What Difference Does It Make?: The Busy Person’s Guide to Christianity

By J. Brooke-Harte

Can you truly give a reason for your faith--Or the lack of it?

What Difference Does It Make? The Busy Person’s Guide to Christianity, gives fresh insights that bring the faith picture together in a way that makes sense. It’s an easy read that paints a picture of where we are, where we likely want to be, and how we can get there. It explains how faith works in a practical way and suggests some ways of understanding Christianity that you may have never heard before. This book not only confronts some of the obstacles of faith, but also discusses the conundrum of “truth,” Biblical reliability, and the practical day to day difference Christianity can make in a life.

This entertaining read connects the dots of Christianity in unique ways. It ties together some of those loose ends that people often ignore, dismiss, or trip over. What Difference Does It Make? gives explicit answers to how life works. You’ll come away with new understandings of the ever- present questions, “Who am I? Why am I here? And where am I going?”

You’ll gain insights into why the Bible refers to believers as “The Bride of Christ” and how essential this concept is to a personal relationship with God and others. Whether or not you’ve ever considered the intimate, braided together life God intends to have with each of us, you’ll want to read this book. It puts the pieces of the life-puzzle together with how-to instructions and a virtual start to finish picture to follow on the cover.

So, if you’ve ever asked the questions, “Does faith really work?” or “How is it possible for someone have a personal relationship with the God of the universe?” or “What difference could an ancient religion make in my life today?” you need to read this concise and easy to understand book.

What Difference Does It Make? The Busy Person’s Guide to Christianity, just may change your life . . . and your eternity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Oct 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781400325757

J. Brooke-Harte

J. Brooke-Harte is President of The Foundation Association. Featured as both speaker and singer in churches across the country, including the Crystal Cathedral, Angeles Temple, and Fourth Presbyterian of Bethesda, she has also been an entrepreneur, a youth pastor, a college Dean of Students, a counselor and an author.  Her writing interests include children’s books, poetry and apologetics, as well as life stories and devotionals. She may be contacted at www.thefoundationassociation.org

Book preview

Introduction

Why do some people think Christianity is the only path to God? How do we know it’s true? Is it any different or better than other religions? Do absolutes exist?

Have those questions ever crossed your mind?

Possibly, this short book will spark a flame of new ideas regarding what God intends to be for you, in you, and through you.

Both believers and unbelievers carry many different ideas about what it means to be a Christian. As a believer, I hope you glean some new thoughts from mine.

J. Brooke-Harte

CHAPTER ONE

Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

CHAPTER ONE

Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

Y ou’ve just grown up that way. That’s the only reason you believe it, Larry chimed in while the conversation ventured into uncharted waters that made him uncomfortable.

As the Marketing Director of a mall, I was at lunch with one of the media sales guys and I’d dared to bring up the forbidden subject of faith.

He was a six-foot, three-inch, two-hundred-twenty-pound, blonde-haired, blue-eyed hunk of Vietnam veteran. He’d seen it all, done it all, been scarred by it all, and was the ultimate tough guy.

His reaction was not uncommon, though. I’d heard it before, but I didn’t think it was true.

Sure, I’d studied more than most since my father was a minister, a philosopher, and a professor. Plus, I’d had an advantage of learning from some of the greatest theologians in the country. But that was beside the point. For me, it was a heart thing.

Well Larry, I continued. What would it take for you to believe that what I’m telling you is true?

If I saw Him, he answered without a blink.

You’re a tough one! I responded with a smile. He’s got your number, though, whether you believe it or not. And He loves you too.

With that, the subject got changed and we finished our coffee.

When I got into my car to return to the office, I said to the Lord, Well, You heard it. I know You don’t make many guest appearances these days, but if You wouldn’t mind…

About three weeks later, Larry and I had lunch again. This is the story he told.

I had an interesting experience after that last time we met, he began.

Yeah? What happened? I said.

Well, about a week after that lunch, I went to sleep and experienced something that was more real and different than any dream I’ve ever had. In fact, I don’t think it was even exactly a dream.

"All of a sudden I was in this big, open, dark place that was sort of like the inside of a huge airplane hangar. Then I saw an almost blinding beam of light coming toward me. It was overpowering. I went down on my knees. No one could stand in that presence. It’s not possible."

I couldn’t believe this was coming from Larry.

You did it, Lord. You really did it! I thought to myself. I silently cheered. I couldn’t believe Larry admitted (humbly too) that no one could stand in His presence. Was the tough guy admitting that someone was tougher than he was?

He went on, "The light kept coming toward me and I’ve never felt so much love in my life. I never wanted that feeling to leave. Then He took me away on sort of a…I guess you would call it a tour. He showed me a lot of different things. Basically, let’s just say He was showing me options. Then, we were back in the hangar.

My wife was trying to wake me up because I was gasping and crying out. She thought I must be having a nightmare. But nothing fazed me.

Finally, I was back in my bed sweating like a pig. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.

"Okay, you’re right. He’s real," he admitted with a degree of both reverence and chagrin in his voice.

I’d had my own experiences with the presence of God. I knew God was real. But at that early stage of life, how many occasions had I actually had to prove it? Some...but not a lot.

I had to admit that I’d done a lot more book learning than practical learning. Some of my theological ideas had been assumed in a kind of religious osmosis. A few of them had been put into the personal test tube of life, though, and found to be true.

Ultimately, however, my belief system and everyone’s belief system are formed and validated where reality kicks us in the seat, and the truth of what we believe rises to the occasion or turns us in a different direction.

So, I ask you: Does each of us create his own faith? Is it based on emotions? Is it self-generated? Is it simply a family heirloom? Is faith mostly a figment of our imaginations or of someone else’s? Does it actually make any difference? Isn’t it a crutch? Aren’t all religions pretty much the same with different window dressings? How do you find the truth? Doesn’t everyone have to find his own truth? Are there absolutes? Doesn’t our total understanding of life and how we live it come down to what is true and what