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When I used to play football the name of the game was putting more points on the board than my opponents. It wasn't about statistics or who ran the ball for more yards or caught more passes. It was about completing the task at hand victoriously.

When I traded in the pits of New York, the adrenaline was high and the excitement inherent was somehow exhilarating but at the end of the day the excitement didn't amount to much. There were bills that had to be paid. I had to make money.

When I witness to the lost on the streets of New York, it isn't about how much of the Bible I know or about how slick I can answer their questions or defuse their arguments. It is about loving them and giving them a chance to accept Jesus as their Savior and actually winning a soul.

So in short, we don't play to play, we play to win. We don't trade for the thrill of it. We trade to make money. And we don't witness because we like to hear ourselves talk. We witness to win souls.

In an army there are front line soldiers and there are rearguard generals and pundits who like to discuss the fight. In modern day war, the media can be used as a weapon to control public sentiment and deflate their resolve. Our enemies - within and without - did this to us during the Gulf War and we did not go after Hussein and try to snuff terrorism out. We are regretting that decision today. This discussion of public decisions made by a leader who has the responsibility for the lives of our soldiers on the front lines is detrimental and morally irresponsible. I think that you would agree.

Now let me bring it home. There are soldiers of Jesus here in New York that are waging a battle for souls. We have an opportunity of a lifetime. We are not just talking. We are holding people. We are delivering food and time and a solid example of Jesus. We are not talking about prophecies of doom and gloom and we are not discussing theological rhetoric or whether it was sin, or God's judgment, or whatever.

It may be sin that caused this. So, what. We have all sinned. It is not about being right or being prophetic at a time like this. It is about winning souls and taking our rightful place in the heart of the Financial Capitol of the world, so that we can love these people the way God does.

When the people of New York hear Christian people on television talking about "God's judgment" or "the sins of the people" they feel like they are being blamed for this event. They don't want to know a God that would inflict this kind of pain. They don't think of themselves as bad people.

Their paradigm is different than ours. Their paradigm is not one of judgment and mercy, and this kind of lingo and talk makes it difficult to receive from those of us on the ground and in the trenches, who merely want to give them Jesus and not the lingo that oftentimes gets added, in spite of our good intentions.

I realize that we have congregations and we have audiences that we must minister to and to help them to understand this attack. However, what we mean for good can be twisted to hurt the real work on the ground.

I am asking all that have a television ministry, radio ministry, internet ministry or any kind of ministry that releases any kind of teaching on this subject to remember that we have a goal. We aren't looking to build our ministries - we are looking to bring comfort and to win souls. We are on the front lines and we are communicating to you generals back in the rearguard.

Let's make sure we bomb the devil, and not ourselves. Let's make sure the messages of our ministries are not being counterproductive to our cause. We have created a beachhead and we are taking ground. We are making real strides into a community that Christians have loved to hate. I feel all of us need to consider these things before we unintentionally make the work harder. We must always remember that real lives are at stake - and I mean for eternal life.

When we have to defend the words that are coming across the airwaves, our chances for soul winning are diminished. It's unfortunate that some "ministers" and religious leaders lead others to believe that God is somehow responsible for this terrible tragedy because of these people's sins. That doesn't help anything. It doesn't solve anything. In fact, all it does is make the sheep inert or anesthetized. We don't need this to happen. We need to act as a team, think as a team and speak as a team.

We serve One God. We have One Faith and we have One Savior and His name is Jesus. And we see in part. There will come a day when we see more clearly. In the meantime, let us love the lost into the light, together.

Author Biography

Dan Stratton
Web site: Faith Exchange
 
Faith Exchange is a non-denominational Christian church in lower Manhattan, NY. It was founded by Dan Stratton, a Yale football star who built a successful career on the trading floor of the Commodities Exchange. His original church location was destroyed in the 9-11 terror attack of 2001. Today, Faith Exchange holds services on Wednesdays and Sundays, often featuring guest inspirational speakers.
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