Realistic?

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:19-20....."There is a choice for us: we can fix our hearts on what Scripture says, or we can accept the words of those who tell us to just be realistic. In other words, we're going to have to choose whether we're going to have faith or not. What will you believe today? Chris Tiegreen

I think the greatest "faith killers" are to be found in the church, the Body of Christ. It is amazing that it should be so, but somehow, too many of us have settled into the belief that yes, we know God can do all things, but it is unlikely that He will. So, we arrange to protect ourselves from any kind of disappointment by having low, and oftentimes, no expectations of Him. Notice I said, "of Him." We have come to the place of low expectation because most often our expectations are centered on what it is we want Him to do. We ask, and then we have a certain outcome we're set on. When He doesn't respond according to our plan, our expectation, we're disappointed, discouraged. The enemy leaps upon this and tells us that it was folly to believe He would in the first place. It is folly if we place our expectations in the outcome. Our expectation is to be in Him, in the secure belief that He will do what is right, best, and for our good and His glory. This is true hope, and His Word tells us that such hope will not be disappointed.

Another aspect here is that not only do we have misplaced expectations, but we question, at least in ourselves, whether or not He truly is all powerful and almighty. Our belief in that shrinks in comparison to the problems and obstacles we face. They are gigantic and He.....isn't. In these places, well meaning but faith killing brethren come to us and tell us, if not directly, that we need to be realistic here. Think on the last great trial you walked in. The last deep need. The last great mountain and huge giant you faced. The last seeming impossibility. What was your sense of how He would respond to it? What was your sense as to how fellow believers thought He'd respond to it? We tend to be like the disciples in the midst of the storm with its crashing waves. We think we'll drown. God would have us rest in the confidence that Christ will, as one man said, "come walking on top of the waves we think will drown us." For the true believer, this is what being realistic really is. We may not know how, when, or where He will burst through, but we know that He will. We're not focused on a particular outcome, we're focused on the Lord of all outcomes.

We must have a church, be a church that lives in, believes in "the incredible greatness of His power." A power unleashed in the lives and situations of those who believe Him, in the churches that believe Him. The waves of the culture we live in are higher and more dangerous than any we have ever known. We must know and look for Him to come walking on top of these waves that threaten us. He is Lord over all, rules over all. Too many of us have accepted this as a theory, and have accepted the view that the world calls "realistic." So as a result of our little or no faith, we see little or no miracles.

We in the church so often end up discouraging each other. I remember an occasion, years ago, when our fellowship was faced with overwhelming financial needs. We were located in an area with one of the highest costs of living in the nation. The monthly rent on our building was crushing us. God consistently provided in miraculous ways, but the burden was great, and our leadership would meet often to discuss it. All we usually ended up doing was telling each other how enormous the need was, and pushing each other deeper and deeper into discouragement and despair. Finally, one of our men spoke up and said that we needed to remember that we served and followed a God who could make the sun stand still. Nothing was too difficult. Nothing was impossible. Right then we had a fresh wave of His grace that enabled us to believe. He provided, and that was a turning point for us. The need remained, but the belief, the reality for us was that He would provide, make a way, bring us through. And He never ceased to do so. Our God would do it again....and again....and again. He will never cease doing it. He asks you, me, us today; do we believe Him? Do we?

Blessings,

Pastor O