From Pastor Tom - Little Faith + Big God = Huge Results

Is it possible to be filled with faith and doubt at the same time? Yes!

You can have faith that God wants you to do something and still be scared to death. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is going ahead and doing what you’re called to do in spite of your fear.

You have to begin with the faith you already have – it may be just a little, but you start there. A beautiful example of this is the story of the man who brought his sick son to Jesus in Mark 9:

Jesus looked at the man and said, “I can heal your son. If you will believe, I will heal him.” The father then makes a classic statement: “Lord, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”

Have you ever felt like that? “Lord, I have some faith. But I also have some doubts.”  This man was filled with faith and doubt, yet despite his honest doubts, he went ahead and asked Jesus for a miracle. And he got his miracle – Jesus healed his son.

No matter how weak or how frail you think your faith is – it’s enough.

Matthew 17:20 says, “If you have faith as small as the mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you.” That’s not a lot of faith; in fact, it’s just a little faith. But what else does that verse teach? “If you have faith as the mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, ‘Move’ and it will be moved.”

Don’t get this reversed. We like to read this verse backward. We want it to say, “If you have faith like a mountain you can move a mustard seed” – as if it takes enormous faith to do a very little task.  But that is not what the verse says.  It says:  “If you have faith as small as the mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you.”

Everybody has faith – the difference is what you put your faith in.

 God wants us to start with the faith we have.  Based on the example of the mustard seed – you don’t need a whole lot of faith to do great things for God. You just need a little.

 So here is how it works:

Little faith + a very Big God = Huge results

You take your little faith and say, “Lord, I believe! Help me with my unbelief!” And you put it in our Big God. And then he’ll show you how he works out huge results.

 Blessings - Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Four Keys to Navigating Spiritually Dry Seasons

Let’s be honest – all of have times when we find it hard hearing God’s voice.  We have all experienced a period of spiritual dryness – a place some would call a spiritual desert.  The spiritual desert IS NOT a fun place to be. It is dry – lonely – and HOT!  During this season our relationship with God feels distant and lifeless. When we sense that God is distant here are four things to practice that can help us get closer to God:

 1. Confess Our Sin

There are always sins that we knowingly and unknowingly commit.  If we continue committing sins that we know God wants us to stop – it puts a strain on our relationship with Him.  The strain on our relationship does not mean He does not love us.  If anything – the strain is a demonstration that He wants us to move closer to Him.  We can move closer to Him by confessing our sin before Him.  Remember:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9 (KJV)

2. Remember Our Worth

In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we are told that we are chosen and that we have value. The Bible says:

“You are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NASB) 

We are not chosen because of our gender – height – weight – or education. We are chosen because of God’s mercy. We are exalted and elevated in His presence – that is a reality!

3. Pump-Up The Praise

When God feels far-away it is easy to turn down our praise. During desert seasons – our praise should be seen and heard.  We need to remember that it is easy to praise God when things go well – but the true men and women of character praise God through the good times as well as the bad times.  The Bible says:

“I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:2 (NASB)

4. Get Up – Get Dressed – Go To Church

When we go through desert seasons the very place we run from is where we need to run towards – CHURCH! Guess what – you are not the only person going through a dry season. There are others who are going through something similar. However difficult it looks – do not stop going to church.  Healing and inspiration happens when we are together. In fact – we are better together.  The Bible says:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 (NASB)

Are you going through a dry season?  What do you do when you go through dry seasons?

Blessings – Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Pray for Problems That You Can't Solve

A young minister once asked a veteran missionary what advice he might give to him as he assumed his first pastorate. The missionary replied, "Pray for problems that you can't solve. That way, when God solves them, you will walk by faith!" That's actually great advice for any Christian, for we are so tempted to serve God in our flesh and not by faith!

In 2 Chronicles 20 Jehoshaphat prayed a prayer – he said:

 "O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 'Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.' Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them),  see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 2 Ch. 20:6-12 (NASB) 

 Jehoshaphat faced an impossible situation. There was no hope but God. His prayer contains timeless principles for when we encounter hard challenges or crushing circumstances. This passage teaches us to do the following:

(1) Seek the Lord

(2) Stand firm

(3) Pray the promises of God

(4) Worship God joyfully in prayer during the battle.

Finally this story reminds us to give all the glory to God for the outcome. After God delivered His people "They assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD. . ." (2 Chronicles 20:26)

Praising God must not be something we do occasionally but something we offer every time we pray. Every day we must bless God! Public mercies call for public acknowledgements!

Let us learn to pray as Jehoshaphat did. The precious promises of God give us hope in the darkest nights. "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." (Psalm 119:50) Let us pray His Word:

 "Lord I do not know what to do! Lord I have no power, might or wisdom, but God, my eye is on You! You have done great things before! Keep me in the cleft of the Rock! Be my shelter in the storm! Be my shade in the heat. I trust You!"

Blessings,

Pastor Tom