one minute apologist

Hey everyone!

After a wonderful, awesome weekend of sunshine (minus the rain on Saturday night), we are once again seeing the dreariness of the clouds. And it's Monday.

But instead, it's a great day for celebration! We are alive, God's grace and mercy are flowing in unsubstantiated amounts, and I am crippled by the power of His love. How wondrous the Father's love truly is toward us!

Over the past few days I have been reading up on apologetics. It is great stuff, but articulating it has not always been my strong point. Out of this reading, I continue to have great comfort in knowing about the character of our great God. And I love Him more knowing that I see Him anew. But a piece of my heart hurts too. I see all this great information, and yet I feel a dichotomy between knowing about God and knowing Him. When I personally get on my knees and bow before the Creator, I know His character in such a new light. I am not displacing apologetics, because I have learned so much more about God and fallen in love because of some works. But I am calling out to be personal with God and seek Him in quiet time.

Sorry about that little rant. Anyway, the reason I was reading up on apologetics is because I shared with my youth group going to NYC answers to questions they had about God. What I did was have them write out any question they had, then answer it as best I could. One thing I really hate (yes, hate) about the culture shift that is going on is that EVERYTHING is so fast paced. I had to be a one minute apologist last night and that was hard. I had to be very concise with what I said and I couldn't develop these points in a deeper fashion. It was hard, but I know some did benefit from my sharing.

Paul encouraged Timothy about this issue and being open to always sharing the truth, and I take great comfort in these words: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teacher to say what their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:2-3) I know the truth and I have God's word written on my heart. While these verses very much reflect American society, they also are a call for us to remain steadfast to our message of Jesus, the truth and the only way!

One last Scripture that's been burning in my mind lately is 2 Peter 1:16: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." I love how Peter lays out how true the Word is--it is not a fairy tale, but actual documents of real life situations! It is for our power that we get to read these words, to encourage us and lead us in the ways of a life that reflects Jesus!

Get to know your Bible, spend time with God, and don't forsake that. How can we ever be a witness if we don't take the time to seek to know the One we are proclaiming?

God's blessings to you on this day!