Defending the Faith 4: How Will I Know What to Say?

Ah yes, the age old question. "I want to talk to people about my faith, but I don't know what to say! They'll ask me questions that I won't know how to answer. How will I know what to say?" There's a few aspects to touch on regarding this topic.

First off, I want to point out God's response to this. In Exodus 4 when Moses is begging God not to send him back to Egypt to free God's people, one of his many excuses is that he doesn't speak well. God replies that He made Moses' mouth and "I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak" (verse 12). I don't know about you, but that's a pretty amazing thought. God Himself will teach me what to say.

Secondly, Philippians 4:19 teaches that God will give us what we need to do what He asks of us. He knows that we need the words to speak, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Once again, God is telling us that He will take care of it.

Another case where God confirms He will handle this need comes from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." The context to this is Paul explaining that He has asked God to remove some sort of "thorn" from his flesh. The Bible isn't clear whether this was a physical ailment, person causing him trouble, or something else entirely, but regardless, this "thorn" is something burdensome to Paul. Instead of removing it, God says that He will use this weakness to make His power even greater in Paul, ". . . For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 2:10). In our weakness, God reveals His strength. When you are uncomfortable speaking to people about your faith, that's when God will shine through all the more.

My personal favorite passage that directly relates to the worry of what to speak is recorded in three of the gospels. Each place is slightly different and adds even deeper meaning, so I'll share all three here:
Matthew 10:19 "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."
So far, we gather that when we are in situations where we have to defend our faith, we don't need to worry about how to do it, because at the time we need it, God will tell us what to say.
Luke 12:11-12 "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
Now we know that even when we are being brought before rulers, we still don't have to be concerned about defending ourselves or what to say because the Holy Spirit in us will teach us. We might not know what to say even sixty seconds before we have to speak, but when we open our mouths, He will provide.
Mark 13:11 "And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit."
Finally, we gather that in addition to what we've learned above, it's not even us who are really speaking! It is the Holy Spirit doing the talking for us, and all we have to do is be the messenger and listen for what to say.
  
This is such a comforting thought to me. I really don't have to worry about what to say, because when I need to speak, the Holy Spirit will put the words in my mouth. These verses are what I'm holding to this weekend when I will be speaking with unbelievers.

Does this mean we will always have all the answers? Not at all. However, even when we don't have the right responses for someone, God has still given us what we need. He simply decided that we didn't need that answer at that time.

However, I see another side to this whole topic as well. Someone could interpret these verses to mean that they don't need to do any preparation, because God will just tell them what to say. I don't believe this is what the Bible is teaching at all. If my Dad never prepared a sermon and said "Oh, God will just tell me what to say when I get to the pulpit, I don't need to worry about preparation," . . . I think he would be very embarrassed when he stands up front without a clue of what to say and has to admit that he doesn't have anything because he failed to prepare. That being said, there have been times when he prepares all week but something about his planned sermon doesn't feel right, so he walks to the pulpit unprepared, but God always shows up and gives him the perfect words for that day. God honors his attentiveness and efforts. First Corinthians instructs us: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Do your best to prepare, but don't worry. Make an effort, but rely on God in your hour of need. Study the Bible so you have verses that God can bring to your mind. Remain attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, so you hear His quiet whispers. Do all to the glory of God. Be on the lookout for "God moments" and trust Him to give you the words to speak.

Defending the Faith 3: Where Should I Go?

Maybe this isn't a post best suited to be a "defending the faith" post, however, even before you defend your faith, you need to know where to start.

To share your faith, you don't have to be a missionary to Africa. You don't even have to go with your youth group to Mexico or downtown Los Angeles. You don't need to stand on street corners or in front of Planned Parenthood clinics. Yet . . . the Bible tells Christians to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . ." (Matthew 28:19) So where do we do this if we're not traveling to Africa, Mexico, or L.A?

True, God does call some people to go forth as a missionary to foreign nations and preach the message of the Kingdom of God. But He doesn't ask everyone to travel to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm sure you've heard it said that the biggest mission field is the streets of America, and there's never been a truer statement. For example, my family lives in a rural area about an hour away from a town, and my dad is the pastor of the local church. Years ago a church in the local town decided to help support my family as missionaries. We were surprised when they informed us of this. Were we traveling to share the gospel? Were we dwelling among people who speak a different language? No. Yet this church considered us missionaries. God has given us a local mission field, reaching out to our friends and neighbors in this little community.

Any Christian could be supported as a missionary in this sense. You don't have to be a pastor in order to have your own special mission field God has given you. Are you attending school? Shine your light with your fellow students and tell them about your best friend, Jesus. (Yes, students do still have the Constitutional right to talk about Jesus Christ in schools.) Do you work long hours every day? Even if your workplace doesn't permit you to discuss Jesus with coworkers, you can show Him to them in the manner that you handle situations and your work ethic. Are you standing in line at the grocery store? Maybe in that moment, your mission field is the cashier or person standing behind you. Sitting in a restaurant, do you see a girl walk in with a broken arm? Perhaps God is calling you to go pray for her.

Always be on the lookout for "God moments" and people that He puts in your life. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit living in you and watch for opportunities. Get involved in outreach events your church hosts. Volunteer with a local food bank or Samaritan's Purse. This summer a few of my friends and I will be staffing at summer camps for youth and teaching them about Jesus.There are so many places and chances to share your faith with others. Always be on the lookout.

Don't let your life fall into a monotonous pattern; find people God wants you to pray for and bless. There's always someone whose life could be changed by you listening to the Holy Spirit prompting you to start a conversation with and pray for them. Maybe you are one of the people God has asked to go to New Zealand as a missionary, but more often than not, God has called you to be a minister to those around you right now. God has put everyone in your path for a reason. Whether it's a friend, family member, or coworker who you see every day, or whether it's the person in line at Disneyland you might never see again, be watchful for opportunities God places before you and listen for His voice.

Some of Jesus' last words here on earth were instructions to the disciples (and to all followers):
". . . you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Be a missionary to your family, in your hometown, and in every place God puts you. (As a side note, Christians are not always called to defend their faith, but they are always commanded to share their faith. This verse says to be a witness—to tell people about their faith, but not force conversions.)

So where should you go to share the Kingdom of Heaven with people? Maybe to a foreign land, but also consider your next door neighbor.

P.S. This post is inspired by plans to go into a local event this weekend as part of a team seeking God encounters where we will witness for Christ. Prayers for God to soften people's hearts are much appreciated!

Faith Leads to Understanding

Have you ever watched the children's movie, Polar Express? For years it has been one of my family's favorite fun Christmas films. For awhile, it became an annual tradition to watch it. A theme throughout the movie is belief in Santa, and the characters in the movie couldn't hear his sleigh bells ring until they first believed in him.

A few weeks back, I read in Mark 4 about Jesus explaining His parables to His disciples. It reads, “With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to His own disciples He explained everything.” (ESV)

Today, in Luke 8, following Jesus' parable of the Sower, I read a sort of continuation to this. “And when His disciples asked Him what this parable meant, He said, 'To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” ' " (ESV)

I found some very interesting insight into this and I thought you might find it fascinating as well. In the Mark 4 passage, where it refers to “He spoke the word to them,” it is saying that Jesus taught the multitudes in parables. Who are the multitudes in Jesus' day? Unbelievers. Who are the multitudes in today's world? Unbelievers. Who are His disciples to whom Jesus explained His parables? Christians. Non-Christians will not be able to understand the full meaning of God's words as written in the Bible. Only the Christians who take the time to ask God and listen for His answers will be given true knowledge. Faith leads to knowledge and comprehension of the truth that is otherwise unable to be attained. By faith the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in believers and it is of Him that Jesus says, ". . . it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. . . . When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth . . ." (ESV)

As my family and I were discussing this, we came up with another level to it. What is a name of Jesus? The Word. Just as non-Christians cannot understand the Bible—God's Words—until they believe, neither can they understand the Word, Jesus. When non-Christians have so many questions concerning things in the Bible, and Christians try to explain them, with this knowledge it makes much more sense that the unbelievers cannot understand it and tend to keep pressing the same issues. It is impossible for them to comprehend these things until they first believe.

I keep thinking about the bell in Polar Express. They couldn't hear it ring until they first believed.

Off to Camp!

Last week, my sister and I went to a Christian camp, called LIFE Camp, by Lake Lopez. The goal of this camp is to help kids live in faith effectively. The fruits of the spirit was the theme this year and our “challenge passage” (a passage out of the Bible for the kids to try to memorize as well as the daily and theme verses.) was Galatians 5.Our mom and dad dropped us off Monday morning and picked us up Saturday. Although it was a long time to be away from our parents and home, my sister and I had a marvelous time growing closer to God and having fun.

I like everything about Life Camp especially just growing nearer to the Lord. In the morning, the first of our three classes is Missionary where you learn about one missionary all week. This year it was Dr. Carl Becker, missionary/doctor to the people in mid- Africa– especially the Pigmy people. Our second class of the morning, Biography, was taught by the director. We discovered the lives of a different person every day. A few examples are Joni Ericson Tada, Eric Liddel, George Washington Carver, and Jim Elliot. Our last class was Bible where we learned about Ruth, Paul, Joseph, David, and more. In the evening we had chapel with a different speaker every night.

Life Camp offers lots of fun, active activities. After lunch girls go swimming for about an hour to an hour and a half. Directly afterward is field games where we play multiple different games such as: capture the flag, belly bumpers, soccer, dodge ball and that is only scratching the surface of all the games. Soon afterward, everyone enjoys what is probably most people's favorite activity– free time! At this time the campers are allowed to do just about anything. The only hitch is that if you want to go outside the boundaries or into the creek that flows by, you must have a staff person who is willing to accompany you or at least keep you in their sight. During some free times the staff have organized activities for the campers. One day there was a gold hunt in the creek where whoever wanted to go could learn how to pan for gold and the likely places gold would be. Another exciting expedition was when a group of campers hiked a ways up the mountain to search for fossils. Most kids found one– or two– or even more! I was in the category of “even more”. I found two rocks but combined in the two rocks was a total of three clam fossils. I was given two more rocks with fossils, their total– six plus!!! The last activity at the end of the day is “night games”. During “night games” we mostly play “blob tag” which is similar to family tag. The only other game that I can remember playing at night was capture the flag.

My LIFE Camp cabin group.

Everything about Life Camp was a lot of fun- so much fun that is- that I can't choose which thing was the funnest. I was blessed to be in a small cabin with only three other girls and one fantastic counselor. Between night time Devotions and Missions, swimming and free time, snack and dinner, everything was so fabulous. I feel like I grew closer to God and will be able to be better at the fruits of the spirit. Thank you, Jake, for putting on Life Camp so faithfully each year and for being interactive with the campers! Thanks everyone who sent me and my sister letters at Life Camp! It meant a lot!