Have you ever come across or walked beside a person and realize that they have a faith, a belief, that is unbelievable to you, something you just can’t conceive. I have met 2 people in my life time that I can say that about. A women that I met about 15 years ago, whom I starting referring to as “mom” because of how she cared for my family and I when we moved to TX from CT. She gave me a glimpse into what the love of God looks like. Barbara Stern is a women of few words, humble, speaks truth and I can’t ever remember a time of gossip, but you can tell her heart from how she treats you. It felt like God placed her daughter in my life as a way to allow mom to show me the love of Christ. The other person was Gabe, he is a missionary that I met while serving in Guatemala. He showed me what it is like to be free in God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. He demonstrated how we as humans can be used to be a conduit for others to receive the gift of healing, deliverance and to hear God’s Word.
Unbelievable belief is to take God at God’s word and simply believe that His Word is true. Prayers are answered when we pray. From John 15: 7 to Mark 11:24. When you are obedient to Gods word Acts 5:29. So many principles and promises come with something for us to do, or be in agreement with. Let’s not get unbelievable Belief intermingled with failing faith. Faith and Belief are one in the same on some level. The father of the demon-possessed boy said, “I believe; help my unbelief”. He confessed to believing, that tells me he believed that His son was free, however he also acknowledged that he may have some unbelief. It is funny to me that we say we believe and believe that we do believe, until a thought of doubt comes in. That one thought can dismantle all of your belief in or for that in which you are believing. For me, my faith tends to fail when I have been waiting for a what seems to be a long time. I am a get it done person, I think about it, count up the cost for it as the Bible tells us to, I set out plan for it, I then get mentally prepared for it and then it is done! That has worked for me with about 85% of what I have done in life. However, I am learning that God is not on my time schedule when it comes to purpose. I am learning to be more flexible and liquid with some parts of my life that is very uncomfortable. When I take a moment and look back it is always on the “purposeful” assignments that accounts for my 15%. I consider myself to be a person who has always had unbelievable faith or belief. I have always believed that there are no limits on what God can do, and I still believe that, however, I now have an understanding that because of God’s covenant with himself, anything that is to be carried out on earth will be done by God’s children. Jesus is our perfect example of what can be accomplished here on earth if we believe. Now that I want to live 100% on purpose, it is a change for sure.
What are you trusting in? God’s truth as it is told by the Word of God or men’s rendition of God’s Word. It’s hard to be convinced or to conceive the facts of God’s Word. The resident expert resided in us if we care to meditate on the Word of God the truth’s will be revealed. Teachings have convoluted and changed the meaning of God’s word. Whether that was due to ignorance, or man’s interpretation of the Bible, or just wanting to mislead people for selfish gain, that is neither here nor there, the Bible did tell us to study to show thyself approved to GOD! I believe in spending time with God and studying, God reveals his Word and the intent of His Word to us.
I strive to be one of those people who simply (not easy) takes the Word of God as what it says, no doubt that my prayers are answered, no doubt that I can walk and allow God to use me to teach the Word of God and have that Word followed by real miracles, signs and wonders, no doubt that Power is in my words, no doubt that salvation is a gift that is not and can never be earned, no doubt that God loves me more than I can ever understand, and no doubt that God loves even those folks I don’t love or understand. I have no doubt that my prayers are answered. I Bless God for the individuals he places in my life and the grace that God has given me to want to live for him! What an honor, not an easy one, but still an honor.
Ok… So I cant wait for my post to be about the families of Eswatini then I will feel like I have something to “write home” about! This is the last month for leasing my apartment. It is bittersweet. I believe I am fully funded, it just has not manifested in the natural yet. I believe there are still people that God has placed it on their hearts to be a part of this mission for the people of Africa, and we are waiting for the manifestation. I simply believe that it will be manifested by the beginning of September, so that I can fly out to start my new assignment by mid Sept. I am leaving to go to CIT (Center for International Training) for a month starting the beginning of Aug, and leave for Africa in Sept.
My heart is overwhelmed and saddened. Overwhelmed by the donors that God has sent, be it one time or monthly, I am grateful. Saddened that the majority of believers that are in my spaces are not familiar with monthly donations to missionaries. I believe there is no greater work that to work for the Kingdom and it be the number one mission. It took me years to come to that, mainly because it is not taught (statistics show that less then 1% of missionaries are black). We will plant churches in inner cities, and give so that disaster area’s are helped, and we have programs.
For the Glory of God, for Kingdom building, and for the sake of the nations we must send more “other” missionaries. What does that look like? Putting the Kingdom of God first. We must raise awareness to all people regardless of color there there is still a missionary need and how to walk out God’s plan for your missionary journey. There is still a great commission in this all self consuming world. It is my goal to speak up about it, it is my goal to help gather a missionary trip to Africa next year, it is my goal to see more people that look like me that have this call to step out on faith, get out of the system and get into the Kingdom!
That’s all for now. Covid is still out there and is still real! Be careful, considerate of others and safe!
Vivianne Dumas
