Contender Ministries

Contender Ministries mission is to follow the words of Jude, who in verses 3 and 4 of his letter says this: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord.”

Satan has long played a cunning game of deceiving decent people with his lies. He started in the Garden of Eden when he told Eve that if she ate of the forbidden fruit, her “eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” He has been very busy ever since, and his lies have been very effective. Why?

Have you heard about the frog and the boiling water? As the analogy goes, if a frog is dropped into a pot of boiling water, he will promptly jump out. However, if that same frog is placed in a pot of cool water, and that water is gradually heated to its boiling point, that frog will stay in there until it dies. It does not detect the slight, progressive change in temperature. In that same way, Satan’s most effective lies are subtle.

They take advantage of human weaknesses and using noble thoughts and ideas, seduce people into a system that turns out to be as evil as Satan himself. If people knew what they were getting into ahead of time, most wouldn’t make that step. If Satan were all that popular, you’d see a lot more people who openly identify themselves as Satanists. No, Satan seduces people with subtle lies, wrapped in noble and attractive packages. Once deceived, it is often very difficult for people to see that they’re actually neck-deep in a pot of water that is being brought to a rolling boil.

Apologetics has been described as a small field. The truth – the saving knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ is a garden in the middle of this field. We cannot grab our unbelieving friends by the scruff of the neck and drag them to the garden – it simply does not work that way. What we do when we evangelize is to lovingly point out the garden, and show our friends the path to get there. At that point, it is up to the Holy Spirit.

As an apologist, you must know where the garden is. That is, you must know the TRUTH, as presented in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You must also see the field, and the holes, pits, ditches, and thorn snags in it. If you can see the garden, and you can see the hazards of the field, you can then lovingly direct people to the path. In other words, you must be firmly grounded in the truths of scripture – there is no substitute for daily digestion of the Word. You must also be aware of the pitfalls – the lies and traps Satan has set for people. If you can do this, you are an apologist – a contender.

We do not do this to be mean. I don’t deny that the truth can hurt at times. But it is imperative that we share the truth with all, and do so with love. Every cult and religious movement we profile has set itself apart from the truth. It is incumbent upon us therefore, to take up the sword (the Word of God) and contend for the faith – to expose the lies of Satan. There’s not much time left, and there are a lot of souls still wandering around the field. Won’t you join us? Won’t you be contenders?

Contact Information:

Contender Ministries website is: contenderministries.org