Dear Christian,

When you have to make a decision whether something is right or wrong, where do you go for the answer? I wonder if the answer to this question could be the key to solving the problems of our day. Let me explain: I think the root of the issues we see in government today can be traced to the churches and families of America. We say we believe the Bible, but often we try to ignore what it says, or say it doesn't apply to our situations in our day. We deny the sufficiency of scripture to speak to every area of life. And thus we do not have a firm foundation upon which to build a government and influence those who rule over us. The Bible speaks on life. The Bible speaks on finances.

The Bible speaks on debt. The Bible speaks on homosexuality. The Bible speaks on the rights of children and parents. The Bible speaks on the proper bounds of government. The Bible speaks on the role of women. The Bible speaks on honest and integrity. The Bible speaks on clothing. The Bible speaks on business. The Bible speaks on diplomacy. The Bible speaks on education. The Bible speaks on any and every modern issue you can think of.

This letter is a call to boldness. It is a call to read and understand the Bible, and to love the good and hate the evil. It is a call to boldly speak out this discernment and make your voice heard in the places of leadership. Why should we be ashamed to take God at his word, apply it to our lives, and speak what he has told us in the Bible?

I was recently encouraged by a passage in Amos, which describes a time very much like our time; a time when good and evil are turned upside-down. Here's what it says:

They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. -Amos 5:10, 13-15

We are called to hate evil, love good, and preach this distinction in the gates – the places of political influence. If we do so, it may be that God will be gracious unto the remnant of the true church of God. So what are we waiting for? Let us not shrink in fear of those who hate him that rebuketh in the gate, as those of worldy wisdom may think best. But rather let us trust God and obey him by establishing judgment in the gate, and see what God will do.

Our motto for this year is "Shine before men in 2010." Not that this was less important before, but it seems like increasingly this is one of the biggest needs of our day. Christians really need to stand out for their Christ, and as a family we are asking God for wisdom and power to do so more than ever before in this new year.

We still plan on keeping in mind our mottos from past years:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

I believe that the biggest problems with modern western christianity and evangelism is that we preach only half of the Gospel of Christ; and we only preach it, but we don't exemplify it. These two ills are inextricably linked - let me explain.  The following quote, by Mohandas Ghandi, has to be one of the most convicting I have ever heard: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” We are testifying of Christ's power wherever we go, whatever we do, whether we open our mouth or not. How I live speaks volumes to the world about what Christ is to me.

When witnessing, we ask, "Do you want to go to heaven?" and they say "Of course, who wouldn't." We say, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life," and they think, "Wonderful! I love me too, and you're telling me God will help me have a great life?" We then ask them to pray a prayer, and forthwith welcome them into the family of God. What a travesty! What a self-centered gospel! We are preaching God's power over guilt, but not over sin's grip on their life.

Hab 2:4 "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright, in him: but the just shall live by his faith." There is no word for faith, as we know it, in the Hebrew; this word is truly "faithfulness". The two concepts are inextricably linked: they had no concept of faith without faithfulness. It is to believe what God has said, and obey Him. So what is the gospel of Jesus? "Repent!" Until one understands the holiness of God, the horrible repulsiveness of his own sin, and like Job, confesses "I abhore myself, and repent in dust and ashes," he is not ready. Instead of asking one to pray a prayer, we should ask, "Is the Holy Spirit working in you to make you hate the sin you once loved?" If so, they certainly don't need our prompting.

So does the gospel indeed "make me pure," and not only "save from wrath?" The world is watching! They understand, and if the gospel is not drastically changing our lives, they just see a bunch of hypocrites who sometimes have a form of godliness, but certainly deny the power thereof. So I must ask myself, "How well do I wear the badge of my Lord?" The world has heard long enough of the gospel's power over the guilt of sin! But they are watching us to see if the gospel can give us victory over the power of sin. Do they see that it does for you?