# 150

Smoky Mountain Reflections

August 2014 #150

            So why the “#150” in this title? Well, I decided to start numbering my reflection articles and I began writing a monthly article about 14 years ago. If I were counting, this would be article #168 but I missed a few months over the past 14 years so this is actually article #152.  I decided to start at #150 now though, because I can :-). The rest of this year will have a month and a # and starting in 2015 articles will be numbered only.

            So what shall I reflect on in #150? Let's tackle tolerance, love, and marriage, shall we? These are light topics! First let me say "thanks for the tolerance" to all those enlightened, tolerant individuals who accuse the pro-life, pro-traditional-family movement of being hateful and bigoted while trying to force us to accept and fund the results of following their precepts of a non-traditional, non-biblical lifestyle. You know what funding I am talking about; they want to use your tax and healthcare premiums to pay for medications to deal with epidemic diseases and to "terminate unwanted pregnancies" (murder innocent unborn children).

            These are political issues but they are also moral issues and the church cannot stand silently by and politely nod when innocent helpless people are being murdered. How did we become a society so bent on sacrificing our children on the altar of materialism and success? It is simple, we are all selfish sinful human beings, that is why Christ had to suffer and die on the cross. Maybe if we look at this through the lens of love, with Christ’s help, we can find a better way.  The English language falls short on defining love. We only have one word for it and a lot of meaning has to be carried in the context. The Greek language, on the other hand, has four words for love: filos (brotherly love), eros (physical love), storge (familial love), and agapa (unconditional love). Notice none of these definitions speak of feelings, they are all about relationships and how we function within those relationships. In Saint Paul's famous “love chapter” to the Church at Corinth, we get some great insights on love. He tells us what it is and what it is not. First, he tells us that love is not smooth-talking, prophetic, wise, or appearing to have faith, or appearing to be self-sacrificial, because without love all of these actions are only one thing, self-serving. Without faith, forgivness, and love, all of our actions center on ourselves. And if self-service is at the source of anything we do, it is without love and therefore only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal; equal to nothing, gaining nothing.

            God-pleasing love on the other hand, is selfless and it is made so by Christ’s redeeming death on the cross. True love can be patient and kind because it selflessly desires to serve the one to whom patience and kindness is given. Love does not envy or boast and is not arrogant or rude, because it desires to serve selflessly the one to whom the honor or deference is given. Love does not insist on its own way, because it enjoys the object of one’s love having their way. Love is not irritable or resentful, because it enjoys being pleasing and pleasant toward others. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, because that means someone who is loved is being harmed. Love rejoices with the truth, because truth is where the Gospel is found. Forgiveness is the glue that binds all God pleasing relationships and is where the peace that surpasses all human understanding is found.

            A recent study published in the AFA journal noted that today's young adults have a number of enlightened prerequisites for getting married. Our young people did not think these things up. Society instilled these values in them. Here are some of those prerequisites: 24%  purchase a home; 33%  pay for a wedding; 50%  have 1 to 2 years of full time work under their belts; 51%  have a career underway;  90%  finish education;  and 91%  be financially independent. Had I applied that last one I would: still be a single man and would have missed out on over 31 years of marriage to my best friend; would burn with passion in a violation of the 10th commandment sort of way; and three of my favorite people would not exist. Maybe getting married at the age of 21 is too young in the opinion of many, but I say that all of the above prerequisites can be worked on much better if you have a life mate at your side to work on them with.

            With God's help we can provide the kind of love that bears all things, believes all things,   hopes in all things, and endures all things, because true selfless love is connected to the gospel. We know this because of these three little words in Paul's letter, "love never ends." If love is eternal it can only flow from an eternal source, and there is only one eternal being. The omnipresent triune God is the only possible source for a love that never dies. In marriage, in accordance with God’s design, we get a little glimpse of what the pre-sin creation must have been like.

            I pray that your summer is blessed with true tolerance and true love, living out your God-given role in whatever kind of family you are a part of, while holding up the Biblical model for the family as the anchor in our society for the selfless commitment of a married couple to each other and to the children they are blessed to raise.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier

SMR 0614

Smoky Mountain Reflections

June 2014

            Summer is here and it is time to finish that series on historic heresies. We discussed Legalism, Gnosticism and Arianism, so let's wrap things up and discuss Pelagianism and Socinianism.

            PELAGIANISM: The next great heresy in the church was Pelagianism. This heresy is named after the British monk named Pelagius (354-420 or 440) who first popularized the view. Pelagianism is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special divine aid. Modern day Pelagians reject the doctrine of original sin or what Calvinists call total depravity, and they reject the practice of infant baptism. This heresy leads to works righteousness or partial works righteousness known as semi-pelagianism. 

            Pelagius and Augustine were opponents and the conflict between Pelagius and Augustine involved some of the very same issues Calvinists and Armenians (believing in decision theology) still argue over today. Pelagius was motivated by a concern to elevate human free will, because he was (wrongly) convinced it was the only way to preserve human responsibility. Augustine defended the sovereignty of God, because he (rightly) knew it was the only way to preserve the centrality of divine grace in salvation.

            Augustine responded by demonstrating from scripture that the human will is not free in the sense Pelagius taught; our wills are hopelessly bound by sin (Romans 8:7–8). Sinners are utterly helpless to change for the better apart from the external working of divine grace in their hearts (Jeremiah 13:23). The Council of Ephesus in 431 condemned Pelagianism as heretical.

            SOCINIANISM: Socinianism is a system of Christian doctrine named for Fausto Sozzini (Latin: Faustus Socinus), which was developed among the Polish Brethren in the Minor Reformed Church of Poland during the 16th and 17th centuries, and embraced by the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the same period. It is most famous for its Non-Trinitarian Christology but contains a number of other unorthodox beliefs.

            Socinianism is the culmination of heresy—an amalgamation of all the other heresies—and it is without a doubt the most widespread of all the heresies in our generation. Modern theological liberalism is nothing more than a variety of Socinianism. Rejecting everything Catholic, the Socinians ended up with a doctrine that embraced virtually every serious error that had ever assaulted the church. Like the legalists and the Pelagians, they taught salvation by works. Like the Gnostics and the Arians, they were Anti-Trinitarian. In fact, they denied not only the deity of Christ but also every miraculous element of scripture, just as many do today. They blended the skepticism of the Sadducees with the humanistic rationalism of the enlightenment era, and that combination is what gave birth to this heresy. Modern day Unitarian Universalism is a clear representation of this heresy. This heresy does away with the authority of scripture and makes human reason supreme. Socinians would say that Jesus came to show us how to live not to die for our sins.

            Every cult and every false doctrine that exists today has something in common with one or more of these five false doctrines. Now you are equipped to take on any serious heretic. So remember, if you run into a any of these garden variety heretics, let them know the church condemned Legalism in the first century, Gnosticism in the second century, Arianism in the third century, Pelagianism in the fifth century, and Socinianism around 400 years ago. Or, just tell them to read the Bible.

Blessed Summer,

Pastor Portier

May 2014

Smoky Mountain Reflections

May 2014

            Words and phrases can mean different things in different contexts to different people. We should be very careful to know what our words mean before we say them.  I cannot change the meaning of a word/s to suit my own needs and desires. I will acknowledge that word usage and meanings can and do change over time, but sadly, some words are used today that mean one thing for one group and a different thing for another. We as Christians should be careful how we use words. Let's look at some words and see how they are commonly misused, and how we might communicate more clearly by saying what we really mean.

            Let's start with the word “tolerance”. According to Dictionary.com, this word has many definitions, but let's exclude its medical and technical definitions, and focus on the second of the three general definitions, which is "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own."   We do not need to pick this definition apart; let's just say one can be civil toward those whose opinions and practices are different than their own. This does not say that you must agree, just that you have a kind permissive attitude toward them. As
conservative biblical Christians these days, we find a strong double standard applied to us when it comes to the word “tolerance”. We are called intolerant and judgmental of others when we stand with the clear teaching of God's word on the definition of family and the sanctity of human life. At the same time those who accuse us of being intolerant are at the very same time being very intolerant of us and our consciences with regard to the authority of God's word. Now some of this is because some Christians try to judge others and tell them how they should act or what they should do. But that is not our call as Christians. We are to be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in our hearts; this means that I, as a forgiven sinner, want others to know how great it is to be forgiven, so I stand ready to tell others that Christ died for our sins, and in order to understand what sins are, we must accept God’s definitions and not make up our own. So if you find yourself being called an intolerant bigot, thank the person who says that to you, letting them know how much you appreciate their tolerance of your convictions.

            There are also common words and phrases that Christians use that should be used with caution. You have probably heard me say before "I am too blessed to be depressed". This is a catchy phrase, but it carries, I think, a dangerous assumption that only happy, well-to-do people, are blessed. This is of course not what is meant, but
consider the next time you are sharing your struggles, pains, or anxieties in life, that this is also a time to acknowledge that you are blessed because God's blessings upon us are constant. He is always there caring for us and working for our good even if we are ignorant of it during times of suffering. 

            Another dangerous phrase is "It’s a God thing" not because something is not “a God thing” (because He is in control of everything, so everything is a God thing). Unfortunately, we often use this not to acknowledge that God is in control (and it amazes us how He works through the things in our life to both discipline and care for us), but it is used to recognize things that we feel are good. This again implies that the bad things that we don’t like are not “God things”, but He is working there as well.    

            "God placed it on my heart" is a phrase that implies special divine revelation, when we know God reveals Himself through His word.  When we have an idea or make a decision it is possible, if not probable, that God uses our environment, friends, family, and our prayer to help us come to a God pleasing idea or decision, but to say "God placed it on my heart" implies divine authority behind the words we speak, and unless we are proclaiming biblical truth, what we say is our opinion, not God's Word.   

            There is one phrase, however, that I think we as Lutherans should never use, because I feel it is based on a theology that is not biblical. "Come to Jesus". We as Christians do not “come” to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit plants faith in our hearts at our Baptism or when God’s word is preached and we hear and believe. Either way we are not coming to faith, faith is coming to us.

Ok, enough rambling with words about words. Have a "blessed" (no matter how good or bad it is) :-) Spring.

In Christ,

April a little late

Smoky Mountain Reflections

April 2014

            Spring is upon us, and as I clear my head from a busy winter I have noticed that I started a series of articles in January that I neglected to finish. Now that it is spring and I am thinking more clearly, let’s return to the series I started on the five historic heresies. We already discussed the oldest (legalism), and right on its heels came Gnosticism and Arianism, so let’s look at these.

            Gnosticism: The word Gnosticism comes from the Ancient Greek “gnosis” meaning knowledge. This heresy first shows up in a number of ancient religions which taught that people should shun the material world and embrace the spiritual world. Gnostic ideas influenced many religions, including Christianity. Gnosticism is basically a pendulum swing away from the first heresy, legalism.  Where the Judaizers combined Jewish practice with Christianity, Gnosticism combined pagan philosophy with Christianity. The Judaizers were holding on to the past, while Gnostics broke with the past looking to be attractive to the society of their day.... sound familiar?

            Ancient Gnosticism is hard to pin down. It requires a “special knowledge” but that special knowledge is never clearly defined, much like today’s New Age movement (which is already decades old, so it is no longer new and therefore has faded from popularity like all fads).  Christian varieties of Gnosticism did not really come into full form until sometime in the second century. That is when we see things such as Gnostic gospels show up. Christianity survived Gnosticism by confronting it head-on. Many of the early church fathers fought for Biblical truth, laying down their lives rather than compromising their faith in Christ by mixing it with Paganism.

            Gnosticism made numerous claims over the years, and as one version was squashed by the church, another would pop up in its place. However, most forms of Gnosticism fall into three categories. Dualism claims that everything in the universe is reducible to two fundamental realities, for example Good & Evil or Flesh & Spirit. Syncretism is the merging of two different systems of belief, for example, modern day Unitarian Universalism, or the beliefs of many Americans who claim to be Christian but will say "all paths lead to God". The last category is Docetism, which claims that Christ only appeared to be human. Modern historic critics make a similar sort of claim when they try to explain away all of Christ’s miracles with human reason, making him an aberration of a collective consciousness or the creation of a deluded individual or individuals.

            Arianism shows us how heresy can arise from within the church. During a climate of tolerance after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, Arianism became a movement within the church before anyone rose up to oppose it. This is Satan’s favorite tactic; disguising himself as an angel of light. Arianism is an attack on the deity of Christ. The Arians claimed that Jesus Christ was a created being, higher than humanity, but less than truly God. The Gnostic attacked the church from outside the church, but Arianism brought false doctrine to the church from within. Arius was the heretic for whom this doctrine is named. He devised a view of Christ that made Him a created being, neither divine nor truly human, but a mediator between God and humanity. According to Arius, Christ was the firstborn of all creation, higher than other creatures, but a creature nonetheless. This is exactly what modern Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. Jehovah's Witnesses use the very same arguments Arius did.

            The Nicene Creed was the church’s response to Arianism, but it marked the beginning, not the end,

of the controversy in the church. After their doctrine was condemned by the council, the Arians pleaded for tolerance, and they succeeded in infecting the church worldwide with their doctrine. Emperor Constantine was frustrated when the Nicene Council was not successful in quelling the Arian controversy, because he wanted harmony in the church to promote harmony in his land. Arianism became so popular that only one man ended up standing against it—Athanasius (the same Athanasius after whom the Athanasian Creed is named).

            Although Athanasius stood alone against the majority of the church in his day, his arguments won out, because he employed Scripture skillfully and persuasively to demonstrate the error of the heresy. This episode is a classic example of why Scripture, not majority opinion, is the first and last test of every doctrine. This is why we hold to the Book of Concord as the clearest exposition of biblical truth.

            We only have two left, so next month we will address Pelagianism and Socinianism. See you then.

In Christ, Pastor Portier

March 2013

Smoky Mountain Reflections

March 2014

            So as we enter this Lenten season what should we reflect on....What Christ did for us and why He had to do it.  As I ponder this thinking of lent as solemn, melancholy, struggling, suffering...lets tackle one of those difficult "in the world but not of it" questions that we as Christians do struggle with seeking to maintain a good conscience before God to do His will in our lives when it seems there are not good options.     

            Specifically I would like to discuss boycotting and / or associating ourselves with organizations or businesses that either aggressively support positions that encourage people to live in a state of unrepentant sin or take no position at all on behavior which God's word clearly condemns as sinful and harmful. Our society has in essence normalized sinful behaviors such as: murder through assisted suicide, starving the infirmed to death and abortion, and adultery through cohabitation, same gender and polyamorous relationships.

            Even more specifically I would like to address three organizations that have always been purveyors of good moral character but have in recent years succumb to the pressures of seeking to keep everybody happy.  In a customer is always right driven society that is a normal turn of events however the customer is not always right because all customers are sinners which means that sometimes we want what is not good or good for us. Just as any parent who has said not to a child can tell you the results are often unpleasant. The three organizations are "The Boy Scouts of America," BSA "The Girl Scouts USA," GSUSA and "Thrivent financial for Lutherans". (Which recently voted to change its name to Thrivent Financial for Christians)

            Let me first say that that it is virtually impossible to do business today without directly or indirectly supporting some sinful behavior because we are sinners doing business with sinners. The hard part of being in but not of the world is that we must sometimes do business with companies that we know have policies that scripture condemns. When you buy a nail, a sandwich or a shirt while you may be indirectly supporting a sinful policy or behavior, this act of business is not seen as approval of something which scripture clearly condemns. This however does not relieve us of doing our best to defund and condemn with our words and our patronage that which is evil, while supporting and being good customers to those businesses who are proactive in their support of sound biblical morality.          

            That being said the BSA and the GSUSA have nondiscriminatory policies with regard to sexual orientation. While both organizations proclaim neutrality on the sanctity of human life, every person that the national office of the GSUSA holds up as a role models for girls to follow are vocally pro-choice. Also consider  that over 90 Girl Scouts and their leaders  marched in the Gay pride parade last year. So while their policies are neutral their actions are not. So what about those tasty cookies they sell each spring, Should we by them? First I would like to point out that our local Girl scout council is not connected to many of these  issues that the national office of the organization is responsible for. If you by cookies the latest figures they provide say 70% stays in the local council and troops while and 30% goes to the bakeries. What they do not tell you is that the bakeries must pay millions to the national organization every year for the privilege of providing the cookies. So what I have chosen to do is tell the nice little girl I have been getting my annul supply of cookies form that this is the last year we will be purchasing any cookies. The same can be said for BSA popcorn. That does not mean you cannot still support your local troop in either organization, Just make your donation directly to the troop as long as they do not support or agree with the policies that violate God's word. This way you can be an influence for positive change without becoming an isolationist.      

            I expect secular organizations such as the BSA and the GSUSA to take neutral positions on moral issues, However I feel that it is inexcusable for a Christian organization to be claim neutrality on issue of biblical morality. That is what Thrivent has done, they issued a statement in January that says they are neutral on  issues such as abortion and sexual orientation. The result of this decision is that pro-choice organizations which have since 2006 received from Thrivent over $8400, and Pro-live organizations like the Woman's Care Center here in Sevierville will no longer receive the over $878,000 dollars that were given out annually to support pregnancy resource centers. It saddens me that my life insurance company which I chose because all of its profits were to be used to support the Gospel, Could be said to be indirectly responsible for over 30 abortions in the past 7 years. I am not saying to divest yourself from Thrivent, however as we are in but not of the world we must speak the truth in love. So sign the online petition to get Thrivent to refund those Pro-life organizations, and make it clear that if they do not make some changes for the good you may be doing business elsewhere.

            How we as individuals can be a positive influence and how we as a church body are a positive influence will look a little different.  The church must not be seen to associate itself with public organizations that hold positions that are in clear violation of God's word. Because a public association is in affect an endorsement of that organization. That is why we did not re-charter the boy scout troop which used to meet here. however it is possible for individuals to be involved in local troops that hold to biblical morality and stand for that truth in that organization. The same can be said for any organization as long as it does not require oaths or that conflict with or imply support for sinful activity.                    

            I know this month's reflection is a little long however I wanted to give you some solid advice on hot to be in but not of the world in these difficult times. Our suffering for the Gospel is relatively light compared with those of the early church or even those who today live in lands where they are terribly persecuted for faith in Christ.  However it is still suffering and at the end of every day we all have to live with our consciences guided by His will. So as you carry your cross this Lenten season remember, Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Blessed Lententide

In Christ

Pastor Portier 

SMR 114

Smoky Mountain Reflections

January 2014

            Happy New Year. As we begin this New Year I would like to use my reflection articles in the coming months to examine five historic heresies. Legalism, Gnosticism, Arianism, Pelagianism, and Socinianism are five errors or departures from biblical truth that just refuse to die. All modern departures from biblical truth (either directly or indirectly) fall into one of these five categories. I chose two commonly parroted phrases to begin the series: "All paths lead to god" and "There is nothing new under the sun." The first phrase is a clear heresy and the second is a sound biblical truth found in the ninth verse of Ecclesiastes chapter one. Heresies are like viruses that infect sound doctrine and grow within the church, attacking biblical truth and sound practices. So before we discuss the five historic types, we must first define ‘heresy’.

            Heresy: A doctrine or practice contrary to clear biblical truth. This is of course, a confessional Lutheran definition of this word. Some will argue that "clear biblical truth" is a topic for debate and I will refer that debate to my Reflection in November of 2013 when I discussed the topic of Hermeneutics, or biblical interpretation. So what biblical truth does the statement "All paths lead to god" depart from? The biblical principal of exclusivity. This is a clear principal taught throughout scripture. It is the first commandment, and Christ himself claimed this exclusivity in John 14 verse 6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The issue of exclusivity is offensive in our postmodern society.  Interestingly, those who condemn this principal as too exclusive....exclude those who hold this view, while claiming to be inclusive of all....except of course those who are too exclusive. If that seems a bit circular, illogical, and ridiculous to you...welcome to the club. 

            Now that we know what a heresy is, let's look at the five historic heresies and their many permutations, or various methods of expression. We will then see that when the devil seeks to decieve God's people he just repackages his same old lies. "There is nothing new under the sun." We examine and understand heresy so that we can clearly understand the many ways Satan tries to lead us away from God so that we can in essence protect ourselves from these false doctrines and practices, just like a vaccine protects us from a virus.  The first and oldest of the heresies is Legalism, which made its first appearance in the Garden of Eden when Eve added to God's instruction by saying they should not touch the fruit. God said they shall not eat of it, but He did not prohibit touching.  I find it interesting that this first form of legalism could be seen as laying the ground work for the first real sinful act of disobedience.  When we create our own rules it leads to confusion which leads to sin. The early Christian church dealt with this heresy in the form of the Judaizers. Again, the problem with this form of heresy is that it makes rules where God does not and in so doing drives a wedge between God and man. It could be said that this is what all heresies do, but each one does it in a different way.  With legalism, you end up with rules that are works you must do in order to be saved or have access to salvation.  In the case of the Judaizers, they required circumcision, in essence saying that you had to first become Jewish in order to become a Christian. This shifts the work of salvation away from Jesus and puts it on our shoulders. We see St. Paul and the other Apostles working hard to root out this heresy in the early Church in the book of Acts and in many of Paul's epistles, especially Galatians. They came together specifically to deal with this question in Acts 15.  We know from Romans 4: 5 & 6 that we are justified objectively by works outside of ourselves in the person and work of Christ. "5.  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6.  just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works…" All of chapter four is a good read on how we are made righteous and justified before God.

             We see legalism sadly alive and well within Trinitarian Christianity today in many forms. They are man-made rules that are not biblical. For example, the idea that some form of penance is required for forgiveness, or that some form of decision on my part is required for a heart troubled by its own sinful nature to be given the gift of faith, turning Baptism and the Lord’s Supper into works of obedience, or requiring speaking in tongues as evidence of faith. Whenever we require a rule or activity that is not based on a clear biblical doctrine, as I pointed out earlier with the doctrine of exclusivity, we fall into the same legalistic trap Eve did when she put words in God’s mouth about touching the fruit. Blessings, see you next month when Gnosticism and Arianism will be our topics of discussion.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier              

SMR 1213

Smoky Mountain Reflections

December 2013

            Greetings in Christ and blessings on you and yours as we enjoy this wondrous season of Advent, anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child.  Last month I tried to briefly touch on two topics; hermeneutics and evangelism.  I was so wordy in discussing the first, I ran out of space to spend any time on the second. I know the word evangelism can cause some of you to break out in a cold sweat but it does not have to be that way.

            What I hope to do in this article is give you some easy pointers on how to share the Gospel in a way that is non-confrontational and lets you trust in God to do the heavy lifting. We do not have to be afraid to share our faith with others if we come at it from a well thought out simple process, so here we go.

            1. Follow the golden rule, if you treat others as you would like to be treated, then you are well on your way to sharing your faith. If you seek to love others (friends, neighbors, classmates, and/or coworkers) by being kind, caring, concerned, helpful, and respectful, you are laying a firm foundation for building relationships that will make you more comfortable sharing and your friends, neighbors, classmates, and/or coworkers more willing to listen.  It really is that simple. Good relationships with others create a positive environment for God's word and the Holy Spirit to do their faith creating work. God does not need you. He simply gives you the opportunity to be a part of spreading His good news.

            80% of the people who join churches do so because they were invited by a friend or family member. And 80% of our neighbors do not go to church. The field is ripe for harvest. We just need to be serious about living out our faith in the presence of others.

            2. Three simple questions, There is no reason for you to try to evangelize someone who goes to a Trinitarian Christian church. So the first question should be "Do you go to church?" If the answer is yes and they know the name of their pastor, the conversation can be one of comparing the basics of Christian faith, the 10 commandments, the Creeds, the Lord's prayer, Baptism, the Lords Supper, and Confession and Absolution. If the answer is no that leads to the second question, "What do you believe?" this can be asked in a kind and curious way, and be ready to listen....most people are ready to tell you what they believe. Once you have heard their explanation of what they believe, move to the third question "Would you mind if I shared with you what I believe and why I believe it?"      

            3. Do not argue. You cannot argue people into heaven. Arguing often leads to one or both of you becoming defensive, uncooperative, or stubborn, not to mention the possibility of hurt feelings and unloving comments. (see #1 above) This does not mean you cannot be passionate and enthusiastic about what you believe, but remember your body language or voice inflection reveal how you feel more than you realize. So if you hear yourself getting loud make sure it is out of love and concern and not anger and hostility.    

            4. Know what you believe. You do not have to be an expert but you should be able to clearly explain what you believe. God being all powerful reveals to us clearly all we need to know in His word, the 66 books of the Holy Bible. For example, possibly citing a text like "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16) would be helpful. Simple truths like the fact that we are all sinners and have fallen short (Rom 3:23) is another example. And certainly the fact that Jesus redeemed all of mankind on the Cross (John 3:16) can explain the basics of our Christian faith. We know the Holy Spirit is the one who does the work of creating faith through God’s word (Isaiah 55:11) but He blesses us to be the feet that carry our mouths to speak that good news.  Do not be afraid that you will be asked a question you cannot answer. Carry a pocket sized bible or a bible app on your phone and be ready to look it up together.  If you are still stumped you have 24/7 access to a trained theologian, your pastor, who is always ready to help you find biblical answers to difficult questions.   

            5. Pray. We all know that sharing our faith is easier said than done however if we take a few small steps we can be ready. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”  (1 Peter 3:15) Besides having a few scripture texts  ready to go, the best thing to always do before deliberately attempting to share your faith is pray. Pray to the author and perfecter of your faith that you might help him create faith in those to whom He has called you to witness. The Advent and Christmas season are great times to invite those you know who do not go to church to come and worship with you and see and hear all the great things God whats to give us all in His service.

Blessings on your anticipation

In Christ

Pastor Portier