We in the church are facing a time of testing. Our testing may not look like the testing of what the church in China is undergoing, or the church in Nigeria. But it is still a test. This anecdote is more typical:

True story: a couple in suburban Washington, D.C., approached their pastor asking him to help their college student daughter, who felt a calling to be an overseas missionary.

"That's wonderful!" said the pastor.

"Oh no, you misunderstand," said the parents. "We want you to help us talk her out of ruining her life."*

Christians like this couple may undoubtedly struggle with what's to come on planet earth. Christians with sacrificial hearts like their daughter's are where God wants all of us to be in our earthly journey. When we choose to only look at the present, without regard to what God may have planned for our lives...what does that say about our spirituality?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done."  Matthew 16:24-27

Our actions speak more loudly than our words ever could about the God that we claim to serve. It's important to remember that our Christian "witness" doesn't merely play out on stage in front of a live audience...but in our daily lives. Only God can change us from the inside out.

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word