What Say You to These Things?

Last evening, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Muslims, their families and other specially invited guests (including Keith Ellison (MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress) gathered for an “Iftar Dinner.”  During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, from sun up to sun down, fasting and restraint from other activities is to be observed.  At the end of each day (after sunset), family and friends gather for a meal called “iftar.”

On June 22, President Obama hosted such a dinner in commemoration of Ramadan at the White House.  Imagine the outrage if a meal honoring Christianity, or a Jewish seder were to be observed in either location!  The ACLU, Military Religious Freedom Foundation, CAIR, and a host of other anti-God, anti-American entities would be screaming to the heavens about the egregious violation of the First Amendment!

Yet, for 17 years, this iftar meal has been observed at the Pentagon.  My friends, the infiltration of Islam into the highest levels of our government is on full display!  What is even more tragic than the allowance of such events, is the fact that we have been so stunningly silent about these things and even the expression of OUR faith!  Even we preachers have tamed our sermons, and tempered our speech to the point that we are toothless lions!

Well, I submit that the time for doing that has well nigh passed!  NOW is the time for God’s preachers to sharpen their tongues (and minds) and unharness their lips for full engagement with the truth!!!  No longer let us fear the faces of our well-dressed and well-heeled congregations!  No longer let us even consider who may be “offended” by our bold, unflinching declaration of the truth!  No longer let us check the giving reports before deciding to say what desperately needs to be said from God’s sacred desk!

No, men of God arise!  Fling the scabbard of political correctness to Hades from whence it came, rare back and thunder “Thus saith the Lord!”  Rather than attempting to “massage the Millennials” with palatable words, honor the Holy One by declaring in Elijah-like fashion the whole counsel of God!

At the expense of being hung at sunset, let me say that I am grieved beyond words at the incessant emphasis on God’s love, to the exclusion of His Holiness and truth!  May I remind us ALL of the Apostle John’s repeated use of the phrase in his epistles, “whom I love in the truth!”  “Love” without truth is NOT love!  There can actually be no love, if truth is excluded!

The fact of the matter is this!  America is where she is because truth has been minimized and marginalized!  And, the ones tasked with proclaiming truth have been emasculated!  When the preachers of a nation are known for their “prettiness” rather than their “prophet-like” nature, there is a problem!  When a ministry is known more for it’s buildings than for it’s bold declaration of God’s word, there is a problem!  When the first thought is, “What will people think?”, rather than “What does God think?”, there is a problem!

I am SO thankful for the preachers I know who stand ready to engage the Wicked One with God’s truth!  Men, I love you!  I appreciate you more than I can say!  I thank God for you and anticipate the day when we stand before our Mutual Savior, trusting to hear the “Well done!”  Till then, let’s build up our spiritual muscles for the battles ahead!  Through Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit, we are MORE THAN capable of boldly fulfilling our calling!  With passionate love for Him, and the same for those to whom we preach, let’s engage!!  Though these may be “the times that try men’s souls”, these are also incredible times for God-pleasing ministry!  I don’t know about you, but I’m more determined than ever to stand up and speak up!  As said Evangelist Billy Sunday about the sin of his day, so say I!  “I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. And when I’m old and fistless and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!

Dave Kistler
President, HOPE Ministries International
President, North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN)

Stand in the Gap Today 7/1/15

Hosts Sam Rohrer and Gary Dull discuss the Pope’s upcoming visit touching on a number of problematic questions plus the announcement by Gov. Chris Christie to join the growing list of Presidential candidates.