Yesterday, I posted thisvideo of Jeff Vanderstelt explaining what God is doing through him and Soma Communities up in Tacoma, Washington. I came across another video, as well, in which these two college students are on mission where God put them in Austin, Texas.
I thank God for these videos, and more importantly, these communities that are putting on display a new vision of what missions is supposed to be.
“One of the most powerful apologetics (defenses) of the Gospel is when a group of people love one another, live in unity together in the midst of a dark and depraved world…” – Jeff Vanderstelt
It would seem that in some mysterious work of God’s providence, spiritual doubt is plaguing many brothers and sisters in Christ. Lest we fall into the temptation to think that spiritual doubt is somehow a temptation that “real Christians” never experience (and therefore don’t feel the need to show grace to those who doubt), hear the words of Jude: “Be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 22).
I recently listened to this sermon by C.J. Mahaney entitled, “When Someone Doubts.” I would suggest that anybody who is doubting or knows anybody who is doubting listen to this sermon. In it, Mahaney referenced the following quote from Charles Spurgeon on the issue of doubt. I pray that this will provide some comfort to those who may be struggling with this particular temptation.
It seems as if doubt were doomed to be the perpetual companion of faith. As dust attends the chariotwheels so do doubts naturally becloud faith. Some men of little faith are perpetually enshrouded with fears; their faith seems only strong enough to enable them to doubt. If they had no faith at all, then they would not doubt, but having that little, and but so little, they are perpetually involved in distressing surmises, suspicions, and fears. Others, who have attained to great strength and stability of faith, are nevertheless, at times, subjects of doubt. He who has a colossal faith will sometimes find that the clouds of fear float over the brow of his confidence. It is not possible, I suppose, so long as man is in this world, that he should be perfect in anything; and surely it seems to be quite impossible that he should be perfect in faith. Sometimes, indeed, the Lord purposely leaves his children, withdraws the divine inflowings of his grace, and permits them to begin to sink, in order that they may understand that faith is not their own work, but is at first the gift of God, and must always be maintained and kept alive in the heart by the fresh influence of the Holy Spirit.
