One of my favorite things to do is to answer people’s questions and respond to their objections; another is to have a healthy debate about a controversial issue; another is to set the record straight when there is misinformation floating around – all of which means I could spend every waking hour doing these very things online and still not put a dent in all the questions, comments, posts, objections, and controversies that come my way. So, I’m asking for your help!
All of us are dealing with the new realities of a wired world – with endless emails, texts, posts, comments, and news items clamoring for our attention – and often, it is this constant flood of information that is our greatest distraction. It makes us superficial; it robs us of our ability to focus and concentrate; and it can be a great time waster as well.
On the other hand, the internet and social media can be great tools for ministry, and so, for the last few years, I’ve tried to have a more steady online presence, using Facebook (and now Twitter) to speak truth to others and to bring words of encouragement and faith, also trying to respond to the many questions that are sent my way on a daily basis (or, sometimes, sent by the minute if not the second). And, the truth be told, when someone posts a blatant falsehood online (maybe in response to one of my articles), or when they ask an important follow-up question, everything in me wants to respond the moment I see the comment or post, but most of the time, it’s not wise or even feasible.
Years back, before writing my five-volume series on Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, I spent many hours debating these issues online with rabbis and counter-missionaries, saying to myself, “Once the books are out, I can simply point people to what I have written, covering the issues in depth and in detail.” Well, that is certainly true, and by God’s grace, the books have been used to touch many. But it’s also true that they generated tens of thousands of counter-posts and counter-arguments! So, once again, it’s not possible even to follow all the threads, let alone to respond to them.
What then am I asking you to do? I absolutely intend to continue to use social media to post quotes, inspirational thoughts, challenging truths, biblical insights, and links to new messages and articles and videos – whatever I can do on a daily basis to help flame the fires of revival and Jesus Revolution in the Church and the world. But at the same time, with the exponential growth of everything we’re doing in ministry – from radio to TV to writing to speaking to lecturing to social media – and with our limited staff, I’m having to stop myself from engaging in extensive discussions and debates online lest I get pulled away from the things that matter most.
So, here’s what you can do:
1) If you have the answer to someone’s question (be it something they posted on one of my Facebook or Twitter pages, or in response to one of my articles or blog posts), or if you see something that needs to be set straight, please do go for it. Often, I will look at something posted online that is so off the wall, saying to myself, “I would love to correct that, but I can’t and I shouldn’t,” only to look back the next day and see that one of you has responded in depth – and doing a better job than I would have done.
2) If you see something that violates our guidelines (we can only enforce this on my social media and web pages, not other sites like Townhall or CharismaNews), you can politely point that out, saying that we ask that there be no personal attacks, etc. Some friendly, respectful policing allows me (and my ministry team) to not have to think about this.
3) If any of my posts or comments, often written as quickly as possible, have seemed abrupt or disrespectful, please forgive me. While I will gladly confront error and rebuke sin, I do my best to write and speak in a way that honors the Lord, and where I have fallen short of this – in particular, if I was short with you – I apologize from the heart.
4) Please don’t be offended if I don’t reply to a question you post or tweet (or send my way in a private Facebook message). If it’s something pressing, please email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to respond in a timely way.
5) Pray for more funds for more staff so we can have more team members serving the Body and the lost.
6) Pray for my greater focus in prayer, study, and writing. I love multi-tasking, and I’m always working on several projects and books at the same time. On the other hand, certain things require undivided attention, and the digital world is often my (our?) greatest distraction.
THANK YOU for taking the time to read this, and please share it with anyone you know who relates to the ministry work I’m privileged to do for the Lord. And THANK YOU for helping spread my messages to so many others. Together, we’re making a difference!
