What Do You See?
In order for us to have hope in something, we must first believe in something.
If you know me then you will know that I love TV and films. God really speaks His principles and parables through these mediums. Writing about faith brought me to the television series Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.
Ramsay saves struggling restaurants by helping owners and re-building businesses. I was captivated by series 4, episode 5. In 2011, Ramsay was called in to help salvage Italian restaurant Davide, in Boston, Massachusetts USA.
The highly successful restaurant first opened in 1982, brought by brothers Frank and Anthony in 1997. Frank found out Anthony was embezzling money due to his drug problem over the first few years of the business. Anthony went to prison, leaving Frank with the responsibility of the brother owned dream, until his brother returned.
As the years went by and the unresolved issues mounted, Frank sank. This is where faith comes into the story.
“When Anthony left, Frank gave up.”
Franks wife
Frank’s hope was the dream of owning and running a business with his brother. When Anthony’s life changed, so did Frank’s.
“Tonight I saw something quite frightening. It wasn’t about the food. It wasn’t the complaints, and it certainly wasn’t the service. It was Frank. And here’s why, he is so burnt out that he has given up.”
Gordon Ramsay
No matter what Ramsay or the family did, Frank had to be the person who took steps to rebuild his OWN hope. Pastor Michael’s teachings on Cultivating a Spirit of Expectation is exactly what Frank had to do.
To cultivate something is to raise up, improve, develop, evolve, prepare or work on something. You have to actively do something in order to cultivate something; its's an action.
Frank lost his passion for both the business and cooking because of what he saw. He wouldn't even wear his chef's jacket! He literally gave up.
If you are to cultivate a spirit of expectation you must re-evaluate your belief system. You must question what you see because from it is determined what you believe, and therefore hope for.
You have to cultivate an inner strength and core belief on the inside.
When Jesus healed the blind man at Bethsaida, he asked him what he saw (Mark 8:22-26). His vision was blurred the first time; it wasn’t until the second time that he could see clearly. However, the man knew that Jesus would heal him. Just like the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48), she knew Jesus would heal her. Vision is key as it directs where you go.
Ezekiel spoke the word of the Lord over the dry bones; that they would live because God said so. He spoke the word more than once (Ezekiel 37).
Our hope must be built on WHO God is (Matthew 16:15). We must be confident in the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He WILL do and finish in us what He said He would (Philippians 1:6).
If your vision is dull, your heart grows dim and you won’t expect (look forward to, anticipate the birth of) something.
Sometimes we have to do what Professor X from X-Men: Days of Future Past did, we need to talk to ourselves. We have to re-address the things we believe (have confidence in the truth) because of what we currently see, as it can be influenced by our past and present; not our future.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 (NASB)
Sometimes we have to keep speaking to what we do not presently see. We have to speak and believe, INTERNALLY, what God has said. We must learn to restore and have hope beyond what we physically see and mentally think to be true. Even David had to encourage himself in the Lord (1Samuel 30:6).
We must also be assured that what we are building, we will also partake in. We must build in hope (1Corinthians 9:10).
If we follow the necessary processes with the Holy Spirit in cultivating a spirit of expectation, we will become persuaded as Paul was in Romans 8:38-39.
To go back to the series, Frank slowly re-built his hope by changing his heart and mind. He reassessed what he saw; therefore what he believed.
He changed his mind (Romans 12:2) and learned to hope again through faith that the dream he once believed WOULD happen. He had to keep thinking and believing this in his heart and mind.
We must also have this mindset and heart attitude.
“Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.”
Psalm 27:14 (Amplified)
BY STACEY SPENCER
Series clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbzJc8_eVEc and http://www.channel4.com/programmes/ramsays-kitchen-nightmares-usa
To Believe or not to Believe, That is the Question!
For those of you who know me, I have an interesting job. No, not my role as a Pastor; my calling I treasure. I mean my job, my 9-5; well 9 until whenever.
I work hosting and servicing some really interesting folks from various church backgrounds and denominations. All is very fascinating. A wonderful, colourful plethora of people who really love the Lord in their own way, style and ability.
Having worked with many of these groups for over eight years, there is something that I have noticed. Becoming friends with many across this vast sea of people, belief and faith are everyone’s struggles along this journey.
Belief and faith are everyone’s struggles along this journey.”
Thousands of people all worshiping Jesus. The desire to touch His heart and see Him afresh in their own way; expressing a hunger. Yet all, at times are faced with this simple question, “Do I believe?”
At times it can seem like we are supposed to live in this un-realistic bubble. A bubble where Jesus is running around us 24 hours a day, fighting away all these baddies and evil things. Then we walk in the middle, singing songs; dancing amongst the daisies. Well that kinda thing ain’t true!
Life will have unexpected things thrown at you, but it’s always how we position ourselves at the oncoming object that matters. Our belief in the Lord must be in check, if it is then we can give that curve ball a great big whack and send it into oblivion.
“My children love superheroes.”
I’ve often watched my children, who are all going through the phase of absolutely loving different superheroes. I’m sure they’ll say, “And you do too dad!”
One day I asked my children why they loved superheroes so much, especially my ten-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter. Both with highly excitable voices, one said; “Because nobody can beat them daddy,” and the other replied, “Because they can do anything, everything!”
I reflected on this as they watched Marvel’s Avengers, for possibly the tenth time! They were hooked on the fact that these guys simply believed. They believed that whatever the odds were against them, there was a way through. There was hope, they just believed.
“I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.”
Aunt May from Spider-Man 2
“True belief triggers action.”
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone coming to God must believe that HE rewards them that diligently seeks Him.”
Often times as we grow as adults, we lose our ability to simply believe. This could be due to life’s hard knocks, soft knocks or any kind of knock. These knocks de-stabilise our confidence in whom we have become and what we are actually able to achieve.
The key here is to NOT see the moments as negative, yet turn and see them as tools to sharpen our belief. Tools that have come to sharpen our focus, deepen our trust, strengthen our courage and better our response to the knocks. Before we know it, we have believed and we become our own hero.
After Jesus’s resurrection he revealed Himself to His disciples. He turned to one of them and said: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen yet believed” (John 20:29).
Jesus placed a great emphasis here on our ability to believe in Him, even without having seen Him. Something innate in us can lay hold of it; belief. Belief can create an ‘unwavering conviction’ and thus ignite action. Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe.” According to Webster’s dictionary, the adjective ‘blessed’ means to “enjoy happiness.” This can signify that there are degrees or levels of happiness that we can attain when walking in belief.
My aim in all of these brief illustrations about belief is simply believe. As you do, there may be challenges but simply believe that God will come through for you. Simply believe that Jesus CAN! Jesus said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, just believe and she will be well!” (Luke 8:50, Mark 5:36).
In all the thousands of Christians I have met over the years when referring back to my job, each one has been tested in their own way. They have come through having learned valuable and crucial new lessons on how we need to just Simply Believe!
“Belief and faith are everyone’s struggle along this journey, but simply believe!”
Thank you for reading this blog post.
Pastor Michael Da Costa