My trip to Washington, D.C., allowed me to address some of the most well-known names in Christian media and gave me an inside view of the extraordinary work being done by evangelical leaders worldwide. The labors of the Gospel in Finland, Israel, and Iran were particularly striking.
These are not insipid presentations attempting to find common ground with a 20th-century Jesus created after the image of some modernist figure. These individuals were astoundingly orthodox and deeply committed to the biblical Christ.
Among these ministries was a distinct gospel work done to Iranians. This network was created by former Muslims. In Iran, Bibles are prohibited, no church gatherings are permitted, and suicide and drug addiction have increased dramatically. These are the effects of a Christ-less culture. Yet, this ministry provides Satellite TV and 24/7 broadcasts of Gospel messages, biblical teachings, and Christian content across Iran and other Farsi-speaking regions like Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The underground church network is blossoming in this dark world, and thousands of Iranians are converting to Biblical Christianity.
As I sat in that room with those saints and greeted many of them, I was struck by the diversity of worlds gathered—Charismatics, Baptists, and Presbyterians invested in communicating the Gospel through the media, using technological tools to proclaim a message of blessedness to all the world.
I reveled in that evangelical ecumenicity. I was delighted to see distinct theological traditions, yet unafraid to defend the Western tradition against leftist oligarchies seeking to shut down the ability to spread the power of God unto salvation.
The Gospel is going far as the curse is found. If we keep our eyes toward the prize of the upward calling, perhaps we can see such endeavors as opportunities to renew our zeal for that word above all earthly powers and build a stronger Protestant coalition in the coming years!
