Veteran’s Day—You Can’t Judge a Book By its Cover

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I learned long ago that behind many people is an extraordinary story.

I spoke with an employee in a furniture store years ago in North Carolina, an unremarkable-looking guy with a “Why howdy, Sir,” demeanor and a hayseed accent. As we spoke he referred to his time in the service.

“Thank you for your service,” I said to him. “What branch were you in?”

“Navy,” he said, managing to turn two syllables into three.

I have a brother who served in the navy. I could imagine old Hayseed swabbing the decks. He sure didn’t strike me as a ship’s captain kind of guy. “And what did you do in the navy?” I enquired. 

I definitely wasn’t expecting his answer.

“I was a fighter pilot.”

I thanked him again and made a mental note to not judge books by their cover. Hayseed had actually been a US Navy Commander and had served his country with distinction.

You just never know.

Last night I bumped into a man who told me he was looking forward to seeing Hacksaw Ridge, the movie about Desmond Doss, the “conscientious cooperator” who received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman after World War II.

He said something that grabbed me: “But I wonder if it might bring back some unpleasant memories…”

He told me he had been a medic in the service. “During Vietnam.” He worked in factories after leaving the military.

He said, “I’m not thinking the violence in the movie would really bother me because we saw so much of that stuff in Vietnam.” I didn’t have to ask him to go on. He seemed to almost need to.

“You know, we’d have body parts brought to us. Men had lost them out on the field. All kinds. We’d send them on to the morgue.” He went on. “I spent so much time with my hands inside men’s bodies as we tried to save their lives or put them back together… I don’t think the movie could be any worse that what I saw.”

I could only imagine. And unfortunately, he may well be right. Hacksaw Ridge likely is no worse than what he saw in the military. And what he saw and experienced was real—not Hollywood special effects.

This humble man—past retirement age but working at a big box store—was a Vietnam veteran who carried with him vivid memories of body parts and dead or dying men, and of having limbs in his hands and his hands inside chest cavities and torsos… This everyday man had experienced the extraordinary in the service of his country.

You’d never know. How can you know where people have been, what they’ve seen, what they’ve endured, what has left indelible impressions on their minds and in their hearts?

Veteran’s Day is approaching. Those of us who have never served? We just don’t really have a clue. 

Many vets have been though extremely difficult experiences in the line of duty. You’d barely know, looking at them. But they served, they lost friends. Many were injured, scarred. They saw what they saw and did what they did and came home and got on with their lives and lived with their “unpleasant memories.” 

Be sure to thank a veteran for what he or she has done for this country. For what he or she has done for you and me.

If they cared to tell it, theirs would be an extraordinary story.

Election 2016—God Has This Covered

2016-11-07-1Two days after the greatest upset in American political history, President-elect Harry S. Truman was handed a copy of the Chicago Tribune. The bold headline on the front page read: “Dewey Defeats Truman.” The photo of President Truman posing with the newspaper has become one of the most famous political photographs ever taken.

The headline—printed several hours before the election results were in—reflected the feeling that ran through much of America at the time. Thomas Dewey, the Republican governor of New York, was unbeatable. Truman simply had no chance of winning the 1948 presidential election.

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By election night several of Truman’s aides had left his campaign to accept jobs elsewhere. Truman’s poll numbers had been so low that some party officials at the Democratic National Convention wanted him dropped as their party’s nominee for president.

Truman simply wasn’t supposed to win against Dewey. But win he did—comfortably—in what was the greatest upset of all time.

As happens every four years, America is about to go to the polls. And again—irrespective of which candidate triumphs—the election result is going to be a massive upset for approximately half of the electorate.

The current presidential election is notable for several reasons. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the first female presidential candidate in US history. Businessman Donald Trump has never before run for public office. And Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are the two least popular presidential candidates in American history.

It seems that every four years there’s a group of people who threaten to move to Canada if candidate “x” is elected President. What is a person to do if their candidate comes up short in this year’s presidential election? Is it time to shop for Canadian real estate?

It might be helpful to remember that the future of the United States doesn’t actually depend on who wins the race for the White House. The country does not elect a dictator every quadrennium. Our system of local, state, and federal politics means that no president can unilaterally impose his or her will on the American people. In all reality, it might be said that a president’s ultimate impact on life in the United States is not as remarkable as a presidential candidate might have you think.

Which is not to say a president’s role is unimportant. But whomever is sworn in as the forty-fifth president of the United States will not prevent God from ultimately fulfilling His will. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:21 that God “removes kings and raises up kings,” and said in Daniel 4:17 that, “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.” Could it be that God is preparing to set Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump over the kingdom of men?

Stranger things have happened. In the sixth century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar spent 40 years or so on the throne of the neo-Babylonian empire. Nebuchadnezzar was a bloodthirsty, power hungry, megalomaniacal idol-worshiper. It was Nebuchadnezzar who sentenced his closest counselors to death because they couldn’t comply with a request that was both irrational and absurd. The contumacious Nebuchadnezzar built an image of gold in direct defiance of a decree of the Almighty, and boastfully said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30).

Most people wouldn’t want someone with Nebuchadnezzar’s character anywhere near a position of power. Yet God called Nebuchadnezzar, “My servant” (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6).

Lest you think God didn’t really mean what He said, God not only used Nebuchadnezzar to further the advancement of His kingdom, but also saved Nebuchadnezzar to be a part of that eternal kingdom. While Nebuchadnezzar was conquering nations, destroying cities, and bowing before idols, God wasn’t finished with him. God saw Nebuchadnezzar not as he was but as he might be through the grace of God.  God saw where Nebuchadnezzar fit into the big picture. He saw how he could affect the world in such a way that God would ultimately be glorified. As the wise man wrote in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Christians have a remarkable capacity to smile sweetly and say “God bless you” on cue while at the same time espousing raw hatred for political figures[1. James 3:10: “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”] Like them or not, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are children of God. Jesus died for them. While some might paraphrase David and say, “What are Clinton and Trump that you are mindful of them?”[2. See Psalm 8:4] God sees in both candidates something so magnificent that He gave Jesus to die for them. They might not get your vote, but as candidates for eternity they get the vote of God. Whether or not Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump make it to the White House, God wants them in His house.

Whether or not Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton[3. Yes, there are other candidates running for president, but…] succeed in their run for this country’s highest office, God’s plans for this earth will not be hindered. The reaction of believers to the election result will speak far more of the depth of their Christianity than about the election result itself.

When the dust settles on this election, and the Obamas have moved out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the Clintons or the Trumps have moved in, the greatest challenge facing our country will still remain. Jesus urged His followers in Matthew 28:19 to “go… and make disciples of all nations.”

After the last vote has been cast in this year’s presidential election, the mission of the church remains unchanged. There is a world to win with the saving message of God’s unfailing grace.

Trump or Clinton? Clinton or Trump? Maybe even more than half of the population will be disappointed with this election result. But God won’t be taken by surprise. He still sits on the throne of heaven. He still knows the end from the beginning. 

God has this covered.


Reformation Day

In the United States, October 31 means essentially one thing. It’s Halloween. People dress up in costumes, children go trick or treating and the fake cobwebs, carved pumpkins and plastic backyard tombstones will soon be put away until next year.

Halloween might just be the devil’s favorite day of the year as death, demons, zombies and witches are all treated as harmless fun and games. And while the attention is on Halloween, most people are entirely unaware of the important significance of October 31.

On October 31, 1517, a young priest in the German town of Wittenberg made a defiant protest. Fed up with what he saw as the abuses of the church of Rome, Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 statements to the door of the castle church—and in doing so he altered the course of history.

Until this time, the Roman Catholic Church had been the ruling power in much of Europe. The Pope of Rome was the final authority not only in the church but also in society. Kings bent in the direction of the Pope. Those who did not were threatened with being shut out from the church and whole kingdoms were made to fear being placed under “interdict”—religious services could not be held, baptisms were not performed, and the dead could not be buried in a Christian funeral. The message to those under interdict was that heaven was essentially closed to them. Fear reigned as a church with unbridled power used that power with impunity.

One church practice Luther found especially galling was that of the selling of indulgences. For a sum of money people were able to purchase from the church the rescinding of the temporal punishment for sin. Payment of money to the church was said to release souls from Purgatory, and even pardon for sins not yet committed could be purchased.  Appalled by this monstrous deception and other errors of his church, Luther eventually came to the place where he separated from the church and led others by his example and teaching to do the same.

Martin Luther originally had no intention of withdrawing from the Roman Catholic Church, but recognizing his faith in the Bible was incompatible with the teachings of his church he became a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. And although they did not agree upon every point of doctrine, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland, John Knox in Scotland, Thomas Cranmer and Nicolas Ridley in England, and later John Wesley also in England, all took steps away from the errors of the Roman church and lifted up the Bible as the believer’s rule of faith and practice.

Anyone who values religious liberty should remember the events of October 31, 1517, with thanks to God in their heart. Martin Luther’s short walk along what is now known as the Schlossstrasse was a bold and defiant stand for Bible truth in the face of an extremely powerful church which tried repeatedly to end his life. Many people suffered persecution so that today we could have the freedom to read the Bible and follow it according as our conscience dictates. Worse, thousands and thousands and thousands of people were killed because they chose to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and reject the teachings of a corrupt church.

499 years later, it would appear the Protestant Reformation is over. Not only are precious few still protesting, but most people are unaware as to what the Protestant Reformation was even about. Where are the Protestants today?

If you hold a Bible in your hand; if you value the freedom you have to worship as you please; if you understand salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; if you receive forgiveness from sin through Christ and not a priest or a church, say a prayer of thanks for what other great men and women of faith made possible by their example and their selfless dedication to God.

Forget Halloween.

Happy Reformation Day!

It Is Written SALT students from Southern Adventist University train church leaders

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This year’s Fall Annual Council at the General Conference office in Silver Springs, Maryland, involved a lot of action. Students from the It Is Written and Southern Adventist University sponsored Soul-winning And Leadership Training (SALT) program were leading that action.   

As you have likely heard, General Conference President, Ted Wilson, has been calling for Total Member Involvement (TMI). The North American Division (NAD) answered that call by initiating something at the Fall Annual Council this year that has never been done before: placing our church administrators out in the streets sharing their faith, door-to-door.

Evangelism schools from all across the North American Division were invited to the General Conference to organize, instruct, and mentor a massive community outreach in the Silver Springs metro area. SALT Program Coordinator Greg Wilson, SALT Outreach Coordinator Janelle Dietrich, and a team of SALT students led the outreach. They partnered Division and Union presidents with students and alumni from NAD evangelism training schools around the country to reach the Silver Springs community for Jesus Christ. Students helped church leaders who are not comfortable with their English and mentored those who wanted to grow in their ability to do door-to-door work.  

As Division and Union presidents knocked on doors along side evangelism students-turned-mentors, something beautiful took place: a passion for reaching hearts one-on-one was rekindled and a respect for those leaders willing to learn and grow was reignited. Those who were skeptical or who had simply forgotten the effectiveness of door-to-door work were quickly reminded of its joy and blessings. Leaders who were already doing the work in their home countries were inspired to see that it is also effective here in the United States! And those who were looking for ideas on how to accomplish TMI were reminded of how beautiful and simple getting others involved could be. Everyone was inspired that across the NAD there is a movement of young people on fire to share the gospel with the world.

It Is Written and Southern Adventist University were honored to have SALT students at the forefront of this General Conference initiative. Since it began in 2013, SALT has trained and equipped hundreds of people to win souls for Christ. God is using this school of evangelism to make a difference for the kingdom of God. It’s easy to get involved. SALT has fall, summer, and online training programs that fit every budget and lifestyle. For more information, visit saltevangelism.com. Maranatha!

dj sallt salt Janelle

Revelation Today Pastor Involved in Dramatic Rescue

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One of the pastors taking part in Revelation Today Boston found himself in the center of a dramatic rescue last week.

Just hours before Friday night’s Revelation Today Boston presentation, Pastor Cesar Perozo, who pastors two churches in his hometown of Stoneham, Massachusetts, was in a public park when he witnessed a car drive off a street and into Spy Pond, a few miles away in Arlington.

“I had to do something to save whoever it was in that car,” Cesar told me.  He dived into the 103-acre lake and swam towards the car, which was drifting further away from the lake shore. 

“For a moment I didn’t think I’d be able to get out to her. The car ended up about 50 yards from the shore. The challenge was that I couldn’t swim like I normally did because my clothing was dragging me down.”

Understandably, the 68-year-old driver was afraid. “She kept telling me that she couldn’t swim and wanted to stay in the car. As I opened the only door that wasn’t submerged, water rushed into the car.  I kept telling her, ‘I’ve got you, I’ll help you.’ I knew I only had a few seconds before the car went under. There was no way she was going to survive if I didn’t get her out.” The water was forty feet deep where Pastor Perozo was attempting the rescue.

Fatigue set in as Pastor Perozo took hold of the lady’s hand. “For a moment I didn’t think I’d be able to get her out. I was so exhausted. My muscles felt like they were seizing up. Then as I took hold of her she slipped out of my hand.”

At that time, two other men arrived to assist with the rescue. “Between the three of us we got her back to the shore. I’m just so glad she’s alive. I’m praising the Lord for that.”

Cesar told me that when they all were safely back on shore, it was a special feeling to be able to hold the hand that only minutes before had slipped out of his. “Knowing she was safe—that was a great feeling.”

The story of the rescue has been covered by newspapers, websites, and television. 

As a pastor and evangelist Cesar Perozo has given his life to doing all he can to save others. Just a few days ago his mission as a rescuer took on a whole new meaning.

And he wouldn’t normally have been in the area. “I was there on a friend’s recommendation to check out photography locations for the church school. God had me in the right place at the right time.”

That evening, the Revelation Today meetings continued in Stoneham and around Boston.

Is there someone God is looking to use you to reach, to make a saving difference in someone’s life? Be sure you’re ready to offer the gift of life when the opportunity to do so arises.

To view a news report of Pastor Perozo’s dramatic rescue, click here.

To watch the Revelation Today presentations from Boston, join us Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm Eastern.

Achieving Greatness

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Adam Ramdin is a pastor and the Youth Director of the North England Conference, based in Nottingham, Great Britain.


Most players would be happy with just one. Some of the best players ever will get a handful. Some of the greatest players to grace the world stage will get to double digits. The most ever won by a male is 17[1. Switzerland’s Roger Federer has won 17 Grand Slam singles titles.], while two women have both won 22.

At the US Tennis Open in Flushing Meadow, New York in September, the talk was whether Serena Williams would win again, to take her to 23 Grand Slam titles. Although her loss in the semi-finals left her tied with German Steffi Graf, most observers believe it’s a matter of when and not if the 35 year old Williams will win title number 23.

When someone who is such a prolific winner comes along, sports watchers have the chance to witness a living legend. Inevitably the question is raised: was Serena Williams simply born a good tennis player? Does she have a natural advantage over others that makes her better than everyone else?

Whilst many subscribe to the theory of a natural born sportmans/genius, others do not. In his 2011 book, Bounce—in which he studied sportspeople such as golfer Tiger Woods, as well as Serena Williams and her tennis-playing sister, Venus—author and former Olympian Matthew Syed concluded that there is no such thing as a naturally gifted sportsman. Syed proposed the “10,000 Hour Rule.” That is, in order to become an expert a person must do something for a total of at least ten thousand hours. 

As young girls, the Williams sisters would spend hour after hour on the concrete courts of Compton, California, honing their skills under the tutelage of their father. With no experience in coaching and without modern equipment, Richard Williams would bring a shopping cart filled with tennis balls to practice. In one training exercise, Williams would place a traffic cone on one side of the tennis court and have his daughters repeatedly hit tennis balls at the cone. With a baseball bat.

Such dedication to a particular task will inevitably produce good results. But doing something again and again, for hours and hours is not in itself enough to produce excellence. For example, many people driven a car a total of ten thousand, twenty thousand or even thirty thousand hours but have become worse instead of better at driving. There is a difference between intentional practice and doing something on autopilot. 

While the theory regarding how excellence is produced holds true in many cases, it falls short in explaining Christian growth. While God gives talents and opportunities, believers have a responsibility to use their talents in order to multiply them.

Many people who have gone to church for longer than 10,000 hours don’t become spiritual experts. That is, they don’t experience corresponding spiritual growth. That’s because there is a difference between treating church attendance and spiritual things as if we are driving a car on autopilot and intentionally seeking to grow in faith in Christ.

Do we actively pray that the fruit of the Spirt will be seen in our lives? Are we intentionally trying to reach out to people who are less fortunate than us? Are we endeavoring to show love, kindness and respect to people we don’t know?

Too many people spend their Christian life on cruise control, calling themselves Christian but not living an intentional life. Make it a goal that you will actively seek to be a true follower of Jesus in thought, word and deed.


Desmond Doss and Hacksaw Ridge: Coming Soon

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More than 70 years ago an unlikely hero saved the lives of dozens of American soldiers during one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Now his story is about to explode onto movie screens all over the world.

The international press is already hailing Hacksaw Ridge as a potential Oscar winner.

It tells the story of Corporal Desmond Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist combat medic who single-handedly rescued 75 soldiers during the battle of Okinawa, in the midst of a hail of enemy gunfire. As a result of his bravery, Desmond Doss was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military honor.

While Doss’ story has been told many times, Hacksaw Ridge is the first feature film to recount his remarkable exploits. The movie is directed by Hollywood heavyweight Mel Gibson who, having fallen foul of Hollywood and the media on numerous occasions, “may finally have found redemption” according to critics.  David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter has called the film a “forceful comeback,” while London’s Telegraph newspaper gave the movie a four-star rating. Hacksaw Ridge received a 10 minute standing ovation following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

What this means is simply this: it looks like Hacksaw Ridge is going to be huge.

And that matters for Christians, because it now seems likely that millions of people are going to watch the powerfully-told story of a war hero who was a deeply committed believer.  And they’ll learn about—and talk about—not only his deeply-held biblical beliefs but also the remarkable God who enabled Doss to carry himself with such outstanding grace, commitment, and bravery.

Hacksaw Ridge neither downplays Desmond Doss’ Seventh-day Adventist faith nor minimizes his beliefs. Instead, the movie respectfully and accurately portrays Doss’ steadfast faith in God. Corporal Doss—a Private First Class at the time of the Battle of Okinawa—is presented as a balanced, Sabbath-keeping, Bible-believing Christian who was moved by faith in God to adhere to his biblical beliefs in the face of overwhelming opposition. Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge is an inspirational story of a Christian’s unwavering faith.

You don’t have to approve of movies, Hollywood, or Mel Gibson’s liberal use of battlefield violence, to be enthusiastic about the retelling of the Desmond Doss story. Hacksaw Ridge presents believers in Christ with an unprecedented opportunity to speak up for Christ as the story of an Adventist Christian thrusts the faith community into the national—and international—conversation.  Hollywood is presenting Christians everywhere with a multimillion dollar opportunity to come along behind this headline-grabbing movie and speak in favor of the God—and the faith—of Desmond Doss.

Churches and church members will need to be ready to engage in conversations with those who watch Hacksaw Ridge, and be prepared to answer questions about what drove Desmond Doss to be steadfast in his faith in God. For a window of time, Desmond Doss will be part of the global conversation. Believers should be ready to participate in the conversation and provide answers to the inevitable questions. 

To assist with the witnessing opportunities presented by Hacksaw Ridge, It Is Written has produced a low-cost, 32 page booklet entitled “The Faith of Desmond Doss,” which can be ordered from It Is Written for witnessing and mass distribution. See below for details.

In one of the later scenes of the movie, Desmond Doss’ character—played by Andrew Garfield, one of Hollywood’s leading actors—is doing all he can to save American servicemen. After lowering a soldier to safety, Doss prays, “Lord, give me one more!” Each time he lowers another soldier to safety the prayer is repeated: “Lord, give me one more!”

Desmond Doss’ prayer is the prayer that should be prayed by Christians everywhere. “Lord, give me one more. Help me get one more!” As the last few sands pass through the hourglass of time, precious opportunities are being presented to reach this world for Christ. While Hacksaw Ridge is not intended to be an evangelism tool, disciples of Christ recognize that witnessing opportunities present themselves in countless ways. Even through Hollywood blockbusters.

It’s hard to imagine God has not allowed the production of Hacksaw Ridge specifically for such a time as this, not to glorify Hollywood or Desmond Doss, but to call attention to theme of faith and grace.

Desmond Doss now rests beneath a simple grave marker in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ten years after his death Hollywood is telling the story of his battlefield heroism. It’s up to those of us still living to tell the story of his Savior, the power of grace and the promise of Jesus’ return.


The Faith of Desmond Doss Sharing Book

The Faith of Desmond Doss not only tells Desmond’s incredible story, but more importantly, it tells the reader about his faith. Desmond refused to carry a gun, but that doesn’t mean he went into battle unarmed. He faced combat with two things more valuable than any man-made weapon—his Bible and prayer. The message of this small book is that through Bible study and prayer, anyone can develop a relationship with God, and achieve greater faith.

Click here to order!Faith of Desmond Doss 3D from right (2)

For more Hacksaw Ridge resources click here. 

Colin Kaepernick, Protest and Progress

One thing that we’ve learned in recent weeks is that Colin Kaepernick still plays professional football.  Having made little impact in the national game for the best part of two seasons, Kaepernick, 28, made the news recently for choosing not to stand during the playing of the national anthem at a San Francisco 49ers pre-season game.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said.  “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Standing during the national anthem is not compulsory for NFL players.  In response to Kaepernick’s protest the National Football League said, “We recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”

Predictably, response to Kaepernick’s gesture was not unanimously positive.  Many were quick to condemn Kaepernick – a one-time standout who will start the football season as the 49ers backup quarterback – for being unpatriotic and disrespectful.  Sportswriter Peter King reported that a sign at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego last Thursday night read, “YOU’RE AN AMERICAN ACT LIKE ONE.”[1. “Freedom of expression, I’d like you to meet freedom of expression…”]

Kaepernick, sensitive to the feelings of American service personnel, modified his stance by taking a knee during the anthem in the 49ers final preseason game.  And he has announced he would donate the first million dollars of his $11.9 million dollar salary this year to community groups or charities.

Colin Kaepernick isn’t the first person – or the first sportsperson – to protest what he sees as civil rights abuses against people of color.  His protest is reminiscent of that of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medal-winning athletes in the mens’ 200 meters track event at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.  Smith later described the raising of their black-gloved fists during the medal ceremony as a “human rights salute.”[2. Australian Peter Norman, who won the silver medal in the event, wore a human rights badge during the medal ceremony in solidarity with Smith and Carlos.  Smith and Carlos were pallbearers at Norman’s funeral in Melbourne in 2006.]  Smith and Carlos were expelled from the Mexico City Olympics at the urging of then IOC President Avery Brundage, and against the wishes of the US Olympic Committee.  Upon their return home, both athletes were subjected to intense criticism.[3. Interestingly, history has been kind to Smith and Carlos.  They were honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at 2008 Espys, and their stance in 1968 is now respected and appreciated seemingly by the vast majority of Americans.]

One need not agree with a particular protest to recognize demonstration often shines a light on a society’s ills.  Without the protests led by Mohandas Gandhi, independence would not have come to India as soon as it did.  Cesar Chavez’ work on behalf of farm workers changed the agricultural and social landscape in this country.  Dr Martin Luther King’s contribution to the advancement of civil rights in the 1960s was responsible for…

Well, let’s stop and consider that.  In an age where Americans are asking themselves whether Black Lives Matter, it can be admitted that Dr King moved America’s disastrous civil rights situation out of the darkness and into the shadows.  If the protests of Dr King and the thousands of others who stood, marched, sat and occupied with him had truly been successful, Colin Kaepernick’s jersey wouldn’t currently be the best-selling jersey in the NFL.  Kaepernick would be just another well-paid has-been hoping for another shot at glory.

Are protests successful?  Sometimes they are.  Half a century after the racist Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama, 4500 African American students are enrolled at the school.  But sometimes protests result in little true progress.  Since Gandhi’s death in 1948, now-independent India is wracked with poverty, caste violence, religious tension and territorial disputes.  Numerous Indian politicians have been assassinated, including former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son, Rajiv who succeeded her as India’s political leader.

There’s a reason protests infrequently lead to lasting change.  Protest cannot change the human heart.  That’s not to say there isn’t a place for protest.  But it is to say that the only force that can bring real change to the human heart is the gentle yet powerful force of the Spirit of God.

From his prison cell, John the Baptist sent disciples to ask Jesus a remarkable question.

“Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Not long before, John the Baptist had looked towards Jesus and boldly proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:29)  John was convinced.  Jesus was the Messiah.  John had said he was unworthy of loosening the strap of Jesus’ sandal.  He knew Jesus well: his mother and Jesus’ mother were sisters.  Jesus was his cousin!  And now John calls into question the validity of a ministry he once whole-heartedly endorsed.

John had expected the Messiah to expel the hated Romans from Israel, and bring freedom and prosperity to the Jewish nation.  But Jesus was urging people to reach for a different kind of greatness, and by methods altogether different from those contemplated by John.

Jesus’ response to the disciples of John was fascinating. 

“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.”  (Matthew 11:4)

And what was it they had heard and seen?

“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”  (Matthew 11:5)

While Jesus was by any measure the greatest counter-cultural revolutionary who ever lived, He realized the kingdom of God could only be established upon changed hearts.  He could have urged protest and demonstration, but the lasting change he sought to make would be effected one life at a time, one medical missionary visit at a time, one personal encounter at a time.  Souls would be won one study at a time, one tract at a time, one sermon at a time, and – most importantly – one revelation of the character of God at a time.

Whether Colin Kaepernick sits, kneels or stands during the national anthem is entirely up to him.  An American’s right to express his or her opinion in a lawful manner is enshrined in the Constitution.  But Kaepernick’s protest isn’t going to change much on the American landscape. Some will be offended, others will celebrate, some will pause to reflect, most will not.  Placards and picket lines and gloved fists and sitting football players definitely have their place in an open society.  But protest – even needful protest – only brings incremental change at best because protest doesn’t change the heart.  Agree with him or not, Kaepernick is standing – or not standing, as is the case – for what he believes.  He wants to see change.  But he isn’t likely to see it.  Not in a sinful world.  Because real change only happens when hearts are softened and transformed by the Spirit of the living God.[4. It should be pointed out that the validity of Kaepernick’s protest does not depend on whether or not his protest results in change on any level.  The “success” of a protest and the validity of a protest do not necessarily correlate.]

Before Jesus returns, God’s people are going to reveal to the world the beauty of the character of Christ.  And they’ll do so by demonstrating to the world – one person at a time – the inarguable reality that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that the God of heaven is love.

Mission:Mongolia—Jesus Loves the Little Children

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).

As a father I’ve often tried to visualize the touching image of parents bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed. Well, I don’t have to visualize it anymore, because our team of medical and dental professionals experienced it firsthand this week. Parents and even grandparents streamed into our five clinics with their children and grandchildren to have them “blessed” by the foreign Christian doctors and dentists.

Most of these children’s health ailments were minor, but in a country where health care to the poor is limited, these ailments can become much more serious. With much compassion in their hearts, our practitioners examined each child carefully, explaining to the concerned parent or grandparent what was happening, and what continuing care the child would need. Before the visit was up, just like Jesus, they laid their hands on each child and prayed. In many cases the guardian would tear up and then leave with a big broad smile. Truly a moving sight.

One of our clinics is located right next door to practicing shamanists. Shamanists believe in the world of good and evil spirits and practice divination and healing. Yes, kind of spooky. Well, even these interesting neighbors brought their children to the clinic. There, they were introduced to the love of Jesus through the kindness and warmth of our clinicians. Who knows what will happen next with this family and all the others that came to our clinics, but I’m a firm believer that a great way to a person’s heart is through their children.

Keep praying for the people of Mongolia that more and more of them will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

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Mission:Mongolia—The God of Daniel chapter 2

The God of Daniel chapter 2 is alive and well in Mongolia!

Some of the drivers transporting the It Is Written volunteers to their work sites are non-Christian. That’s the case for Orgil, the driver for the team going to the orphanage. If you think this name looks hard to pronounce, trust me, it’s even harder when you hear a Mongolian say it with all throat sounds involved. Consequently, our young volunteers decided to give Orgil an English name: Liam. Our driver loves the name and tells everyone now that his name is Liam. Liam, who speaks a fair bit of English, has connected so well with the group that he has become more than just a driver, he’s become a helper and translator at the orphanage.

In the evening, the orphanage group attends the It Is Written Bible meetings at one of the churches. Of course Liam drives them there and instead of simply waiting in the van, he himself has started attending the meetings to the delight of everyone. Yesterday, Liam made a startling admission to one of the volunteers. He explained that a few weeks ago he had a dream that he thought nothing of at the time. In that dream he said that a group of people would give him a new name, an English-sounding name. In that dream he also saw the very logo that It Is Written uses. Wow! If that doesn’t give you chills?! The God of Daniel chapter 2 who powerfully revealed the future in a dream is at work in the life of a young man in Mongolia.

Please pray for Liam as we prayerfully continue to witness to him. One of our other drivers is also becoming very interested in what we are teaching from the Bible. We thought we came to minister to the poor, sick, and destitute of Mongolia, but maybe we actually came to minister to our drivers. God is good.

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One of our volunteers Jamey, left, with Liam.