Faith in numbers..... Faith in environment.

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Matthew 17:20 "... I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain 'move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Isn't it amazing how "little" faith is required for miraculous things to happen, and how much less doubt it takes to ruin it? 

  What are we surrounded by? Have you ever stopped and analyzed what your environment is filling you up with? It's so easy to ignore those small things in life that "aren't exactly good for us" but are not quite bad enough to address. Guess what guys, that's exactly what the enemy is expecting us to do. Just shrug it off, it's really not THAT bad. In reality, that's like saying a little bit of cancer isn't a big deal. Initially you'd probably be right, focusing too much on the little things can be just as destructive. There absolutely has to be a balance. It's kind of like a painting, look to close and all you see is a tiny imperfect blotch; too far and the details are lost.

  What we allow to enter our minds can start to fill us up with useless junk. I think people (myself included) really underestimate the mind-spirit connection, otherwise we would probably be a little more cautious with what we allow to enter our minds. If we are filling up with sin and all the junk of the world, where will our faith fit in? Are we going to stuff it into the cracks here and there? Maybe your reading this and you've decided to leave faith out of your mind completely (which actually means you've simply placed in things not of God but that is a topic for another day). These things are clogging the plumbing and we need some Drano, stat.

  The Bible tells us about a time where the disciples are in a boat, out on the water, in the middle of a storm. They see Jesus walking out on the water and Peter asks Jesus to call him out of the boat and to walk out on the water. So Peter steps out and starts to walk successfully on the water. But once he's out there he starts to look around and doubt what is actually happening through God. His ENVIRONMENT gets the best of him, he takes his focus off his faith in the Lord and at that point he starts to sink. 

  The point here is this, outside forces can distract us from our faith and when we take our eyes off God the cancer begins to spread and consume and take over quickly. The best part is God is standing with a scalpel ready to heal the "boo boo" that is our faith problem, we just need to ask for it. Our A.D.D. can be cured and there are ways to check ourselves. When that song comes on the radio that "really isn't that bad" stop and say a silent prayer asking God whether this is good for you. When that person at work or school ect., that always seems to get you in trouble has a "great idea", stop and say a silent prayer asking God what to do. Generally speaking though, if you have to ask the question to begin with it probably means it's time to change the station or get out of that area.

  At my home church, Branches, they really like having one take away point so here it is; if our faith in God is the center of our focus and we clear out all the worldly things that hinder our growth, "nothing will be impossible." 

  It's time to clean house my friends and the plan of attack simple, pray and get into the word. God's way and God's message to us are the only thing in which we can totally and completely rely. Putting our faith in front of everything will bring growth like we've never experienced before. It does require diligence though. So now it's all on us and the question has become simple; where does your faith fall in your list of priorities?