I love new saints. Why? Because they are so fresh and honest. They are un-churched. Don't know protocols and are simply themselves. They come honest and true to whom they are without apology or regret. A lot of church folks may not agree with me. That's okay. For some reason we think we need to change people when they come to church. But, this isn't our job. It's the job of God to change man. Man's job is to not harden his heart when God calls.
There was a man that showed us how our unbelief can lead us to the throne room. He was a father wanting his child healed. What parent among us wouldn't go to the source to find healing for their child? This man heard about a man named Jesus and sought Him out. Here is their exchange from Mark 9:17 - 27
"17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose."
The father's truthfulness about where he was in life, his unbelief, was powerful in this exchange. He didn't come lying and saying who or what he was not. Often, we as Christians become "churched" and learn the phrases and the mannerisms. What we fail to realize is that God doesn't want the "churched", He wants the truthful. He wants His children to build up the Kingdom, not the pews.
If you struggle with unbelief in an area, then come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and say that to God. Tell Him where you are struggling with your faith. Tell Him that your faith isn't where you want it to be. God can work with that. And, to you church folk, leave them alone. You have no power so let them seek the One with all power. He will deliver them as He delivered you. Your attitude and words could be the thing that's keeping people from getting their deliverance. Please stop assuming that because you don't see them on Sunday morning that God doesn't know their name. How about you worry if God heard your thoughts on Tuesday evening when no church folk were around?
Be A Blessing and Not Just Blessed
- Nakya
Comments