Defend Your Faith Archives

April 27, 2025April 27, 2025

The Threat of Atheism

With each generation, the world becomes more and more tolerant of sin and more and more intolerant of righteousness. From childhood, our public school system teaches us that God is not necessary for life to exist. In other words, because we are here, there is no need for a god. That might sound decent until you begin to look at the actual history of godless civilizations. One thing they all have in common is the lack of morality and conscience. So, with the rise in unbelief in the world and the push for a godless society, should we not prepare for the biggest threat our generation has ever seen? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the pressing threat against our freedoms in his message, The Threat of Atheism.

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March 13, 2025

Rely On The Manuscripts

John 15:18

¹⁸ If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Matthew 24:9

⁹ Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.

1 John 3:13

¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

Jesus said that we would be hated for the sake of His name. It’s very easy to miss all that Jesus was saying in this statement. For instance, He wasn’t just talking about persecution in the physical sense, but also the world being against all associated with His name. This isn’t just about us living here today, but about those of the past as well. That would include the authors of the Bible.

The Bible, especially the New Testament, is the best preserved ancient text in existence. The New Testament alone has over 25,000 manuscripts compared to Homer’s Illiad having 1,800 and Plato’s The Republic having 7. These two historical documents aren’t ever put into question whether they’ve been changed, doctored, or if they’re even reliable. In fact, they’re studied in schools and universities. But the New Testament, with 25,000 manuscripts is seen as unreliable.

Let that sink in. We have the best preserved ancient historical manuscript in existence but the world deems it unreliable. You’re laughed at and mocked if you even believe it. Why is that? Because the world hates Truth. The world hates the Light. It wants to remain in darkness. It wants to reject the Light. So, it deems the source of Truth, the Word of God, unreliable. It deems it untrustworthy and corrupted.

The enemy will lie, deceive, and manipulate in order to destroy the souls of humanity, but one thing he cannot do is destroy the Word of God. It’s still here. We still have the words of Christ as He Himself said them. Why is this important? Because, as Peter stated,

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.

John 6:68-69

The Words of our LORD and Savior have not been lost. They haven’t been altered. They haven’t been corrupted or destroyed. They are still here. They are still the words of eternal life. They are still living, breathing, and sharper than any double-edged sword.

So, be encouraged by this. Let your faith grow as you can be assured in confidence that the Word of the LORD has not been changed.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Rely On The Manuscripts.

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June 3, 2024June 3, 2024

Hold To The Name

¹¹This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹²And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” ~ Acts 4:11-12

For 2,000 years, the debate over who Jesus is has never died. Many argue that Jesus isn’t God, while others argue He may have become a god, and others hold fast that He was only a good prophet. Jesus is God, and He is the only way to salvation. Peter also spoke up during Jesus’ earthly ministry and said, “LORD, You alone have the words of eternal life …” (John 6:68).

Who has eternal life? God alone has eternal life. So, if Jesus alone has the words of eternal life, then Jesus is God.

Not only is Jesus God, but:

Jesus is the Holder of Salvation
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith
Jesus is the Great I AM
Jesus is the Giver of Life
Jesus is our Healer
Jesus is the Supplier of our needs
Jesus is our everything

There is no one else, no other name except the Name of Jesus alone, that can save us. It’s only by the name of Jesus that we can be changed and make a change. It’s only by the name of Jesus that we can see mountains move and walls tumble down. Jesus is the Savior of the World and the Giver of Eternal Life. It is His name that we should cling to, for it is His name alone that can change us. Therefore, be confident in whom you serve. Be confident in who Jesus is and what He has done for you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold To The Name.

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Hold to the Faith

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ~ Genesis 3:1

I believe the serpent was challenging Adam, the herald for God, or at least, he was the conveyor of the Law, or the word of God “Thou shalt not eat …” In other words, he was casting doubt on the accuracy of what was passed down to Eve. “Did God actually say …?”

How do you know? You weren’t there. You didn’t actually hear God say it, Adam told you, and he could have changed it up, or left something out, or got something wrong.

You see, as I understand it, Eve wasn’t created when the Gospel was given. The law was given to the man before the woman was created. So, the Gospel, or the Law, or the word of God was handed down to the woman just as it is handed down to us. The evil one came and tried to question the reliability of the word handed down to her.

“Did God really say …? I don’t mean that your husband is a liar, but, after all, he is just a man.”

Eve answered with full confidence, relying on the accuracy of what was handed down to her. She said, “God did say …”

Although Eve didn’t quote Adam word for word, she actually added in “… nor touch it,” Eve was confident that her husband heard directly from God. How confident are you that the authors of the Bible heard directly from God? How confident are you that the Word of God is God-breathed? Your faith will be tested at some point in time if it hasn’t already, but you have to be confident in your beliefs and not give in to any doubt as Eve did. Because if you conquer, you will receive everlasting life with Christ Jesus.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold to the Faith.

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Defend Your Beliefs

¹⁵ but 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; yet do it with gentleness and respect. ~ 1 Peter 3:15

Now, more than ever, we have to be grounded in the Truth of All Mighty God. We can no longer rely on our parents or their parents to get us into the Kingdom of God and build our faith, but we must not step up and do it ourselves. We must be able to give a defense for our beliefs.

This word defense simply means to ‘make formal justification’ for what you believe. It does not mean to argue, as in ‘to row and disagree or fight,’ but simply be ready to give an answer to people who question our beliefs.

When we are unable to defend why we believe what we believe, then doubt takes root in us. And if doubt takes root in us, then faith begins to dwindle inside of us. And without faith, no one can please God. We must prepare ourselves and build up our faith so that we can defend our beliefs when the time comes.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Defend Your Beliefs.

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How Do You Become Wise?

Everyone wants to be wise, but does everyone know how to become wise? Is there a special formula for wisdom? How do you become wise? This was such an important question that this is one of the very first things James wrote about.

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5

Wisdom is the key to understanding God. It is the foundation of our faith. We have to first believe that God exists, but we have to know the attributes of God in order to have faith in Him. What is the foundation of wisdom? Look at what the wisest man who ever lived said about the foundation of wisdom.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, but what’s next? How do you truly become wise? Do you just ask God for wisdom, and He gives it to you? Are there requirements for wisdom? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find the answer to the age-old question, “How Do You Become Wise?”

Genesis 3:6
Genesis 3:4-5
1 Corinthians 1:25
James 1:5
Proverbs 30:24-28
Matthew 4:1-4
John 6:48-58
Hebrews 4:12
Matthew 24:15-21
Matthew 7:24-27
1 Peter 2:1-8
Daniel 9:26a
John 16:5-7
Matthew 10:34-39
Matthew 7:15-20
Psalms 8:4-8
Revelation 3:12
Revelation 21:2-4
Psalms 23:6
Revelation 21:22
Revelation 3:20

More Verses on ‘How Do You Become Wise?’

⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 5:7

⁶ Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
Proverbs 6:6

⁸ The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Proverbs 10:8

¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:15

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:14

It’s not enough just to know Scripture. Anyone can quote Scripture. Atheists, heathens, Pagans, any non-believer can quote Scripture. The Devil himself can and does quote Scripture, wisdom is a lot more than knowing Scripture. True wisdom is living Scripture. It’s following in the footsteps of Jesus. It’s living your life like God is watching every move you make, because He is. To truly have wisdom, one has to do more than talk. They have to lead by example.

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Defending Your Faith Part One: The Authenticity of The Bible

From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, the Serpent questioned the authenticity of the Word of God. He questioned whether God really said, ‘Do not eat this fruit,’ and Eve was could not successfully defend her faith. Today, it is no different. All over the world, many skeptics question the authenticity of the Word of God. From political leaders to other religious believers to the men and women educating our young people, the idea that the Bible has been changed is a mainstream belief. They often argue for the validity of every other Historical book except for the Bible. This often leaves many believers unable to defend their faith.

As a Christian, it is more important now than ever before to be able to defend your faith. The most often used claim that the Bible is not trustworthy is that they say it has been changed several times. But is that true? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes and teaches us how we can defend our faith in his latest message, Defending Your Faith Part One: The Authenticity of The Bible.

1 Peter 3:15
Genesis 3:1
Genesis 2: 4, 7-9, 15-18
2 Peter 1:16–18
1 John 1: 1-5a
Acts 22: 4-10
2 Peter 1:19–21
2 Peter 3: 15-16
Luke 10:31,32
Revelation 1:5
1 Thessalonians 2:7
Mark 9:39
John 20:24-29

The Authenticity of the Bible

Historical Books vs. The Bible

Let’s talk about other historical books and names. We talk with much finesse and confidence and historical figures while we treat the Bible as though it has no historical evidence and/or has been changed multiple times. Here are some comparisons between Historical Books and the Bible that you can use to defend your faith.

1. Plato – Everything we know about him is contained in a total of 7 manuscripts
2. Caesar – Total of 10 manuscripts
3. Tacitus – A total of 20 manuscripts
4. Aristotle – A total of 49 manuscripts
5. Homer’s Illad – Has whopping 634 manuscripts
6. The Original Greek New Testament Biblical manuscript – Has either in full, or in part 5,795 Greek manuscripts
  - Other manuscripts that support the N.T. base – Includes the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages number over 24,000
  - Total Biblical manuscripts – 24,633 manuscripts in all

We have 24k more manuscripts than the closest one. Not only that but the entire New Testament was written within 70 years of the actual events. This means that a lot of the eyewitnesses were still alive and could have disputed the stories and facts about Jesus. But surprisingly, none did.

Yet, it’s the most disputed and considered the most unreliable. Even though they have been proven to be highly preserved the authenticity of the Bible is constantly being questioned. You must ask yourself why? Why is the authenticity of the Bible being questioned but no other historical book or text?

^{¹⁴But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵but 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; yet do it with gentleness and respect,}
1 Peter 3:14-15

As Peter tells us, we must always be ready to defend our faith. We may not have been there when all of these things recorded in the Bible took place, but Jesus said, blessed is the one who believes and has not actually seen. The truth is, it’s through faith that we are saved. You don’t have to worry, the same God who spoke the world into being is the same God who preserves His own word. Jesus is the Word that became flesh; therefore, His word cannot be corrupted.

Part Two?

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