Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Faith


On my property I have various types of tress and plants. Some were there when we bought the property, some we added later. I am even reminded of the bible by our Rose of Sharon's and Burning Bushes.

One tree however was a pleasant surprise. We actually have several Sycamine trees. Of course they are not called Sycamine anymore, which is why I never made the connection to the bible.

The Sycamine is what is more commonly referred to as the Black Mulberry Tree.

I suppose that is somewhat exciting.

Luke 17:6 - "And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.

Then it dawned on me. 

We recently had to have several trees removed because they threatened our home and the power, phone, and cable lines. It is an expensive problem to have. Unless one has faith that God has an answer.

In our case God did. We believed for a solution and He provided. The power company removed the trees for free. In essence those trees "obeyed" us according to our faith that God would provide.

They were a conflict. A detriment. A problem that needed to be uprooted. We saw no way out of it in the natural. God provided a way.

Just like what happens in our personal lives. I mean, what was Jesus really raling against when He said even the smallest of faith would uproot the mulberry tree and replant it in the sea?

An actual mulberry tree?

No. It would make no sense to do that. In fact, He wasn't trying to suggest that it could. 

Why? Because it would go against the natural order of things. Trees are meant to be grown on dry land, not under the sea.

However, He was meaning that when it comes to the difficulties of life, some so difficult that they actually seem to be as impossible to solve as "transplanting a tree from its natural habitat to one foreign to itself", that even the smallest belief and understanding that God could accomplish it simply because He is God would be sufficient.

Following me here?

It's not about the tree. It's about you.

Jesus is trying to establish the fact that there is no trouble, problem, irritation, or catastrophe that is too difficult for Him to handle.

Jesus is also pulling us into the reality that it's also not about us having faith in our faith.

Listen to me carefully here. It's not about what YOU can do by faith. If that was the case then we would be able to take literally that we could actually uproot a tree and replant it in the ocean just by believing that we could.

News Flash! Uh...you can't.

But...God could. Although He probably won't do that any more than deciding to make the sun rise in the west and set in the east.

But He could if He wanted to.

One thing He will do, and that is respond to your even infinitesimal faith IN HIM!

Still with me?

The verse is about you having faith in what God will do, not in some ridiculous notion that we could actually confound the forces of God's nature by literally moving a mountain or uprooting a tree.

It's also about the amount of faith we have. In my opinion we shouldn't get caught up in "levels" of faith. Either we have it or not. In comparison to the faith of God it's all small faith. But it's enough.

That's where I think we are. Jesus is saying we have enough faith. 

You have enough faith! That's great news! You have enough faith! Not small faith, but enough faith to direct it toward your problems IN THE NAME OF JESUS for whatever need you have today!

It's a comfort that our God doesn't sit on His throne and determine who gets what by assessing who has the most faith or not.

He says essentially that if we are followers of Jesus Christ we have enough.

He gives us the right to use the Name of Jesus to move what needs to be moved. Just remember...it's always Him, not you, that is making it happen.

So...got a "mountain to move? A "tree" to be uprooted? Right now, if you are a believer, you can "speak" to the issue in the name of Jesus to solve it and know that it will happen.

Luke 10:17 - "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!"

Now that my friends, is...

Keepin' it Real.

Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com

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