“When Faith and Doubt Intersect”

Can I profess to be a believer but at the same time struggle with unbelief?  The answer is yes.  In the Bible we find the story of a father who brings his son to Jesus to be healed.  His son has suffered since childhood---so we assume he now is a bit older but still in the care of his father.  Most people agree that this boy must have had epilepsy.  When the father brought him to the disciples they prayed over him expecting that he would be healed.  But this time they seemed to be in over their heads. They prayed and laid hands on him and spoke the Name of Jesus but nothing changed.  

We hear Jesus say, “bring the boy to me.” Now we expect to see some action. We expect to see things get better-- instead they get worse. The evil spirit in the boy sees Jesus and throws the boy into convulsions. He is completely out of control. Things only get worse.  

This got me to thinking.  We sometimes mislead people by telling them if they just come to Jesus their lives will be immediately better. Fact is they may become more difficult. Friends and family may not understand. It may bring tension to your job because now you have Biblical standards you live by. We think we are immune from illness and tragedy and trouble as believers but instead things get worse and we don't understand. Our faith collides with our questions and we walk away empty. Ever been in the ER with someone you love and the doctors just keep asking questions? And we're thinking, quit asking questions and do something!!!  Here's Jesus ..... the boy is having a convulsion, down on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Jesus calmly asks, “how long has he been like this?” All the time this whole scene is growing more tense.  Finally the father says to Jesus “if you can  do anything, take pity on us and help us.” I love the response of Jesus here. He says, “if you can?” It’s like, “sure I can.  Are you kidding?” Is the Pope Catholic? Is Billy Graham a Christian? Is a fire truck red? Does Taylor swift write songs about breaking up?  Jesus says, “Of course I can.”   Jesus said EVERYTHING is possible for him who believes.

Listen to the father’s response. He says “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” Ever feel that way? Part of you believes. Part of you doubts. Part of you says yes to God. Part of you says I’m not sure. Part of you has faith. Part of you is afraid. And when faith and doubt collide it can be a dangerous place to be because some of us will choose to just walk away. But a faith that is never questioned is not worth having.

Can we have faith and still have doubts at the same time? Absolutely. The good news is that when we face up to our doubts, when we allow faith and doubt to come together, that is when we actually give God room to do only what he can do.

In Africa there is an animal called the Impala.  They can jump as high as ten feet and as far as 30.  You can find them at the zoo where they are often kept in an enclosure that is only 3 to 4 feet high.  So you wonder, why don’t they jump out?  It’s simple.  They can’t see what is on the other side of the wall. They will not jump out because they can’t see where their feet will land.  We’re the same way.   

Never fall into the belief that we must have every question answered, know every step we are about to take and understand life completely.  At least 3 things are important here.  (1) Be honest with God about your doubts.   God is big enough, smart enough and confident enough to deal with your questions. (2) Get to Jesus asap.  Hurry to Jesus.  Of all the things we need to get in a hurry for, Jesus should be at the top of the list.  (3)  Let your doubt push you toward Jesus, not away from Him.   Don’t ever let doubt destroy your faith.

"Going to the Wrestling Matches"

Growing up in Arkansas I lived in a smaller town of about 25,000 people.  One of the things that we did as kids was to go to the wrestling matches on Tuesday nights.  Boy scouts got in free and I was a boy scout.  Now in case you don’t already know I want to break some news to you.  Brace yourself.  Wrestling is fake.  It’s not real.  But tell anybody, because people love this stuff.  I recall as a young boy that it was announced for weeks that one of the wrestlers would be tangling with an alligator.  It was packed that night.  However, I think this particular gator might have been quadriplegic because he didn't move from the neck down.  Maybe he was sedated.  But as I looked at him I thought, "I think I can take him."  He never swung his tail, never even opened his mouth…none of the things that happen on television.  Why?  Because it’s fake.  

This got me to thinking. In the spiritual realm it is very different.  In Greek and Roman culture when they would fight it was a fight to the finish...…..till one was dead.  When it comes to wrestling, Satan is an Olympic champion and he is constantly looking for an area of our life that is unguarded.  He hopes our shield is down.  And he will attack when we are least prepared.

Paul tells us to "put on the belt of truth."  This first piece of the armor is vital, especially since Satan is known as the deceiver.  Truth is our only stance against deceit.

Have you ever wondered how Satan gains such a stronghold over God's people?

This seems to be one process he uses.   

(1)  He says, "you can have this."  Then whatever it is you desire, it becomes a possibility.

(2)  He then says, "you should have this."  Now it is not just a possibility, it’s a probability.

(3)  He says, "you must have this." When Satan makes us believe it is something we must have, then he is making progress.    

(4)  He says, "you deserve this."  Now he is beginning to program us.  Now we are thinking like he thinks.  

(5)  Last he says, "you can have this and here’s how."  Now he gives us a plan.  He says now you can proceed.  And now, if only for a moment, you have become his property.  You sort of belong to him.  

Paul describes this battle as a wrestling match only it is real, not fake.  And it's not weekly, it's daily.  Our part is to prayerfully put on the armor of God and then take a stand against the enemy.  So grab the belt of truth today and put it on.  Doesn't matter what your waist size is, it will fit.  And without it, well...you know what happens. :-)

There is a little book that was written 600 years before Christ by a Chinese philosopher named Sun Szu.  He was so effective in battler that they began to call him The Sun Warrior.  It is said that in all of his battles, he never lost a single one.  This got me to thinking.

There is another book called The Bible.  The Bible also talks about warfare and battle. The New Testament talks about spiritual warfare and reminds us of some ways to defend ourselves in battle.  Spiritual Warfare is a very tricky matter.  Many of us are so blinded by Satan that we do not even realize we are in warfare.  Our very souls have already been captured by the enemy.  I see at least 6 principles we need to understand when we are engaging for battle in spiritual matters. 

(1) There is an invisible world that is just as real as the visible world.  We tend to accept as reality only those things that we can see, hear, touch, smell or taste.  We are a lot like Thomas who said, “unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were and place my hand into His side, I will not believe it.”   But when we begin to talk about that which is invisible, things that cannot be seen, heard, tasted or touched we begin to think those things are not real.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  While we live in this visible world, at the same time we also live in an invisible spiritual world.  

(2) Our invisible world has eternal consequences.  In the invisible world there is a conflict going on; a battle of the ages between good and evil, light and darkness, God and Satan.  There are satanic forces and there are heavenly forces and you and I are smack dab in the middle of the whole thing.

(3)  Our enemy is formidable and He has a plan for your life and mine.  We often use the phrase that God has a plan for our lives.  He does but let me also assure you that Satan does as well.   His plan is twofold [1] he has a plan to destroy us.  He is described in the book of John as the thief who comes to kill, steal and destroy.  It is his goal to destroy our spirit.  If you are a believer, he cannot destroy you however he can [2] discredit you.  He can discredit churches.  He can use people to create problems and division in churches so that when the world looks in on us their only question they are asking is “why would I want anything to do with the church?  Look at how they treat each other!” 

(4)  We must respect the enemy but we should not fear him.  We have to be aware of Satan’s tactics if we’re going to win the war.  He is called our adversary,     a liar and the accuser.  He attacks the church by using false religions, false pastors and false doctrine.  He attacks God’s people by persecuting believers, promoting division in the church and promoting pride.

(5)  He is powerful but He is also limited.  We should not underestimate the power of Satan but neither should we overestimate his power. 

(6)  We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory.  It’s like watching a prerecorded football game and  we already know the final score.  We are watching with complete confidence that our team is going to win.  Because we have already seen the end of the game.  As Christians we should read the last page of the book.  Revelation tells us that we will win in the end.  I am glad I have that victory in the future but am equally glad I have it today.

"Go Ahead...take the Mulligan this Year"

I heard the story of a golfer who was on the first hole and he teed the ball up…nice long drive but it landed right on an anthill.  Rather than move the ball, he decided to hit it where it was lying.  He gave it a really powerful swing….dirt flew everywhere…sand was flying and he must have killed a thousand ants with that one swing.  Everything flew into the air…except the ball.  It sat right in the same spot.  So he lined up and tried another shot. Clouds of dirt and sand and ants went flying again. The golf ball didn't budge.   Just two ants survived and one of them was dazed.  He said to the other …, "Whoa! What are we going to do?"  Said the other ant: "well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to get on the ball.”

For some of us the New Year is a time for us to do something, a time to get on the ball.  A time to set goals and resolutions.  I always look forward to a new year because it gives me a fresh start.  

In golf there is what is known as a mulligan shot.  Even if you don’t play golf you have probably heard someone use the expression that they are going to "take a mulligan."  We don’t know for sure where that phrase comes from but one story goes like this:  a man named Buddy Mulligan worked as an attendant in the locker room at a Country club in New Jersey in the 1930s.  At the end of the day when he would finish cleaning the locker room, he would ask one of the golf pros if they would play a round with him. Well, one day his first shot was so bad that he asked the golf pro if he could take another shot.  He said, "you know, I’ve been working in the locker room all day and you’ve been practicing all day….it seems fair that I could take that shot over."  So he did.  And the shot became known as a mulligan.  This got me to thinking.

Mulligans are not only needed in golf, we need them in every area of life.  It’s like forgiveness…..it’s a second chance…a do over….a fresh start.  Thankfully, God still offers mulligans to His people.   He does this because:

He is far more interested in our future than He is in our past.

Regardless of what kind of failure, collapse, defeat, deficiency, disappointment or setback you may have experienced in 2013, you can have a fresh start now.  Try these 5 things.  

1.  Stop making excuses.  Stop blaming other people.  Stop seeing yourself as the victim.  I see far too many people who say you know I wouldn’t be this way if  

·        I had grown up in a different family

·        My husband or wife would change

·        If someone hadn’t spoken so harshly to me

Yes other people can hurt us; they can even scar us.  But there is only one person who can ruin your life and that’s you.  No one can ruin your life unless you give them permission to do so.

 2.  Take inventory of your life.  All of us have failures---the difference is some of us have learned from them and corrected them—others just continue to make the same mistakes over and over.  It's like the definition of insanity....."doing the same things over and over but expecting different results. "  Look closely at your life and make the necessary changes.  

3.  Act.  The Bible teaches that the key to changing anything in life is faith.  Jesus said in Matthew 9---according to your faith it will be done to you.”  We cannot just sit back and let life happen to us as though we have no responsibility.  There comes a time when we must take action.  To take a step of faith we have to stop having a pity party.  Believe me, I know how this works. Because I used to live there too.  “Poor me.  I’m such a victim.  Life is so unfair."  

4.  Refocus.  If you want a fresh start you have to rethink the way you think.  Proverbs 4:3 says,"be careful how you think.  Your life is shaped by your thoughts.” If you are depressed, discouraged or distressed it could because you are thinking those kinds of thoughts.  But we have a choice.  Choose to refocus.  Let go of those things.  The more you hold on to them, the more they can hurt you.  So refocus.  Renew your mind with scripture.

 5.  Trust.  Learn to depend on God.  Most of us have already proven that we can’t do life on our own.  That’s why we have made so many mistakes. But some of us don’t get it.  We stumble and fall and when we get up we say "I’ll just try harder."  Instead of trying harder, learn to place your trust in the One who created you.  He understands far better how things are supposed to work.  Let Him take control of your life. And for now, take the mulligan.

Prayer.  Lord, I have decided that for 2013 I am taking a mulligan.  Please don't put the score for last year on my scorecard.  Give me a clean slate and allow me to have a fresh start. Forgive me of the sin in my life and help me to move me forward.  In Jesus name. Amen.

what did Jesus look like?

Don’t you love it when people ask you, “hey, would you like to see some pictures of the grandkids?  They always act like you actually have a choice.  You know they’re going to pull them out and show you anyway.   

So would you like to see one?  This is the newest addition to our family…my sweet granddaughter, Clara Belle.  

It’s funny how everyone always tries to decide who the baby looks like.  “Has her eyes.”  “Has his smile.”  When the baby gets to go to the viewing area for the family to see, you hear these conversations over and over.  Once we were there and heard the grandparents saying…”oh he looks just like you.  He has your eyes.  Same hair color.  Has your smile.”  Another family member walked out and said, “hey, you guys are looking at the wrong baby.”

This got me to thinking. I wonder what Mary and Joseph said when the baby Jesus arrived.  Joseph says “Mary, I think He has your eyes.”  Mary says hey…. uh, uh, “He looks just like His heavenly Father.”  The Bible doesn’t bother to tell us what Jesus looked like.  The closest thing we get to a description is in Isaiah 53:2b, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” All this tells us is that Jesus’ appearance was just like any other man's – He was in fact a bit ordinary.

Isaiah was prophesying that this "soon to arrive" Savior would be born in humble conditions... a manger in a barn… no respectable room available. There would be no royal robe.  That’s what the Jewish community was looking for.  A King.  Someone to come and rule.  Red carpet.  But there was no fanfare.  At least not here.  Certainly there was in heaven.  The angels rejoiced but the only reason we know that is because we have the testimony of the shepherds in the gospel of Luke.  The general population did not even know about it. 

What we do know is this….God stepped out of heaven, came down in the very likeness of man, so that we could identify with Him and so that we could know Him as our personal Savior.    

This much is clear: if it was important for us to know what He really did look like, we would.  His disciples would have written it down.  His brothers and sisters would have told us.  But the Bible gives us few details.  The reason is simple.  It really does not matter what He looked like…. what matters is how much we look like Him.

When this little baby arrived He came as the Savior of the world.  I want you to get that.  He didn’t become the Savior of the world, He was the Savior.  “Jesus, Lord at thy birth.”  As my daughter said to me this week, “Jesus didn’t have to wait until He turned 21 to get His Messiah license.”  He was the Messiah….at that very moment.  Consider this during this season.  How much do you look like Jesus?  In your thoughts, in your words, in your actions?  How much do you look like our heavenly Father? 

PRAYER.  Lord make us like you.  We were created in your image for a reason.  May others when they see us, see only your image.  May others feel and see the love of God through each of us.  In Jesus name.  Amen.