Faith like a Mustard Seed....

The Bible tells us in Mark 11:24, 'Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them. Therefore I say to you, Whatever things ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them'. Do you know in this scripture, God was speaking to believers? Yes, to you and me, the saved, adopted sons and daughters of God. He was giving us a glimpse into His Glorious Kingdom by telling us that whatever we want, because we are His, we only have to believe when we ask for it, and it shall be granted unto us! What a love from a generous Father! But, knowing that we are His, knowing that we can ask that the windows of Heaven be opened and His blessing be poured out upon us, still doesn't mean anything if we don't believe it can happen!
Matthew 17:20 of the Amplified version of the Word of God goes like this, 'He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you'. Again, Jesus was speaking to believers. More interestingly, in this portion of text, He was addressing those most closest to Him - His disciples! These were the men who walked with Him, ate with Him, and performed miracles in His name! These were also the same men who were of little faith! So where does that leave us?
If you are anything like me, then you love God. There is nothing that satisfies you more than the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Yet, when the situations of life come against you, somewhere along the way you become weary.. and the doubt squirms its way into the matter. You say that it will all work out because you serve the One True and Living God, yet, you know you are doubting that the best is yet to come.. 
But, my brothers and sisters, here I am, a living testimony! My life is a series of ups and downs, with twists and turns that I didn't bargain for. But, I am learning everyday that the more I spend time in God's beautiful presence, the more I read and fill myself with the knowledge of who He is, the more I am able to build my faith..
Anna Rountree gives her testimony on www.spiritlessons.com of her experiences with God in Heaven. There, she shares an amazing truth that there are human organs and parts that are stored up in Heaven ready to be released to the sick among us - but we don't believe in His marvelous healing, so they remain there, and we grow more and more sick..
We pray for job promotions, new houses and vehicles, financial breakthroughs, healing, deliverance, marriage partners, and so many other things, but we don't believe that we can receive these things from our God. Therefore, there is no manifestation of His Might for the unbelievers to see..
Today, I just want to encourage you to know that God loves you more than you can ever imagine. Our minds are too limited to process the kind of love He has for us. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts - but we need only to believe...

Don't give up on them!

Last night I saw a testimony online that shook the very core of my insides.  The clip was entitled, "Atheist died, went to Hell, Came back". In his testimony, Mr. Reagan disclosed that he used to 'cut and shoot' people, was very angry, was a womanizer and had a heart that was stone cold. He said when he was nine years old he was given a lamb that he took home. He watched as his father beat the lamb to death, blood spilling everywhere. He cried and cried and vowed from that day onward that he was never going to be hurt again, but he would do the hurting! Since then, he lived life being a slave to sin. He robbed, he killed, he watched as people were raped. He was shot, had been stabbed, cursed and fornicated. He was sinking deeper and deeper into an unsatisfactory life. He had a wife and kids, but was quickly losing them to the lifestyle he preferred. One night he remembered so clearly, that as he was going into a store with his 5 year old son, a man exiting the store at the same time pushed the door as he did it. He became so angry that he began beating the man in front of the child. The man, who appeared equally violent, got up and reached for something. He began to stab Mr. Reagan about the body. As the testimony continues, Mr. Reagan recalls that he knew he had been in an ambulance which somehow appeared to have caught on fire. He saw himself falling into an open crater volcano, where people were burning, begging him to go back and not come to a place like that. He says he didn't want to experience what they were experience and was fighting desperately to get back. When he awoke, he found himself on a hospital bed with his wife by his side. He didn't forget the voices of the people wailing in the fire. This he said, caused him to turn his life around.
Wow! Tears came to my eyes. Jesus had been with him. Jesus saved him. He was fortunate to visit hell to recognize it is not the place he wanted to be. God had a plan for him even though he had been rejecting Him for so long. Today, he is a Pastor of his own church and has preached in all continents around the globe.
How foolish I have been. My unsaved loved one seems to be a servant of evil. The more I pray, the more things got worst. As strong as I like to believe I am standing on the Word of God and on His promises for my household, I get weary and I faint. But, many are the afflictions of the righteous, and God delivers us out of them all. God saw my weariness and He saw my sadness that my loved one is living such a defeated life. And so, I come across a video like this one; One where a man who loved sin so much, who did everything pleasing to self and to the enemy, who was blind to spiritual things, ran into the arms of the Living God. What a mighty God we serve! My hope was renewed in the moment it wavered. 
Sometimes dear friends, it takes time for people to finally choose Jesus. But, it also takes time to build up a powerful testimony. Our loved ones, like we once did, would have to go through some things that when they are able to see truth, they will know without a doubt that it was only God who saved them. All glory will go to Him only. He deserves all that we are and so much more. Have Faith today. Believe that you and your household shall be saved. Believe God at His Word. Believe that man, woman, or child whose salvation you are praying for, has already been saved. God has heard our petitions and He is faithful to answer. Believe and Receive in Jesus Name!