Truth Or Popularity?

Truth And Consequences

At some point in your life, you’ll encounter someone who will challenge your Christian beliefs. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will.

doubters are everywhere

Doubters are everywhere. You may know them personally, or you might come across an atheistic thread on social media.

Skeptics love to argue about Christianity.

Truth or popularity?

Standing firm in your faith can have consequences.

You may think you’re having a pleasant conversation over the water cooler and then – Bam!

Next thing you know, the other person throws out a zinger that leaves you almost speechless.

They may say something like,

I don’t believe what the Bible says.

Why doesn’t God stop evil?

All “religions” worship the same God.

We just need to have one religion for the whole world.

The Rapture is a fairy tale.

God is love, and He won’t send anyone to hell.

When you respond in faith, don’t expect your popularity to soar through the roof. Christianity is becoming more and more despised these days.

Be prepared

What can you do about it and how can you be prepared?

Try not to let yourself get caught off guard.

I know, easy for me to say!

Please, don’t worry. You don’t have to memorize every biblical fact by heart. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. Look up the answer later and get back to Sam (or Sally) Skeptic at another time.

But, we must be able to state what we believe.

faith challenges

Role play with another Christian if you need too.

*Withhold no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know and declare what you have seen. Do not allow the toil or darkness or possible unbelief of your friends to dissuade you. Let us rise and march to the place of duty, and there declare what great things God has shown to our soul.Christian pastor and author, Alistair Begg, of Truth for Life teaching ministry.

Truth or Popularity?

God loves you and me, but He will also judge us

The fact is that God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice. He will judge the world, and rightly so.

The Apostle Paul said this quite clearly to the Greek council in Acts 17:29-31. It is likewise true for us today.

Acts 17:29-31

Putting on the armor of God

Here’s your secret weapon.

Dear Christian, Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is living in you.

A skeptic will argue and try to make you look stupid with their “facts.”

It’s okay.

No matter what they say, you have something in your heart there is no denying.

Are you ready for it?

You have a changed life.

There’s your life before coming to Christ and what your life became afterward.

You are a new creation, a repentant sinner, still growing in your faith.

Give your testimony about what led you to Christ.

No one, even the skeptic, knows you better than you know yourself. 

If you don’t know the Bible backward and forwards, don’t sweat it. Bible knowledge comes with time. Keep studying! In the meantime, use your beautiful witness of God’s mercy and grace in your own life.

Talk about a conversation stopper!

No one can take away the blessed assurance you have of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

Sharing Stories

Hearing other people’s testimonies makes me very happy. I’d rather talk about that than what’s on the news any day.

This six-minute song from Chris Tomlin is so worth your time to listen. Not only is it a beautiful song, but there are also glimpses of real praises and prayers from people all over the country.

At the five minute mark, it sounds like the song is over, but please keep watching.

One believer, in particular, described her faith so eloquently. She said, “He didn’t pull me out of the storm, but He walked with me through the storm.”

Physical healing is never promised in this life, but we must trust in God’s providence and sovereignty. As believers, thank the Lord, we know that He is with us during the storms.

Praise God!

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*Alistair Begg quotation, as quoted from Christian quotes.info

**Scripture quotation is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Don’t Get Bumped

Does life seem absurd to you sometimes?

I have to tell you about an experience my husband and I had coming home from the Bahamas this year.

Don't get bumpedWe’d just enjoyed a week of fun. Sadly, it was time to go home.

Bright and early, we headed off to the airport.

First stop?

A short flight from Nassau to Miami and then on to home sweet home.

Let the Airport Madness Begin

The Miami International Airport is huge.

Big, scary, huge.

Who are all these people?

Everyone is frustrated

Lots and lots of waiting.

You get to know the other passengers in those long lines. Everyone is frustrated, looking at their watches, and then suddenly an early morning flight becomes a very long day.

Calgon, Take Me Away

My husband and I people-watch to pass the time. We stared in amazement at all the people scurrying about trying to get to where they’re going, their jobs, vacations, and some just wanted to get back home.

We weren’t expecting anything special.

There’s Something Much Better

In one word, “Wow!”

The plane we boarded could have easily had golden arches towering over it.

It was a Boeing 777.

Talk about comfortable seats. They were swivel seats.

Wheeeeeeeeee!

I digress.

Get this; you could even recline fully-flat. I could take a nap!

My inner child had a lot of fun pushing the buttons and testing out the entertainment choices.

We were like kids in a candy store. So much room to stretch out and relax.

I have never in my life been on a plane like that!

This is the life

Ahhhh, this is the life.

It must have been about ten minutes when, all of a sudden, a very serious-looking captain came walking down the aisle.

Hmmm, not good.

“Sorry folks, we don’t have a co-pilot,” the captain said.

“Everyone off the plane.”

Bumped Back Into Reality

I did a double take and had to pinch myself to make sure this was real.

But I want this plane!

I looked over at my husband. He was busy gathering all of our belongings for the Walk of Shame.

Up the aisle we went, kicking and screaming (well, almost), to get off our new favorite plane.

“But, I like this plane,” I said to my husband.

This time, I said it out loud.

He had a look on his face like I was trying to make him eat Brussels Sprouts.

“I know. Me too,” he said.

We laugh about it now. Our brush with perfection came to an end.

It’s Time to Know What You Believe

Just like our brush that day with the creature comforts of a fabulous airplane, the supposed good life here on earth is only temporary.

It’s time to know what you believe, even if you’re 99 years old and about to hit the big 100.

I can’t think of anything worse than for people to get to their end of their lives and find out they’re not going to Heaven.

In other words, they get bumped.

Do you have friends or family who still believe that simply being kind to other folks is enough for God?

Sadly, there are even some who are comfortable putting off the whole “Jesus” thing because they believe there’s always more time.

Putting off the whole Jesus thing

Or, they’re enjoying life and ignoring the obvious signs of a temporary world gone nuts.

Having to admit that they’re sinners in need of God’s forgiveness is just too much.

It’s Not Too Late, Yet

Heaven is on an eternal plane, and there’s a free ticket for every one of us, but, read on.

It’s free to authentic believers because Jesus paid the immeasurable price of our admission.

Our God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice.

Hell is very, very real.

Doing good deeds without faith in God, is not going to get us anywhere, except to a destination of eternal disappointment.

It’s not about a church building alone. It’s about authentic faith and recognizing that there are consequences for not putting your trust in salvation through Christ alone.

*3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5, ESV.

Don’t Get Bumped

If you know of someone who hasn’t accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, please don’t delay in telling them the good news of the gospel.

Lovingly tell the people you care about to not be embarrassed if they’ve waited until late in life to accept God’s gift of grace.

You (and they) are that valuable to God. Please tell them the whole story, that God loves, but He will also exercise His Supreme authority and judgment at the appointed time.

precious in His sight

As babies in the womb, we are precious in His sight.

Jesus is at the gate, and He’s waiting for us to tell the world to get on board.

Heavenly Home

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*Scripture quotation is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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