Increase My Faith???

I just love Saturday mornings!  A great workout at the gym and then some time quietly reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word with no distractions.  At times like these I can almost "feel" His Word taking root in deep within my heart...

This morning I was reading Luke, and this verse just stopped me in my tracks:  Luke 17:5 - the disciples demand that Jesus, "Increase our faith!"  Jesus responds in verse 6 by saying, “If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted into the sea,” and it would obey you.

A mustard seed is so small that you can barely see it with the naked eye.  So, I find it interesting that Jesus chose to use the smallest of all seeds to illustrate the power of faith.  When I looked up the Greek word for "faith” (i.e., “pistis”) I found that it means:  a conviction of the truth about anything.  However, in the New Testament, “pistis” means more specifically “a conviction or belief respecting one's relationship to God.” 

Then, I looked up the verb “had” (i.e., “echo”).  Much to my amazement, I discovered this word means, “to be closely joined to a person or a thing through the bonds of blood, marriage or friendship.”  So, just how closely are we joined to God?  Jesus said, “I am in them and You are in me so that they will be made perfectly one…Your love for me will be in them, and I myself will be in them.” (John 17:23;26) 

It is pretty clear that there is a vital connection between the seed of faith already within our hearts AND our heart’s understanding of who we are in Him:  We are now righteous  through the blood Jesus shed on the cross and our righteousness does not depend on what we do or don't do (I Jn 1:7); the relationship between Christ and the Church is likened to a marriage - it is intimate (Eph 5:29-32); and, Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants…instead, I have called you friends.” (Jn 15:15).   

We don’t need God to increase our faith!  Instead, we need to fully convince our hearts of our intimate and eternal connection in Him because our present circumstances don't respond to our mere words, but like the mulberry bush, they respond to the seed of faith in our heart.  

Confronting My Past . . .

Have you ever done something you cannot undo?  I have.  And, it has been a huge source of shame, anxiety, and fear in my life for years.  No matter how far down I shoved the emotions associated with this situation, they always resurfaced – especially when I wanted to take steps to move my life forward in a new direction.

This past week, a new opportunity presented itself.  However, in order to seize this opportunity, I had to decide whether I was willing to disclose my past (i.e., tell the truth) or hide it (i.e., lie).  The deep-rooted fear about this situation made me physically ill, but I decided I would tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Then, I told a good friend about my decision because I knew if I did so, there would be no turning back…

Right now, I am overwhelmed with emotions so it is a bit difficult to write this, but I finally confronted my past – I owned it.  And do you know what?  I discovered the truth: my past actions do not define me anymore than my present actions do.  

God says, “I will remember your sins no more.” (Heb 10:17).  It’s not that He did not see what I had done, because He saw it.  Instead, when He saw what I did, He chose to remember only what Jesus had done for me on the cross.

This week, when I confronted my past, I heard these words for the first time in my heart, not just in my head:  “neither do I condemn you.”   With these words echoing in my heart, I found the courage to boldly take a step toward moving my life forward in a new direction. 

Jesus said, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  Today, I am free!  I am no longer hiding in the shadows of guilt and shame, but moving forward in the marvelous light of His truth.  And what I have experienced is available for you, too.  

Stop hiding in the shadows and step into light of His truth.  You, too, will discover that there is no one standing there to condemn you.

Rack Focus Faith

Rack focus is a common camera technique used in both film and television to shift focus from a foreground subject to a background subject by turning the focal ring on a lens.  This technique is used in almost every television show or movie where the focus shifts from one object or person in the foreground of the frame to something or someone in the background.  This technique creates quite a dramatic effect for the viewer!

Tonight, as I was reading a very familiar verse in the bible, I was reminded how rack focus, when applied to my faith, can have a very dramatic effect on my heart and mind . . .

Proverbs  3:5-6 says:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence.  Know Him in all your paths, and He will keep your ways straight.

What does it mean to "know Him in all your paths"?  Our daily lives are filled with competing commitments and some very trying circumstances that can cause us to focus our attention on the “stuff” right in front of us.  It’s during those moments, when we are focused on our present circumstances, that we begin to rely on our own intelligence as a means to deal with what is right in front of us.  

However, rack focus faith challenges us to shift our focus from what is immediately in front of us and see, perceive, and discern Him. When we focus on Him instead of our immediate circumstances, the effect on our hearts and minds is far more dramatic than the mere visual technique that rack focus creates in a movie. 

When we fix our gaze on Him - in the midst of our pain, confusion, despair or any of life’s challenging situations - we will find peace in the midst of the storm, clarity instead of confusion, and hope that will anchor our soul through even the most difficult times.  This is what it means to "know Him in all your paths" or to "acknowledge Him in all your ways."  Rack focus faith allows us to see, perceive, and discern His Presence in the midst of our all that is going on in our lives.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances, just apply the simple photographic technique of rack focus to your faith and watch your present circumstances fade into the background and Jesus and His love for you come into the foreground and into focus!

NO LIMITS!

I was reading the book of Matthew this morning in a new translation (Common English Bible) and I saw something that inspired me do a little “digging.” 

In Matthew 13:58, the author notes:  “He (Jesus) was unable to do many miracles there (his hometown) because of their disbelief.”  The original Greek word used in this passage is “apistia,” which means an obstinate withholding of belief in the divine power and promises of God.   

I don't believe people wake up one morning and decide to withhold their belief in the power and promises of God.  Instead, I think it happens over time as we allow our present circumstances speak to our hearts and convince us that they are more real than His power and promises.  

Although our present circumstances may be real, His Word reveals an amazing truth:  God's power and promises have no limits, but my willingness to believe!  In fact, it was Jesus who said, "all things are possible for the one who believes."  (Mark 9:23)  

God, help me to walk out this truth in every area of my life...