I am struck by the picture of the Israelites at a certain point in their history.
Now there was no iron-worker in all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, For fear the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears:
But all the Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their ploughs and blades and axes and hooks made sharp;
For they had instruments for putting an edge on their ploughs and blades and forks and axes, and for putting iron points on their ox-driving rods.
So on the day of the fight at Michmash, not a sword or a spear was to be seen in the hands of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan: only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
(1 Samuel 13:19-22)
Iron-workers were necessary to produce fighting weapons. They were also necessary for producing the tools necessary for agriculture – which in the days of Saul was a big part of the economy.
At this stage in Israel's history, they were pretty backwards technologically. No one in Israel knew how to make iron tools or iron weapons. The enemies of Israel, the Philistines, controlled this technology and they rationed it carefully, in order to keep the people of God WEAK and keep them from being able to effectively FIGHT or even develop their economy.
Sometimes, sadly, this is a picture of the some segments of the people of God today. In some way, its a picture of most of us. Instead of every believer being properly equipped with weapons and armour to go to battle against the enemy, we find ourselves stripped of these tools.
Now I believe that God had provided the means for God's people in the days of Saul to have the weapons they would normally need. I also believe that God has provided all we need to fight effectively and win. The problem is, we have often let the devil [the enemy] steal it from us.
Every move of God in the history of the church was assisted and facilitated by the use of some kind of new technology.
In the days of the Romans, it was the roads and the common legal system. In the days of Luther, it was the printing press. In the 20th century, television and radio had a massive role to play in the spreading of the gospel, as did public address systems. Cassette tapes played a big role in the spread of the charismatic renewal. And in the 21st century, it is the INTERNET which is the primary tool for spreading the gospel.
It is good to see some beginnings have been made in this area, but in 10 years time, if we still have the freedom to use the internet for gospel work, we will be shocked at how backwards we were and how ill-equipped we are from a technological viewpoint to fight the MAJOR battles that must be fought for the hearts and minds of men in the realm of cyberspace.
Historically, and especially in the 20th century, the devil had too much control over media and the education system especially. Using these tools, he had us outgunned, though we were in a good position in some ways in the late part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century. Even now, the situation is still somewhat reminiscent of the times of the Israelites where they depended on their enemies to sharpen their tools.
Where are the Christian television networks that preach the pure unadulterated gospel? There are a few good ones, but I know you can get the gospel mixed in with a lot of rubbish on many TV networks today. Well thank God for the fact that people can get something. Before they could not even hear the gospel on TV.
When we start TV channels, we have to go to the people of the world who are controlled by a spirit hostile to the Spirit of God, and with cap in hand, and some money in our pockets, we try to get a little slice of the media. Its a bit like the Israelites going to the Philistines and trying to get their tools sharpened.
Why can't Christians own the media more often? I like the fact that David Yonggi Cho bought and operated an entire newspaper in South Korea many years ago. There needs to be more things done like that. I like it when Christians own radio channels and even TV channels. But there always seems to be a struggle to get enough quality content that has a pure and faithful message from God in it. Folks, our message is powerful, and we have the message that offers THE GREATEST VALUE for this life and for eternity! Let's get off our back sides, let us pray, let us ask God for a bigger slice of the media, and of the education system, and use these things while we can to do what we can to fulfil the Great Commission for the Lord.
Let's not be Luddites. Let's not be ignoramuses. Let's not boast about how we don't understand I.T., computers or the internet, as if that is somehow "cute". No, in our present age, it isn't "cute". Its just incompetent. We need to get informed, and use the right tools, or people will perish just because of our stupidity and ignorance.
May the Lord help us as the Body of Christ with perhaps hundreds of millions of people who are IN CHRIST to get our hands on the means of distribution we need – both in media and in the education system.