Trustworthy or Not?

Whom do you trust? With the political season upon us, that’s an important question.

A recent Harris poll showed that Americans put their greatest confidence in military leaders. Next were small business owners, university leaders, medical leaders, the Supreme Court, the White House and leaders of organized religion.

At the bottom of the list were the press, lawyers, Congress and Wall Street. No surprise there!

Most people put their confidence in someone. But with confidence in many institutions at an all time low, whom do you trust the most?

A “Con Artist” is someone who convinces others to confide in him or her. Then they swindle the “Mark” out of their cash or valuables. First they gain your trust; then they trick you.

Every year con artists bilk Americans out of millions of dollars. They especially target vulnerable people like senior citizens. One of the latest techniques is to send an email promising you’ve inherited part of a fortune. Those that respond often lose large sums of money.

Sadly, religion attracts con artists too. Convincing followers they’re the only ones with the truth, they begin a new cult or counterfeit religion. It works because people desperately want to believe in something. They want a foundation for their life. But cults are a con.

Whom are you willing to trust with your eternal destiny?

To trust someone with your soul, you need to be completely sure they’re not a con. But how can you know? The founders of most religions all claimed to be “The One.” That they were THE prophet of God. So how do you know which to follow? They can’t ALL be right! Right?

Some take the easy way out and brand all religious leaders as phonies. They choose to believe in nothing, concluding that it’s impossible to identify who’s truly a prophet of God.

Well hold on just a minute! Did you know the Bible gives a simple two-step test to find out?

God said that if a prophet speaks in the name of God and it does not come true, then God has not spoken through that prophet. Secondly the Bible tells us that a prophet’s teaching must agree with what Jesus taught.

If you study the evidence you’ll discover that false religions hide their prophets’ mistakes. In addition followers are discouraged from asking questions. What does your group do?

Unfortunately, many attack the Bible without ever examining the overwhelming evidence that supports it. In “The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict,” Josh McDowell documents the historical evidence for the Christian faith and the reliability of the Bible.

McDowell’s book is a great place to investigate the Bible and the claims of Jesus Christ.

Most people agree that Jesus was a prophet and a teacher. But the Bible clearly states that Jesus claimed to be God. Now what kind of sane, moral person goes around claiming he’s God?

Either Jesus was telling the truth, lying or just plain crazy. If he wasn’t telling the truth, then he wasn’t a good prophet or teacher. But if you consider his words and listen to the eyewitnesses, you may end up agreeing with the soldier at the cross who said, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

So here are you’re choices: Either Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Lord of all or else he’s a liar or a lunatic. Logic does not give you a fourth option. You owe it to yourself to find out.

I encourage you to investigate Jesus. Read what he taught. You’ll find him trustworthy.

If you’re skeptical, take Jesus’ challenge: “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!