My heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to come out of my chest. I took a
deep, shaky breath and forced the words of the song to come out. As much as I was falling apart
on the inside, I had to keep it together on the outside, for the sake of the kids that were watching
me.
This moment took place at a practice for the children's program. I definitely could not foresee getting through an entire play alive, while two hundred plus people were looking at me. I fought against these feelings at each practice and then some at home. It was pathetic! How could I have a passion to be involved with these types of events, and then literally feel like I was dying when the opportunity came? It was unacceptable and I had to learn to let go and allow God to do His thing. My journey to get there went something like this
A verse that I had discovered in the midst of fear once before, came back to me. It's found in Isaiah 41:10. God simply says to fear not, because He will strengthen us, help us, and hold us up with His right hand. Then in verse thirteen He actually says He will hold our right hand. So I asked myself, "Do you believe that?" Of course I believed it, but at the time I was just thinking at least I wouldn't be alone while I was keeling over! Needless to say my understanding wasn't quite full.
What will you get if you place a man on a deserted island with just a BIBLE and an OPEN HEART?
Now, obviously, he will need a few other things but let's just assume that all he has to do after his basic needs have been met is read the BIBLE.
SO...when this man comes off the island, what will you have?
ANSWER? He will be a CHRISTIAN!!
He won't be an Apostolic or a Baptist or Catholic, Jehovah Witness, Lutheran, Mormon, or even Jewish. NO!
He will be a Christian. WHY???...because he had the BIBLE...and an Open Heart.
Our enemy has been highly successful in first appealing to our prideful ability to 'build a doctrine' and then give it a name. Then he has set each of us against each other and left us to our squabbles. He has the advantage of knowing that we have a sin nature and even though he won't see most of us in hell, he will be satisfied that we will be ineffective in influencing others for Christ.
The church has the potential to be an army of believers all across the world and we are so caught up in our denominations and doctrines that we fail to show the world, one, the need of each person for a Savior and, two, the name of the one God sent to accomplish that....Jesus. Sadly, it is clear that the world looks at the church and wants nothing to do with us.
