Why Unbelief is Dangerous

By Thomas Denegre

When it comes to our spiritual lives, ignorance is not bliss; it can be dangerous; like unbelief 

Unbelief may appear benign, but like electricity, if you touch it, catastrophic events can occur. As they say, forewarned is forearmed, as unbelief is like a virus that can spread a horrible disease to the community. 

Unbelief is rebellion produced out of fear, pride, distrust, and reasoning upon your own authority; not Gods’. Like a virus, unbelief will spread through an unsuspecting population turning themselves against God. The scriptures makes it clear that God counts unbelief as a grave sin, and He deals with it forcefully. 

On the other hand, large faith is the answer to unbelief. Large faith has complete trust, confidence, obedience, and intimacy with the Lord.  Large faith moves mountains, heals the sick, and delivers people and nations from ruin. So, how do we acquire this large faith? Like planting a crop, we must first clear the land of unbelief and then it will be ready for the seeds of God’s Word. 

In the Book of Exodus, the Hebrews were delivered by God from their Egyptian slave masters, they saw miraculous signs from Him, such as; the Passover of death, God’s pillar of smoke and flame that led their procession out Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of Pharaoh’s pursuit army.  God offered them the Promised Land, but out of distrust Moses’ leaders wanted to send spies as a scouting party. (Deu. 1:21-22) 

Twelve spies were sent out and they returned with different news.  Ten spies gave an “evil” report filled with their own reasoning, not God's, which led to fear, doubt, and rebellion.  They spread the news to the Hebrew population griping them in fear and rebellion too.  (Deu. 1:34-46) The people wanted to return to Egyptian slavery versus taking possession of their Promised Land.  Seeing their disobedience and insurrection, God denied them the Promise Land and consequentially, they endured the hardships of the wilderness for forty years and died. Ignorance of unbelief is not bliss as it can destroy the person and the affected community. 

Clearly, we see that unbelief was a grave sin that led into rebellion and unnecessary hardship. Here are a few warning signs of unbelief. 

• Based on my own reasoning, I will decide what God can and cannot do 
• I am filled with fear, doubt, anxiety and have no trust in the Lord 
• I give credibility to my physical senses than the written Word of God, the spoken words of faith, or the character of God. 

Conversely, the two spies who gave an excellent report saw the Promise Land as a grand opportunity. We witness how God saved his people who maintained their faith in him.  They will see the Lord fill the earth with his glory (see Hebrews 3:7-19; Psalm 103:8-14). In your struggle against sin and evil, where do you encounter unbelief or rebellion? Ask the Lord for strength to overcome them and to win victory in him. 

Like any loving and good character parent, our Father God desires to have a loving relationship that produces an outcome of blessings and abundant life.  Jesus provides his instructions in the Book of John, “If you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire, and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!” (John 15:7-8 TPT) 

From my own personal experience of developing a large faith, I had to first repent of my unbelief, fear, and prideful reasoning.  Out of humility, I opened my heart to let God love me and did the love pour in. I gave Him all my trust, confidence, and obedience. Like the Passover that saved the Hebrews, my baptism was the beginning of my true faith journey that lead to more battles and more growth.  Growth occurred as I depended on God, and not myself, to get through the battles and tests in my life. 

I learned that faith was about trusting God, not only in his sovereignty and power, but also in his goodness, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, wisdom, miracles, and unfailing love. The foundation of faith was not built on my own ability to create it, but upon my willingness to receive and act on it.  I realized that great faith produced great obedience.  

My good friend, who is a Catholic priest, once led a group of people to Lourdes France as healing miracles occurred when people entered the natural springs. In his group was an elderly lady with a withered arm.  She had expectant faith and as she entered the springs, my friend witnessed her arm being restored to perfect use.  Since the supernatural was natural in Lourdes, the local staff took her to the next-door medical clinic for x-rays and a doctor’s examination.  The doctor officially claimed the healing a miracle.  Next came a five-year boy with severe bowed legs.  He too came out of the spring with perfect legs.  Again, the doctor claimed a healing miracle.  The Catholic church is very serious about these miracles and uses all due diligence to ensure their veracity.  Since 1858 there have been 70 verified miracles. 

While many people will be skeptical of these miracles because of their unbelief, believers with a large faith know God is always faithful and good to His children.  I have found a good place to start your large faith is to memorize Psalm 18 and Psalm 91 as it contains many promises, protections, and love from God.  By allowing the Word of God to live powerfully in your mind and heart, you’ll come to know Him intimately and faithfully. 

For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. 

For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. 

For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; 

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. Psalm 18: 28-31 (NIV) 

Tell us how you faced and overcome unbelief? Leave Comment

Can you share how large faith in Jesus has changed your life.  Leave Comment

The Extraordinary Gift of God’s Favor

By Thomas Denegre

Mirror, mirror on the wall who’s the fairest of them all? 

Alas, fairy tales always have a good lesson for us to learn in life.  Don’t they? This week’s reading in Genesis takes us through the favor of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We see how God’s favor bestowed enormous wealth to his faithful but flawed servants, so God could build his nation to carry the bloodline to our messiah; Jesus Our Lord.

Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7, Genesis 22:1-12, Genesis 22:13-18, Genesis 25:19-34, Genesis 28:10-22, 

Genesis 30:25-36, Genesis 30:37-43

Understanding the true nature of God’s favor in our lives can transport our spiritual lives to the deepest ends of the water where we can find rest in the abundant life of Christ; even during our darkest days.  But beware of the mirror on the wall because it will lie to you causing you to crash onto the rocks.

I’ve heard that God’s favor is called His ‘demonstrated delight.’ While in the Old Testament God’s favor was bestowed to selected people, we in the new covenant are privileged to live in God’s favor when we believe in Jesus as our Lord and repent from our sinful ways.  Favor is like God’s grace of undeserved kindness and forgiveness, and then goes the extra mile to reach down in the muck of our black sins over-and-over again to save us from ourselves. The intent is for us to discover that all of God’s favor has been given to us the moment we believe. 

A friend once told me of his visit to a family in Lebanon.  Late in the afternoon the four-year-old son heard his father’s car come into the driveway. Excited to hear his father arriving home, the little boy jumped onto the sofa to look out the window joyfully exclaiming, “Abba! Abba! Abba!”

As the father walked into the home, the little boy ran to his father jumping into his strong arms. The father kissed the boy’s face and said, “I love you more than my eyes! I love you more than my eyes!” Again, the father smothered him with more kisses and said again and again, “I love you more than my eyes!  I love you more than my eyes!” In return, the son kissed his father back with delight. 

Favor is receiving the full force of God’s love with kisses to our face who says to us, “I love you more than my life! I love you more than my life!” 

• Favor is the good shepherd leaving the ninety-nine to save the one.
• Favor is rescuing the extortionist named Mathew to become his follower.
• Favor is saving the adulteress from being stoned to death to become a saint.
• Favor is liberating the murderer named Paul who became the greatest Apostle of them all
• Favor is the loving father who forgives his prodigal son and says everything he has belongs to him. 

But beware of the mirror on the wall for it can deceive and destroy you.  It destroyed King Saul, Judas, the Pharisees, and the brother of the prodigal son. Most people are on a path from pride to humility, from self-centeredness to selflessness, from self-hatred to self-acceptance, from holding grudges to forgiveness.  They gaze into the mirror to see pride, fear, apathy, guilt, shame, or disgrace and then they project a god into their own image who is despising, condemning, punitive, vengeful, or indifferent.  Blind to their own ways they cannot see past themselves, or the mirror, to see our true God.  Sadly, they treat themselves and others in the same fashion.  God has become a reflection of their flawed nature.

As mature Christians we have looked past the man in the mirror to see Abba kissing our face saying, “I love you more than my life! I love you more than my life!” By receiving the full force of God’s favor, even in the midst of our sins, all we can do is desire to kiss him back with the full force of our love and our kisses. Even when I’m doing sinful things, my God loves me in return with kisses.  By receiving his favor, I only want to love him more. In this truth, God’s favor calls us to love Him, to love ourselves, and to love our enemies. 

By living in life union with Jesus (John 15:7), we know his living streams of love pour through us, so we can pour that love and favor onto others.  As mature Christians, we must tolerate the weakness of those in the family of faith, so we can shatter through a person’s mirror to display the full force of God’s kisses. The abounding favor of God has been given to us all to discover and to share; revelation by revelation.

The Apostle Paul teaches us in Colossians Chapter 3 the way to breach through the mirror, so other believers can experience and taste the favor of God with his kisses.

12 You are always and dearly loved by God! So, robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. 13 Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. Col. 3:12-13 (TPT)

Encountering Our Destiny

Have you ever experienced a Damascus Road Encounter, or a Burning Bush moment? Have you ever been stopped in your tracks and knocked off your horse, and blinded by an overpowering light?

Moses Encountered God at a burning bush, and the impossible became possible. God opened Moses' heart and mind to step outside side his comfort zone and change the world. It wasn't easy and Moses often questioned the wisdom of God to make him the rescuer the Israelites.

When we have a big job head of us, one filled with impossible challenges let's remember Saul and his encounter with Jesus. When roadblocks seem insurmountable and the mountains in front of us too high to scale, and we need a burning bush moment, remember how God used Moses despite his doubts.

What is it that has you in a state of panic? What worries have been heaped up in front of you? What is it that has you imprisoned in a cage of doubt or rage or terror? Human emotions are difficult to control or overcome. I have found that only by going to the cross, meeting Jesus at the foot of this cross, will I discover answers.

Just like Moses and Paul learned, an encounter God, and a Spiritual moment with Jesus changes everything. Paul was transformed into a Believer and one who fights for the truth and author of numerous books in the Bible. Moses was transformed into a deliverer of a nation. You and I can be transformed into disciples of Jesus who makes disciples of Jesus who encounter our Savior in His Word and through prayer.

Exodus 3:1-10

The Woes of Middle Management

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!

Deuteronomy 31:27

Moses chose some harsh words for his farewell address to the Israelites he had been leading for over forty years. Perhaps justifiably so. The Israelites hadn’t stopped complaining since they left Egypt. They were idolaters who built a golden calf to worship while Moses was off receiving the stone tablets of God’s covenant law (Exodus 32). They were rebels constantly attacking Moses’s leadership, even taking up the cause of Korah after God miraculously opened the mouth of the earth to swallow him and his fellow rebels alive (Numbers 16). 

Yes, Moses had his reasons to rebuke the Israelites, but let’s dig deeper into the context, shall we? 

You see, Moses was only middle management. God was in charge, and Moses had just come from the tent of meeting where he and Joshua had been summoned to hear the will of the boss. God, speaking in a pillar of cloud, expressed the same sentiment toward the Israelites that Moses parrotted and then commissioned Joshua as their new leader, for God was about to bring the Israelites into the promised land. By God’s will, Moses would never experience it. He would only view the promised land from a nearby mountain just before his death. Why? Moses was being punished for his own rebellion against God (Numbers 20).

On that day, Moses was both the recipient and proclaimer of God’s righteous judgment. He climbed Mount Nebo and died, never to be heard from again … 

Until the transfiguration! There, again atop a mountain, Moses beheld one whose face shone like the sun, whose clothes were white as light (Matthew 17). Moses never entered the promised land, but he talked with the promised one, the perfect lamb of God, the Messiah who through his death and resurrection would free us all from God’s righteous judgment.

Got excuses?

READ: Esther 4:12-17

Ever felt God calling you to do something? Ever responded with excuses?

If so, you’re like many heroes and heroines of the Bible. For example, Esther. 

Excuse #1 - God’s will is done whether I participate in it or not.

Somewhat true. In Esther’s case, God would save the Jews one way or the other, and Mordecai tells her so. However, as we read in Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The call of God is the revelation of that work designed uniquely for you, and when you refuse it, the consequences can be both real and painful. For Esther, Mordecai predicted death. For you, it may be that the hungry go unfed, the lonely fall into depression, or your children grow up not knowing the Lord.

Excuse #2 - I do not have the skills to do what God calls me to do.

Moses was slow of speech and tongue; he felt inadequate to serve as God’s mouthpiece to Israel. The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12)

Esther understood the power of God and turned to him in fasting and prayer. “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:14)

Excuse #3 - What God calls me to do is against the rules.

Esther was forbidden from entering the king’s presence unsummoned at penalty of death. In today’s world, many nations forbid proselytizing. Many bosses demand you keep your religion to yourself. Many social circles shun those who profess Biblical truth. Yet as Peter and the other apostles exclaim in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than human beings!”

Excuse #4 - What if I obey God and fail?

As Esther says, “If I perish, I perish.” On the cross, Jesus perished, and yet his attitude was this: “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7) His perishing was obedience; his obedience, love; his love, God’s glory and our salvation. Take up your cross and follow him.

Rebel without a cause

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!

That is really a great question. Moses sounds so disappointed in his people, after all they had been through together, after all the suffering and pain they experienced. After all they had learned about God and His faithfulness, Moses as leader knew he couldn't count on the Israelites to remain true to God.

Moses knew that the Israelites were rebellious at heart. They deserved God's punishment, although they often received his mercy instead. We, too, are stubborn and rebellious by nature. Throughout our lives we struggle with sin. Repentance once a month or once a week is not enough. We must constantly turn from our sins to God and let him, in his mercy, save us.

Many a parent, who discovered their child misbehaving has said to the offenders, "You know better than that. We've been through this before, and as soon as my back is turned, you are at it again." I am sure God thinks this same thing of us and that is why He sent His Son. God knew His people over the ages, would rebel over and over again.

We still do this today.  I still do this today. I know better, I've been down this road before, but still I weaken and fail Him. I mess up every day, but now, I recognize it early on, and can stop in my tracks. I have learned there are consequences, and they are not fun. Because of these consequences I am learning to change,


Deuteronomy 31:27

What's Your Catch Phrase?

Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.  You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.  Genesis 18:17-18

My dog turned a year old a couple months ago.  He is a cute dog.  He loves to snuggle, he is really nice, he loves being around us but there is one thing that bugs us.  He’s just not that smart.  It pretty comical really.  We have a catch phrase for him, “I not smart”.  It has become so common for us to say this that my son made up catch phrases for all of us.

Evan’s is, “I forget”

Mine is, “I tired”

And my husband’s is, “I stressed”

We laugh at the phrases but mine and Steve’s sent alerts to us.  Sometimes we don’t notice when life is getting away from us until someone else points it out.

In today’s passage Moses Father-in-law sees trouble on the horizon if Moses keeps down the road he’s on.  It’s good to have others see and speak when they think we are over committing ourselves.  For years I’ve tried to remember the phrase, “If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

How are you doing?

I have a quiz for you. 

Do you feel stressed and tired all the time?

• A. Yes, a lot.
• B. Seldom.

Do you become bored if you aren't busy?

• A. No, I can sit and just "be".
• B. Yes.

Are you a master at multi-tasking?

• A. Yes, I'm constantly doing more than one thing at a time.
• B. No, I tend to keep things simple.

Do you really don't know how to relax?

• A. Very true.
• B. I am able to relax totally ... easily.

Are you unable to say "no" even when you are already over-committed?

• A. Yes, often.
• B. No, I don't allow people to use me.

Do you try to keep yourself busy on holiday?

• A. No! I want to relax.
• B. Yes, it is the perfect time to catch up.

Do you often feel anxious because you are constantly "behind" with your tasks?

• A. Yes.
• B. No.

Do you need everything to be just perfect?

• A. Yes, most of the time.
• B. No, I'm only human with one pair of hands.

Do you feel bad when you do something just for yourself?

• A. Yes.
• B. No.

I hope this little quiz can help you see if your catch phrase is, “I too busy”.

Remember if the Devil can’t make you bad he’ll make you busy.  Even God took a day to rest.  Not because he needed it but because he knew we would.

Read the entire passage here.  Exodus 18:7-17