On watchmen, sight and faith: Mosley leads three days of Bible study…

By Allison Trussell

GREENVILLE—Fully embracing the Annual Conference 2017 theme of “Walking by Faith, not by Sight,” Dr. Albert Mosley led Bible study each morning at the TD Convention Center.

Mosley, the president-dean of Gammon Theological Seminary, spoke about watchmen, sight and stepping out on faith during the three days of conference.

Monday’s study focused on Isaiah 56:10-12 and the historical importance of watchmen in biblical society. They were responsible for surveying the landscape to alert the city to what was approaching, be that messengers or danger. Mosley noted that Ezekial serves as the “watchmen for the children of Israel,” and the watchmen later became prophets.

However in the morning’s Scripture, the watchmen are blind, ignorant and mute. Further, they are concerned only with themselves.

“There are eerily similar descriptions of today’s religious leaders,” Mosley said. “Leaders have vested interests, but no interest in God’s people.”

If the leaders are blind, what more can we expect from God’s people, he asked.

But, he proclaimed, “Those of us who have been called to serve, who have been inspired, must recognize that we walk with faith. We see things others can’t because we see with spiritual eyes.”

He likened our faith walk to going up a dark staircase. We may not be able to see where we are going, but we still take the first step and then the next and then the next. We trust completely and wholly that God will lead us.

“When you walk by faith and when you commune with God regularly, He speaks to your heart. And that should cause you to uplift the next person. … We are people of love who walk by faith, and because we walk by faith, we are not mute. We’re as loud as ever, breathing life into someone, breathing encouragement into someone.”

Tuesday’s lesson focused on clarity of sight. Citing Matthew 8:22-25, Mosley recalled the blind man whom Jesus touched twice to return sight. After the first touch, the man’s sight was distorted. Jesus touched him again, and his sight was restored fully.

A good portion of our world, our society and our church finds itself with distorted vision, Mosley said. Distorted vision can lead to a distorted mind, and when we don’t see as God wants us to see, we begin to affix labels that don’t belong.

The good news, Mosley said, is that God is willing to give us as many touches as we need to get clarity of vision. “Each and every time God touches us, we know more clearly what God intends for our lives! … The more excellent way is a way of walking by faith. And when you do that, God allows us to see more than we can see.”

Wednesday’s Scripture focus was Matthew 14:22-31. The Scripture tells us the disciples were in a boat buffeted by winds and storms when Jesus walks on the water to them.

The disciples are doing what Jesus told them, said Mosley, and now they’re caught in a great storm. “How often do we think we’re going where God wants us and find ourselves being tossed about?” he asked. In the midst of the storms of life, we can either stay in the safe place (the boat) or we can walk by faith, keeping our eyes focused on Jesus.

“When we walk by faith, we ascribe to a more excellent way. We begin to know that he who is our keeper neither sleeps nor slumbers. … This is what you learn when you walk by faith. God will provide for our every need, giving us protection and peace. God reveals his true nature to us.”

Mosley challenged the conference to trust God, to believe that God can and will do the impossible. When we walk by faith and not by sight, God begins to reveal to us a more excellent way.