Bible Time & WOrship Episode 25 – Help My Unbelief

Have you read anywhere in the Bible when someone says, “I believe, help my unbelief!” It’s in there in the book of Mark. This boy’s father had a belief, but he was saying it’s not enough. Help me increase my belief in you Lord! Personally, I doubt too but I recognize who God is and I never turn away from the Lord. I don’t know what God is doing and I don’t know all of his plans but my little faith has increased over time. God has helped me grow my faith because I have chosen to trust in what I knew about the Lord and prayed that God would show me Truth and His hand at work. I have seen Him provide. He has shown up in various ways in my life and with each experience and as I got to know him by spending time with Him, my trust, faith and boldness in God continues to grow. God knows our heart and what we are really looking for. He knows our motivations. In all of these things, He is not fooled. He understands what we need. He is with us. We do not turn away from the Lord in our difficulties or in our pleasures (like the King did in Episode 21)… we keep connected and abide in God through Jesus (John 15:4-5). As my son said, there will always be doubt and there will always be sin yet the Lord is here with us and provides for us. We are thankful. God gives each of us the same amount of time each day and may we use a part of it to give it back as we focus on you. Help increase our belief, trust, devotion and dedication to you Lord through this time as we come to you today.

SONGS:

Desert Song- Brooke Ligertwood

Death Was Arrested – North Point Worship

God I Look To You – Bethel

Bible Verses:

Mark 9:14-29 Did you know that you can ask Jesus for help with your unbelief? (Read the entire passage to see what happens!)

‘And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” ‘ Mark 9:21-24 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/MRK.9.21-24

Matthew 7:7-11 Our Father in heaven knows and provides what is good

‘”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ‘ Matthew 7:7-11 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.7.7-11

James 4:1-8 The Lord knows our hearts and our motives. Help us God.

‘What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ‘ James 4:1-8 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JAS.4.1-8

James 4:13-17 The Lord is in control, not us. We continue to go to God with everything including our day to day plans. Our life is short. (I mentioned the “rope illustration’ to my son linked below.)

‘Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. ‘ James 4:13-17 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JAS.4.13-17

James 5:7-16 The Lord is coming, he is just, compassionate and merciful. Confess our sins to one another and pray for one another that we would remain steady, steadfast and persevere in the Lord.

‘Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ‘ James 5:7-16 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JAS.5.7-16

Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus has been through what we are going through and so we can come to Him because He understands.

‘Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ‘ Hebrews 4:14-16 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/HEB.4.14-16

Ephesians 3:20-21 We come to you again and again Lord!

‘Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ‘ Ephesians 3:20-21 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/EPH.3.20-21

Romans 10:9-10 Tell others that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from death.

‘because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ‘ Romans 10:9-10 https://my.bible.com/bible/59/ROM.10.9-10

Rope Illustration by Francis Chan

May we be ready to share the reason for the hope that is in us when others see how we live out our faith in these changing times. Like Paul and Silas when in jail (see Episode 23), they held on to the Lord praising and praying to God and spoke the Truth of the gospel to the jailer when he asked what he needed to do to be saved (Acts 16:30). Lord help us to live out our faith in a way that draws others to you. Lord we recognize that we have doubts and sometimes we question if we have enough faith in certain circumstances. Lord it is at this time that we can remember the father who cried out “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” (Here is another resource about this topic from GotQuestions.org.) We know you know our hearts Lord. You know our true motives and intentions. Help us Lord to draw closer to you. We know we fall short and we need you. We cannot save our selves. Thank you Lord for understanding who we are and providing for us the Way to be saved through Jesus.

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Thank you again for joining in and praying for us #togetherathome and others around the world. I pray this time encourages you to dig into your Bibles and to seek #truth and the understanding that comes from the Lord. We continue our 6th week of “no school at school” as everyone here continues to go to school online to minimize group gatherings and help prevent the spread of the #coronavirus in #Daegu, South Korea. I am thankful for our local leadership’s efforts. I am in prayer as I see the news of the spread of this virus and many deaths around the world. I will continue this “Bible Time & Worship” online ministry as long as God gives me the ‘go’ to be used in this way. If so, I plan to be on at noon (Daegu time) via FB every Monday – Friday. Remember, God is able and #Godisbiggerthanxyz (any situation we may be facing). It is in Jesus that I continue to place my hope and trust. I pray you do are doing that too. Sincerely, Sejana

#homeworship #thankful #familyBiblestudy #Killthevirus #Godisbiggerthanxyz #onlineministry #discipleship #faithoverfear #bestrongdaegu #parenting #togetherathome #prayer #worship #unbelief

Looking for a Bible Study to watch and reflect on during this time? Try these: https://sejanashines.com/2020/03/07/bible-time-worship-every-episode-summary/