Have you ever wanted to be a part of a ministry that advanced God’s Kingdom but you were afraid to say yes to God? Your fear revolved around the idea that God would ask you to travel to a faraway place and live under severe conditions. Scott Wesley Brown may have stated your feelings accurately in the chorus of his song from 1995 “Please don’t send me to Africa I don’t think I’ve got what it takes. I’m just a man, I’m not a Tarzan I don’t like lions, gorillas or snakes. I’ll serve you here in suburbia in my comfortable middle-class life. But please don’t send me out into the bush where the natives are restless at night.”

Is it possible to truly make a difference towards God’s Kingdom right here in your own back yard? If you were raised in a church setting you may have been indoctrinated with the view that God favors those who serve as missionaries in foreign countries under adverse conditions. I believe that those who are serving under such parameters have been obedient to God’s calling on their life to serve Him in such a capacity. I do not believe that God calls every disciple of His to serve as a foreign missionary, just as He doesn’t call everyone into pastoral ministry. But I do believe that God calls every one of His disciples to serve as a missionary of His Kingdom in the “world” where they live and work.

Being called to share the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is not a burden but a blessing. We face opportunities daily but because of fear, doubt or anxiousness we tremble at the thought of sharing our faith with anyone that we are not absolutely sure is also a professing believer in Jesus. If you have spent time in a church service you may have heard the pastor exhorting you to “witness” or give your “testimony” in regard to your faith. Beads of sweat probably appeared while your hands got cold and clammy. Those two words have brought fear and trepidation to followers of Christ for decades. If you connect the words with a courtroom, they are less intimidating. A “witness” is called to “testify” about what they personally experienced. That is all Christ asks of His followers. We do not have to have all the answers, an “expert witness,” but we are called to share about the transformation in our lives because of accepting salvation in Christ.

Today as you consider pausing at noon to Bend-A-Knee in prayer ask God to give you the confidence to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to advance His Kingdom through word & deed.

O Lord, I am Your willing servant
You know that I have been for years
I’m here in this pew every Sunday and Wednesday
I’ve stained it with many a tear
I’ve given You years of my service
And I’ve always given my best
And I’ve never asked You for anything much
So, Lord, I deserve this request

I’ll see that the money is gathered
I’ll see that the money is sent
I’ll wash and stack the communion cups
I’ll tithe eleven percent
I’ll volunteer for the nursery
I’ll go on the youth group retreat
I’ll usher, I’ll deacon, I’ll go door to door
Just let me keep warming this seat

Stay connected to God & to others

God’s Peace,

Pastor Mike