The Church Today in America

Wow! While doing a youtube.com search for Forgotten God by Francis Chan, I ran across this teaching. I am so convicted and very worried by this. Worried for so many people in our American churches. Please watch this all the way through. If you see yourself in anything Pastor Chan says, please spend time with God today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBhqrtMqrv8

Mustard Seed Faith

As I was seeking God in His Word today, I was reminded of Matthew 17:20.

for truly I say to you,if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

This is a topic that we've heard preached quite often in many churches. We all know that the mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth. We also understand that this means that even if we only have a very small amount of faith God will do great things through us.

Here's what popped out at me today. It doesn't say "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you CAN say to the mountain". It says If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you WILL say to the mountain.

Now as they say in The Wizard of Oz, "now that's a horse of a different color."

It is not telling us to muster up faith so that when we want to we can tell a mountain to move. It is saying that if we have that wee little bit of REAL faith in God, then we will exercise that faith to do great things. We won't even stop to think about it, we will feel that gentle prodding (or Holy Spirit shouting in our ears if we've been slow to respond in the past) knowing that God wants to use us to do the miraculous--every day miracles--not necessarily moving a mountain every day, but doing what God has called us to do--be vessels that touch lives DAILY. Yes--we may have to fight through the fear of taking a risk or two--but we will be amazed when we do it.

That speaks to me in a very real way--if I really believe God, if I really trust Him, I will believe what He says. I will believe, have faith, take a risk, and obey what He tells me to do.

Amen and Amen!