11.10.09
Facing Doubts
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Have you ever thought about what we would do if Jesus walked as a man on the earth today and He performed the miracles that we read about in the Bible?
Many of Jesus’ followers were eye witnesses to the amazing miracles Jesus worked in His life while he was here on the earth.
They watched firsthand as Jesus turned water into wine, restored sight to the blind, healed infirmities, and brought the dead back to life.
I believe that most of us today would probably doubt just as most of them did.
Today Twitter would be full of tweets, blogs would be over run with accusations, and the TV news shows would continue to sow seeds of doubt and discord and tell of the lies and tricks of this man named Jesus.
However, in the face of our doubts, no matter how strong or cynical, Jesus is still the miracle worker today as He was then.
He is still the one who today heals, frees, and even raises those from the dead!
The question is:
Do we trust that He can do anything in our lives today?
Do we trust that He can and will provide our every need?
Do we trust He can open blinded eyes in the spirit realm and in the natural?
Do we trust He can and will do the miraculous?
In John chapter 11 we read the story of Martha and Lazaras.
Martha had spent a lot of time with Jesus; He had been at her home on many occasions and yet she doubted that He could bring back her brother Lazarus once he was dead and in the grave. She had no confindence in this man Jesus whom she knew well she had doubt that she would see Lazaras rise up from the dead and walk out of the tomb he had been in for 4 days.
In v. 24 Martha says to Jesus
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
She first believed if Jesus was there her brother would not have died, but now he had, and even though she believed Jesus was the son of God, it never occurs to her that he can raise Lazarus from the dead. Or if it did occur to her she did not believe it could happen.
It had been 4 whole days that he was lying dead in the tomb. How could Jesus bring him back now?
She allowed her grief and her five sense realm to dictate to her what her belief should be.
What is your situation and your five senses telling you or leading you to believe about a situation you are in?
Martha knew in the natural that Lazarus had been dead too long; too long she thought for even Jesus to do anything about it. A little side note to notice; even though Jesus knew she had doubts, Jesus still called to Lazarus to come forth and right before Martha’s doubting eyes she watched Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive and well!
I love that- he had compassion on them all – he has compassion on us too. Martha, Mary, and all those who were there mourning with them all saw the power of Jesus. Many of them had heard or seen his power before, yet they did not believe he could do the impossible. We are like this, we see God do many miraculous things in our lives, yet when we face our hardest trial we do not think he can come through Martha and Mary both told Jesus if he had been there Lazarus would not have died – they had faith for that, however, they did not ever once believe he could just return life back to Lazarus very dead body. And we do the same thing, we can believe God can do one thing but not another.
Doubt according to the dictionary means:
to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.
to distrust
to fear; be apprehensive about.
Jesus instructed us over an over in his word to believe, only believe.
Mark 11:24 What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
All throughout the old and new testament we hear story after story of those who believed God gave them what they believed for.
Jesus asked us to only believe he could, when we believe He can, he honors that belief is a key element to victory over your situation.
When we choose to believe and not doubt we will see a breakthrough.
We cannot let our doubts keep us from experiencing Jesus’ life changing power.
We must trust Him and stand back and watch him work in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
We are to only trust Him
That’s what He wants to know do we trust Him? Do we believe he is the same Jesus who walked the earth and raised Lazarus from the dead?
Is he the same?
Yes! Hebrews 13:8 says
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
What he did then, he can and will do now but we have a part to play we must believe and not doubt!
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11.03.09
Know This Is Only A Test Part 4
Throughout the month of October we did a series on
Know this is only a test!
We have talked about trails and how we are all in seasons of testing. We have tests to endure so we can move up in our levels in life and in our spiritual walk.
And we have learned we can pass the tests in life if we know what the word of God says. And Testing is what proves we are ready for use by God.
We learned what Paul taught us in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that we are to have proper fruit during trials, and that fruit is our actions and our words.
Speaking the word of God instead of speaking of lack, debt, sickness, or doubt or unbelief!
James instructed us in James 1:2-4: To consider it wholly joyful, whenever we encounter trials of any sort.
And we are to let endurance, steadfastness and patience do a thorough work, in us so that we may be perfectly and fully developed lacking in nothing. Hallelujah
We have learned there are some truths in testing:
WE ALL EXPERIENCE TESTS AT EACH STAGE OF OUR GROWTH NO ONE IS EXEMPT!
TESTING ALWAYS PRECEDES PROMOTION
OUR GOAL IS TO PASS THE TEST
SELF PROMOTION AND THE PROMOTION OF OTHERS CAN NEVER REPLACE GOD’S DIVINE PROMOTION.
We learned some of the types of tests:
MOTIVATION TEST that comes to the one who are doing right, to prove why they are doing it.
The LORDSHIP TEST which occurs when you’re in a situation where it becomes difficult to obey God. It will reveal your heart response to who or what has the final authority in your life.
The WILDERNESS TEST that comes in dryness to prove your potential to change and enter you into a new growth level.
The TEST OF TIME because it involves waiting! And proves the quality of your work, based on both opportunity and longevity
TEST OF SMALL THINGS which comes to prove our faithfulness/potential for greater opportunities & challenges.
STEWARDSHIP TEST which proves how strategic & generous we handle the resources we presently control.
And the
CREDIBILITY TEST That proves our ability & integrity: and it is to reveal that we won’t compromise our ethics under pressure.
We are going to finish up this series with the Warfare Test, The Authority Test, and the Offense Test
The Warfare Test is a test which proves what you’ll do when you are in God’s will & you experience adversity/opposition.
Exodus 13:17
“If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
The Hebrew children have been lead out of Egypt headed to the Promised Land. However God does not lead them on the main road, the obvious road, the road that was a direct route from Egypt to the land God had said they would possess.
God leads them on the route that will take longer and one that has a big obstacle in its path – the red sea!
When we have a promise from God and we are on our journey, going along in his will, we may not get the shortest destination route to our promise.
We may get huge obstacles like the Red Sea where we must trust God.
God does not always work in the way that seems best to us!
God knew what was ahead in the Philistine territory, he knew his children he was leading out and he knew they must take a longer route.
When we are on our way to where God has for us we are not to complain or resist God when we don’t get to go the route we think is best.
In the midst of our being right in the will of God we are not promised there would be no adversity
God knew there was a huge Sea they would have to cross; he was not surprised when they arrived, he already had it worked out.
We need to remember we are in a test even when we are in God’s will, remember in an earlier part of the series we learned that the word test means the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; We may be right in God’s will but this warfare test is determining our genuineness.
Were the Hebrew children going to trust God when they approached the Sea? Would they lean on him through this journey in the desert?
And just as God gave the Hebrews a pillar of cloud and fire so they would know day and night that God was with them God has given us his word and the Holy Spirit to guide us through our time of testing.
OFFENSE TEST
This test comes to prove you’re not easily offended and are ready to forgive others.
Heb.12:14-15
“Pursue peace with all men…see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by it many be defiled…”
Listen to some of the definitions of offense:
Something that outrages, the act of attacking; assault, the act of displeasing
We do not truly understand what bitterness and unforgiveness can cause in our lives. Matthew 18: 23-35 tells us if we do not forgive people we get turned over to the torturers.
If we would only realize that when we choose not be to offended and forgive someone who has hurt or offended us we are actually helping ourselves rather than them.
We feel as if we are the ones who are to pass a judgment sentence on them, we feel justified in doing so because we have been hurt, However, we are really helping ourselves when we choose to not be offended and to forgive and we are releasing them so God can do what he wants to do with them.
God will deal with those who hurt us if we will put them in his hands by forgiving them. I see forgiving them as a seed I am sowing in obedience to God’s word, and once I have sown that seed he will bring about the harvest of blessing.
I will be free; I will not be in bitterness, anger, or a place of hurt
I am totally free!
Series diseases can develop as a result of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.
Mark 11:25-26
“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your
Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in Heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Jesus himself said this and he clearly teaches us that unforgiveness hinders our faith from working.
When we look above at several verses at all Jesus was telling us, he said if we say to our mountain, he said whatsoever we desire when we pray, he said we are to believe and we will have what we want, or be able to cast into the sea that which we don’t want. However Jesus also says first we are to forgive anyone we are holding a grudge against being offended is holding a grudge
AUTHORITY TEST This test comes to prove your attitude & willing submission towards your God-given authority. Those who are over you in authority.
I Samuel 24
Tells the story of David and his 600 men who are hiding in the caves in the wilderness from Saul because he has been repeatedly trying to kill David.
David, his men, and Saul all know David will be king and when Saul enters the cave David and his men are hiding in
David’s men see an opportunity for David to kill Saul because he has no idea they are hiding there. They assumed this was an indication from God they should act.
David on the other hand had great respect for Saul even though he was trying to kill him. David respected Saul’s position of authority as God’s anointed King.
David did know he was to be king, but he also knew it was not right to strike down the man God had placed on the throne.
When David refused to do what his men urged and take the opportunity to rid himself of his enemy David instead decided to stand against the group and do what was right.
We must not allow our moral standards by giving in to group pressure or taking the easy way out.
It was true David was to be king; it was true Saul was wrong by trying to kill David but it was also true that it was not David’s place to step out and take matters into his own hands and not allow God to handle the situation.
Romans 13: 1-7 teaches that God has placed the government and it leaders in power, we may not know why but we are to respect the positions and roles of those to whom God has given authority.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 clearly tells us first before we pray for our children, ourselves, or anything else we are to pray for our leaders for all in authority over us!
It is our responsibility as children of God to pray for those in authority over us, God can only intervene as Christians seek his face and ask him to move!
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