From the U.S. I had with me a lot of coins in silver dollar size, but of course they were not real coins.  On one side were printed the words, Where do you want to spend the eternity? – and on the other side the wonderful words from Joh. 3:16 in the Danish language.

There were not many words, but that was the point.  Few people want to read much text.  You can´t just hand out The New Testament and say to people, “Please read it” for that will almost never happen.

But this small ”coin” they will read as long as I stand beside and they let me hear them read it. But I often notice what a hard time some have to read even its few words.

The gospel message is however much more forceful through a gospel life!  If that is not there, all kinds of printed matter are of no use when facing a godless world.  We may be shocked at an immoral government (now in favor of same sex marriage), but what´s the use if our life doesn´t testify of a living faith?

Most Christians agree that the epistle to the Romans is the apostle´s  gospel  charter – he even calls it ”my gospel!”  2:16 - .

When he rejoices that the faith of the Christians in Rome ”is spoken of throughout the whole world”, it´s not a reference to tracts or printed messages.  He is referring to the impact of a living faith exhibited in transformed gospel lives.

With joy he speaks about the gospel as God´s power to salvation. 1:16.  But what is salvation?  Isn´t it just spiritual health?  This life giving health of salvation was spread amidst a perverse and utterly sick generation. Acts 2:40.

The Roman empire, under which rule Paul lived, was full of the same immorality we´re confronted with today.  I just read that Nero had a male slave castrated in order to abuse him homosexually.  This didn´t make Paul start a moral or political crusade against Rome.  The sexual perversions of Rome were just part of the dark background to the need of the gospel of Christ and His salvation.  Is there any other alternative? 

The election coming up in November is not between Obama and Mitt Romney, but between Christ and the world.  And yet there´s a lot of political talk among Christians. It grieves me as I day by day walked out in the open to meet with those ”who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17), not about politics, but about Jesus Christ.  That lonely ministry gave me many joys however.

In the outward there may be some difference, and yet the U.S. and Denmark are much alike.  The human nature is the same.  And so is the gospel.  I´m not called to pray especially for either America nor Denmark, but for those the Lord will save out of a world already doomed.  I seem to see this more clearly than ever…

….while I´m joyfully limping my way with my clinking gospel coins that make such a joyful noise!

May 13, 2012 – jn