“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.

Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

            It isn’t often that I address controversial subjects in this venue, but on occasion conscience requires it. This is one of those occasions.

            A pastor—and, I assume, a brother in Christ—has proclaimed his intention to burn the Koran on 9/11. A second pastor—this one living in a Muslim country and most certainly a brother in Christ—has requested other believers to petition the first pastor to reconsider. Why? Because this public burning of the Koran will most certainly result in increased suffering for Christians in Muslim countries. That in itself should be enough to convince the first pastor not to go through with his plans. However, if that isn’t enough, what about the fact that it simply isn’t right?

            Some years ago I served on a church staff, and we had weekly meetings to pray together and discuss various ministry issues. One day the senior pastor brought up something that several of us disagreed with (not a moral or biblical issue); one staff member voiced his disagreement aloud. The senior pastor, however, remained unchanged in his opinion. The staff member who had vocally disagreed later told me he had been ready to turn the situation into a heated debate when he sensed God telling him not to do so. The man argued silently with God, declaring that he knew he was right in his opinion. God’s Spirit then asked him a vital question: “Which is more important—to be right or to be righteous?” The staff member held his tongue.

            I’ve thought about that many times, particularly lately when two issues have played predominant roles in the news. Do the supporters of the planned mosque at Ground Zero have a legal “right” to build it? Absolutely. Is it the righteous thing to do? Certainly not. Does that pastor have the legal right to burn Korans? Apparently so. Is it the righteous thing to do? I don’t believe it is.

            Jesus instructed us to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” when dealing with a world that is antagonistic to the message of the gospel. It certainly seems that the issue of burning the Koran on 9/11 falls into that category and should be treated as such. I am praying accordingly; I hope you will consider doing the same.

¡Ay de mi si no anunciara el evangelio! (1 Corintios 9:16 RV)

                Esta mañana  leía una de mis publicaciones favoritas, la revista La Voz De Los Mártires, y me impresionó mucho  la pasión de aquellos que predican el evangelio en tierras donde hay  persecución.

                Leí  sobre  un hombre que vive en el bosque, corriendo para salvar su vida de aquellos que lo matarían por ninguna otra razón que  él es Cristiano y les habla a los demás de  su Salvador. Separado de familia y amigos, su único lazo de comunicación  es su teléfono celular, que él usa siempre que él tenga una señal para predicar a dos iglesias en  casas diferentes. Entonces leí sobre  la gente que escapó  los terrores de Corea del Norte y ahora dedican su tiempo al lanzamiento de mensajes del evangelio en globos que vuelan  sobre su antigua patria, en esperanzas que ellos aterrizarán donde aquellos que  todavía  están atrapados en la oscuridad  leerán las  Buenas Nuevas  y se  darán vuelta a la Luz del mundo.

                Wow. Todo en el que yo podía pensar era en  cuanto tiempo y energía gasto como  escritora tratando de   “difundir la palabra” – vender  mis libros a  potenciales lectores. Es cierto, tengo que hacer esto si creo en el mensaje de mis libros, ¿pero  de que sirve  si los escribo y nadie los lee? ¿Pero comienzo yo  a tener la pasión para predicar el evangelio qué estos preciosos hombres  y mujeres en otros países se  exponen cuando ellos toman su vida en sus manos para alcanzar a otros?

                ¡Que así sea, Señor  Dios, para cada uno de nosotros, sin tener en cuenta si escribimos libros, conducimos un camión, o realizamos una cirugía cerebral! ¡Encienda el fuego en nosotros, Padre, hasta que nosotros  también proclamemos con pasión, “¡Ay de mi si no anunciara el evangelio!   

Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16, NKJV)

            I was reading from one of my favorite publications this morning, The Voice of the Martyrs magazine, and I was struck by the passion of those who preach the gospel in lands of persecution.

            I read of a man who lives in the forest, running for his life from those who would kill him for no other reason than that he is a Christian and tells others of his Savior. Separated from family and friends, his only lifeline is his cell phone, which he uses whenever he has a signal to preach to two different house churches. I then read of people who escaped the terrors of North Korea and now devote their time to launching gospel messages in balloons to fly over their former homeland, in hopes that they will land where those still trapped in darkness will read the Good News and turn to the Light of the world.

            Wow. All I could think of was how much time and energy I spend as a writer trying to “get the word out”—to market my books to potential readers. True, I need to do that if I believe in the message of my books, for what’s the point if I write them and no one reads them? But do I even begin to have the passion for preaching the gospel that these precious men and women in other countries exhibit as they take their life in their hands to reach others?

            May it be so, God, for each of us, regardless of whether we write books, drive a truck, or perform brain surgery! Light the fire in us, Father, until we too proclaim with passion, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Estad siempre preparados para presentar defensa (1 Pedro 3:15 RV).

                Desesperado. ¿Puede haber una palabra más deprimente? ¿Por qué continuar viviendo? La desesperación es la razón más común para contemplar el suicidio, intentarlo, o lograrlo. ¿Qué razón hay para la vida si no tenemos ninguna esperanza?

                Últimamente he estado leyendo a los profetas otra vez, como lo  hago tan a menudo, y veo dos temas primarios que se extienden por  todas partes. Primero, el juicio de Dios en pecado sin arrepentimiento. Aunque Dios llamó una y otra vez a Su pueblo, pidiéndoles arrepentirse de su pecado y volver a Él, ellos no le hicieron caso y siguieron por su propio camino. Los resultados fueron  desastrosos. Pero el segundo tema es la esperanza de la restauración. A pesar del rechazo voluntarioso y en curso del pueblo de Dios, el fiel Padre prometió que la restauración seguiría al juicio. ¡Incluso en las circunstancias más extremas, había todavía esperanza porque Dios era mayor que las circunstancias!

                ¿No es esto lo que un mundo empapado  en el pecado y en el rechazo de Dios tiene que oír? Sí, el juicio viene…  pero la restauración es el resultado final. Y aquellos de nosotros que hemos recibido ya el perdón de Dios para SIEMPRE debemos estar listos a explicar ese hecho a alguien que pregunta. Si la gente que vive en situaciones desesperadas ve la esperanza como el sello de nuestras vidas, ellos se  van a sentir atraídos a nosotros— y tarde o temprano,  van a preguntar sobre la Fuente de nuestra esperanza. ¡Qué privilegio es  el estar capacitado para contestar sus preguntas! ¿Responderán ellos recibiendo el perdón y la esperanza para si mismos? Algunos lo harán; muchos no lo van a hacer. Otros hasta nos perseguirán con malas intenciones por ello. ¿Pero qué significa eso para nosotros? La reacción de la gente por la razón de nuestra esperanza no cambia la seguridad de esa esperanza porque nuestra esperanza no está basada en la bolsa de valores  o los titulares o los resultados de una  elección. Está basada en Quien  no puede mentir y cuyas promesas nunca fallan.

            ¡Nosotros podemos andar de tal modo que nuestra esperanza es obvia hacia todos quiénes nos ven — y podemos estar SIEMPRE listos a ofrecer una explicación (“dar una defensa”) de esa esperanza gloriosa que está en nosotros!

Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason

for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV).

            Hopeless. Can there be a more depressing word? When our situation is truly hopeless, why go on living? Hopelessness is the most common reason that suicide is contemplated, attempted, or achieved. What point is there to life if we have no hope?

            I’ve been reading the prophets again lately, as I do so often, and I see two primary themes stretching throughout. First, God’s judgment on unrepentant sin. Though God called out time and again to His people, begging them to repent of their sin and return to Him, they ignored Him and continued on their own way. The results were disastrous. But the second theme is the hope of restoration. Despite the people’s willful and ongoing rejection of God, the faithful Father promised that restoration would follow judgment. Even in the most dire circumstances, there was still hope because God was greater than the circumstances!

            Isn’t that what a world steeped in sin and mired in rejection of God needs to hear? Yes, judgment is coming…but restoration is the final result. And those of us who have already received God’s forgiveness must ALWAYS be ready to explain that fact to anyone who asks. If people living in hopeless situations see hope as the hallmark of our lives, they are going to be drawn to us—and sooner or later, they’re going to ask about the Source of our hope. What a privilege to be able to answer their questions! Will they respond by receiving that forgiveness and hope for themselves? Some will; many won’t. Some will even persecute us for it. But what is that to us? People’s reaction to the reason for our hope does not change the surety of that hope because our hope is not based on the stock market or the headlines or the election results. It is based on the One who cannot lie and whose promises never fail.

            May we walk in such a way that our hope is obvious to all who see us—and may be ALWAYS be ready to offer an explanation (“give a defense”) of that glorious hope that is in us!