By Dan Delzell
You cannot judge a book by its cover. And you cannot attain an accurate reading on Christianity by appearances alone.
Just look at Jesus. Men were allowed to catch Him. They were even allowed to kill Him. It seemed to many people at that point, including His own disciples, that Christ had been defeated.
A bruised, battered and bloodied prophet. Not exactly the stuff winners are made of. Or is it?
Fast forward to our day. There were more Christians martyred for their faith in the 20th century than in all the previous centuries combined. Not exactly what the winning team should look like. Or is it?
As we gaze across America today, there are a myriad of current events which could lead a person down the path of pessimism. That is, if one chooses that mindset and decides to dwell in the dungeon of discouragement. In the history of the world, has there ever been a period which lacked plenty of problems which could lead to discouragement? “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl. 1:9)
And if a person really wants to dwell on the apparent defeat of Christianity, just examine the Middle East today. Or how about North Korea, or even most of Europe for that matter? So much for Christianity being “the winning ticket.” Or is it?