaintly beautiful churches I have ever seen. Years ago I saw a calendar of the churches of Vermont that planted the ideas for this trip. I have wanted to visit Vermont for a long time so I could see that beautiful state and those country churches with all their history. I wanted to visit the quaint towns and learn their history. The history of Vermont dates back to the birth of America.  

Every small town had a beautiful church at the center. Most had tall white steeples and a cemetery beside them. The headstones were old and often unreadable, dating back to the early 1800s. The churches, like the cemeteries, have stories to tell about how difficult it was to survive the wars, the winters, and the other worries of life in the colonial years and after. 

We wanted to go in those churches and visit the places where people have worshipped for centuries. Of all the churches we visited, only one was open during the week. Some of the churches still met for worship on Sunday mornings, but many of the churches aren’t churches anymore. 

We were surprised at the number of church buildings that were community centers, libraries, or something else other than a church. Many of the steeples had come down and were not rebuilt. The former churches were often homes or places of business. 

Vermont is listed as one of the least religious states, with only 21 percent of its people attending a church of any kind on a weekly basis. That percentage is even worse than it appears given that many of the churches that still exist in the state proudly display signs and flags indicating they don’t align their worship with God’s word. 

Vermont is a mission field

Vermont is one of the most beautiful places God created in this country. The citizens are dedicated to their environment, their country, and their causes. I’ve never seen so many American flags proudly waving from the porches of homes. 

Vermont has a small population of dedicated Americans, most of whom vote completely differently than I do. Faith issues are not important to the majority of their citizens and are actually considered by many to be the root cause of what is wrong in our country. 

Truthfully, most of the people in Vermont are much more concerned about America than I am. And I am much more concerned about Americans than most of them. For most of the people in Vermont, this life is all that matters, and they are ready to fight for whatever makes their life on earth what they want it to be. 

I want to encourage people to focus their priorities on their eternal lives.  

There are a lot of good people in Vermont who need God. That was the topic of almost every hike and car trip that Jim and I had on our vacation. 

How do you give God to good people who don’t know they need him? 

Christians are ambassadors for Christ

Vacationing in Vermont was like walking the streets of a movie set. The quaint towns appear to be a slice of Americana, yet, if you look behind the facades, there is a great emptiness. The incredible natural beauty displays the existence of God to people who refuse to see him. They have exchanged their worship of the Creator for worship of the created (Romans 1:25). Most worship what God has made rather than the God who made it.  

Most of the people in Vermont don’t believe in God and don’t believe they need the salvation his Son died to provide. They don’t understand there is a Creator who wants to be their Father. They have reconciled themselves to the realities of this world because they don’t realize they need to be reconciled to God. They embrace and fight for their lives on earth because they don’t believe in a life eternal.  

If the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would want to go to Vermont and start evangelical churches, filled with people who would share their faith with others. He would call the Christians in the state to live boldly for the gospel message of Christ. He told the Christians in Corinth that God had entrusted them with “the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Paul said, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).  

Christians need to live as ambassadors for Christ, which means we need to be reconciled to God. When we are living rightly with God, we can help people understand they need him too.  

God entrusted Christians with His message

No matter where I go, I am called to be Christ’s ambassador. At first, it felt strange to carry my religion around in Vermont. Jim and I honestly felt like foreign missionaries in our own country. But what felt odd at first began to feel like our great privilege. We were able to have several conversations as “ambassadors” for Christ.  

We are now back home but still thoughtful. Is Vermont setting the direction for America, or will God’s people do that? 

Honestly, we don’t have that answer. 

Will the ambassadors for Christ prosper, or will the prince of this world have the most persuasive debaters?  

We enjoyed visiting with the good people of Vermont. We came home reminded of the fact that Christians are called to help good people understand their need for God. We are ambassadors and missionaries everywhere we go.  

It was good to travel in the beauty of God’s creation and remember that all people need to know and worship their Creator. As Christ’s ambassadors, how will you and I represent him to the people we encounter today?

I Know Your Ministry

What is your ministry?

God has given you a ministry, and, because of 2 Corinthians 5, I know what it is. 

I don’t have to know you, and I don’t even need to know your gifts and talents. 

I can confidently tell you what your ministry should be.

What is your ministry? 

I’ve always answered that question by saying, “I am a Bible teacher.” 

But I don’t see that as my ministry any longer. Teaching is how I usually accomplish my ministry. The apostle Paul defined my ministry and yours in 2 Corinthians 5:18. 

Paul said God has given us “the ministry of reconciliation.”  

Paul was teaching the Christians in the Corinthian church how they should view his ministry and their own: as a ministry of reconciliation. Every person in this world should be viewed with one important distinction: that person is a child of God, or needs to be. 

Every other distinction is regarding them “according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16).  

Your ministry is to help other people be reconciled to a right relationship with their heavenly Father. 

You accomplish that ministry when you have that relationship yourself. 

If you want to please God . . .  

We want to please God, but why does it often seem to be a huge puzzle? 

Scripture clearly tells us how to please God. Second Corinthians 5:11 says, “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.” That is the ministry of reconciliation. 

We don’t necessarily please God when we serve, give, do, go, say, attend, study, share, preach, teach, sacrifice, etc. We don’t necessarily displease God when we don’t.  

We please God when we live in a reconciled relationship with him. When we are close to God, it is much easier to be godly and live out his holy directives.  

When we are reconciled to God, we see people like God sees them. We speak the words he wants us to say. We have his peace, his joy, his grace, and his love. 

When we are close to God, he gives us the ministry of reconciliation. Others will be persuaded to know God because they witness our relationship with him. 

We don’t please God because of what we choose to do. Our ministry is not doing works to please him. We please him because he is able to do works of ministry through us, and that pleases him.  

A reconciled relationship accomplishes the ministry of reconciliation. We know God, then we share that knowledge with others—and that is how they are persuaded to know God for themselves. 

It really is that simple. 

The church that pleases God 

I’m convinced that many of the problems that exist in our culture and our churches could be resolved by understanding and living what Paul taught Corinth. What is the purpose of any and every fellowship of Christians?  

To be a body of believers, reconciled to God and therefore able to persuade others. 

So many churches are focused on pleasing its members rather than pleasing God. Does your church spend more effort on persuading people to be reconciled to God—or to each other? 

The right priority will lead to the next. 

Is your church spending substantial time and money persuading other Christians to join their institution or is the priority to persuade people to join their lives with God?  

The church that pleases God will exist for the sake of the people who are outside of its walls. Sunday morning should help restore people to a right relationship with God so they can accomplish their ministry and help others be reconciled to God. 

Give away your treasure 

The news about the stock market has not been positive lately. But, people who know what they are doing will move funds, reinvest, and might even be better off in the long run. That same thing is true with the spiritual treasure you have been given. 

Every Christian has been given an incredible gift through God’s Holy Spirit: we have been given the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 4:6). Paul calls that knowledge a treasure we keep in jars of clay, i.e., our human bodies. 

Because we know God, we are called to please him (2 Corinthians 5:9). How do we please God? We give away our treasure: “We persuade others (2 Corinthians 5:11). 

Give your treasure to other people and you will be reinvesting it in heaven, just like some have saved their money by reinvesting in other stocks.  

Paul would tell us to move our treasure from the “tent” and reinvest it in our mansions. The “stuff” of this world has a volatile future. Heaven is a safe investment every time. 

A. W. Tozer, an American pastor and author said, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.”  

Be reconciled to God and you will accomplish your ministry for all the right reasons and invest in your life eternal. 

It really is that simple.