31 Days to a

More Apologetic You

Why defending Your faith matters

LISA CLINE

Other Books by This Author

To Know God as Father

31 Days to a More Joyful You

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Copyright © 2013 Lisa Cline

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All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the

United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial

Gain or profit.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, ©1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update by LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995

Scripture quotations marked NET are taken from Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006 All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

If Our Culture Is To Be Transformed, It Will Happen From The Bottom Up - From Ordinary Believers Practicing Apologetics Over The Backyard Fence Or Around The Barbecue Grill. - Charles (Chuck) Colson

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

DEDICATION

WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK

READING THIS BOOK

DAY 1 ~ WHAT OUR JOB IS

DAY 2 ~ HOW TO DO OUR JOB

DAY 3 ~ WHY PREPARATION IS IMPORTANT

DAY 4 ~ WHAT MATTERS MOST

DAY 5 ~ THE NEED FOR GOD

DAY 6 ~ WHO GOD IS

DAY 8 ~ THE MIND OF CHRIST

DAY 9 ~ THE HOLY SPIRIT

DAY 10 ~ DON’T BE AFRAID, GOD IS WITH YOU

DAY 11 ~ THE FACTS ARE ON OUR SIDE

DAY 12 ~ THERE WERE SILENT WITNESSES

DAY 13 ~ WHAT WAS THEIR MOTIVE

DAY 14 ~ NOT EVERYONE WILL CHOOSE TO BELIEVE

DAY 1 5~ SPEAK SOFTLY TO BE HEARD

DAY 16 ~ RELATIVISM IS NOT OUR FRIEND

DAY 17 ~ GOD IS KNOWABLE

DAY 18 ~ ATHEISTS

DAY 19 ~ POSTMODERNISM

DAY 20 ~ DECLARING THE TRUTH IN LOVE

DAY 21 ~ CULTS

DAY 22 ~ BEING JUDGED

DAY 23 ~ NOT AN EASY-CHAIR RELIGION

DAY 24 ~ HELL

DAY 25 ~ NO ROOM

DAY 26 ~ ROOTING OUT ERROR

DAY 27 ~ ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS

DAY 28 ~ THE CENTRAL FIGURE IN HUMAN HISTORY

DAY 29 ~ SCIENCE

DAY 30 ~ WHAT IS IMPORTANT

DAY 31 ~ KEEP GOING

OTHER BOOKS BY LISA CLINE

APPENDIX A - SCRIPTURES

APPENDIX B – BOOKS

APPENDIX C

AUTHOR WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE

AUTHOR INFO

ONE LAST THING…THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT

Dedication

For Brandon

Creative, compassionate, thoughtful, smart, and extremely funny, are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of you.

I am excited to see all of the wonderful things you will do in your lifetime, for I know that you are destined to do great things.

I am so blessed to have you as my son

WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK

I am the average American. I like to be comfortable, and if given an option to work hard or relax I would tend to choose the latter. However, the older I get the more I have been convicted that my life is not my own. I am here for a reason: that others may know Jesus. And how others may come to know him could be through the sharing of why I have placed my hope in Him.

When I read 2 Timothy 2:15, it convicted me, telling me that I am to do my best to present myself “to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” I knew that I had often shoved “the word of truth” into my back pocket, so as to not have to do the work to present it.

I needed to change, and what better way to do so then to meditate for 31 days on the importance of defending the truth that I, as a Christian, am charged to defend.

READING THIS BOOK

While most Christians believe that defending the truth should be left to the professionals, all Christians are called to give a defense to the hope that lies within them.

If you are a Christian who has shied away from defending your faith, afraid that it would be awkward or that you did not have the right tools to do so, read a page of this book for the next 31 days and see if those thoughts might change.

While this book is unique in itself, below are what Amazon reviewers are saying about my other book, To Know God as Father.

Love, love, love this book ~ Psparks

I'm glad I was drawn to this book. It was amazing. Thank you Lisa Cline for writing this book. Thank you Jesus ~ Sarah C.

This book is so good! It is well written and easy to read and follow...No matter who you are or where you've been, this book will entertain you and help you along your way! Read it!!! ~ Kathy P

Very insightful book that you will enjoy and will want to re-read. Would like more from this author. Would also make a great gift for anyone ~ Sherrylynn B

I really believe this book was an inspiration. It is a great book that draws in the fact that God loves us and wants us to have a close relationship with us. ~ Deb

A wonderful book written from the heart by a new author who has a heart for helping others to heal. ~Cellanne

DAY 1 ~ What Our Job is

In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,

Always being prepared to make a defense

To anyone who asks you for a reason

For the hope that is in you;

1 Peter 3:15

What this verse teaches about, and what most Christians do not realize, is that we (meaning every orthodox Christian) are all called to defend our faith.

This is a not a very popular topic amongst Christians. Peace, joy, forgiveness, and love are what we enjoy discussing, myself included. They are the lighter, dare I say “fluffier,” side of Christianity.

Defending our faith is not something that we as Christians enjoy talking about, because it is simply more comfortable to go along peacefully with the tide instead of feeling like a fish swimming upstream. Oftentimes Christians feel that the force of the current of this age is too great to swim against so they end up swimming along with the tide, never speaking up for the truth.

But never once does the Bible teach us that we are supposed to go along like those in the world. In fact it says the exact opposite, telling us that we are to “not conform to the pattern of this world.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) It is by our non-conformity that we are seen as different.

Many people do not like to be different. It has been this way with many Christians since the beginning. Our standing out is a good thing, however, because people need to see the difference in order to want what we have: salvation through Jesus Christ, who loves us so much that He died on the cross for our sins.

People feel uncomfortable when they do not fit in, so they tend to shy away from standing for the truth. But as followers of Jesus Christ we should care less about our own comfort and more about Jesus.

It was Jesus Himself who said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me… For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed.”[1]

Ask Yourself

What if Jesus had been too afraid to stand for the truth? Is bringing others to Christ worth my being uncomfortable or feeling awkward?

DAY 2 ~ How to Do Our Job

Do it with gentleness and respect

- 1 Peter 3:15

So how are we called to defend our faith? The second half of 1 Peter 3:15 tells us we are supposed to do it with gentleness and respect.

Something tells me that members of The Westboro Baptist Church (who among other things, picket funerals and agree that their purpose in protesting is to spread God’s hate) somehow skipped this scripture in the Bible. They were quoted as saying, "You think our job is to win souls to Christ. All we do, by getting in their face and putting these signs in front of them and these plain words, is make what's already in their heart come out of their mouth."[2] To that I reply yes, your job is to win souls to Christ. What is the point of our being here on earth if it is not to win souls for Christ?

Not only have they not won souls for Christ, but they have probably stopped some “fence sitters” from coming to Christ. They talk of judgment, and yet they themselves will be judged for keeping people from the truth.

We do not need to go charging into the world with guns blazing, telling everyone to either repent or go to hell. We need to be respectful of where people are. And when they do come to us we need to be ready to gently tell them how we came to know the truth through our testimony.

If we do not respect people, then why would they respect us?

Ask yourself

How do I view others? In what ways can I ask God to help me be more respectful and gentle?

DAY 3 ~ Why Preparation is important

If Christians could be trained to provide solid evidence for what they believe and good answers to unbelievers’ questions and objections, then the perception of Christians would slowly change. Christians would be seen as thoughtful people to be taken seriously rather than as emotional fanatics or buffoons. The gospel would be a real alternative for people to embrace. – William Lane Craig[3]

A while back there was a movie in which a guy was told to “build it and they will come” - meaning build a baseball field and dead people would play on it. While it had an implausible (not to mention somewhat creepy) plot, there was a good lesson in it. It is when we are prepared that we will see the best results.

If we are not prepared we will end up like the …

Ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.

When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ [4]

Now while this is really talking about salvation, it is a great example of the importance of being prepared. We never know who might be waiting to give their life to Christ if we will just give the right word at the right time.

One of the ways that we might start preparing is to write out or think through our testimony. What is the reason that we gave our life to Christ? And what is the reason we continue to follow him daily?

Another way to prepare is to start learning about why we believe what we believe. What are the doctrines of our faith and why were they created?

Also, learning the differences between different faiths is an excellent way to prepare our field for the event of a lifetime.

Ask yourself

What have I done to prepare? What can I do?

DAY 4 ~ What Matters Most

Apart from God nothing matters. We think that health matters,

that freedom matters, or knowledge or art or civilization.

And but for one insistent word they would matter indeed.

That word is eternity.

- A.W. Tozer

Not only are we often afraid to be different, we are often just too busy to do the preparation that it takes to properly defend our faith.

We take our kids to school, go to work, pick them up and take them to baseball/swimming/ballet/soccer practice, run to the store, pick them up, give them a quick dinner, bathe them, feed them, put them to bed, clean the house, pay the bills, take a quick shower, and head off to bed ourselves before getting up six hours later. With all that needs doing we barely have time to read our Bibles and pray, let alone all the extra time we need to prepare ourselves to properly defend our faith.

Yet nothing, if we examine it in light of eternity, is as important as knowing and introducing others to God. That is not to say that the things we do are not important. They are. But some of us need to re-prioritize the things we spend time on.

In my own life I used to talk about how busy I was. Yet the reality was that though I did have plenty of things to do, I still had a lot of time that I was wasting. I began to re-prioritize and quickly found the extra time to do what I needed to do.

Even if we were to set aside ten minutes a day to focus on apologetics, we would be amazed at how much we would know at the end of a year.

Ask yourself

How much time each day do I have available for learning more about defending my faith?

DAY 5 ~ The Need for God

There is a god shaped vacuum in the heart of every man

Which cannot be filled by any created thing,

But only by God, the creator, made known through Jesus.

― Blaise Pascal

One of the main reasons that people are afraid to step out and share their faith is because they are afraid to offend anyone. But even if the person does not realize it, they are missing the most important relationship in their life.

Augustine once said that, “We were made for You, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

This hole is God’s way of pointing people to Himself. But often people run from him and as a result try to fill up the hole with other things: drinking, work, shopping, etc.

If people would get honest with themselves, they would realize that trying to fill up the hole does not work. This is clearly seen in the lives of those who appear to have everything (money, fame, etc.) but end up killing themselves because they could not live with the fact that it wasn’t enough.

Jesus is not some object that people may or may not need. He is the one and only thing that can put the hearts of men to rest, and the only one who can make them whole.

Ask yourself

What things do I see non-believing friends and family try to fill their God-shaped hole with? Pray that they would come to see the emptiness in what they are doing.

DAY 6 ~ Who God is

The Bible constantly exhorts believers to beware of false prophets (Matt. 7:15), to test the spirits (1 john 4:1), and to watch out for the doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). But there is no way to recognize error unless we know the truth; counterfeits cannot be detected unless we know the genuine article. Likewise, there is no way to determine what is false about God unless we know what is true about him. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). A study of the attributes of the true God is essential to the fulfillment of the apologetic task of defending the faith (Philippians 1:7; 1 Peter 3;15; Jude 3). –Norman Geisler

If we know God and what his Character is, then we will not be deceived by someone telling lies about Him.

If you didn’t know me and someone told you that I was married to a polygamist and had 19 children and 16 dogs, you might believe it.

But if you knew me (or even just read an About the Author) you would see that I have four children, three cats, and am the (only) widow of one husband.

People create all kinds of versions of God, and the only way that we will know if they are true or not is to study and spend time with him through prayer). That is why it is really important for every Christian to know that:

God is

Holy – There is not one speck of evil in Him (I Peter 1:16 – 25, Isaiah 6:3, Psalm 145:17)

Omniscient – He is all-knowing (Psalm 147:5, Isaiah 46:9, Matthew 10:30)

Omnipotent – He is all powerful (Revelation 19:16, Isaiah 46:10-11, Matthew 19:26)

Omnipresent – He is able to be everywhere at all times (Psalm 139:7-12, Psalm 139:15-16, Matt 6:1-18)

Triune – He is made up of three distinct Persons who exist in co-equal essence (1 Peter 1-2, Ephesians

3:14-17, Acts 20:28)

Sovereign – He is in control and can do what he pleases (Psalm 115:3, Daniel 4:35, 1 Timothy 6:1-5)

Immutable – He is unchanging (Psalm. 102:26; Mal. 3:6; 2 Tim. 2:13)

Righteous – He is always morally perfect (Job 37:23, Psalm 36:6, Isaiah 51:4-6)

Love – He is perfect love (1 John 4:8,1 John 4:16

While this list is by no means exhaustive, it is intended to be a kick-start to a longer study. For a list of book on this topic check out the back of this book.

Ask yourself

Who is God to me?

DAY 7 ~ How World Religions view God

One key and defining attribute of God that does not appear in any other

world religion or system is the biblical use of the term "Father."

Over 70 times in the New Testament alone, God is described

as "Father" to His children. No other major world religion describes

the relationship between its creator and its adherents in terms of a father.

– Ergun Caner

Knowing God as Father is the cry of every heart, so it is important to know how those of other faiths view him. What follows is a very basic summary of how 12 major world religions view God

         Baha’i ~ There is one god (no trinity) who is the same god that everyone in the world worships. No one can really know him on a personal level.

         Buddhism ~ There is no god; the god concept had its origins in fear. Belief in the potential of Humans “to develop into a Buddha - a perfected human being.”[5]

         Christianity ~ One God, Three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

         Confucianism ~One god who is distant. Their goal is to have a structured society.

         Hinduism ~ Differing beliefs about god. Belief in Monism/Polytheism/Monotheism. The cycle of rebirth is only broken through the individual’s right living.

         Islam ~ There is one god (Allah) who is all-powerful and will allow into heaven those that are good enough.

         Jainism ~ There are many non-creator deities. Belief that by being a non-violent person one will gain liberation from regeneration.

         Judaism ~ There is one God. The word father “When used of god … generally refers to the covenant relation between Him and Israel.”[6]

         Shinto ~ There are many deities (some say as many as 8 million). One is the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. People are to serve the gods (called kami), but there is no afterlife.

         Sikhism ~ There is one god that the gurus teach about. The goal is to merge with god after over 8 million cycles of regeneration.

         Taoism ~ There are many deities. The goal is to be one with nature.

         Zoroastrianism ~ There is one good god. Salvation comes by being “good” (thoughts, word, and deed).

Ask yourself

How can I teach others that God is a loving father in a way they can understand?

DAY 8 ~ The Mind of Christ

Do you ever sit down and wonder what is wrong with the world? Do you ever ask yourself why it is that Christians seem to have so little influence, why they seem to achieve so little, for all their numbers, in putting the world right? To each of those two questions there is ultimately but one answer. It is this: we lack the mind of Christ.

- J. Arthur Lewis

Having the mind of Christ is extremely important when it comes to being effective defenders of the faith, let alone effective Christians.

What does it mean to have the “mind of Christ?” It means to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”[7] We are to be like Jesus, who took on “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”[8]

Now, I realize that this seems like a pretty tall order (taller for some than for others, as some are farther along in their walk than others). Being humble, unselfish, obedient to God (doing what He wants us to do when He wants us to do it), and thoughtful about the interests of others is a lot to ask for in this me-centered society we live in.

But it is totally doable because we can say along with Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, ESV). The “through Him” is the key. We are to do nothing in our own strength.

We can develop this area in our life by spending time in the word, using our prayer language (Jude 1:20-21), and fellowshipping with other Christians (iron sharpens iron) who will speak truth in love.

Ask yourself

Do I have the mind of Christ? If not, have I asked Jesus to develop it?

DAY 9 ~ The Holy Spirit

No man ever did, nor ever shall, truly go forth to convert the nations,

nor to prophesy in the present state of witnesses against Antichrist,

but by the gracious inspiration and instigation of the Holy Spirit of God.

- Roger Williams

Imagine how hard it was to live during the Old Testament times and to try and follow God when all one had was the Ten Commandments and the two-thousand plus rules and regulations that were developed out of them. How hopeless those who lived then must have felt to know that the only person that they had to rely on, to remember what to do, was themselves.

How blessed we are, as believers today, to know that we “have this immense confidence that they are not subject to powerful personalities or the mystically insightful, but that God in his mercy has given them both his Spirit and his Word. Amid all the lies and changing theories that this world embraces, they have this certain, sure, absolute Word [and Spirit] to lead and guide them.”[9]And where does the Spirit lead? John 16:13 tells us that it is The Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth.

This is what makes the indwelling and leading to the Spirit so critical to the Christian Apologist. In this postmodern age that we live in truth is thought of as non-objective. Therefore, theories on it tend to be all over the place. If we are to be effective we must be discerning of how others see the truth, and with the help of the Holy Spirit guide them into the real truth.

Ask yourself

How often do I allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me?

DAY 10 ~ Don’t be Afraid, God is with You

When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

- Matthew 10:19

If someone were to survey the average Christian and ask what the one thing that keeps them from sharing their faith is, they would likely find the number one response was fear of knowing what to say or how to respond to others.

This is a fear that I myself have had to deal with. However, we do not need to worry, nor are we supposed to. God has promised that he will give us the right words to say when we need to say them.

He will not be able to give us those words, though, if we are not open to receiving them. This is why it is important, as far as is possible, to say a prayer before delving into any sharing of the Gospel.

God alone knows what is in the mind of a person, and He alone knows what it will take to reach them.

Ask yourself

Am I afraid to share my faith? Have I prayed and asked for boldness?

DAY 11 ~ The Facts Are On Our Side

I claim to be an historian. My approach to Classics is historical.

And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the resurrection

of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of ancient history.

– E. M. Blaiklock, Professor of Classics at Auckland University

One of the things that we as Christian apologists have on our side is the volume of New Testament copies.

As Josh McDowell states, “We have today in our possession 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, another 10,000 Latin Vulgates, and 9,300 other early versions (MSS), giving us more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament in existence today!”[10] This makes it the most reliable document of antiquity.

There is no other document that even comes close to the number of copies the New Testament has. The Iliad, by Homer, comes the closest, with 643 manuscripts that still survive. The earliest copy dates from the 13th century.

Not only do we have evidence from the Bible, but there are also secular historical books that talk of Jesus as well. For example, Flavius Josephus writes in The Antiquities of the Jews[11]

Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

Another example is found in a book titled The Annuls

Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus[Jesus], from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.[12]

Gathering the historical proof of Jesus is one way to prepare for sharing your faith in Him.

Ask yourself

How will know the historical proof concerning Jesus help me to share my faith?

DAY 12 ~ There Were Silent Witnesses

If the Resurrection had not occurred, why would the apostle Paul

give such a list of supposed eyewitnesses? He would immediately

lose all credibility with his Corinthian readers by lying so blatantly.

- Norman Geisler and Frank Turek

One of the reasons why Christians fear sharing their faith is because they believe that there is no real evidence. Yet, Christianity is not solely about blind faith.

Many people believe one cannot prove the resurrection of Jesus due to lack of evidence. If they were to spend time in study, however, they would see that Paul listed people who were still devoted followers to Christ after His death as well as 500 witnesses to whom the risen Christ appeared. If what Paul said was not the truth, there would evidence of secular writing declaring him a liar.

Not only that, but as a professor of history has said, "What gives a special authority to the list (of witnesses) as historical evidence is the reference to most of the five hundred brethren being still alive. St. Paul says in effect, 'If you do not believe me, you can ask them.' Such a statement in an admittedly genuine letter written within thirty years of the event is almost as strong evidence as one could hope to get for something that happened nearly two thousand years ago."[13]

Think about that. If the average group of 500 people saw something amazing, imagine how many people they would tell. They would discuss it with family and friends and neighbor. If every person only told 5 people about their experience that would be 2,500 people who heard what happened. If they had proof it was false, then we should see historical writings that contradict what Paul had to say, calling him a liar and a fraud.

But not even one piece of historical writing gives evidence to it being a lie.

Ask yourself

What facts can I gather to help me better defend my faith?

DAY 13 ~ What Was Their Motive

Why would the apostles lie?....Liars always lie for selfish reasons.

If they lied, what was their motive, what did they get out of it?

What they got out of it was misunderstanding, rejection, persecution,

torture, and martyrdom. Hardly a list of perks!

- Peter Kreeft,

One of the first people that I connected with, other than Jesus, was Thomas, or as the world likes to call him, “Doubting Thomas.” I actually heard about him even before I read about him in the Bible. In some ways I was almost relieved to find out there was someone like me. I had doubts, and I had a lot of them.

Thomas was one of Jesus’s twelve apostles. He was in the inner-circle with the savior and he still had doubts.

As I read, I was encouraged that Jesus did not rebuke him for those doubts but instead encouraged him to “touch and see” the proof that He had risen.

I was also challenged to read that, after being given proof by Jesus, Thomas no longer doubted but instead was thought to have carried the Gospel to the East, where he is believed to have been martyred for his faith.

Knowing this, the question begs asking, “Why would Thomas, a man who had doubts about Jesus, be willing to not only spend his whole life living for Jesus, but to be martyred as well?”

There was not one of Jesus’s disciples who left the faith after His death. This is important because as different as they all were, there would have been some that left the faith had they known the Gospel was a lie.

Ask yourself

How can I use information on the lives and deaths of the Apostles to reach others?

DAY 14 ~ Not Everyone Will Choose to Believe

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting;

it has been found difficult and left untried.

– G.K. Chesterton

Christianity demands a lot from its believers. It demands all of them.

As a result, no matter the evidence, or how well we will present it, there are going to be some who will never give in. They will stubbornly hold on to what they perceive is their right to be free to do whatever they want.

Jesus said "Don't cast your pearls before swine”[14] because He knew that there were going to be some people in this world who would not be convinced no matter how well our argument for the truth was. He knew that when we put our heart and soul into defending the faith only to hit stone wall after stone wall it would tire and dishearten us.

As Christian apologists we will have to be open to a prompting from the Holy Spirit who will tell us when to put down the gloves and step out of the ring.

Only God knows what it will take to reach someone, but we need to careful not to wear ourselves out so that we will be in shape to reach the next person.

Ask yourself

Am I open to the Holy Spirits prompting as I share my faith?

DAY 1 5~ Speak Softly to be Heard

If you are drawn into controversy, use very hard arguments and very soft words. Frequently you cannot convince a man by tugging at his reason,

but you can persuade him by winning his affections. – Charles Spurgeon

I have one friend who considers herself an agnostic. She says that she doubts there is a “god” and frankly does not care if there is. She often tells me “I don’t know why we’re friends; you’re so different from me.” But am I really that different? We both want our families to do well, have a good job, a peaceful life, and nice home to live in. This is why I believe deep down that she, like me, wants to know her Father who created her.

When we discuss our beliefs we both do so respectfully and softly, and I am seeing her become more and more open to what I have to say.

I have another friend who I have been praying for every day for many years. She is a staunch atheist. We never talk about anything “god”-related as a general rule. There was, however, a night where I was extremely tired and allowed my wanting her to know the truth, get the better of me. This resulted in a heated debate where our voices were operating at maximum output.

I have since apologized, and though she accepted the apology, she has never felt the need to apologize herself. She, like many people in the world, have this belief that Christians should not share their beliefs and if they do they get what they deserve.

While I believe in the right for every person to defend what they believe, I regret that in that instance I allowed her words to get to me. It did absolutely no good for me to debate with someone who would not hear what I had to say. I realized that the more I raised my voice, the less she heard.

Ask yourself

What is the spirit in which I discuss Christ with others? Is their being saved more important than my being right?

DAY 16 ~ Relativism is Not Our Friend

Relativism poses as freedom but it is just another form of tyranny: You must believe that all religions are equal because we say they are. You must agree with us that everything is relative, or we will punish you. – Jeffrey Burton Russell

Relativism says that there are no moral absolutes. Relativists believe that humans can’t “possess any objective, universally meaningful knowledge [or] that there are any ultimate and unchanging metaphysical realities.”[15] They hold that because there is no life after death, whatever they believe is right, is right. So basically anything goes.

When talking to a person who believes “it’s all relative,” it might be eye-opening to them if you bring up each of the topic points on the following list.

7 Things You Can't Do as a Moral Relativist[16]:

         Relativists Can’t Accuse Others of Wrong-Doing – because what a person determines is wrong varies from person to person.

         Relativists Can’t Complain About the Problem of Evil – because if they did that would mean accepting that some things do not depend on how a person sees it - that some things are just wrong.

         Relativists Can’t Place Blame or Accept Praise – because there is no standard by which to judge what is good.

         Relativists Can’t Claim Anything Is Unfair or Unjust – because there are no standards of what is just and fair.

         Relativists Can’t Improve Their Morality – because there is no moral standard.

         Relativists Can’t Hold Meaningful Moral Discussions – because each person’s moral views are equally valid.

         Relativists Can’t Promote the Obligation of Tolerance – because if there are no moral rules, there can be no rule to have to tolerate others.

Each one of the above point is a veritable gold mine of discussion material, and one would do well to dig deeper into the topic.

Ask yourself

In what way can I prepare to discuss my faith with relativists?

DAY 17 ~ God is Knowable

To say that we cannot know anything about God is to say something about God;

it is to say that if there is a God, he is unknowable.

But in that case, he is not entirely unknowable,

for the agnostic certainly thinks that we can know one thing about him:

That nothing else can be known about him.

In the end, agnosticism is an illogical position to hold to.

— J. Budziszewski

That is a mouthful for sure. To break it down, Agnostics are saying that on one hand, we as humans can know nothing at all about God. Yet they are saying that on the other hand He is unknowable. That is a bit like saying the grass is 100% green except for the part that is brown. This does not compute.

But telling them so will not win anyone over. Instead, start with praying for them. Then ask if you might tell them your own story of how you came to know a knowable God. Ask them to tell you what they believe about God, and if they are open to it, ask them to defend their position by asking them four questions:[17]

1.        What do you mean by that? (This makes them define the terms in their argument.)

2.       How do you know that to be true? (This makes them explain the logic of their argument.)

3.       What difference does it make? (This makes them defend the value for their argument.)

4. What if you're wrong? (This makes them think the unthinkable about their argument.)

Be humble and speak softly, but be prepared for the harsh words that sometimes come when someone feels flustered. Remember what is at stake. When in need, ask God for strength.

Ask yourself

Are you regularly praying for those who you want to share with?

DAY 18 ~ Atheists

Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen, for physical or chemical reasons, to arrange themselves in a certain way, this gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But, if so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? It's like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way it splashes itself will give you a map of London. But if I can't trust my own thinking, of course I can't trust the arguments leading to Atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an Atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I cannot believe in thought: so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God. — C.S. Lewis

Atheist tend to view Christians as erratic non-thinkers. For example, atheist Jeremy Moran stated “Fact is when man relies on empirical evidence which leads to a scientific conclusion, where faith is when man relies on erratic emotions resulting in spiritual confusion.” This sums up the way many atheists view Christians (wrongly, I might add); how are we to view atheists?

The University of Tennessee did a study in which they surveyed 1,153 atheists and found that there were generally six types. They are:

Intellectual atheists (37%) ~ Intellectual atheist are well educated about religion, but do not believe in it themselves.

Activists (23 %) ~ Activists are those who, like other activists, have strong environmental and ethical beliefs.

Anti-theists (14%) ~ Anti-theists are those who are dogmatic in their beliefs and are often angry and argumentative toward theists.

Ritual atheists (13 %) ~ Ritual atheists enjoy being involved in the rituals of church without acknowledging God.

Seeker-agnostics (8 %) ~ Seeker-agnostics are spiritual but not religious and “use” religion because it works, but do not believe in God.

Non-theists (4 %) ~ Non-theists are “someone who does not accept a theistic understanding of God.”[18]

When talking with atheists, it is good to know what their bent towards religion is. To that end, the results of this study are a good thing to keep in mind.

Ask yourself

How will knowing the different types of atheists help me to understand them better and witness to them more effectively?

DAY 19 ~ Postmodernism

Without a thorough and deeply rooted understanding of the biblical view of truth as revealed, objective, absolute, universal, eternally engaging, antithetical and exclusive, unified and systematic, and as an end in itself, the Christian response to postmodernism will be muted by the surrounding culture or will make illicit compromises with the truth-impoverished spirit of the age. The good news is that truth is still truth that it provides a backbone for witness and ministry in postmodern times, and that God's truth will never fail. - Douglas Groothuis

We live in a postmodern age: where words themselves are thought to hold no meaning and where objective truth is thought to be passé.

I once had a postmodern teacher who was teaching a worldview class. Right off the bat, I could feel his disapproval of my belief.

Mistakenly, I thought I would show him the truth by writing about the pitfalls of postmodernism in such a way that he would have to agree with my worldview: that postmodernism was not truth. Needless to say, that did not go over well and I think I escaped the class with a C - and was happy to get it.

What I should have done in writing my thesis paper was to focus on truth and write about that. I do not need to tell a postmodernist what is wrong with his worldview; I needed to tell him what is right with mine.

Postmodernists are, by and large, highly intellectual people. They are often so intellectual that their inability to see truth is clouded.

They need to see that Christians are solid and will not bend with the times, and they cannot see this unless we remain solid in our beliefs (i.e. we do not bend the rules to suit our needs). That way, when they feel battered around by the spirit of the age, they might come to us so that we might lead them to solid ground.

Ask yourself

How thorough is my understanding of truth and how strong is my desire to walk the narrow path, no matter how tempting the wide road may be?

DAY 20 ~ Declaring the Truth in Love

Persons often speak of defending truth. Well and good,

but truth is not so weak that it cannot defend itself.

What is needed most is to declare the truth in love.

If let loose in the arena of ideas, truth will defend itself.

Truth is of God; falsehood is of Satan. - Herschel H. Hobbs

We, as Christian Apologists, are not at war with people. That is why we need to keep in mind that those with different beliefs are not our enemies, but are instead lost sheep who need to find their Shepherd.

Those people who stand on the street corners and shout “repent or burn” irritate me to no end. No one has ever been won over by being yelled at.

We do not need to hit people over the head with the truth. We need to present it compassionately to them and let the truth do the work of changing and molding on its own.

If the bare minimum we do is tell someone our stories – saying, “I have been where you have been and let me tell you how God got me to where I am today,” - then we are doing okay.

Ask yourself

How can we best walk in love with those that are lost?

DAY 21 ~ Cults

Cults use our vocabulary, but they don't use our dictionary. – Charles Swindle

One cannot have a book on apologetics without talking about cults. A cult has been defined as “any group that deviates from the orthodox teachings of the historic Christian faith being derived from the Bible and confirmed through the ancient ecumenical creeds.”[19] Cults are those who profess to be Christians, but their theology of who God the Father, Jesus, and/or the Holy Spirit is does not line up with orthodox Christianity.

Many of the cults today have so ingrained themselves into the fabric of the Christian culture that they would be almost indistinguishable if it weren’t for their glaring doctrinal differences.

Below I have listed some well-known cults. While there are too many differences in their theology too mention in this small space, some highlights are;

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ~ (also known as the Mormons)

         All of us, including Jesus, were first born from a spirit father who had many spirit wives.[20]

         Jesus and Satan are brothers along with us.[21]

         We can become gods to rule our own planet. (This belief has not changed; one Mormon blogged “it is a traditional Mormon teaching that human beings can become gods.”)[22]

         Mormon salvation is two-tiered. To quote their own apologists, “General salvation refers to the unconditional, universal gift of resurrection to all. Individual salvation refers to the process one must go through to receive exaltation in the highest heavenly kingdom of the afterlife.”[23] Jesus saves generally (universalism), while the individual must do works to reach the highest part of heaven.

Jehovah’s Witnesses ~

         No belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, One God in three persons).[24]

         The Holy Spirit is not a real entity, but is instead a force.[25]

         Jesus is not god.[26]

         Good works are necessary for salvation.[27]

Christian Science ~

         Jesus Christ is not god.[28]

         The Trinity is not Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Instead, "Life, Truth, and Love constitute the triune Person called god.”[29]

         There is no final judgment.[30]

         Heaven and hell are not real, but reside in our minds.[31]

There are many other cults including The Way International, and The Unity School of Christianity.

As Christians we are called to, as Matthew 7:15 tells us, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Is this saying that the people themselves are wolves? No. But it is talking about the leaders (in the organizations) who are leading people astray.

As Christians, we need to be more vigilant. It is time to rise up, take the mantel that has been given us, and go forth in defense of the Orthodox Christian Church. Because if we won’t, who will?

Ask yourself

What can I do to help those in the cults be set free?

DAY 22 ~ Being Judged

If you're placed in a situation where you suspect your convictions will be labeled intolerant, bigoted, narrow-minded, and judgmental, turn the tables. ….Everybody has a point of view they think is right and everybody judges at some point or another. The Christian gets pigeon-holed as the judgmental one, but everyone else is judging, too. It’s an inescapable consequence of believing in any kind of morality. – Greg Koukl

People are tolerant of everything these days - except Christianity. So being an effective Christian apologist means owning our right to profess our beliefs. .

Greg Koukl makes a great point in that we have every right to expect the same tolerance from others that they expect from us.

If someone asks you a question about your beliefs and you know that they are only asking it so that they can judge you, ask them if they are “a tolerant person or an intolerant person. Is it safe to give my opinion, or are you going to judge me for my point of view? Do you respect diverse ideas, or do you condemn others for convictions that differ from yours?"[32]

You have every right to your beliefs, just as they have the right in expressing theirs. However, this world has gotten so comfortable in believing that Christians have to right to judge that they often forget how they are judging us.

Ask yourself

Do I struggle in feeling that I have the right to share my beliefs? If so, do I need to ask God to give me the confidence I need to be effective?

DAY 23 ~ Not an Easy-Chair Religion

If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable,

I certainly don't recommend Christianity. - C.S. Lewis

I like things to be comfortable.

I like things to be easy.

I like to sit back and relax in my chair at church while the pastor tells me how I should be.

But more than I like all those things, I love God.

As a result, I am willing to let go my want of having an easy life. I am ready to go where He wants me to go and do what He wants me to do, even if that means that I have to be uncomfortable.

If we are really open to all that God has for us - which is a state that all Christians should always be in - we have to know that He will have things for us to do that might just make us squirm a little.

For example, I know of one Christian man who was at a bookstore and asked by God to scream “Jesus” at the top of His lungs. He was not thrilled about doing it, but did. Immediately afterward a person ran up to him who was, surprisingly, not store security. This person told him that they had just asked God to prove He was real by having someone in that store scream “Jesus.” While I am not sure the result, I am sure that in some way, big or small, that person’s life was changed forever.

Another man I know of was in line at a Starbucks when God pointed out that the policeman to his left was about to have an affair with the woman he was talking to. God asked the man to please go over, let the policeman know that God knew it was not his wife, and tell him that it would be wise for him to repent.

The man in line wrestled back and forth with God. Who could blame him? Most people would not want to tell a police officer they were sinning against God. Yet he did do what God asked in the end, and as a result the policeman repented (in tears) and promised to turn back to God.

Now you might be saying “boy, am I glad that wasn’t me who had to do that.” But what if it was? Isn’t the cost of our embarrassment outweighed by the return of changed lives?

Ask yourself

Am I willing to reach others as God leads, or do I just want to be comfortable?

DAY 24 ~ Hell

The good news [of the gospel] makes no sense unless you believe the bad news first ... Once, the main obstacle to believe in Christianity was the good news; it seemed like a fairy tale, too good to be true. Today, the main obstacle is the bad news; people just don't believe in sin, even though that is the only Christian doctrine that can be proven ... Calling a person sinful is not to deny that his being remains good, any more than calling the statute of Venus de Milo a damaged work of art means denying that its sculptor created a masterpiece. Humanity is a good thing gone bad,

the image of God in rebellion against God. - Peter Kreeft

Ask the average person if they are going to hell and they will say no: because they are a good person, because there is no such thing as sin, or because they deny the existence of hell altogether. Unfortunately, their saying so does not automatically make it true.

Sin is real. Hell is real. And some people are going to go there for all eternity unless we step out and let God use us to reach people with the truth.

The enemy is so crafty that he has turned the truth into something that seems like a lie in the eyes of those who want it to be.

People like Rob Bell (a man whom many Christians hold to almost a God-like status) have led people astray in their claim that “Love Wins,” and that everyone will be saved in the end.

Jesus said in John 14:6…“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (ESV). Call me simplistic, but that seems pretty clear-cut.

Just like we would not believe a judge would let someone off for murder because he felt sorry for them, so we should not believe that God’s standards would be so easily dismissed just because of His compassion towards us.

As Christian apologists we need to share that though God is love, He is also just and holy and does not change just because we want Him to.

Ask yourself

Do I believe that Hell is a real place? What am I willing to do about it?

DAY 25 ~ No Room

One response was given by the innkeeper when Mary and Joseph wanted to find a room where the Child could be born. The innkeeper was not hostile; he was not opposed to them, but his inn was crowded; his hands were full; his mind was preoccupied. This is the answer that millions are giving today. Like a Bethlehem innkeeper, they cannot find room for Christ. All the accommodations in their hearts are already taken up by other crowding interests. Their response is not atheism. It is not defiance. It is preoccupation and the feeling of being able to get on reasonably well without Christianity. – Billy Graham

Busyness is the plague of the 21st century. There is something about today’s world that shouts “you are really important only if you are busy.” As a result, people will find many different things to be preoccupied with.

They will find so many things, in fact, that spending time with Jesus turns into one more thing that they potentially have to do. And in the back of their mind they often realize that by letting Jesus in they might have to start letting go of the other things that occupy their time.

Another effect of busyness is that it keeps people from thinking about where they will end up once the busyness of this world is done. They will often spend more time planning a family vacation than researching where they will spend all of eternity.

If people tell us that they would go to church but they are just too busy, here are a few things we can do;

         Offer to take them out to coffee, or for something to eat instead (often they will make time for that).

         Ask to help them reorganize their schedule

         Pray for them, that God would lighten their load.

         Be willing to help them with tasks as God leads.

As Christian apologists we are going to run into busy people more times than we can imagine. It can get discouraging, as these often seem to be people that are so ready to hear the Gospel.

Yet we know that we serve a loving God who loves his children enough that when the inn is full He reminds them that there is still room in a manger.

Ask yourself

How can I best pray for those who are busy? Am I needing to do some housecleaning to make more room for God?

DAY 26 ~ Rooting out Error

Sometimes before an unsaved person will embrace the gospel, we must be involved in what we might call "spiritual demolition." That is, demolishing lies and misconceptions that are keeping a person back from embracing the gospel. God wants to use us, His church, yes for the proclamation of the gospel, but also to attack error (sounds kind of strong, but notice again the verse in Jeremiah 1) with truth. He wants us to root out and pull down ideas, philosophies, and lies that keep people back from truly knowing God. This was something that Paul and Timothy did. Paul wrote, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor. 10:5). Of course, this attack on error is to be done with great humility, love and patience for the person (1 Ptr. 3:15, 2 Tim. 2:24-26). –Charlie Campbell

I once had a discussion with an agnostic who told me that he believed that people living together was no big deal. Even though I wanted to just go along with what he was saying, when he asked me what I thought I was honest and told him what the Bible said about marriage.

I thought it might start a fight but instead he thanked me for being honest and said that he respected what I had to say.

This was liberating for me. I realized that not everyone is waiting to attack me every time I open my mouth. I realized that there are non-believers who are interested in hearing what I believe and that by my sharing boldly I might be making the holes that cause their spiritual walls to come tumbling down.

Again, when dealing with a person with whom we recognize has many false misconceptions we first and foremost need to be in prayer; pray for the individual whenever possible.

With God on our side we do not need to go around swinging bats of truth at people. God can give us an “in” and with one word we can take down a person’s wall of misconception.

Remember, we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us, including “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.”[33]

Ask yourself

How much do I want to root our error?

DAY 27 ~ Archaeological Findings

It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries.[34]- Nelson Glueck

As Christian apologists, we are blessed in that we do not have to defend a faith that has absolutely no physical proof of it.

Some of the top archeological discoveries that correspond with the Bible are;[35]

The Cyrus Cylinder - discovered in 1879 and records Cyrus' overthrow of Babylon and his subsequent deliverance of the Jewish captives.

The Rosetta Stone - discovered in 1799 in Egypt by Napoleon's scientists, the Rosetta Stone was written in three languages: hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek. It unlocked the mystery of the hieroglyphics which have helped confirm the authenticity of the Bible.

The Moabite Stone - discovered in 1868 at Dibon, Jordan; confirmed Moabite attacks on Israel as recorded in 2 Kings 1 and 3.

The Lachish Letters - discovered in 1932-1938, 24 miles north of Beersheba; described the attack of Nebuchadnezzar on Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Archeological Excavations - The Bible's authenticity is also evidenced by archeological excavations that prove the existence of names of people and cities found in the Bible. The discovery of the city of Petra, for example, helped confirm the authenticity of the Bible's record.

Ask yourself

What Archeological discoveries can I share with a non-believing friend that might plant a seed?

DAY 28 ~ The Central Figure in Human History

I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history.

Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history. — H.G. Wells

Another thing in our favor as Christian Apologists is that we are not trying to propagate the knowledge of some unknown religious leader. We are just pointing to the central figure in human history, Jesus Christ our Lord.

In Matthew 24:4, Jesus says “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” As this verse teaches, there are many who will do anything to gain power in this world - even say they are Jesus. Why would they want to do so unless He was “easily the most dominant figure in all history” as Mr. Wells has said?

ONE SOLITARY LIFE[36]

He was born in an obscure village

The child of a peasant woman

He grew up in another obscure village

Where he worked in a carpenter shop

Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book

He never held an office

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never travelled more than two hundred miles

From the place where he was born

He did none of the things

Usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away

One of them denied him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves

While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing

The only property he had on earth

When he was dead

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind's progress

All the armies that have ever marched

All the navies that have ever sailed

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth

As powerful as that one solitary life.

Ask yourself

Why am I here, if not to point others to Christ?

DAY 29 ~ Science

Science is not only the only way to Truth - it's not the way to the most interesting Truths of all - and that which are concerned with meaning and significance of human beings. And yet we're told that Science is the only way to Truth, which is a very odd statement - because that statement 'Science is the only way to Truth' is not a statement of science. So if it's true, it's false. - John Lennox

In most schools, science is taught as the only way to truth. If you cannot prove it scientifically then it must not be true. But to flip that around, is it also true that if you want to disprove something that science is the only way to go about it?

No, because science cannot disprove anything. And yet, people walk around believing that science has disproven God.

If I said there were no flying monkeys in the world, I could not prove it 100 percent. If I were to follow scientific principles, all I would be able to say would be that that I had been tracking flying monkeys and never found any. But this is not the same thing as proof. As Gregory Koukl stated;

The way many try to show God doesn't exist is simply by asserting it, but that's not proof. It isn't even evidence. Scientists sometimes get away with this by requiring that scientific law--natural law--must explain everything. If it can't explain a supernatural act or a supernatural being then neither can exist. This is cheating, though.

Scientists haven't proven God doesn't exist; they've merely assumed it in many cases. They've foisted this truism on the public, and then operated from that point of view. They act as if they've really said something profound, when all they've done is given you an unjustified opinion.

As a Christian apologist, you will take flack for believing in a non-scientific God. You will be told that God is passé.

When that happens, stand proudly and declare that science has not disproven Him so don’t count Him out yet.

Ask yourself

What do I believe about science? Does that effect how I see God?

DAY 30 ~ What is Important

When you say there's too much evil in this world you assume there's good. When you assume there's good, you assume there's such a thing as a moral law on the basis of which to differentiate between good and evil. But if you assume a moral law, you must posit a moral Law Giver, but that's who you're trying to disprove and not prove. Because if there's no moral Law Giver, there's no moral law. If there's no moral law, there's no good. If there's no good, there's no evil. - Ravi Zacharias

Often people will look at the evil in the world and think that surely there cannot be a God. However, as Mr. Zacharias says, just the thought there could be evil in the world points to the fact that there is a God.

Evil was not God’s design for the world. He created a good, sinless world, so “the origin of evil is not the Creator but the creature's freely choosing sin and selfishness. Take away all sin and selfishness and you would have heaven on earth.”[37]

God gave Adam and Eve control of the earth. They sinned, which in turn caused Satan to take control from them.

The world has what I like to call a “sin coating” on it. It is still good at its core, but sin has spread like a disease covering the earth. As a result, evil is rampant in the world.

Because God is not one who gives something away only to take it back again, He did not take back control of the earth once Adam and Eve sinned. But he did make a way back to Himself through Jesus.

As Roman 10:9-10 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9–10, ESV)

Ask yourself

Have I confessed Jesus is Lord?

DAY 31 ~ Keep Going

‎That is why daily praying and religious reading

and churchgoing are necessary parts of the Christian life.

We have to be continually reminded of what we believe.

Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind.

It must be fed.

— C.S. Lewis

You finished this book! Whether you read this book in five minutes or took the 31 days to think each point through, you still did something awesome, something done by far too few Christians: you took time out of your jam-packed life to give thought to defending (and spreading) your faith so that others may know the light of Christ that is in you.

That is wonderful. Way to go! Don’t stop at just this small little book: keep reading and growing as a Christian apologist. Whether it is reading through the apologetic passages listed in Appendix A, through the apologetic books listed in Appendix B, or even checking out the apologetic websites listed in Appendix C. Whatever the case, whatever you feel led to do, do it because the world is in need of more people like you to point them to Jesus.

Ask yourself

What can I do next to broaden my apologetic knowledge base?

OTHER BOOKS BY LISA CLINE

To Know God as Father - If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like to have a father who is for you, not against you...

If you've ever wanted to have a father who is there, present with you, in every moment of the day, who delights greatly in your accomplishments, and who comforts you in your deepest pain . if you've ever wanted to have a father who will never mock you or push you beyond what you can handle, but who loves you the same yesterday, today, and forever . . . then this book is for you.

It doesn't matter if you are black or white, rich or poor, if you were raised in an adoptive, single parent, or foster home, or if you are athletic, bookish, or a couch potato by nature. Every person on this planet, no matter what their circumstances, has one thing in common: they are all greatly loved by our Father in heaven!

Whether our earthly fathers have been good to us, or have abandoned, abused, or pushed us, or just failed to love us as they should have, we have a Father who is far greater than any we have ever known. He is waiting. So, what are you waiting for? It's time To Know God as Father.

31 Days to a More Joyful You - Studies have shown that if you participate in a specific activity or behavior for twenty-one days in a row, you are forming a habit. So by focusing on joy for a full month (thirty-one days) you are solidifying that joy habit.

This book is therefore divided into thirty-one days. Each one includes a thought provoking quote or scripture, a small devotional, and a question or call to action to get you thinking more in depth about making the change to live in a life of Joy.

Appendix A - Scriptures

A few of the many scriptures that you might study as you thing over how to share your faith with others.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6, ESV)

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”” (Romans 10:13–15, ESV)

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12, ESV)

“For certain men have crept in stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Now I want to remind you, though you were fully informed once for all, that though the Lord [at one time] delivered a people out of the land of Egypt, He subsequently destroyed those [of them] who did not believe [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him].” (Jude 4–5, AMP)

“They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek to gratify their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly passions. It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions—merely sensual [creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life. But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;” (Jude 18–20, AMP)

“They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.” (2 Peter 2:18–20, NLT)

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;” (2 Peter 2:1–2, NASB95)

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15–20, NIV)

““If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I’ve given you fair warning. “So if they say, ‘Run to the country and see him arrive!’ or, ‘Quick, get downtown, see him come!’ don’t give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn’t something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it’s not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.” (Matthew 24:23–28, The Message)

“Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one. But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.” (James 1:13–15, AMP)

“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. And their teaching [will devour; it] will eat its way like cancer or spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, Who have missed the mark and swerved from the truth by arguing that the resurrection has already taken place. They are undermining the faith of some. But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it.” (2 Timothy 2:15–19, AMP)

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:1–6, ESV)

“They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.” (Titus 1:16, NET)

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,” (1 Timothy 6:12–13, ESV)

Appendix B – Books

A few books to get you started…This list might grow if time warrants it.

The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics – A great resource to answer the questions of faith that you may run across.

The Case for Faith – An exploration into the basic questions that apologists are sure to face.

Christian Apologetics - Renowned apologist Norman Geisler offers readers a systematic approach to understanding major worldviews and presents both the reasons and the methods for defending the claims of Christianity.

Christianity on the Offense: Responding to the Beliefs and Assumptions of Spiritual Seekers

Does God Exist? – A Christian apologist and atheist debate this Question.

The End of Reason – Ravi refutes an atheist authors assertions about Christianity.

EXPLANATION: Christian Apologetics for the Busy Person

I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist - Evidence for truth, God, and the Bible in logical order and in a readable, non-technical, engaging style.

The Kingdom Of the Cults - The definitive title on major cult systems for nearly forty years.

The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict – Provides documentation of Historical evidence for Christ.

Reason for the Hope Within – Fourteen of America's rising Christian philosophers discuss apologetic and current topics.

The Truth War – An amazing book on apologetics. A must buy.

Appendix C

Training

263 Theological Questions & Answers – Awesome resource of 263 free videos that answer many questions about theology.

A brief Course on Apologetics – Includes a helpful list of Common Questions and Issues that people are sure to bring up as you share your faith. You can prepare by finding the answers in The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics

Apologetics.com - Apologetics.com stands as a ministry whose heart's desire is to spread a passionate defense of the truth claims of Christianity!

Apologetics 315 – This site provides educational resources for the defense of the Christian faith.

The Authenticity of the Bible – Josh McDowell explains the authenticity of the Bible.

Always Be Ready - Always Be Ready (ABR) is a Christian apologetics ministry that equips Christian apologists.

Christian Research Institute – is an apologetics ministry responding to cults, world religions, attacks on biblical reliability, etc with an archive of free articles.

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: CARM - CARM analyzes religious and non-religious movements and compares them to the Bible.

The Importance of Apologetics - Dr. William L. Craig discussing the Importance of Apologetics at Stand for Truth's California Christian Apologetics Conference.

Ravi Zacharias – Free teaching videos and audio on apologetics.

Walter Martin – Includes a free listening library of the great apologist Walter Martin.

God

God's Existence - Documentary – This movie talks about how there is indeed a unique design in nature, a design that points to the existence of a designer.

Is God Relevant? Oxford Professor John Lennox Discusses Science and Faith – A video lecture of Professor Lennox discussing God vs science..

Twenty Arguments For The Existence Of God – Text arguments of many different kinds for the existence of God.

The Problem of Evil

Deliver Us From Evil - Dr Ravi Zacharias considers the mystery of evil in today's culture. He considers the areas of secularisation, pluralisation and privatisation and what losses they can each lead to.

Evil and Human Suffering – Excellent Audio of Dr Walter Martin explaining the existence of Evil and Suffering.

God and Evil: A Philosophical Contradiction? ~ Teaches “that one can affirm the existence of evil and still affirm the existence of God—more specifically, the Christian God.  In order to do this, we will show that evil is not a result of a cosmic “mishap” that caught God off guard.”

Problem of Evil – Dealing apologetically with The Problem of Evil, audio.

The Problem of Evil – Peter Kreeft discusses the four parts to the solution to the problem of evil.

AUTHOR WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE

MaryJo and Megan Cline ~ Thank you for all your help with getting this book ready.

Walter Martin ~ What an awesome defender of the faith you were. Thank you for being such a great example to all Christians of how to properly defend the faith.

AUTHOR INFO

Lisa Cline is widow and mother. She is currently a student getting her Bachelors in Biblical Studies and Theology with a Minor in English.

I you have questions or comments please contact her at

lisacli@regent.edu

https://www.facebook.com/lcline

http://abbasyaldah.wordpress.com

ONE LAST THING…THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this book or got anything positive out of it, I would very much appreciate if you could take the time to review it on Amazon.

Not only will your review encourage others to read this book, it will also encourage me to keep writing new devotionals.

The link below goes right to the review for this book. And leaving a review only takes a moment of your time.

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Thanks so much!

[1] Luke 9:23, 26,

[2] Theroux, Louis (2007). The Most Hated Family in America (Television documentary). BBC.

[3] , ON GUARD: DEFENDING YOUR FAITH WITH REASON AND PRECISION, P. 18

[4] Matthew 25:1–13 NLT

[5] Ven S. Dhammika. Buddhism and the God-idea. Found here:http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda03.htm. Retrieved on July 14th, 2013

[6] “Father” Jewish Encyclopedia.com. Found Here “http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved on July 14th, 2013

[7] Philipians 2:2-3

[8] Phillipians 2:6-8

[9]Andrew Paterson, Opening Up John’s Gospel, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2010), 138.

[10] Josh McDowell Evidence That demands a Verdict, January 23, 1995, p. 57

[11] Flavius Josephus. The Antiquities of the Jews. book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3.

[12] P. Cornelius Tacitus. The Annals. book 15, chapter 44.

[13] Dr. Edwin M. Yamauchi, associate professor of history at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio

[14] Matthew 7:6

[15] Greg Koukl, Francis Beckwith. “7 Things You Can't Do as a Moral Relativist.” Retrieved from http://www.salvomag.com/new/articles/salvo1/koukl.php Retrieved on 7/16/2013

[16] Ibid.

[17] Bill Jack & Andrew Heister Retrieved from http://www.dare2share.org/articles/my-difficult-friend/#sthash.idcGkz94.dpuf Retrieved on 7/16/2013

[18] James Riemermann. What is a Nontheist? September 20th, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.nontheistfriends.org/article/what-is-a-nontheist/ Retrieved on 7/16/2013

[19] “What Is a Religious Cult?” Christian Research Institute. March 16th, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.equip.org/perspectives/what-is-a-religious-cult/ Retrieved on July 07, 2013

[20] We were first begotten as spirit children in heaven and then born naturally on earth (Journal of Discourse, vol. 4, p. 218). And Mormon Doctrine, p. 129

[21] Mormon Doctrine, p. 163

[22] Joanna Brooks. Ask Mormon Girl. Retrieved from http://askmormongirl.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/do-mormons-believe-people-can-become-gods/ Retrieved on Retrieved on July 07, 2013

[23] “Salvation” Mormon research ministry. Retrieved from http://www.mrm.org/salvation. Retrieved on July 07, 2013

[24] Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, Things in Which It is Impossible for God to Lie (Brooklyn: WTB& TS, 1965), 259: “The doctrine of the Trinity is a false doctrine and is promulgated by Satan for the purpose of defaming Jehovah’s name.”

[25] Aid to Bible Understanding, Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1542-43

[26] You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth,1982, 63; Quoted in W. House, Charts, 156.

[27] Herbert Kern, How to Respond: Jehovah’s Witnesses (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1995 Revised Edition), 36-37

[28] Science and Health, 361:12-13

[29] Science and Health, 331:26-332:3

[30] Science and Health, 291:28-31

[31] Science and Health, 291:13-16

[32] Greg Koukl

[33] 2 Corinthians 10:5

[34]Dr. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, (New York: Farrar, Strous and Cudahy, 1959), 136.

[35]Entire list taken from Professor Walter J. Veith, PhD. Archaeology Confirms the Bible. Feb 24, 2009. Retrieved from http://amazingdiscoveries.org/S-deception_archaeology_Bible_Cyrus Retrieved on July 07, 2013

[36] Adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”)

[37] http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/evil.htm

Table of Contents

Other Books by This Author

Dedication

WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK

READING THIS BOOK

DAY 1 ~ What Our Job is

DAY 2 ~ How to Do Our Job

DAY 3 ~ Why Preparation is important

DAY 4 ~ What Matters Most

DAY 5 ~ The Need for God

DAY 6 ~ Who God is

DAY 8 ~ The Mind of Christ

DAY 9 ~ The Holy Spirit

DAY 10 ~ Don’t be Afraid, God is with You

DAY 11 ~ The Facts Are On Our Side

DAY 12 ~ There Were Silent Witnesses

DAY 13 ~ What Was Their Motive

DAY 14 ~ Not Everyone Will Choose to Believe

DAY 1 5~ Speak Softly to be Heard

DAY 16 ~ Relativism is Not Our Friend

DAY 17 ~ God is Knowable

DAY 18 ~ Atheists

DAY 19 ~ Postmodernism

DAY 20 ~ Declaring the Truth in Love

DAY 21 ~ Cults

DAY 22 ~ Being Judged

DAY 23 ~ Not an Easy-Chair Religion

DAY 24 ~ Hell

DAY 25 ~ No Room

DAY 26 ~ Rooting out Error

DAY 27 ~ Archaeological Findings

DAY 28 ~ The Central Figure in Human History

DAY 29 ~ Science

DAY 30 ~ What is Important

DAY 31 ~ Keep Going

OTHER BOOKS BY LISA CLINE

Appendix A - Scriptures

Appendix B – Books

Appendix C

AUTHOR WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE

AUTHOR INFO

ONE LAST THING…THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT