I have strong evidence that I am a political, social, and economic moderate. The evidence is that I can look to the left and to the right and see people who are equally as far away from me in both directions, so I must be in the middle. That the Department of Homeland Security named me, and basically all other evangelical Christians, as well as all veterans, as potential “right wing extremists,” shows how far to the left they really are. Because so many who are in the center look so far to the right, they consider moderates as extremists. Almost every poll and study shows that America, in general, is a center-right nation. We’re not the extreme ones, but those who are now in power are. How could those who are on such an extreme gain power in a democracy that is philosophically very far from where they are?

    In the natural, we would presume that it is better for promotions and marketing. That can be true in a nation that is advertisement-driven such as our own. Rarely do the best products become the most successful products here unless they have a better marketing campaign, and in our present political atmosphere, neither do the best leaders. Having the right message will not prevail unless it is effectively spread.

    Some of this has to do with a far left media. Joe Biden said things that were bizarre during the campaign, far worse than anything Sarah Palin said. For example, he remarked that in the 1929 stock market crash, President Roosevelt immediately went on television to address the situation. This was not only years before Roosevelt was President, but it was decades before television was invented. The media would still be talking about this if Sarah Palin had said it, but they did not even cover it when Biden said it. However, the obviously biased media coverage of the campaign, which still continues, will ultimately work in the favor of truth. In the last major study of the most respected professionals, journalists did not even make the list. Pastors, who had fallen to the bottom of the list in the late 1980s, have now risen back to number five of the most respected and trusted professionals. 

    My point is that the pulpits of America can again become the most powerful platforms for defining public opinion. It was the pulpits of America that sparked and fueled the great social and political changes in America beginning with the Revolutionary War until this authority was gradually usurped by the news media. Of course, there have been laws passed and proposed to silence the pulpits of America, but if we have been given a platform in the household of God, we are under the mandate of God to speak the truth without compromise. As the first apostles made clear, there are times when we have to obey God rather than men.

    In defining the pulpit, we also have to understand that it has changed from the little box standing in our houses of worship, to a much broader, far more powerful place that includes television, radio, the internet, and a multitude of other outlets. There are bills before Congress right now that will make it illegal to preach the gospel on television because it is offensive to some. We may think this could never happen, but it will happen if the church does not stand up. Just as one woman basically had prayer removed from our schools, the tiny activist forces will continue to prevail if the church does not stand up.

    Of course, many Christians think that it would be a good thing to get rid of Christian television because it is such an embarrassment, but it is never a good thing to lose our liberties. Even so, the message often preached on Christian television, except for a few cases, seems shockingly out of sync with the times, and in many cases fortifies the caricatures being made of Christianity and Christians.

    We could also say this about the church as a whole, as many Christians, congregations, and even whole movements often go to extremes that can make all of Christianity look foolish. This has been true since the first century. The Lord taught in the parable of the wheat and the tares that this is something we can expect until the end of the age, which is the harvest (see Matthew 13:24-30). This is something that the Lord allows to purify the real, so we must prevail over the embarrassments.

    Even if we can maintain our rights to use the present communication platforms and become sophisticated and professional in our presentations, it does not guarantee success in having the people embrace the gospel. As Christians, we must never forget that we have a power that trumps all media platforms—even the slickest presentations—which is the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit, we can lose our right to use any media outlets and still prevail with our message.

    I am for using every available means for the presentation of the gospel and the truth. I am for getting wiser and more professional at how we use them, but I think we need to seek the Holy Spirit with even more devotion than pursuing technology or methods. We should also spend more time on getting the message right, being what the Holy Spirit can endorse with His anointing.

    We also need to keep in mind that it has been the Lord’s way to place His truth in packages that were offensive to the prideful, requiring humility and love for the truth that could look past the packaging to attain it. Even the Lord Jesus Himself came in such a way. John the Baptist did not dress for power and started his ministry in the worst possible location, but he was so anointed that all Judea came out to him. The Holy Spirit trumps everything. Let us seek Him above all things when we are seeking influence.