"A doubting temper, fond of dwelling on difficulties and objections, is fatal to the unity of mild, heart and will. Doubts, if they assail you, are neither to be timidly shrunk from nor idly played with, but honestly faced and fought. But the grand secret of conviction is to dwell first and constantly on the Positive Evidence of truth.
If that is adequate, unanswerable, then a 1000 questions we cannot At Present Answer need not trouble us. They can Wait: but facts will not wait. Here is a great secret, not only of strength, but of rest. And in Rest is a Reservoir of Energy."~ E.R. Conder and W. Clarkson (both Reverends)
What the reverends said is true, we must look at the Positive Evidence of Truth. When I was doubting myself, Yah reminded me why I really moved to St. Louis in the first place. I was given a vision of my home I would move into in several dreams, I even signed the lease before I actually saw the home. I had a job aligned before I moved and I had the ministry on-line, just not on the podcast or in video format. Yah Reminded me I moved here to Establish His Ministry and He Will provided Everything I need, just like he did when I moved.
However, this light bulb moment didn't happen until After I began working the doubt out of me.
This sermon is going to discuss doubters in the Bible, and how our Creator helped them or how they themselves overcame doubt.
Doubt Defined by the Dictionary
A mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions- unable to be certain of any of them
On an Emotional Level: indecision between Belief and Disbelief.
Doubters in The Bible
Deuteronomy 1:19-36 NKJV
Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land
19 “So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the Lord our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’
22 “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’
23 “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. 24 And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. 25 They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’
26 “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; 27 and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where can we go up? Our brethren have [i]discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’
29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.
The Penalty for Israel’s Rebellion
34 “And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, 35 ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I [j]swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he [k]wholly followed the Lord.’ 37 The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there. 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
People or Person In Doubt = Israel
We learn that Moses is explaining to Israel why it took 40 years to get out of the wilderness: The Reason is doubting Moses and Yah's Word about bringing them out of the wilderness. They were brought out of Egypt and into the land of the Amorites, where they complained that God had brought them into another land were they would be mistreated and enslaved.
Abba Yah told them to possess the land because it was a land of abundance but Israel only saw the land as another obstacle and failed promise from God. They were afraid of how the people looked, how high the walls of the city were: Yet God told Moses to tell them Do Not Be Afraid, Yah Goes before You.
Moses reminds Israel of All Abba Yah did for them: at night He lead them by fire and showed where to pitch their tents, and by day He led them via a cloud.
Consequences or Results of Doubt
Israel rebelled against Yah's Command for them to possess the land, then chose to go into battle against the Amorites when Yah wasn't with them.
As a result Yah was mad and promised nobody except the few who believed and followed Moses' instructions Given by Yah would enter in or see the land of abundance... not even Moses because Yah was upset with him for the sake of His People.
Now let us read
Mark 9:14-27 NKJV
A Boy Is Healed
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
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[b] generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I [c]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[d] 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.
Person In Doubt = Child's Father
The child's father was possessed by demons since childhood. The father didn't believe in Yahusha as Messiah or His power to heal, not 100% because he told Yahusha..."If you can heal my son..." The father seemed to be at loss with hope...like he is at his wits end.
Consequences or Results of Doubt
Yahusha drove out a demon in front of a crowd, which made other people believe in Him and He healed the boy. Yahusha said that prayer was needed to cast out this demon that was attached to the boy.
Here we learn that some demons are only able to leave when we pray them away.
Let us turn to
Luke 7:18-28
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to [c]Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or [d]do we look for another?”
20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” 21 And that very hour He cured many of [e]infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not [f]offended because of Me.”
24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’
28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is [g]not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
People In Doubt = Disciples of John and John The Baptist
John sends 2 disciples to ask Yahusha if He is the One John's been preaching about coming to save the Earth from Sin as written and spoken of by the prophets. John was unsure if Yahusha was the one.
While the 2 disciples wait for a reply after asking Yahusha if He is the Messiah John's been preaching about, they witness miracles and are told to go tell John what they saw.
Consequences or Results of Doubt
When the messengers leave, Yahusha confirms John was sent to prepare the world for His Arrival.
Why Luke 7 resonates with me:
Abba Yah asked me to write about His Return and to teach His Word to others
I get scared that I say wrong things or not enough. I worry I use the wrong tones in sermons.
I still don't feel qualified to do His Will
Like John, I doubt. I Really Want Abba Yah to return today... but I know too that is not the case so sometimes I get discouraged about His Return Really Happening. I know it is, I know what He has shown me and the signs He has Given to us Signifying His Return. I also know the Miracles He has done in my life, and these events are what keeps my Faith from ever fully failing and giving up.
I saw God as a big ball of light and His feet in a cave during surgery. I have seen and met angels, I have heard the adversaries voice and Yah telling him that I am His, just like He did Job. I've had visions in dreams and have moved in Faith only to succeed because it was His Will and not mine. I know if I continue to doubt, I will be just like Israel was in the wilderness and I will never get to enjoy the Prosperity Yah Promises when we Trust in Him.
Online Bible
To Purchase Cynthia Heald's Becoming a Woman of Faith
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