Recently, I had two surprising conversations. In both cases, those whom I engaged were excited about President Trump’s accomplishments, such as: tax cuts, lower unemployment, the U.S. embassy in Israel moving to Jerusalem, and in addition to Neil Gorsuch’s appointment to the Supreme Court, the further possibility of the court moving in a more conservative direction with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. While hopeful, both individuals expressed concern that our nation is still on a dangerous trajectory.
One of them even asked, “Are we just re-arranging the furniture on the Titanic?” I don’t agree with that perspective because I see all decisions making a difference for better or for worse now and over the long run. Nevertheless, I found myself pondering the tension he was feeling. I can summarize what surfaced in both conversations with this question: if some aspects in our nation are improving, then why is there such an unsettled feeling in the soul of our nation?
Within a few days of those conversations, I was at the store looking for an anniversary card for my parents. (By the way, they just celebrated 61 years. Way to go mom and dad!) As I looked over the cards, I couldn’t help but feel troubled over the “Her-and Her” and “His-and-His” sections with one card displaying two men embracing, gazing at the sunset. Maybe this is standard fare where you live, but this blatant display of perversion in my local pharmacy was a first for me.
After this shopping experience, I began to reflect on numerous issues—both inside and outside the church—that are the same today as they were throughout the presidencies of Barack Obama and George W. Bush as well as during the years prior to their administrations. In that moment, the following thought became clearer than ever: regardless of what is taking place in Washington D.C., if the hearts of the people are not transformed, our nation will remain in serious danger.
Diverting our attention from government to the people who comprise our nation, what is the answer? While in broad terms the answer is always the church, I believe the specific answer—at least in the initial steps—is with those who carry an evangelistic and/or prophetic gifting. Evangelists seek to see the lost transformed at the heart-level by proclaiming faith and repentance. Prophets call God’s people to return to their “first love” through repentance and to see the presence and power of God displayed afresh throughout the body of Christ (Rev. 2:1–5).
We need Bible knowledge, as it is foundational to everything, but it is imperative that we also give the necessary time to those who will powerfully challenge the wayward heart-set and the mind-set of the people . . . and we need to do so until the multitudes are changed from the inside out—both within the church and among the broader population.
Are you an evangelist? This is your moment! Are you a prophet? It is time to rise up with God’s “now” message for the people! And to those who lead but are not gifted in these ways, are you willing to share your platform with those gifted in these areas?
Perhaps my friends were correct in their observations. If the hearts of the people have not changed, then precious little has changed in the areas of our country that matter the most to God. If ever our nation needed evangelists and prophets, the time is now!
