A Morning Cup of Tea : Faith

Today's reading is from Matthew 17: 14 -21
  Where ever Jesus and his disciples went there were many who found him there. They came to listen to Jesus' teachings and they came to be healed or have a loved one healed. They knew with utmost certainty, that all Jesus need do is speak or touch and they would be whole again. 
  A man came and kneeled at Jesus' feet, asking Jesus to heal his son. His son was described as "lunatick and sorely vexed", and fell into fires and water a lot (self harm). He said that Jesus' disciples couldn't heal him.
  Jesus rebuked the devil and it came out of the boy and he was healed that very same hour. Afterwards the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked why they had not been able to cure the boy.
  20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
 21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
  If you have faith as a mustard seed...  those things are very, very tiny. It takes only that much faith to move mountains. Yet sometimes when we (I) try to move the mountains in our lives, how often do we allow doubt to hinder our prayers? But notice verse 21. If we are going to move mountains --a better job, a loved one's healing, we must do something. We can't just sit back, and passively think that God is like Santa with his magic sack of toys or a genii in a bottle. Ask and its yours. We must have the faith and we must pray. And if the prayer is for something we really want in life, we must also do our part. If we pray for a job yet never move from the couch, I can just about guarantee the answer to that prayer is going to be no.  A young man from another country became a Christian. His life is in danger in his homeland if his family finds out he is a Christian. He has wanted to come here to study in college and be able to freely and openly speak of his new life. He worked hard on his studies there so he could pass the tests he needed in order to come here, and he went to the appointments to apply for the visa. If he had just hung out with friends and not done these things, he might not have gotten the answer that made many of his friends here very happy. He will soon be here in America.
 

Today's reading is from Matthew 17: 14 -21
  Where ever Jesus and his disciples went there were many who found him there. They came to listen to Jesus' teachings and they came to be healed or have a loved one healed. They knew with utmost certainty, that all Jesus need do is speak or touch and they would be whole again. 
  A man came and kneeled at Jesus' feet, asking Jesus to heal his son. His son was described as "lunatick and sorely vexed", and fell into fires and water a lot (self harm). He said that Jesus' disciples couldn't heal him.
  Jesus rebuked the devil and it came out of the boy and he was healed that very same hour. Afterwards the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked why they had not been able to cure the boy.
  20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
 21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
  If you have faith as a mustard seed...  those things are very, very tiny. It takes only that much faith to move mountains. Yet sometimes when we (I) try to move the mountains in our lives, how often do we allow doubt to hinder our prayers? But notice verse 21. If we are going to move mountains --a better job, a loved one's healing, we must do something. We can't just sit back, and passively think that God is like Santa with his magic sack of toys or a genii in a bottle. Ask and its yours. We must have the faith and we must pray. And if the prayer is for something we really want in life, we must also do our part. If we pray for a job yet never move from the couch, I can just about guarantee the answer to that prayer is going to be no.  A young man from another country became a Christian. His life is in danger in his homeland if his family finds out he is a Christian. He has wanted to come here to study in college and be able to freely and openly speak of his new life. He worked hard on his studies there so he could pass the tests he needed in order to come here, and he went to the appointments to apply for the visa. If he had just hung out with friends and not done these things, he might not have gotten the answer that made many of his friends here very happy. He will soon be here in America.