Michael L. Brown - Has God Failed You?: Finding Faith When Youre Not Even Sure God Is Real

I f you are reading this book, you are most likely struggling with your faith, or you know someone who is struggling with his or her faith and you want to help. Whoever you are (even if you are a skeptic who is wanting to deride or ridicule), I am glad you have chosen to read the words that follow. I have written them with much prayer and with a sense of deep dependence on the Lord as I recognize my inadequacy. After all, these are issues of life and death, of hope and despair and of eternal destiny and purpose. Not a syllable was written without serious thought. I pray that you will find life-changing truths as you read.

I was approached initially by Jane Campbell, longtime editor at Chosen Books, who asked me to consider writing a book on the great falling away that Jesus spoke about in the New Testament (see Matthew 24:1012). Are we in that period today? Is that why many are losing their faith?

As we continued to discuss the project, I felt my heart pulled toward the many who used to believe but no longer do, to those who were once vibrant in faith but now look back at those early days with scorn (or sadness), and to those who secretly struggle with doubt but have nowhere to go with their questions. I wanted to write a book for themfor youbecause I have been challenged by serious questions about my beliefs since my first days in the Lord. (I will share more about that in the book.)

If our faith cannot withstand serious questions, how real is it? If our belief system cannot survive careful scrutiny, how deep is it? And if we cannot create an environment that welcomes doubters, seekers, questioners and cynics, how secure are we? Why must we be so fragile when it comes to serious questions of faith?

It is my hope and prayer that as you read this book your confidence will grow and that you will realize that God is realand more wonderful than you could imagine. I pray that you will find deeply satisfying answers about your faith, and that you will encounter the Lord for yourself.

In the chapters that follow, I address what seem to be the biggest issues people have with the God of the Biblethe problems and objections that come up the mostand I do my best to do so with honesty and openness. I trust you will see that I dodge no issues and that I speak with candor. I can do this because after almost fifty years as a follower of Jesus, with my faith challenged from scores of directions over these decades, I have certainty that God is true, that His Word is reliable and that He will keep His promises as we humble ourselves in His sight. While your own experience may have been very different from mineperhaps what you have suffered and lost is immeasurably more than I haveour Father remains the same.