Do Not Doubt

John 20:27-29, says Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 

Their are times, when I am trying to call pastors, and looking up where some of these churches are, and I wonder, God how am I going to get their?, God thats a very small town thats not going to work?. Am I doubting, yes I am doubting, and thats the three words I want to point out that Jesus tells us not to do, He tells us DO NOT DOUBT.  When I doubt, I am not only doubting the possibilities of what God can and will do, but I am doubting the move of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the pastor's who will hear my testimony, and pray about what it is that God wants them to do.  God not only tells us not to doubt, but believe in the Gospel of John, but also in

Mark 11:21-24, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”  Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.  Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

And also 

Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.  Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” 

When we have family members, who are sick, we believe the doctor's and doubt the person's recovery  more than we believe what God tells us, which is do not doubt, but believe and have faith in Him, Mark 11:21-24.  We give up to easily when someone is sick, because we do not see the healing, we forget that whatever happens that God causes all things to work out for the good of his people, and according to his plan.  Romans 8:28.  We can't force someone to come to salvation, but we can't doubt, that someone won't either, we just need to pray and believe that with God all things are Possible.  

So whatever your dealing with, when you hit that wall, and you start to doubt, and start to question what it is that God has for you, or what it is that He is going to do in your life, don't doubt but believe.  

John 20:27 says Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 

Wondering Why

Growing up and going to a school for people with disabilities, every know and than, you would hear over the speaker system that one of your classmates, or someone in the school had just passed away.  Sometimes it would hit you harder than others especially when you knew that person, though I think it eventually you would ask yourself, just like I did, am I next.  People with disabilities, are not expected to have the life expectancy that other people do.  For example, doctor's told my parent's that I would be brain dead when I was born, than doctor's told my parent's I wouldn't survive past 18, in two months I will be 36, God's plan most definitely, because He has a time, and a place for everything.  Ecclesiastes 3.    Psalms 139:13-16, says that He has every day of our lives written our in His book,

             ¹³You alone created my inner being.

You knitted me together inside my mother.

¹⁴ I will give thanks to you

because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.

Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.

¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you

when I was being made in secret,

when I was being skillfully woven in an underground workshop.

¹⁶ Your eyes saw me when I was only a fetus.

Every day ⌊of my life⌋ was recorded in your book

before one of them had taken place.

I know that God has a plan, purpose and a reason for everything.  Though throughout my life, I have seen people with my disability a lot worse off than I am, and even like today have heard of one of them passing away, and know in the hands of God.  I may not know the exact answer, until I see him face to face, but I ask myself, why did God make me this way?  Than I see others, and I ask myself, God how did I become so fortunate, not to have to suffer the way they did?  Live today with the Joy of the Lord, knowing that their are people worse off than you today, maybe not specifically with a disability, but we live in a country thats far better off than most in this world.  When you look in the mirror today, don't walk away not remembering the way that you look, but saying Thank you God for making me this way.  

God does not limit what He has for us.

According to Philippians 4:13, Amplified version of that verse says And my God, will Liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Have you ever noticed that in verses like these, take for John 3:16, For whosoever believes, Jeremiah 29:11, I know the Plans, I have for you declares the Lord, Philippians 4:6,13, Do Not be anxious about anything, and I can do all THINGS.  Do you notice something similar in these verses and in others as well, that similarity is that God doesn't limit, what He is going to give us in our lives, or what He is going to do in our lives.  He doesn't limit who is going to be saved, He doesn't limit the plans He's going to give us, He doesn't limit what we can be anxious about He doesn't say don't be anxious about this, but these things, over here you have to worry about.  In Philippians 4:19, God says and my God shall supply ALL YOUR NEEDS, So God's not limiting the NEEDS, that He is going to give you.  So remember these things next time you are wondering am I saved.  Remember this the next time you are limiting God in what you think His plans and purposes are for your life, or even what you can do through CHRIST who gives you strength.  Remember that with God all things are POSSIBLE.

Do Not Worry, Have Peace

Regardless of what it is, from something small to the biggest thing you could imagine doing, we are sometimes afraid, and we wonder what's going to happen.  It may be something from taking a test, to having a baby, to meeting the President of the US.  We think to ourselves, will we remember the right answers, will we say the right things, because you definitely don't want to say the wrong thing especially when it comes to someone of importance.  Than those who have the babies sometimes wonder will the health of my baby be good.  Than after everything is completed, everything is done, the test is over, and you pass, the meeting with that person of importance, goes better than you thought it would.  The health of the baby is better than the doctor's told you it would be.  I mention this today, because I went to my old high school, where I spent fifteen years, not that I spent fifteen years in high school but I went their from Pre-K through twelfth grade.  I had a meeting with the President and CEO of the organization over their to see if I could speak at a meeting or graduation, and thank God, the meeting went better than I thought it would.  So when your in a nervous situation, or your concerned about something coming up in your life, no matter what it is, remember this, do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer, and petition, present your requests to God, and let the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Remember that when you prayer, regardless of what it is, He will give you Peace, in what it is that you are going through, and going to deal with in your life.  

Forgiving Ourselves For Our Sins.

We all sin, and we all fall short of God's glory, each and every day of our lives, so why beat our selves up over it, we know that God has forgiven us for that sin.  How by sending his Son to die for our sins.  John, 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son for whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  We forget that God sent Jesus to come and die on that cross for our sins, so instead of asking for forgiveness, we condemn ourselves and beat ourselves up over it.  Though one thing we forget is, that we sin each and every day, whether it be by lying, stealing,  thinking, doing, or watching things we shouldn't be.  Yet we label the sins that we do or know we shouldn't from not so bad to the worst sin imaginable.  Why do we do that isn't every sin that we do, condemnable by death, and by dying on the Cross, which Christ did for us?  Yet we forget that Romans 8:1, says Therefore their is now no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus, 2. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.  Romans 3:23, says all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God.  Let us remember, that no matter what sin we do, maybe don't remember or forget that we did, God LOVES us, and will still forgive us for that sin.

Some Questions I Wonder About, When It Comes to God?

In Hebrews 4:15, the Bible tells us that we have a High Priest, who is not unable to sympathize with out weaknesses, but one who can because He was tempted in any and all ways just as we were, but yet without sin.  Thats a great thing to know, but what about the trials, heartaches, headaches, frustrations, that we deal with, whether it be in a Job, well we know that Jesus was a carpenter, but do we know if He had a boss?  Would He get frustrated at his boss? we know that Jesus didn't sin, but did He deal with the everyday headaches, heartaches, frustrations, that we do today?  If He did how did He handle them, what did he do, He was God, so He could have probably done anything he wanted to do, and He knew everything so He probably knew what was going to happen.  Maybe He didn't have the full knowledge of everything as a Child, that He did when He was actually in ministry for three years.  Have you ever wondered if Mary drove him crazy, as some of our parent's do today, did he get frustrated at his Mom.  We know He didn't sin, but we also don't know much about his teenage years, did He want a girlfriend, the same way that we want a girlfriend today, did He has the same wants that we want today, as teenagers and young adults?  Have you ever wondered why He doesn't give us the advice when it comes to relationships, since He created everything, you would think that He would give you that advice? I know that God works everything out for Our Good, and I know that He will give us that peace for our trials, heartaches, headaches, and frustrations, that we deal with, but it's just interesting to ask that question, God what is it that you went through during the years we don't know about?  

Put Your Name in God's Word.

When you read God's word, have you ever put your name, in the scripture verses, such as Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plan I have for put your name here Declares the Lord, plans to Prosper Dorsey, and not to Harm Dorsey, Plans to give Dorsey a hope and a future.  Have you ever done that, and than realized that you are a son/daughter of God, and that He has a plan and a purpose for your life, He is not going to harm you, but He is going to give you a hope and a future.

We can do the same thing in John 3:16, because it says that God loves the World, but God loves all of us individually, so we could put our name in their and have it say So God so loved, Put Your Name Here, That He gave his one and only son, for Your name, believes in Him Shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Psalms 139:13-17, it talks about how God created us before we were in our mothers womb, when ever it says My, or I, we can put our name in their, so that we can make it a more personal story or scripture verse.  While we read the Bible, we can become closer to God, and we can see that God was writing the Bible to us.  Let us remember that God wants us to grow closer to Him, and wants us to have a more personal relationship with Him, because He loves, us and created us in His Image.