Someone has said that a text taken out of context can be a pretext for anything! So we need to be careful to consider Jesus’ challenge to the disciples about “mountain moving faith” within the setting of the ongoing story.
Here’s the deal. “Mountain moving faith” is rooted in an authentic, growing relationship with the Lord.
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Have you ever known someone like Deborah, who seemingly had no office or credentials but everyone went to her for her godly wisdom? She sat under a palm tree, which, like other trees in Israel before the time of the tabernacle, was associated with revelation from God. When she spoke, it was with the authority of God. Given that women did not usually have leadership positions in that society, both Deborah and Jael must have been very strong women.
Read More leadership, maturity, consistencyIt was obvious that God had chosen Saul to be Israel’s first king. Everything Samuel told Saul happened just as he said and right on that same day. All the Israelites gathered so that the Lord could choose a king. Saul was chosen just as God said. It was time for Saul to step forward and be declared king. There was only one problem, they couldn’t find him! The man chosen to be the first king of the Israelites was hiding.
Read More response, unknown, faith, maturityNot many of us would be comfortable enough to hold our prayer habits up for public inspection, unless we plan to give a lesson on how to be haphazard, neglectful and disappointed when we pray. Clearly Jesus’ own disciples also felt this way, and their first ‘prayer’ was the humble request, ‘Lord, teach us to pray…’.
Jesus reassures us that we can learn to pray well. He outlines the beautiful balance and order of a thoughtful conversation with God.
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“It’s wise to be patient and show what you are like by forgiving others” (v 11).
Among these five verses which seem to have little connection with one another, we find this gem. The English Standard Version reads “Good sense makes one slow to anger.” These words are rich in meaning. I can imagine someone being “patient” while gritting their teeth, checking their watch (or iPhone).
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There is a right answer: “Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables” (v 1). Clearly the strong in the faith “eat anything” and the weak in the faith don’t. Paul makes it clear that there is a right answer to whether a Christian can only eat certain foods or worship on certain days, dress a certain way …
Read More dogmatic, criticism, maturityYou can hear the frustration here, echoing down the centuries and bursting from the page: when will they make some progress? When will these baby Christians do what it takes to mature? As with all the other New Testament letters, we only have one side of the correspondence, so we have to make some assumptions.
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