February 25, 2006:  CONFIDENCE

I am one of those people who has to triple check everything to make absolutely sure I did it and did it right. When mailing a bill, I check three times to make sure I signed it and wrote it to the right place for the right amount. I've even been known to sift through the trash just to make sure I didn't throw something important away.

You might think these are good characteristics, but I know that sometimes I go to far in this vein....because sometimes I can be paralyzed by my lack of absolute assurance.

I've seen this lead to worry in my life...did I make the right decision? Did I say the right thing? Do I just need to think about this some more?

Now, for you people out there who struggle with arrogant presumption, you have no idea what its like to be on the other end of the spectrum. But the fact of the matter is, both extremes are wrong.

God gives plenty of warnings to the proud and arrogant. But He also reminds the timid that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Ti. 1:7)

I have found myself praying lately for confidence. When I am doing the right thing, I should do it with boldness.

Perhaps you need that prayer to. God has already been answering it in my life, and I'm sure He will in your also.

It is not only wrong to do wrong, but also wrong to, in fear, hold back when doing right!

~Pastor Brian

February 6, 2006: Port-a-Pulpit Ministries

There was a skit a church put on one time about "Port-a-Pulpit Ministries." In this skit, some guys would knock on the door of an unexpecting homeowner. When the hapless guy opened the door, these fellows would force their way into his living room, erect a portable pulpit, and immediately begin preaching a sermon to the effect of, "Repent! Repent of your horrible, sinful, wife-beating ways!!!" The homeowner objected with, "But I don't have a wife!"

He would immediately be reproved from the pulpit by something like, "Sir, if you don't settle down, you'll be ejected from the service!" "Ejected? But this is MY house!"

And so it went....

The thing of it is, sometimes when you and I think of witnessing to our friends and neighbors, the image we have in mind is that of Port-a-Pulpit Ministries. But that's not how God calls us to share Christ with the guy next door.

Deuteronomy 6:6,7 tells us that God's words should be in our heart, and that we should talk of them as we go through our daily routines. The picture is not of something forced and unnatural, but rather of something that just bubbles out from our heart.

For example, you probably know who the different people in your life were pulling for in the Superbowl yesterday. They didn't sit you down and preach a sermon to you about why they were for the Steelers or a fan of the Seahawks. No, instead, they just naturally talked about it; it just naturally bubbled forth in their conversation, as they went through they daily routines.

That's the way our relationship with Christ should be. When you were a teenager in love, you just naturally talked about it to your friends...it wasn't forced, it was rather, freeing.

Are you trying to quench your enthusiasm for God when you're around certain people? Or are you trying to force yourself to witness? Fall passionately in love with Christ...and then make no attempt to hide that passion from others. True, there may be some moments when you have to frankly warn a friend or neighbor about their future, but if you've been naturally living the gospel in their presence, then they'll be ready to at least listen when you have a heart to heart with them.

And you'll accomplish a lot more than the Port-a-Pulpit Ministries!

~Pastor Brian

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