Part One: “My STORY”

By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President

In the June issue of the Paraclete, I introduced the inspired instruction of the apostle Peter to first-century Christians who were facing a secular Roman culture:

Simply reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience…

(1 Peter 3:15, JB)

Christians in America today are confronted with a similar situation. To be effective witnesses for the Good News of Jesus we will also need to make a “3:15 Response.” There are four components of this response. In this issue, I will detail the first one. 

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By Dr. Kaia Kloster

As I go into the jail to “Proclaim the Gospel with evidence,” I never know who will choose to come to Bible study—or why. One day, a woman shared with me why she had decided to come. Although her mom had been raised in the church, they hadn’t been taken as kids because her mom didn’t want to “force her beliefs on them.” So while not raised as a Christian, she was aware of “them.” In her daily encounters with people she was quite certain she could identify them. 

There was something different—it seemed there was a “glow” about them. She and her boyfriend came to call them “shiny faces.” Upon leaving a gas station, for example, she might turn to him and say, “She was a ‘shiny face,’ wasn’t she!” It was as if there was a light from within, she said. The difference was undeniable, and always desirable.

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What’s a “Scutoid”?

Consider these statements:

• Scientists know everything about cells because they have been studying them for 500 years. 
• You learned every possible geometric shape in school.

Neither statement is true! 

While carefully examining the epithelial (skin) cells of zebra fish, researchers from the University of Seville in Spain discovered a “scutoid,” a shape previously unknown in geometry. 

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“One of the greatest injustices we do to our young people is to ask them to be conservative. Christianity is not conservative, but revolutionary.” —Francis A. Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the 20th Century

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. 

Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. “Reverend,” said the young man. “I’m so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.” 

The minister chuckled, “I know what you mean. It’s exactly the same in my business.”