What ever happened to the Gospel?

Some years ago, Christian author Dave Hunt wrote a book entitled “Whatever Happened to Heaven?” The book was written in response to the disillusionment experienced by many in the Christian community after predictions of an imminent rapture failed to materialize. As the 40th anniversary of the reestablishment of an Israeli state came and went, doubt crept into the church. "Maybe we had it wrong," many thought. "Maybe the Gospel isn't about the afterlife, but about the now life." Dave sought to answer these doubts in 1988 with a book that is still very relevant some 24 years later as we watch the slow and painful demise of faith in “pie in the sky, bye and bye” in favor of a call to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven right here and now – on earth and in our time.

Some two decades after Dave Hunt first published his book, I find myself asking a very similar question. The question I have recently found myself asking almost every day is “Whatever happened to the Gospel?” Week after week, as I read Christian books and study materials, visit Christian blogs and web sites, and listen to Christian music and programs, I find myself subjected to a seemingly unending barrage of exhortations to find my spiritual gift, to find my place in ministry, to get “plugged in,” to find God’s purpose for my life. I go to Christian concerts and retreats where I am entreated to donate to ministries whose primary purpose appears to be easing the suffering of people in the here and now – hopefully with at least some notion attracting people to the Kingdom by meeting their physical needs. Sometimes these events are accompanied by a clear presentation of the Gospel; other times the speakers may refer to the Gospel only in a vague sort of way, or sometimes not at all.

Ask a professional or lay-minister what the biggest problem facing the Church is today, and, chances are, you will get some response about the lack of volunteerism or commitment on the part of the laity. You may hear about how more people than ever attend church, while fewer people than ever can be found to fill teaching roles, or about how attendance has gone up while giving has gone down. I wonder, though, how often you would hear a minister say that we just aren’t getting the truth of the Gospel out often enough or to enough people? I would contend that if we looked back to the times when the Church was at its healthiest and growing at its fastest, we would find that these weren’t the times when were exhorting each other to find our gift, or to be generous with our time and resources, or to get “plugged in,” or to find God’s purpose for our lives. No; I would be willing to bet that if we were to look at those times, we would find a church membership that knew the Gospel backward and forward, that had honed its presentation to razor sharpness, and that had as its refrain, not some vague promise of finding peace and fulfillment in this life, but in the words of Charles Spurgeon:

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

Do you want to know what God’s purpose for your life is? I can tell you what it is right now. If you are a Christian, God’s purpose for your life is summed up in Matthew 28, verses 19-20:

Matthew 28:19-20 (English Standard Version)

¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Now, you may have other specific tasks or places to which God has called you, but if you are reading this as a born-again Christian, I can tell you that your primary purpose in life is to honor Christ in worship, and by making other Christians. That’s it.

If you are sitting here and you are not a Christian, and you are wondering what God’s will is for you, His desire for you is summed up in 1 Timothy 2:

1 Timothy 2:3-6 (English Standard Version)

³ This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Now I want to pause here for a moment to pass on a startling fact I read not long ago on the Francis Schaeffer Institute web site: According to the site, a startling 57% of professed evangelical Christians believe that there is more than one way to heaven! The number is even higher for non-evangelical protestants at 82%. If these figures are accurate, that means that at least one out of every two professed Christians has not correctly understood the Gospel. And if they have not understood the Gospel, well, that begs the question of whether they could possibly have received the Gospel. And if they haven’t received the Gospel, then they are still dead in their sins, and will be one of those unfortunate shocked and dismayed people who have dedicated their lives to service and to purpose-driven Christian living, and of whom Christ says in Matthew 7: “I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” So take a good look at the person to your left and to your right the next time you are sitting in that pew. Statistically speaking, there is a good chance that at least one of those people is bound for hell.

So, if you are not saved, God’s desire for you is to know the truth, that you might become saved. In the words of Christ Himself, when asked what to do in order to be doing God’s work, He said "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:29). So again the answer is very simple: If you are not a Christian, God’s will for you is to become a Christian.

So, God’s will for non-Christians is to become Christian, and God’s will for Christians is to make non-Christians Christian (try saying that three times fast). Got it? Good. Now you might ask: how can I make anyone a Christian? The answer is: you can’t. That is where the Gospel comes in. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul, concerning the Gospel:

Romans 1:16-17 (English Standard Version)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

So, though we have no power of our own to save anybody, God gives us the power to make Christians, and the power He gives us is in the Gospel. It isn’t in programs or buildings. It isn’t in service or in donations to charity. It isn’t in 12-step or 7-habits courses. It isn’t in music (unless that music somehow involves a presentation of the truth of the Gospel). It isn’t in effective or purpose-driven living. The power of God for salvation is in the Gospel.

The writer of Hebrews says much the same thing in different words:

Hebrews 4:12 (English Standard Version)

¹² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

So the power is in the Word. The Word reflects our true nature for all to see, it convicts us of our sin, and it offers us redemption in the person of the Living Word, who is Christ.

So what is the Gospel? After all, we cannot offer the Gospel; we cannot take advantage of its power to save; we cannot share the Gospel, if we do not know the Gospel, or if we have forgotten it. Paul comes to our rescue again on this point, summarizing in a few sentences that which we need to know and to hold fast to in order to be saved and to obtain eternal life:

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

¹ Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

So the Gospel in a few words is simply this:

• That I am a wretched sinner, wicked to the core, and doomed to eternal punishment, as Paul was before me.
• That Christ came down from above, lived the perfect life I could never live, died in my place in payment for my sins, and rose again to the right hand of the Father, proving He has power over life and death and that He has conquered death for all time.
• That if I repent and turn to Christ as my Lord and Savior, placing my faith in the work He has completed and in His mercy I will be saved and obtain eternal life, because:
• In placing my faith in Christ, I get credit for the life He lived, in exchange for the punishment He took for the life I’ve lived, and like Abraham, I am counted righteous because I believed. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21)

If you are hearing or reading this and you have never understood or received the Gospel, I have laid it out for you as simply as I know how. Won’t you take a few moments to reflect on it and understand it, that you might receive it and be saved? If you are a Christian and have been seeking God’s will for your walk, won’t you consider making the sharing of the Gospel the goal of your purpose-driven life?

CBCSMBS: Genesis 1

CBCSMBS: Genesis 1: "Thoughts on Genesis 1: On the Six Days of Creation: One of the areas where Biblical teaching and modern science squarely butt heads is..."

Republican != Christian

Now, I realize this entry is likely to raise the ire of many who stumble across it, but it needs to be said. In case you don't have a background in computer science or discrete mathematics, the "!=" sign in the title stands for "NOT EQUAL," as in "Republican does not equal Christian." Now, in case you are fearful that I am about to begin bashing the Republican Party, fear not. I simply wanted to get something off my chest that has been weighing on my mind for some time. It is an idea that seems especially pertinant at a time when many fundamentalist Christians look on in horror as the introduction of postmodern philosophy into the Church threatens to completely erase the truth of the Gospel from Christian consciousness. If I may, I'd like to draw your attention to a section of scripture that has really been speaking to me of late:

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Revelation 2:1-7)

What does this have to do with the subject of this post? In the simplest terms I can find to express it, the biggest problem in late 20th and early 21st century fundamentalist Christianity has been this:

While so many of us (myself included) are prepared to argue for hours on end when presented with a chance to speak out on homosexual marriage, abortion, prayer in schools, or any other controversial social issue, we become strangely tongue-tied, standing around with sheepish looks on our faces when presented with an opportunity to share the simple, yet glorious mystery of a King who would lay down His life for His subjects. We have forsaken our first love, and so we labor at trying to change those around us on the outside, rather than to introduce them to the one that can change them from the inside, forgetting that "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Am I saying that Christians should keep silent and embrace the "tolerance" of the liberal when confronted with the opportunity to speak out on the issue of sin in our society? Certainly not, but we need to understand that the prevalence of sin in our communities is merely a symptom of a greater illness, and not the illness itself. Treating symptoms should never have become and must not remain the primary focus of the evangelical church.

You see, you and I as Christians can do nothing out of our own strength to change the hearts of those who are lost in the quagmire of sin. All we can do is to allow God's own words to show them that they are sick, then lovingly introduce them to the Great Physician who can heal the very root of their illness. If we spend all our energy attempting to treat the symptom, rather than the disease, then we are just as guilty of selling an empty social gospel as the postmodernists who have invaded our churches.

30 years ago, my father could not understand how the great apostasy described by Christ and the Apostles could possibly come in his lifetime. Now, for all intents and purposes, it is here. It is the eleventh hour. The time for band-aids is long gone. We need a doctor - and so do those around us.

Is Hell Real? An Answer to the Emerging Church

I recently read an article on emergingchurch.info that should make any Bible-believing Christian's hair stand up on end. The article is entitled "The Problem With Hell" and was written by David Allis, a professed minister of Christ. The article gives a short synopsis of the "traditional doctrine of hell," then goes on to list thirteen reasons why the traditional view of hell should be challenged. The problem is, none of Mr. Allis' reasoning is scripturally-based. Rather, it appears to be the product of wishful thinking and a careful remodeling of our Heavenly Father into something more resembling Santa Claus than the God of the Bible.

Here are a few of the reasons Mr. Allis gives to support the idea that the doctrine of Hell should be reexamined (parentheses represent a paraphrase of the supporting arguments given by Mr Allis):

1. Is Hell compatible with the nature of God? (The idea of hell seems incompatible with a loving God)

You've got it confused, Mr. Allis. Sin is what is incompatible with the nature of God:

The LORD detests the way of the wicked
but he loves those who pursue righteousness. (Proverbs 15:9)

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (1 John 3:8)

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Unrepentant sinners cannot enter into the presence of God, and I know of no one who doesn't somehow fit into the list given in 1 Corinthians 6, myself included. You have it almost right a few paragraphs down in your article: Hell is the place for people who have steadfastly refused to enter into communion with God by placing faith in His Son. Christ Himself explains this in Matthew 13, when He tells us that at the end of the age His angles will "weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil." Reading a verse further on we find their fate: They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:42).

Christ lays out God's standard for righteousness clearly in the Sermon on the Mount: It is an impossibly high standard; a standard that none of us can meet, but that has been met on our behalf by the Son of Man.

2. God desires to save everyone (and only 5 - 20% of people throughout history would fall into the category of the "saved" according to Christian understanding).

Mr. Allis correctly cites 1 Peter 3:9 as evidence that God desires that all men be saved, but leaves out the critical context that surrounds it:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:8-13)

While the view that God desires all men to be saved is definitely scriptural, the supposition that God would compromise His position on sin and judgment simply because the majority of people refuse His voice is not:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

So you see, it isn't news to God or any student of the Scriptures that there may well be more people in hell than in heaven after the judgment.

3 & 4. Will [Christians] know [about their loved ones in hell]? [How can Christians be] having a party while our loved ones suffer?

Mr Allis goes on to ask if the Christ we follow wouldn't "go downstairs (into hell) to do something to help those He loves but are suffering" and even offers to go with Him and help! Here Mr. Allis clearly ignores the teaching of Christ found in Luke 16, which explains that an impassable gulf is fixed between heaven and hell, as well as the teaching of Revelation 21. Those who are in heaven will be in the awesome presence of God. There will be no room for mourning, and all tears will be wiped away. Those in hell will find that they put themselves there and that they had at least some opportunity to avoid their fate. Christians who are worried about this possibility should spend more time witnessing to their loved ones and less time fantasizing about Santa God.

5. Hell is inconsistent with God's salvation efforts to date (That God would send His son to die for us, then suddenly stop His efforts to save us after we die doesn't make sense)

Again, Mr. Allis insists on ignoring the clear teaching of scripture:

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28)

Scripture is clear on this matter; each of us has one life to live. Along with the many attributes rightly ascribed by Mr. Allis to God (merciful, loving, all-knowing, all-powerful) are a few others: righteous, just, and jealous. God's love and mercy are amply demonstrated by Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God's justice will be as amply demonstrated on the day of judgment:

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. (Revelation 20:12-13)

6. The Scriptures aren't clear (on the matter of hell)

Really? I don't think it gets much clearer than this, Mr. Allis:

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15)

7. The Problem of Religious Luck (essentially that our character depends on the circumstances in which we are raised and which are outside our control, so only the "lucky" will be able to respond appropriately to the Gospel)

And here we have finally gotten to the root of the problem: Mr. Allis is mistakenly trying to reconcile the truth of Scripture with the lies of humanism. While humanism teaches that people are basically good, or at least neutral from birth, wanting only for nurturing circumstances to become better, Scripture is absolutely clear on the opposite:

The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11)

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. (Psalm 58:3)

If Scripture is not somehow enough, the multitude of testimonies from people who have grown up in sexual slavery, from eunuchs, from murderers, from those who have themselves traded in slaves, and even from those who have come out of the church of Satan to become believing Christians and evangelists give the lie to this idea.

Mr. Allis goes on to write that all this teaching about hell seems more damaging than helpful to the cause of the Gospel, that the idea of hell represents a lowering of the standard of God's love to a level less than that of humans and to reiterate that the concept of hell just doesn't seem consistent with a loving and merciful God. It is a sure bet that there are many people out there longing to hear the "good news," as taught by men like Mr. Allis. The scripture warns that us this will be so:

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

Make no mistake, friends: hell is real and awaits all who reject the truth of the Gospel and the call of the Holy Spirit, who testifies about the Son of God (John 15:26). The real good news is here:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

That the Creator and Lord of the universe would love us enough to die for our sins, and that he will confess us before the father, if we confess Him before men is the true good news.

Do You Know This Man?"

My Dad (The Devolutionist) was once discussing matters of faith with my uncle. Now my uncle is a Jehovah's Witness, and like many in that faith, he is aggressive about spreading what he believes to be the good news of the Watchtower. He is passionate about his faith and equally passionate about debating in general. I think if you gave my uncle a choice between a bologna sandwich and a chance to argue religion or a steak dinner with the obligation to engage only in small talk, the steak would be safe from my uncle's teeth. As usual, they went back and forth on a number of issues, concerning heaven, the existence of hell, how a person attains salvation, and so on. As my uncle countered my father's questions and statements with more of his own (in general, most practicing Jehovah's Witnesses know their Bible pretty well - at least the parts they believe to be salient to their faith), it occurred to my Dad to pose one final statement to my uncle, and it is one every Christian should know how to answer for him or herself and, more importantly, for anyone else that asks:

"You can be right about everything else, but the only thing that really matters is who is Jesus, and what are you going to do about Him."

It's a very valid question. You see, there are millions of people around us who are dying, and we are letting them die. They believe they securely strapped in their life-jackets, but the jackets they are wearing are filled with lead plates, rather than buoyant foam. And we stand by on the boat, watching them furiously tread water as their faces sink beneath the waves.

They are dying, because, all too often, our feeble attempts at sharing the Gospel begin and end with asking whether a person believes in Jesus. Very often the answer is "yes." And we let the matter drop, either because we are satisfied with that simple answer, or because we are stymied by it, and don't know where to go from there.

You see, when someone professes to believe in Jesus, we need to ask the next logical question; one that Jesus Himself asked His followers:

"But what about you? Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15)

You see, many who profess faith in Christ would give very different answers than those taught by the Scriptures. The Watchtower teaches that Christ is an exalted angel, the first of God's creations. Brigham Young taught that Christ was an exalted man, the son of a glorified Adam. Islam teaches that Christ was a prophet. Even many in Christian denominations are confused about the identity of Christ, though the Scriptures spell this out very clearly. In Christ's own words:

"Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:17-18)

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58)

In those two places in Scripture, as well as in others, Jesus takes for Himself titles that are clearly reserved elsewhere for God Himself. In Isaiah 43, the God of Jacob identifies Himself as the First and the Last. In Exodus 3, God identifies Himself to Moses as "I AM," indicating His everlasting and ever-present nature. In the Revelation, we know it is Christ speaking, because the Father never died! In John 8, we know the use of the present tense is a correct translation because of the reaction of the Jews of that day: "At this, they picked up stones to stone him..." (John 8:59) - an appropriate reaction to what they perceived as blasphemy in their misunderstanding of Christ's nature.

There are many other evidences of Christ's identity as God in Scripture. We as Christians should know them by heart, lest we let our loved ones drown clinging to a false Christ that is powerless to save them.

Hurry, Pull the Shades!

Saturday morning, a bright and sunny spring day. It's after 10:00, but you yawn as you look out the window and sip your coffee - still in your pajamas, the pattern of lines embossed on the right side of your face by your bedspread just starting fade in the late morning light. A sudden knock at the door shatters the comfortable solitude of your kitchen table. You peek through the living room from around the corner and your palms break into a sweat as you spot two young men in crisp white shirts, paired with spotless black slacks and ties and set off by shiny black name-tags. Oh, no! Did they see me? Shhhh! turn down the TV! Maybe if I just pretend I'm not here, they'll go away.

Has that scene ever played itself out in your home? As I sit here red-faced, I must admit it has played out in mine - and more than once. As I drove home from visiting my parents the other day, I listened to a recording my Dad gave me of a sermon preached in his church almost 40 years ago by the late Dr. Walter Martin - the original Bible Answer Man. You see, the pastor of my parent's Southern California church, concerned by the weakening influence of the Gospel in his community as the Age of Aquarius swept over the nation, resolved that the truth of the Gospel would not be allowed to quietly evaporate in his community without a fight. He arranged to have Dr. Martin be the guest speaker in a week-long series of seminars at the church, all targeting fundamental Christian apologetics and the equipping of believers for evangelism.

As I listened to Dr. Martin's description of the culture of the day and the issues facing the Church, I was amazed when my Dad told me that I was hearing a sermon preached back in 1972! Dr. Martin didn't pull any punches, when it comes to the duty of Christians: The "work" of every Christian, first and foremost, is to believe in Christ, unconditionally:

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:28-29)

Beyond this, every Christian is commanded to share the gospel:

Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32 - NASB)

Not only are we commanded to share the gospel, but to be prepared to defend it:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

As Dr. Martin relayed a sad account of a woman who proudly described her strategy for dealing with Jehovah's Witness who come to the door - "I pull the shades, lock the door, and pretend I'm not home," he reflected on what a sad commentary that is for an evangelical church that once thundered with so much authority that hardly anyone dared ignore it. He proposed, rightly, that the Christians of today are simply not equipped to defend the gospel. We know what we believe, but we don't know why we believe it. The only way find out is to go back to school. And the only school we need is gathering dust on the top shelves of our bookcases.

As Dr. Martin took his audience through a defense of the concept of the Trinity, I thought to myself, "Hey, this isn't that hard. I could do this!" I can, and so can you. All we need is to do our homework.

One final thought I would leave you with: God isn't interested so much in winning arguments as He is in saving souls. And each and every person we meet is a person Christ died to save.

Can You Spare a Glass of Water?

A friend of mine recently returned from a mission trip overseas. It was a short trip - only about 10 days, but definitely perspective-changing and even life-changing for my friend. The funny thing is, the single most memorable event for my friend happened, not in the mission field, but in the airplane on the first day of the trip! In fact, God began speaking to my friend in a way he never expected before the plane's wheels even left the ground. It happened something like this:

As the time for the mission began to draw near, my friend began in intense study of the message he felt God was calling him to bring to the pastors, elders, and churchgoers in the country he would be visiting. He had learned of the trip rather late, resolved to go, and had spent at least 40 hours over the previous week in direct study for the trip In spite of his efforts, he still felt woefully unprepared for what the trip might bring.

A tall man, my friend had purposely reserved a bulkhead seat on the plane, to give him room to stretch out. As the crew began their preflight preparations, my friend settled into his seat, determined to make the most of the eight-hour flight in last-minute study for the trip. As my friend settled in for the ride, one of the neighboring passengers tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me. I hate to do this to you, but we've agreed to switch seats with a young couple so their family can sit together. Would you mind letting us out?" Great, my friend thought, as he looked up and saw his new neighbors. They had a baby. So much for studying.

My friend immediately noticed something else about the family: They were very obviously middle-eastern. In a post-911 world, you can imagine what thoughts might go through an American's head, sitting on a plane next to a middle-eastern family. My friend had a couple of those thoughts, even pausing to text another friend, joking about "being ready for anything." As the plane took off, my friend brought out his notebook and Bible, determined to study in spite of crying babies or any other distractions.

"Excuse me," an accented voice politely asked, "is that a Bible?"
"Why yes, it is," my friend replied.
"And are you a Christian?"
"Yes. yes, I am."
"I was raised Muslim all my life, and I've never really understood Christianity. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

My friend was thunderstruck, and immediately shamed by the thoughts he had entertained during the preflight preparations. "Of course," he replied. My friend began talking with the young couple , taking them through the story of creation, the history of Israel, all the way through the New Testament, explaining Christ in the context of creation, original sin, and the law. At one point, so engrossed in the discussion that she didn't want to miss a thing, the young woman moved out of her seat and sat on the floor near my friend. Before my friend knew it, seven hours had gone by and it was time to land. Now, I would love to tell you that the young couple accepted Christ as their Lord on the spot, but it didn't happen that way. They did, however, graciously thank my friend, telling him that Christianity made much more sense to them now. They also asked if it might be possible to come see my friend and visit his church. My friend was completely humbled by the experience, as was I, when I heard the story. Two things struck me about my friend's account:

1. There are people out there who are literally thirsty for the Word. Thirsty enough to sit raptly listening to it for seven hours - on the floor, if need be. It shames me to think that sometimes I am itching to get out of my pew at church after just 45 minutes. My friend was so engrossed in his need to prepare for his mission, that he almost missed the mission field in front of him: "I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." They also will answer, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?" He will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." (Matthew 25:43-45).

2. God's will will be done, sometimes with our joyful participation, sometimes in spite of our own misguided efforts. In the grip of the lesson God was patiently teaching him, my friend abandoned his carefully planned sermons the first day of the trip. As the Lord chastised my friend for his pride and haughtiness, my friend realized that what God was showing him was something we all need to hear. Listen to the words Christ spoke to the lukewarm church, the church at Laodicea, a church that had given up living the Christian in favor of playing the Christian: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. (Revelation 3:15-19). Words we all need to hear.