The Schizophrenic Believer

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24 

The transparency must have been embarrassing.  After all, who doesn’t want to seem confident, assured and convinced of having it all together?  But honesty won out over pride. He confessed to two warring factions trying to gain supremacy over his soul and mind.  He could have said it this way, “Sometimes I believe; but sometimes I doubt.  What’s going on?”  When his epileptic son was calm, he believed.  When the boy had a seizure, his trust collapsed into a hot mess. This back-and-forth of his status quo shook him to the core. 

If we all dared to be as candid as this father, we would all probably make the same admission.  Vacillation between polar opposites undermines our prayer life, our spiritual stability and our perseverance.  We become timid.  We wonder, “Who is the real me?  Am I the believer or the doubter?  How can I pretend to believe when I am besieged by unbelief?  Am I just putting up a brave front for the sake of other people?”  We display the traits of classic schizophrenia.  (I use the term in a simplistic way, e.g. “split personality,” not as a clinical diagnosis.)

It is not uncommon, for example, to pray and then question whether God has really heard our prayers. Many who suffer from sickness or disease endure periods of negative thought about God’s healing power. Sometimes, we may even sink to the shameful levels of atheism or agnosticism.  Even after we recover from these lows, we feel that we have offended God and we beat ourselves up with bouts of nagging self-recrimination.   

Thomas, the disciple whom we have traditionally labeled “doubting Thomas,” immediately comes to mind.  His reservations about the resurrection most likely reflected the mindset of the general population.  “The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So, he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’” John 20:25.

But, Thomas did not stand alone in his doubt.  Jesus often remonstrated against widespread faithlessness.  “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” Mark 9:19. Human logic generally tends toward disbelief. 

We find a profound and instructive scripture in Hebrews.  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. It links theory to experience; it juxtaposes expectations to actual beliefs.  To believe that God exists is fine and good, but to diligently seek Him propels one into a different and higher dimension.  One is passive, the other is active.  The one is static, the other dynamic.

If you are in the crucible of a belief crisis, you will not get through it by more speculation, rumination and meditation.  If philosophical musing led you to unbelief, philosophy will not lead you out.  God does not reward philosophy or human wisdom. Instead, you must diligently (rigorously) seek God. He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  

Doubt may not be good, but it is not fatal.  Denial is fatal.  Doubt leaves the door open to revelation, but denial slams the door.  To deny God constitutes rejection.  Keep believing.  Methodically, systematically, you will build up a repertoire of positive answers.  As James wrote, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:18.

As He did to Thomas, at some point Jesus will appear to you, counter your doubt, and reward your faith.  Just keep believing!

The Rapture: Now, More Than Ever

One deranged dictator with nuclear weapon capabilities could send this planet over its shaky precipice into oblivion.  One rogue nation with poisonous chemicals could wipe out major population centers.  Weapons of mass destruction detonated by an evil regime could cause destruction on a scale unknown to man.  Such dictators, rogue nations and an unknown number of states armed with chemical weapons do exist in our world .  Academic scenarios drawn up in war rooms of the generals have been replaced with a clear and present danger.  

The scriptures boldly prophesy that catastrophic events like this will take place in the end of time.  As we grow closer to the appointed time, the blurred images construed from passages of scripture by prophecy preachers of the past have continued to sharpen in focus until it takes little imagination to picture such scenes around the world today.  Add to this the present evidence that the other calamities outlined in Revelation have progressed to the imminent threat level, and you have a serious case for the rapture of the church. 

Jesus Christ will rapture His church at the appointed time in the future.  Yet, despite the frightening trends of our present world, this belief is not based on the status quo, but upon clear statements from the Word of God.  Readers who profess even a modicum of faith in the Bible need to know about the rapture of the church.  We all need to understand that it could happen much, much sooner than we might imagine. Christ’s coming is twofold.

• First, He will come for the church. This is really the core of the Rapture doctrine. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”  I Thessalonians 4:16-17).  Phase one of Christ’s coming will occur above the earth.
• Phase two will happen when He comes back to earth with His church. “The LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with Him” Zechariah 14:5. This will begin the thousand-year peaceful reign of Christ on the earth (Revelation 20:6). These are the two elements of the coming of Christ. They are coordinate actions, each one complementing the other.

The rapture of the church holds great significance for believers. Paul referred to it as “Our blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Jesus set it forth as a great incentive for Christian living. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36. 

The Rapture will signal a marvelous change in the material makeup of the bodies of the saints. Our bodies will undergo a transformation from mortal flesh to a new, glorified substance designed to inhabit heaven throughout eternity. (I Corinthians 15:51-52). The properties of this new body will apparently be like that of the resurrected body of Christ. He appeared and vanished at will and defied even the force of gravity. Such a change will enable the saints to be “gathered” to Christ.

The transportation of our bodies will follow their transformation. In I Thessalonians 4:16-17, the phrase “in the air” signifies an actual journey from this earth to heaven. However it may occur, we shall appear with Christ in glory. (Colossians 3:4). The Scriptures always refer to heaven as a place above, up, or beyond. In Revelation 21:2, John saw the New Jerusalem as a place separate from the earth, coming down out of heaven. When will this happen?  All we know is His coming is imminent.  Look for it today!

This Precious Truth

“Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”  John 6:12 

I have a Bible in my library that I prize very highly.  It belonged to my grandfather, Reverend Alexander B. Anderson, and he inscribed his name in the front of the book, both in Greek and in English.  He signed it in Greek because he was born and raised in the tiny Greek village of Mabria, close to Megalopolis.  He also pasted a label on the front piece with the words from John 6:12 printed in Greek, “Sunagagete ta perisseusanta klasmata, ina ma ti apolatai.”  Translated, it means, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”  Above this scripture he placed the title, “This Precious Truth.”  He was referring to the message of the Mighty God in Christ, the revelation of the name of Jesus and full salvation through the birth of water and Spirit.  His Greek background gave him an insight into the language that most others lacked, and he became absolutely convinced of the Apostolic doctrine.  I have met few people who are as passionate about the doctrine as he.  He believed we ought to cherish this truth above anything else in life.  

Knowledge of the truth is one thing, but loving the truth is equally critical.  One grants us understanding.  The other governs our attitude.  We cannot afford to handle the precious truths that God has graciously revealed to us carelessly, disrespectfully, or trade them in for mere opinions. 

• The oneness of God is a precious truth, not simply an alternative view.   “For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”  Colossians 2:9. While we do not preach condemnation, neither must we preach compromise.  This message is too important to be minimized. 
• The message of full salvation is a precious truth.  Repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues are non-negotiable doctrines.  To preach less that this would be to deny people the experience of true salvation and would represent a gross dereliction of duty. 
• Living a separated and holy life, close to God, is a precious truth.  Our cultural environment exerts a constant drag on every individual in the church and exerts pressure to conform to the world’s standard of life.  “… do not be conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so you may prove the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:2.
• Our insistence on doctrinal propriety comes from 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.  “Because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” These are sobering words that set the importance of truth in sharp relief.
• Loving one another is a precious truth.  John 15:12  “This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.”  Relationship purity is as important as doctrinal purity.  This truth received Jesus’ highest commendation.  Maintaining doctrinal truth grows best out of love.  We work harder to help each other if we are motivated by love. 

Coach Mike Krzyzewski developed a philosophy that made him one of the best basketball coaches in America.  He said that, as a player, when he went after a loose ball, as far as he was concerned the ball did not have the name “Wilson”, or “Spalding.” He saw the name of Krzyzewski written boldly across it.  “I dove for every ball like it was my own personal property.”  

Let us look at this precious truth as our own personal property.  We must not let anyone steal anything away from us.  Let’s look at each other the same way.  If God brought you into the church, he considers you as a precious possession.  He will not let you go! Neither should we. “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”

Do You Know How to Live in Christ?

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Do you live in a confused state because things do not work out as you heard them preached, taught, talked or sung?  Does it seem like God gave you a to-do list, took the tools, the instructions and the money, and drove off saying, “Good luck with your new life!” If this is your problem, you have warped the process of identification.  You identify more with yourself, with the enemy and with your circumstances rather than with Christ Himself.  This is especially true if you were raised in western culture.  Westerners subscribe to deeply ingrained philosophies that continually interfere with their relationship to Jesus Christ.  They are fiercely independent. They are automatically suspicious of everything and everyone.  They cling to their native identity.  They suffer from the paralysis of analysis. 

First, remember what Christ did for you.  He “qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light;” He “delivered us from the power of darkness;” and He gave us “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:12-14. Not only did Christ act in your behalf, He also re-positioned you from being “without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”  You who were hopelessly “far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”   He broke “down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances;” and He reconciled you to “God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” Ephesians 2:12-15.

Next, think of who you are and what you do because you are “in Christ.” Here is a sampling of relevant “in Christ” scriptures: (One body, eternal life, no condemnation, sanctified, wise, triumphant, hopeful, etc.). The principle of identification is at work here:  Whatever Christ did for you, it is as though you did it!  In God’s economy, you did it in Him!)  

A great analogy is to think of an army tank.  According to sources, “a tank is an armored fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat, with heavy firepower, strong armor, tracks and a powerful engine providing good battlefield maneuverability.” Wikipedia.  Now, think of what it would be like to ride in a tank.  How would you feel?  Safe?  Powerful? Invincible?  That’s the concept of living in Christ! 

Your job is to stay in Christ.  God will not dispossess you, but don’t disqualify yourself! “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2.  In other words, you have control over your own emotions and thoughts.  You are maneuvering your tank though hostile territory.  Temptations like money, material possessions, pleasure and pride hide behind every corner.  Keep your spiritual head in place.  (Remember, poverty may have slain its thousands, but prosperity has slain tens of thousands.)  Lust, offense, anger, bitterness, jealousy and more also make for rough terrain.

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3.   It is simple.  If you open the hatch and venture outside of the tank, you are likely to get blown to bits.  Live in Christ, identify with Christ, have your total being in Christ!  “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overpower) it.” John 1:4-5.  You are only safe if you stay “in Christ!”

Dealing with Rejection

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. 

Once you are born again, you assimilate into the fellowship of believers.  Your change becomes noticeable in dress, conversation and lifestyle.  You attend church more often, and your life revolves around Christ and the church.  Suddenly, criticism and conflict erupts. Sometimes open hostility—even violence—develops. Debate, ridicule, mockery, recrimination, coldness, disgust, contempt, avoidance, alienation occur.  You are branded, treated as a stranger, and you may experience expulsion, desertion or disowning.  How do you deal with this? 

First, try to understand your opposition.  There is the cultic scare. (What are you getting into?); the psychological scare. (Why didn’t you tell us there was something wrong with you?); the guilt felt by your family. (Where did we go wrong?); the sense of loss. (They say they no longer recognize you.); they feel insulted. These and many other reasons prompt their hostility towards you.  But, your obligation is to remain true to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:24-26.  In the bible, truth separated families at times, e.g. Abel, Abraham and Lot, Elisha, and Christ’s disciples. “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” John 6:66. 

Solution: Be careful to maintain the right attitude toward your family.

1. Pray for them. See Matthew 5:43-48;
2. Treat them with respect and kindness;
3. Be firm but humble;
4. Do not avoid your family or trade insults with family members. 

Also, maintain the right attitude toward yourself.

1. Keep a rich devotional life;
2. Override your fleshly sensitivity;
3. Do not fall for subtle manipulation;
4. Declare what you believe. 

Through it all, be a living example of Jesus Christ before your family. Stay confident of the results of your new life and wage a battle of love. 

On doctrinal talks, proceed with caution! Your attitude will impress them more than your biblical knowledge.  Love will win out. Do not attempt to win every argument. Win the war! Do not undermine your family. Let your witness be open.  Many converts have faced opposition and survived.  Many have won their families. 

Keep your spiritual supply line open.  “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.’ When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.’” Ruth 1:16-18. “

When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.” Psalm 27:10.

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37. (Also, read Luke 14:26-27,33.)

The bottom line is you must look to God for your strength.  Nothing is more important than your eternal salvation.  If your family and friends reject you, God will fill your life with spiritual companionship that will complete your life!

Mother's Prayers

(This is an excerpt from a previous post, “Mother’s Hats.)

Thank God for Mothers who pray! You might think Mom always knows and always has the answers. But, she knows she doesn’t. That’s why—-late at night or early in the morning, and sometimes in the middle of the night—-if you sneak into the family room or kitchen, you will see Mother in her most glorious hat, the hat of the prayer-warrior.

You see, sometimes Mothers don’t get the answers they want when they ask the questions. They worry about rashes, bumps and scrapes. They may not know what all the medical terms are, but they know when you just aren’t yourself. They worry about the older kids that come around their children, and what happens at school or the playground or the park.

When kids get older, Mothers are troubled by rebellious looks, hateful remarks, shifty eyes, strange words, reluctance to go to church and a resistance to do the right things that had never before arisen.

She knows you’re vulnerable as you enter changes in your life.
She sees the pain on your expression when someone disses you.
She sees signs of spiritual struggle.
She knows when you’re not around the altar.
Sometimes, she doesn’t like the relationships you’re getting into.
She sees the far-off look in your eyes, and it worries her.
Your spiritual well-being is the single most important thing in her life.

And so she prays. Sometimes, she feels like she just can’t get through to you. She can’t watch you all the time. She doesn’t know all of the influences you may be under.

And so she prays. If the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, you can double that for a mother. The very demons of hell tremble when a mother comes after them with intercessory prayer. The mothers of the Bible say, “Pray on!”

Hannah: 1 Samuel 1:15-17 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

Deborah: Judges 5:1-2 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel , when the people willingly offered themselves. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel , until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel .

I’m confident that behind the successes of Isaac were the prayers of his mother, Sarah. Rebekah must have prayed for Jacob, Jochebed for Moses, Hannah for Samuel, and unnamed mothers for Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the long line of prophets. A grandmother named Lois and a mother named Eunice must have prayed for Timothy. Mighty patriarchs, prophets, priests and kings all must attribute their blessings to mothers who knew how to pray.

Mothers, on this Mother’s Day, you may be weary and distraught. Satan may have told you that you are fighting a losing battle. You may feel inadequate, outsmarted, helpless and hopeless. But, you’re none of these things as long as you can pray!

Pray through the attack of Satan on your home and children.
Pray through the clouds of darkness that try to suffocate you.
Pray through the attempts of evil influence to destroy everything you’ve instilled in your kids.
Pray—-not with resignation, but with resolve!
Pray first, pray last, and fill up the hours in between with whispered prayer.
Find time, make time, take time to pray.
Pray early, pray late, pray often.
Pray softly, pray loudly, pray fervently.
No one can represent your children before the throne of God like you can.
It is time that the mothers in Israel arose. There is a mighty prayer army that moves the very throne of God.

Are You Doing the Righteous Thing?

“Righteousness” comes from a root word that means “straightness.” It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. Righteousness is a moral concept. (Greek:  dikia). Synonyms include justice, holiness and propriety.  God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness.  “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18:25. Righteousness refers to Holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard. Therefore, man’s righteousness is defined in terms of God’s holiness.

But life challenges our righteousness daily.  Righteousness involves choices.  That means that there are two or more options that present themselves to us.  Each choice has pros and cons that must be weighed out.  It is not just a choice between right and wrong.  In theory, everyone believes in doing the right thing.  We have developed great sophistication in solving our ethical dilemmas. When do we administer heroic methods or pull the plug?  When do we support or condemn family and friends behavior?  When do we say enough is enough in marriage relationships? When do we get involved or keep our distance from situations? These are hard questions. But the real heat comes when we factor in the impact upon our own lives.  1) The choice between profit and loss.  2) The choice between acceptance and rejection. 3) The choice between moral and immoral. 4) The choice between saving face and coming clean. 5) The choice between pleasure and pain. Four steps are necessary to make things right. 

• Reason. “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, “’Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow.’” Isaiah 1:18);
• Repentance: “’’Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.” Ezekiel 14:6;
• Responsibility: “Then they said to one another, ‘We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us.’” Genesis 42:21;
• Restitution: “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’” Luke 19:8.

Before salvation, we would do the selfish, convenient thing without thinking.  Use the curse word, hate the person, steal the money, spread the gossip, fudge the taxes and time clock, tell the lie, indulge in the lust, nurse the grudge, and on and on.  Now, however, we have the mandate for righteousness upon us.  How many times have you said, “It’s lucky for you that I have the Holy Ghost!?

An analogy may be seen in the miracle of the lame man’s healing.  Jesus told him to take up his bed because he knew that the new state of being healed would be intimidating to him.  The man stood for the first time in 38 years.

1. There was the balance problem.
2. There was the view of life from six feet instead of one foot.  (People in wheelchairs say there is a difference how they are received by others from their sitting position.)
3. There was the new perspective of being seen as a whole person, capable of fending for yourself, responsible for taking on life’s challenges.
4. There was the ease with which he could have laid back down and assumed the position of his former self.  His healing would have been negated.  His leg would have atrophied.  His newly given advantage would have been forfeited.

Righteousness, therefore, as a standing with God must be accepted. Righteousness as a lifestyle is to be learned.  Are you acting according to righteousness or according to sinful human instinct?  Righteousness is living the informed life, the life fully acclimated to the morality of God.

Hearing vs. Listening

“So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Hearing is an essential component of the communication process.  Hearing is impeded by several factors: Distance: Too far away; Competition: Too much noise; Attention: Pre-occupied; Audibility: Not enough volume;  Meaning: Language and/or connotations not understood; Credibility: Speaker not relevant or knowledgeable.  These factors could not be more critical when it comes to hearing the Word of God. 

God’s Word determined the fate of Noah’s generation. “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37-39. This generation heard Noah’s preaching, but they remained ignorant until it was too late.  They heard the word, but it had no effect on them.  The operant question is:  Why? Why didn’t the preached word result in the transfer of viable, sound knowledge?  Did they have alternative explanations to the preached word?

Did they think Noah was crazy, extreme, out-of-touch? Did they think they were on the cutting edge of technological change?  Did they deny that they no crisis was imminent?  Did they think Noah’s presence was becoming a liability to society? 

One may hear without listening. “Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7. When people hear the word with the right attitude, something good happens!  “They who received the word gladly were baptized…”  Acts 2:40-42.  God speaks even if He knows His words will not be accepted.  He knocks on the door of an empty house. Why?  Because He will not be at fault for anyone’s failure to be saved.  “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13. Some kinds of knowledge can only be received with a right attitude.  If our attitude is not right, it will be as though that word was never spoken to us in the first place.  That means that hearers must interact with the word.  Faith: I believe it. Doubt: I’m not sure.  I want more evidence. Passivity: I’m not interested.  Rejection: I despise it. Acceptance: I will do it. 

Be very careful about how you hear and respond to the Word of God!  Make the most, not the least, of the Word of God.  Be fearful of opposing the Word of God. Take care not to overlook the Word of God. Do not add to or take away from the Word of God.  Never tamper with or assign private interpretations to the Word of God. “[Paul] as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” Peter 3:16.  

The Word of God, as the Source of Truth, must be spoken and received to be effective.  When you hear the Word of God but do not receive it, you become liable for it anyway.  God’s Word must be met with obedience, even if we do not understand it.  Otherwise, it is as though we pass judgment on the perfect Word of God.  This leads us to a dynamic conclusion: the Word remains dormant and inactive to the unbeliever; but when the Word is mixed with faith, it produces a powerful result. Don’t just hear, but listen.  Read and believe!  Trust and obey!