Post Sunday September 20 2009

Hello Everyone!

I know our weeks differ in busyness from day to day and the Post Sunday might not always make it on your To Do List for the week but you want this one in your TO DO list this week!

Grab a cup of coffee, tea or Diet Coke and ask God to speak to you.

Have a great week New Heights!

Pastor e

Mark 9:24 “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

As I was running this morning it was at the time when light was just beginning to dawn so everything was still dark and under shadow and with the lighting as it was it tends to play tricks on you. When you run that early you always have to be cautious for other creatures that tend to be out at this hour, namely skunks. I typically have a run in with Pepe LePu or one of his cousins every few weeks so my sensitivity to them has grown over my years of running. This morning though it wasn’t a skunk it was a snake. At least I thought it was a snake, but it turned out to be a stick that appeared to be a snake, but it still caused me to quickly veer off to the right, I laughed at myself when I determined that it was just a stick.

But because the thought of a snake was now in my mind, now every crack in the sidewalk that was potential snake length became to me a possible snake. Every dark black asphalt repair mark in the road was quickly processed by my mind to determine if it was friend or foe, snake or not a snake. So this morning’s run was certainly entertaining. Odd thing is that over my 6 or so years of running, I believe I’ve only crossed paths with a snake once. That is just like me, I’ve only experienced something once in six years and just suddenly the false alarm of a stick heightens my senses to think that it is going to happen again. I do however have every reason to believe and trust in my ability to navigate around the creatures of the early morning light but for some reason this morning I thought that I was going to fall prey to a snake and a garden snake at that if there really had been one! I don’t believe that is God’s intention for me, death by garden snake. If it is, I give you full permission to laugh during my funeral, but please do hunt that garden snake down, because that is one mean garden snake!

Yesterday, I shared with you all that I truly believe God trusts you as Mom and Dad to become that main influence in the lives of your children. So much so that after giving the nation of Israel the greatest commandment in Deuteronomy chapter 6, He then entrusted it into the hands of Mom and Dad to teach their children. He believes in you!

Has anyone ever told you that before? That God believes in you? We are always asked to place our faith in God, but do you know that God believes in you? He believes that through His Son Jesus Christ that you and I can be strong influences in the lives of our children because He has modeled for us the best way to establish, permanent, intimate, lasting relationships. He believes that through His Son Jesus Christ that you and I can truly and radically change our lives. He believes that through His Son Jesus Christ that you and I can bring others to God so they experience the same change of life. God’s plan counts on us because God is well pleased with His Son and through that relationship we have relationship and through that relationship comes the faith of a Heavenly Father in His Earthly children. (Read that sentence slowly a few times!) God believes in you! He believes that in His Son you can do all things! This includes the incredibly difficult and at times emotionally burdensome task of building, maintaining and enjoying strong relationships with your children. Why is it worth it? So that you too can pass on the same strong belief in them that God has in you. Believe that God believes in You and believe in your children!

Believe that they can overcome the difficulties that plague their lives right now. Believe that they can overcome the difficulties they are having relationally with you right now. Believe that they can learn to make wise decisions in life. Believe that they will marry an incredible man or woman of faith. Believe that they can overcome their hatred for school. Believe that they can overcome their apathy toward God. Believe that they can overcome their struggle with Math. Believe that they can overcome their struggle with Reading. Believe in them because you have realized that your heavenly Father believes in you. He does.

Read the incredibly emotional and moving story written down for us in Mark 9:14-29. Jesus tells this Dad who has been struggling to raise his sick child that “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believe.” (Mark 9:23)

The man responds with great emotion: “Lord, I believe; help, my unbelief!” Which is it? Does he believe or not believe? Both! He is torn, he loves his child, he is tired, he is weary, he has tried everything, but listen New Heights, don’t miss this! He believes because he keeps trying, he keeps not just showing up but showing up and gets his hands engaged in the work, he hasn’t quit, he will not give up on his child. He doesn’t believe (he asks for help with his unbelief) because in him, just like the rest of us there is that piece of us that just wants to say things like:

“It’s too late for me; I can’t do anything about it now.” = Unbelief – Ask God to help your unbelief!

“God isn’t speaking to me about this anymore because I’ve messed up to many times…” = Unbelief – Ask God to help your unbelief!

“I wish I would have learned this years ago.” = Unbelief – Ask God to help your unbelief!

“This isn’t for me.” (if the “this” is God’s Word then this = Unbelief – Ask God to help your unbelief!)

“Well, the way I am doesn’t leave me any choice…” = Unbelief – Ask God to help your unbelief!

“I’ve already heard about parenting and it hasn’t worked, so I don’t need this.” = Unbelief – Ask God to help your unbelief!

Like this man, you and I have come to Jesus because we believe, now it is time for us all to cry out – Lord, help my unbelief! I know there are things rumbling around in your hearts that haunt you, that deceive you, that lead you astray and that is the Belief and Unbelief all at the same time! God believes in you! So much so that He was willing to send His One and Only Son! So much so that that One and Only Son was willing to sacrifice His life for you and me!

There is NO GREATER love than this that one would lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). NO GREATER, NO GREATER, NO GREATER, NO GREATER love. (Sorry for shouting, but do you hear it!) There is no greater love that can possibly be given to you than that which has already been given and now it is my turn and your turn to give that no greater love back to our children! We should die trying to enhance our relationship with our children! If you have a child you have given up on or have not reached out to in some time, pray, seek wisdom and do it ASAP!

God believes in you!

To all of us who are in this state of belief vs. unbelief all at the same time, let go of your fear, the stick is not a snake! The crack in the road is not a snake, the asphalt fillings are not snakes, keep running straight ahead, finish the race, run to receive the prize, for first place, not second! God is second to no one and neither are His children.

If there is a situation in your life that is like this see again in Mark 9:29 at the end of this passage:

“This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29

Let our whole bodies cry out to God! If you need others to join you then ask them to pray and fast along with you! Stop burdening each other with impossibilities by talking to each other as if we aren’t doing things for one another and instead be bold and say: “Hey can you fast and pray with me?” I know you aren’t going to save me, but this thing has plagued my life long enough, fast and pray with me, cry out to God with me today!

We will have a night soon at New Heights once again to cry out to God, to fast, weep and pray for one another, but until then:

Lord we believe, help our unbelief! We love you! Thank you Lord for believing in us!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:

1. Where in your life are you seeing snakes when there are no snakes?
2. What parts of your lives are causing you to believe and not believe all at the same time?

Pastor e