It has become popular to criticize, publicly, the current administration. I get at least an e-mail a day doing so. Today I got one calling them fascists! What’s with that?

A lot of Christians are spending a lot of vocal time decrying our governmental policies and how it is going to further “ruin” our country. I understand, the political, economic, military and moral news emanating from our nation’s capital and around the country concerns me too.

Complaining, I find, is easy, but it’s mostly unproductive or worse, counter productive. It breeds contempt, it is contagious, it leads to anger and anger almost always leads to an action we’ll regret. Worst of all it takes our attention off the right thing – what we, personally, ought to do not say, to fix the problem. Ever thought about that? That is my firm belief, folks.

And here is another of my beliefs, I have a solution, one borrowed from scripture, the one Jesus used. After all, don’t most of us own a WWJD bracelet? We’ll I think it’s high time we decided to use it for the current distress in society. This is what Jesus would do, or better did and taught his disciples to do…sure He taught them to pray but he also taught them how to relate to politicians and culture.

The solution is this; If we want to fix the government, and with it the social landscape, then we must change our behavior. We need to stop the whining and start the witnessing. To change policy decisions, we must change the legislative personnel. To do that we must change how people vote, after all we have the leaders we selected. Ever think about that; that we sort of have what we deserve?

To change the way people vote you must change the way they think, the way they believe. And to do that the only solution is to transform their hearts, minds and perspective of life through the grace of God, through the gospel.

Do you know that a Barna survey found that the typical churched believer will die without ever leading another person to Christ? And only 2.9% of born again believers ever share their faith. What a miserable statistic; especially when weighed against the life of Christ, the training of the twelve and his last words and testament on earth…“GO MAKE DISCIPLES”… you see, witnessing is every believer’s responsibility, not just missionaries.

How can we expect to reach the world for Christ with so few willing to share the only piece of information that will lead a personal to salvation, the only truth that will set them free, the only news that will supernaturally capture their heart and give them the mind of Christ, the only persuasive knowledge that will change the way they view life, live life and vote for those who are similarly aligned in philosophy? Jesus knew that and that is what he dedicated His ministry to fixing, not government but people – through a heart change. Do that and every thing fixes itself!

Do you realize that according to scripture non believers by definition are fools (Psalm 14:1) and by simple deduction two things emerge from that one fact? One; they can not, I repeat, can not make a wise decision because wisdom comes from God and is given to those who fear the lord (Proverbs 9:10)! And second, according to Psalm 14:1; “they are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.”, we ought to assume sinners will sin and not be at all sympathetic to our eternal perspective of life and the absolute need for a biblical morality.

You know who voted for the folks you are complaining about? If not you at least your neighbors did. And you know who for you see the bumper sticker on their cars. What have you done to change their minds? Ever entertained the notion of trying to reach them with the gospel?

What’s the problem? Are you not sure how, is it too hard, or wondering “how do I get started”? Glad you asked. THAT IS THE DEDICATION OF OUR MINISTRY GOING FORWARD,. The Master’s Men ministry, because of just this problem has developed a simple application for believers to use in order to help them better share their faith that we all may stop the whining and start the witnessing. IT’S CALLED M3.

M3 is an evangelism study and event planning guide constructed for believers to help churches reach men through men and thereby grow their churches. It is our successful Master’s Men Method written down for all to understand and employ.

That manuscript is written and on the editor’s desk now. We will launch this initiative at the Catalyst, Pastors’ conference, in Atlanta, on October 7th 2009. There, we will place before some 11,000 pastors this blue print for training Christian men to reach non churched men and recruit families back to Christ, to church and to biblical living. If this catches fire, this will not only enlarge the body of Christ, it will help stem the tide of folly in our land. We need you to join us in prayer for this imperative initiative and necessary tool for the church.

America needs an awakening. I agree. But my solution is what I read in scripture. There I find the only verbal response warranted by God is twofold. The first is to confess our sins and pray for revival in our own lives (2 Chronicles 7:14) and the second is to confess the truth about Christ to the people in our sphere of influence (Mark 16:15). I don’t see criticism as a biblical option for changing people or government. In fact Paul tells us to knock it off (Philippians 2:14, 15) it is unbecoming a Christian.

So I offer you a choice, folks; witness or whine. It’s up to you. But as for me and our ministry…we must serve the Lord’s way of doing business in a fallen world. I hope you will join us.

Finances: By the way, for all of you who gave last month; I thank you, humbly, appreciatively.
We continue to need everyone’s help and will again this month. So I ask you to continue to
help as the Lord enables you. Thank you and may the Lord reward you.

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25 NLT

Purposefully,

Jim Cote