Defend your faith no matter what it cost you to do so.
My God never fails me. Sometimes He lets things be easy but other times not so much. I know I can always trust Him no matter the circumstances.
I must align with the Bible and not the Bible with what I want, or wish, it would say.
We are to tell the truth of God’s word no matter who it might offend.
AIDA: Aware of object you “think” you want
Interested in object you “think” you want
Desire that object you “think” you want
Action to buy the thing you “think” you want
Some verses on defending your faith:
- Jude 1:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.
- 1 Peter 3:15 but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
- Psalm 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
- Titus 1:9 He must be devoted to the trustworthy message we teach. Then he can use these accurate teachings to encourage people and correct those who oppose the word.
- 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.
- Philippians 1:16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
- Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
- Psalm 119:41-42 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
- 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
You will be persecuted
- Matthew 5:11-12 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- 1 Peter 4:14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a “Christian,” he should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.
- Acts 17:2-4 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
Philippians 1:7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.
Don’t align your beliefs with the culture
Everyone believes something
We do not have to agree because we have free choice, and we don’t all see the same situation the same. Such as let’s say about ice cream. You might have a special kind and flavor you really love, but I hate that one, or vise versa. It doesn’t mean either of us is wrong…we just hold a different opinion regarding our favorite ice cream. Our opinion of ice cream is neither true nor not true…it really is only an opinion. No matter how much advertising someone spends trying to change your opinion of ice cream…doesn’t make one better than the next, it is your opinion on the subject that matters..
Listen: Faith is what you use when you have no good reason to believe it.
Our duty to God is to know Him, and share Him.
We should be able to give an answer to who God is, and what He means to us.
We must defend ourselves against the arrows of the devil.
Listen: You can’t defend the word of God if you personally don’t know it.
“Unity without truth isn’t even unity – it’s pure individualism”
― Natasha Crain, Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture
When we want to reach our kids how do we go about that in this world where they are being deceived. Talk, now talk more. Ask questions how they feel about certain things and why do they think what they think?
Anyone can defend anyone or anything even if what they are defending is wrong. (Lawyers defending someone they know is guilty of a crime let’s say)
God exists: You can see Him in everything here on earth and in the universe. In the beginning…God created.
We are to be logical in how we see and reason things in our life. Just because we see something…doesn’t mean what we saw is right.
What evidence is there for the resurrection of Jesus? There were hundreds of witnesses that saw him after He was resurrected, and who would say they were a Christian back then and spread the word of God knowing that to do so could cause them to lose their life for a lie?
You can’t know the truth if you don’t know the truth of God’s word. You need to know God’s word so that when you hear a lie…you will know it. Don’t believe everything you hear…search God’s word to see if what you
God is not the God of confusion so if we are confused maybe an alarm should go off in our brain to stop and think about what is happening.
Then there is a difference of opinion where something can or can not be a right. Something can or can not be true depending on the circumstances.
What I/we believe doesn’t mean others have the same beliefs even if we believe the truth and they don’t. They get to decide their own fate because they have free will to choose that.
If you believe what God says…and you know it is true…don’t change your claim. Stand up for the truth. Defend the truth!!!
Love is not all you need: you need air, water, nourishment, roof over your head, a way to take care of your family
Culture can be very deceptive.
Think about all you do: Is is right wrong and does it have any consequences?
Just because you don’t agree with someone for an answer doesn’t mean there is not a right answer.
Get equipped in the word of God.
God deeper in your walk with the Lord
Many care more about what others think than they do about what God thinks.
There is a “Gospel Bedrock”
It is not about what we feel or like…but what is the truth of God’s word.
Sincerity can’t create truth for God has already given us truth
Ps 130:4-5: But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being awaits and in His word I put my trust
Our world is broken, we are broken..and man pretty much broke it all.
1 man and 1 woman for marriage! That is God’s way.
Don’t wish to please the crowd…wish to please the God of all creation.
God I must trust you to save all my family and watch over them in every area of their life.
My love for my family is not dependent of if they love me. I love them anyway.
Try to understand both sides of something, but pray and go by what God says no matter who you offend
We are each responsible for whatever God reveals to us.
God makes different kinds of shelters…it is your responsibility to get in it.
Salvation…deliverance and rescue
Admit you are a sinner: Rom 3:10, 6:23
Believe Jesus is Lord: Rom 10:9, 10:10
Call upon His name: Rom 14:11, 10:13
Condemnation: He saw me
Election: He chose me
Redemption: He bought me
Justification: He justified me
Regeneration: He renewed me
SSanctification He changes me
Preservation: He keeps me
Glorification: He will clothe me for heaven
Faith, repentance, water Baptism, Spirit filled
Confession, repentance, forgiveness, conversion, salvation
God: unchangeable, creator, sustainer, provider, giver of son to save us
Jesus: incarnate, substitute for us on the cross, came to serve and save, both God and man, Great high priest, mediator
Holy Spirit: personal, advocate sent to help me/us, gives fruit of spirit, convicts of sin, gives spiritual gifts, comforter, calls people to salvation
God is a just God, a perfect judge. God is just and righteous. God never makes mistakes or judges unwisely. God will always do right even when the man wants to claim otherwise. This is His creation, and He sees all the details no one else can see.
Human judges don’t know all, see all, and are never presented with the heart and why something truly happened. They only see a picture but not always the details of the cost. Human judges are sinful because everyone has sinned and fallen short. They make mistakes, but God never makes a mistake. Human judges have limitations, laws, and must go by them, God has the perfect law and knows every aspect of everything.
All of creation is under God’s jurisdiction. People, nations, cultures…etc.
God has the absolute fundamental right to judge everyone and everything and doesn’t need your permission to have it.
God’s judgment is fair, honest, and right.
God is good at everything He does.
We don’t see what God sees. People can con mankind pretty easily, but you can’t con God…ever!
God, in His timing will reward the innocent, and bring justice on those who are not His and who have not asked Him into their life, and changed their destiny.
God is everywhere. If you object to God…why do you do that? Here are some things to think about:
We want justice that is truth. If someone harms us, hurts us or someone we care about…we want justice. God’s justice is perfect. Now, He may not bring it right away in what timing we think He should, but God is never late. Do you really think that criticizing God is the right thing to do? What do you gain from it? God doesn’t need our counsel Isa 40:14
Smartest person answer: People can be good at something, but there will always be someone come along smarter on that subject. But know this: God is smarter than everyone on earth or everyone who has been on earth all put together.
Evidence not made publicly known. Even when people actually, in this day and age, get to court over a crime…many, many are let go, but some who should definitely be in jail the judge and the jury don’t always hear the real details of the crime, nor many times allowed to use the evidence so some people go free. Not so with God. God knows the entire thing and in His timing He will deal with these people.
Nerve answer: We all have a nerve spot to something being wrong, and when we see it or hear it…it grips us. We want justice for not only us, but for the person/s who were harmed by someone’s action or inaction. Well, think on this. Our wonderful God is amazing. He has such patience with us. He doesn’t want us lost so He is patient so that we can get things right with Him. However, all sin hits a nerve with God. Can/or do you think about your sins as truly being offensive to God?
God is judge: I and you are not. Just because you think something is not fair in how God judges…again, God never makes mistakes. You can’t do better than God no matter how smart you think you are. God sees everything so He sees each and every detail to know who is right or wrong, and who did what sin…and what consequences there for that sin if it has not been confessed and repented from. I am not anyone’s judge but I can judge to condemn anyone. That is God’s job. I can judge what is said and done when it come to the Bible and what people lie about it to people. People say don’t judge but they totally take that out of context. There are things in our life, situations, people, that we stand up against if they are doing evil.
If someone does something wrong (politician, educator, president, and anyone else who holds a job that they were voted into a position…we can stand against that and vote differently. We can legally take them out of office and no, we do not go out and do evil.
God is always our standard on every situation. He is our example and in His word He has placed so many things for us so we can do right and understand if/when we do something wrong and what we need to do to fix it.
Jesus will execute judgment one day. That is a fact!
Justice is truly amazing. We need God’s judgment because it is the only fairness we will truly see. Because God is just then we should love to see justice played out.
If we want to further the cause of justice…vote bad, evil, an deceiving people out of office
Don’t judge before the truth of the subject known. Talk to God to find out if your dealing with this is right. Not everyone and everything we hear tells the truth….quite the opposite in this day and age.
No matter who you are, how rich or famous you think you are, no matter how good looking and smart you might be…it is God’s scale that determines you and your worth in this world. Money doesn’t make you better than anyone.
Many of us stumble over and over in our lifetime, but if we would only go to God and confess and repent…no matter how many times we stumbled we are not beyond recovery!!!!
Don’t enable people in your life to sin (parents over kids). Set boundaries and stand by them. Stop enabling your kids to do wrong. Love them yes, of course, but they need to learn there are consequences for actions. If they can’t follow the boundaries then they (at some age appropriate) need to leave because they do more damage to you and your household, nerves, and life than they ever should. It is not wrong to put boundaries out there and expect your family to do them. (No drugs, alcohol, sleeping around and so on). We try to make things right with those we love and we want things right, but there comes a time, for some, when you just have to give them marching orders…even if they have to go into the world until they learn right from wrong. It is not easy but it is necessary.
Our God is so patient and loving…yet, He has also set boundaries for each of us. If we continue doing wrong then there are consequences for us as well. Sometimes God strips things from us so we get right with Him later on.
There is great power in prayer. We can always pray, continue to pray, be diligent to pray no matter how long it takes. God’s timetable is not ours. Sometimes God might even want to see if we will continue to pray for others until ….until whatever the until is.
These are notes that I took from Pastor’s conference, and added a few other things as well…they are my notes. Maybe they won’t make sense to someone else, but I don’t want to lose these notes so I am putting them on my web page. I hope some of it helps you.
Now, may God draw you to Him, bless you, guide you, teach you, and give you His peace. God bless you