Emotions are running high. Like millions of others, I have not been able to rest well the past few nights. Two police related shootings have risen to national attention. Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were human beings slain in the streets by men who we trust to protect us.

Admittedly, bad police do not represent all police. I know many well-meaning and good-hearted police. And most of them mean well. We need them; they are sworn to protect and help to care for our communities. We must support our law enforcement communities; cooperate with their efforts; try to build positive relationships with them; and pray for them, continually. Yet, we must deal with the few that have senselessly slaughtered too many of our people and represent deeper cultural problems that persist along racial lines.

Let’s face it!

The recent killings and other situations across the country that have been similar to these bring back to our minds cultural and generational emotions from the Jim Crow era.

A lot of blood shed is screaming out to us from their graves. We must speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves!

Our attitudes of hate, and violence; our systems of injustice; a society full of acrimonious behavior must change. We must think beyond party politics; our society is in a moral decline, and we are hasting toward self destruction.

An unprecedented number of black men’s red blood stains the streets of America not to mention all of the other human beings who senselessly die from violence every day; there is no denying that we have a serious problem.

Time out for diverting the issues and pretending that this is just black people exacerbating the problem for political expediency or for some sort of cultural pity. Time out for silence and devaluing human beings just because they don’t look like us, don’t believe like us, or don’t vote like us.

The voice of the prophet Amos resounds in the corridors of my mind:

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24

A revival is imminent. The Holy Spirit will stir-up a godly justice and the righteousness of God will transform like none other.

So, we must not allow heated emotions to drive our actions. We must be sober minded and strategic. We must come together in unity and pray, and work together to advance a Christ-centered agenda.

Yet, a Christ-centered agenda is not a passive agenda that sings and prays and pats each other on the shoulder; then move on.

A Christ-centered agenda is about listening to each other, caring for each other, and trying to understand each other while also working together for change. We do not have to agree to care enough about people’s lives to fight for them, to care for them, and to honor them, to love them.

Admittedly, this is a challenging task; yet, with Christ, we can achieve it.

Far too long, division has been the answer to disagreement. But, we cannot change a nation in crisis with divisive resolutions.

Everybody’s life matter—civilians as well as police.

Now is the time!

We need Black, White, Brown, and other people; we need Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Independents, Word of Faith—any others who I left out. We need the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We cannot heal this nation with violence. Also, we cannot heal it being calm. We must remain intensely concerned, relentlessly devoted, and be silent no more!

This is the time; we are the people; we can do this in Jesus’ name and by the Holy Spirit!

With sincere concern,
Dr. Antipas
July 8, 2016

Loren Cunningham with Janice Rogers, The Book That Transforms Nations: The Power Of The Bible To Change Any Country (Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2007), 252 pages, ISBN 1576583813.

Loren Cunningham is a man with a passion and a man with a mission to reach the nations; he is the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) which is a major missionary sending organization. He began YWAM as the result of a vision that God had given him of young people going into the nations of the world, and this is what YWAM workers have done now for about 40 years.

In this book Cunningham says that he is part of a small group of people who can say that they have visited every nation in the world. He has thus had ample opportunity to see first-hand the positive influence that the bible can have in different cultural settings. A word of clarification is perhaps in order here. The title of this book includes the words “transforms” and “change.” In using these words Cunningham is not talking only about spiritual salvation; he is speaking about the changes that the bible can bring about in all the various parts of a culture. The implementation of the bible’s teachings can transform a nation’s politics, economics, etc.

In chapter one Cunningham recounts the story of a biblical people who had “lost the book.” The nation of Israel had gone into great decline, and then during the time of King Josiah the book of God was found in the Temple of the Lord. When the king and the people heard the words of the book they responded to its teachings and it brought great transformation to the nation. The premise of The Book That Transforms Nations is that many nations that have never heard God’s Word would be changed if they are exposed to it.

The book includes some brief histories of people who have changed nations such as William Carey and John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper and Hans Nielsen Hauge. Calvin and Carey might immediately be recognized as ministers, but their influence on the wider culture is not as well known. In this book Cunningham makes us aware of the great impact that these Christians had on the countries that they ministered in. They were influential because they applied the teachings of the bible to all of life.

In addition to chronicling some of the historic accomplishments in the nations Cunningham also writes about some more modern transformations of nations, such as South Korea. He also shares some stories of his experiences in various YWAM ministries throughout the world. The bible is a trans-cultural book that will work anywhere in the world.

One topic in the book that may be of special interest is found in part 3 “Transforming Truths From God’s Book.” Cunningham makes the point that the kind of god that people worship makes a difference. He sees the doctrine of the trinity as significant, because it speaks to unity and diversity which all people groups need in order to function well.

Cunningham gives some insight into how churches can assist in the process of bible translation, even if they are unfamiliar with the languages involved. This has the potential of having a lasting global impact as there are currently 2,644 languages that do not have a bible translation of their own.

Cunningham is a statesman of the modern missionary movement and should therefore be listened to. This book encourages us with what has been accomplished and exhorts us to participate in transforming the world by bringing the bible to the nations.

Reviewed by John P. Lathrop