Live Your Faith

When I attended college at Indiana State University several years ago, there was a man who stood in the student commons nearly every day preaching to the students as they passed.  He was there, rain or shine, cold or hot.  He often quoted the Bible and spoke about the sins of man, especially about the types of sins committed by the younger generation.  His name?  Mad Max.  Well at least that is what the students called him.  I can remember avoiding the commons area when Mad Max was there, probably because the “sins of man” he preached about hit too close to the proverbial “home”.  And even though I avoided Mad Max on my part, he always seemed to have a way of showing up in my path at least once a week.  Looking back now I admire Mad Max for the having the courage to Live His Faith!!

How about you, do you live your faith?  Wait, how about me???  Yikes!  Do I live my faith the way that Jesus instructs me to?  I mean I attend church regularly, am involved in several different church activities, work on Emmaus Walks’ when blessed to be asked and try to treat everybody with love and respect.  But do I really live my faith?  What exactly does that mean?  What is Jesus asking of us?  Am I to stand in the town commons like Mad Max and profess to those passing by the truth of Jesus and his undying love?  Well if God ask, then . . . YES!!  Thankfully, I don’t think that is what God is asking of me, but that does not mean I shouldn’t be spreading the Gospel of Jesus, with faith to everybody I encounter.  Not necessarily by word, but by action.

Faith is seen, not spoken.  It is in your everyday actions while at work, the grocery store, picking up kids from practice, etc.  Faith knows beyond doubt that God is greater than any single thing we may encounter in life.  Whether great or small, it is trusting that God has the wheel.  Faith believes that even though you have no money in your bank account, God will provide food for your family.  Faith is staying by the bedside of a dying person, believing with all your heart that God DOES have the power to heal that person!! Faith is trusting that despite my son’s current grade in Algebra, he will graduate from High School!!  Faith is stepping out of your comfort zone and worshipping God with your arms spread out to heaven even if not a single other person is doing the same.  Faith is saying to that mountain, move and it will be moved!!!

            ¹⁷ “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.  ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”  ²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.^[a]”

 

Pay close attention to what Jesus is saying here.  He did not say, have faith and nothing is impossible for HIM, Jesus says, “Have faith and nothing will be impossible for YOU!!!!”  We have the same power Jesus had when he was on earth through the Holy Spirit that lives within us.  Too often Christians stand by the wayside talking about the many great miracles Jesus performed, shaking their heads saying if only Jesus performed miracles like when he was on earth.  HELLOOOOO?? The reason Jesus is not performing miracles is because HE gave us, His disciples that power on the day of the Great Commission.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  - Matthew 28:18

And we are told again in Acts about the receiving of the Holy Spirit and its power within us. 

            “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”   - Acts 2:1-4

            “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.  The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.  For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.”  - Acts 10:44-46

The same Spirit that dwelt within the first disciples dwells within each of us. Perhaps the reason we don’t see the presence of God among our community, nation and world is because we are not using the power we have been given, we are not living our faith.  As Amanda Dalton stated in her message on Sunday, “God has not changed, God’s people have changed.”  We were not called as Christians to set passively by and watch from the sidelines as our fellow man deteriorates to meaningless existence.  It is our duty as Christians to claim the faith and live it boldly so all will see and desire to come to Christ in the same manner.

            “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

What hinders you from living your faith?  Are you holding back because you fear what the world will think of you?  I am sure Noah was feeling pretty silly when he started building an Ark when it had not rained for many months.  And how about David?  He was ridiculed and mock for his little sling-shot and stones, but who took down that giant?  Abraham did not doubt God’s faithfulness when he and Sarah, who was barren, had their FIRST son long past the age of child-bearing.  It was by faith that the same Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac because he trusted God’s command.  By faith the walls of Jericho fell, by faith the woman with years of hemorrhaging was healed with a touch of Jesus’ garment!  

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1

By faith you can call forth the Angels of heaven to heal the sick, mend the broken and yes even cause the blind to see!!!  God WANTS us to claim that power!  He is waiting for us to step out on faith, He will meet us there. 

Do you still believe in miracles?  God does!!

 

Called by Christ!

Amanda