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Are you exercising spiritual faith?

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The Faith That Moves Mountains: How to Have It, How to Use It, and How to Protect It
Arisnel Mesidor
Xlibris

Review by Lloyd M. Letkeman

What is the subject?

Faith that moves mountains

Reviewer Lloyd Letkeman and author Arisnel Mesidor at MCC’s social enterprise bookstore and cafe.

The Faith that Moves Mountains is about activating and operationalizing our faith in God. Author Arisnel Mesidor’s intent is to help the reader understand faith and to wield it boldly according to Jesus’ teaching and modelling.

Who is the author?

Originally from Haiti, now rooted in Winnipeg, Arisnel Mesidor is a husband and father of two. He holds a MA in theology from Canadian Mennonite University and MB Seminary. From 2012 to 2017, he provided pastoral leadership to Église Communautaire de la Rivière Rouge, a Mennonite Brethren church in Winnipeg.  Presently, Arisnel is the coordinator of the migration and resettlement program at Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba.

Why this book?

I chose to read this book for two reasons.

First, I know Arisnel to be a man of integrity, humility, knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, I was confident that inspired nuggets of insight would be found within his book.

Second, as a white settler of European descent and as a teacher prone to skepticism, I wanted to read something that would challenge my perspective of praying by faith.

Comment regarding the MB Confession of Faith

Arisnel reminds us that we often slip into having only natural faith, faith in what we can see, hear, or sense instead of boldly exercising spiritual faith.

Don’t assume this is a ‘name it & claim it’ theological perspective; it is not.

I see Arisnel’s work firmly rooted in an Anabaptist theology: centred in Jesus, living out faith in community, and joining the Holy Spirit in the ministry of reconciliation.

The Faith That Moves Mountains is an invitation to reclaim the Anabaptist faith of the Radical Reformation.

Every article in the Canadian Conference of MB Churches’ Statement of Faith begins with the words, “We believe” – a reminder of our faith in the unseen God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This book echoes our statements of faith and urges us to boldly live them out.

Key insights

  • Faith speaks to the mountains in our life and commands them to move.
  • Faith that moves mountains is spiritual (from the heart).
  • Faith is hindered by unforgiveness and doubt. Faith is activated in forgiveness and belief.

Downside

A nagging question remained with me to the last page of the book, “What about unanswered prayer? Where is faith when the mountain does not move?” But I found the answer to my question… This is the topic of Arisnel’s next book!

Why you should read it?

First, this book will challenge your sensibilities and build your faith.

For me, it was an answer to my prayers to battle skepticism and embrace faith more boldly.

If you have mountains to overcome, read it. If your church is facing a mountain, consider this for your next home group book study.

Secondly, Arisnel is a third culture person, raised in Haiti with his post-secondary education in Canada and experience as an MB pastor and an MCC administrator. He has an oral story telling style of explanation for each insight or lesson.  Many paragraphs begin with an appeal to the reader, “Friend”, which invited me into his work with a posture of hospitality.

As friends and international family members of Anabaptist evangelicals around the globe, we must read each other’s work. The Faith That Moves Mountains provides a solidly scriptural perspective of exercising faith from a Haitian brother.

Favourite quotes

“Many of the things we do as Christians, we do them not in order to become who we are in Christ but as a result of who we already are in Christ.”

 

“Despite the circumstances around us and the thoughts in our mind, in our hearts we know that God has a plan to give us a future with hope. When the mountains seem irremovable in our physical eyes, in our hearts we believe that nothing is impossible for our God, and with our spiritual eyes, we can see them move already.

 

“…not feeling good about something should not necessarily prevent us from moving forward if we know in our hearts that this is what God wants. Remember, feelings come from the flesh and the soul.”

[Lloyd Letkeman is Central Canada mission mobilizer for MB Mission/Multiply. He and Carol live in Winnipeg, where they attend The Meeting Place.

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