“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23 KJV). Removing a mountain represents the impossible. Yet, Jesus compared casting a mountain into the sea with commanding the fig tree to dry up, which He just did (Mark 11:21). True, a mountain will be cast into the sea, if you will “not doubt” (11:23) in your heart. But first, does God want and need that to happen? Remember, prayer is not determining how to get God to do what we want, but petitioning the Almighty to do what He is determined to do. Here, Jesus is encouraging us to actually pray whatever prayer needs to be prayed, no matter how seemingly impossible, if we do not doubt in our heart that this is what the Lord is determined to do. Father, encourage us to pray.
Author: Ken
The Secret for Christian Dieting
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1Corinthians 10:31 KJV). Paul is giving us the secret for Christian Dieting. The reason we seek weight control, greater agility, better mobility, greater flexibility, more utility, increased longevity, and overall better health is the glory of God. We do not seek it for the vanity of man’s esteem or simply our own pleasure, but solely for the glory of God. We are willing to change our affection for different foods, exercises, and lifestyles because there is no greater cause than the glory of God. Anything less than the glory of God, our discipline would give way to weakness, because we know God’s Spirit gives us the power to fulfill the goal of eating, drinking, and doing for the glory of God.
What About Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?
When it comes to healing, what about Paul’s thorn in the flesh? “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2Corinthians 12:7 KJV). First, God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh to prevent him from becoming conceited about all his divine “revelations” (12:7). Second, “messenger” (12:7) is aggellos in the Greek for angel, which Paul described as the “messenger of Satan to buffet me” (12:7). This was not poetry or metaphor, but the evil presence of a Fallen Angel. Are all physical maladies necessarily demonic or a demonstration that we sinned? No. “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3 KJV). But, in this instance, Paul’s suffering was necessary in God’s Cosmic War. Remember, at other times, Paul prayed and secured healing for others (Acts 28:8) and encourages us “in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6 KJV). This should not prevent us from seeking in prayer for the Lord to heal us; instead, it only justifies us for the grace, peace, and demonstration of the “power of Christ” (2Corinthians 12:9 KJV) to sustain us, when suffering is necessary. Our godly suffering then encourages the godly and frustrates the Enemy. Remember, our King wins this battle, and whenever we must suffer, it contributes to the Final Victory. Hallelujah!
What About Job?
When it comes to suffering, what about Job? Didn’t it prove that even good people have to suffer, and suffering was not necessarily a sign of God’s anger because we have done something wrong? Was Job wrong for expecting deliverance from his suffering? Weren’t Job’s friends condemned by God for attacking Job? Wasn’t Elihu not condemned by God because he attempted more to justify God than just condemn Job? Didn’t Job finally confess, “Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not” (Job 42:3 KJV) and repented? God is sovereign. We are earthly soldiers in a Cosmic War between the Almighty and the forces of Lucifer. If my suffering or death is needed for the Lord God Almighty to achieve His Final Triumph over the Wicked One, Thy Kingdom come, and Thy Will be done. And, if my deliverance will frustrate the wicked and encourage the godly, do unto me Lord, as You will. Amen and amen.
Is Faith Optional?
Is faith optional? No, doubting God is the alternative to faith. Do we have to believe? Yes, it is our only way to please God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV). Everything about our life requires faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7 KJV). Faith has a relationship with love, opportunity, and understanding. Faith is compelled and “worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6 KJV), while the opportunity and understanding of faith are considered purposely rejected, whenever one “knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 KJV). It does us good to think through God’s thoughts after Him. We are only guilty of over analyzing, when we are stalling for time and should be doing.
Does Better Understanding Build Better Faith?
Better understanding does build better faith. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48 KJV). When do we have enough understanding to believe God? The LORD knew that Gideon was not guilty of the sin of unbelief though he put out the fleece for a sign (Judges 6). Zacharias did not believe the angel’s announcement about the coming birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:20), so God struck him mute. We have enough understanding when we know what we should do. For “him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 KJV). We need to practice arriving at a forthright conclusion and acting on it. The best course is straightforward.
What Stops Us From Believing?
What stops us from believing? According to Scripture, faith works by love. In other words, the motivation of love either drives or hinders our faith. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6 KJV). We trust God more, if we love Him more. And, why do we love Him? “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47 KJV). May God break down my pride that I may love Him more and trust Him more!
According to Your Faith
Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29 KJV), not, ‘According to what others say you ought to think, be it unto you.’ To believe God, it is your responsibility to understand what He said, be certain that He did say it, then simply believe it. Believing is acting like you’re relying on the truth of what He said. If you really believe it’s going to rain, bring an umbrella. If you really believe you will pass the examination, then don’t be worried or fretful. Don’t complicate things by becoming anxious about consequences, whether something will come to pass. Be childlike and vulnerable with your faith. In reality, we are generally more concerned about what others will think, if what we believe does not come to pass. That’s Belief By Consensus. That fear of embarrassment will stop us from believing. Lord, help us to develop the habit of taking You at your word. Amen and amen.
God Is Able to Make Him Stand
What do you do when two brothers seem to honestly take opposite positions on the same subject? Since the Lord wants us to firmly stand our ground — “Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay” (James 5:12 KJV) — how do we reconcile? The nature of God’s Truth demands a development of our understanding, where we grow to see things differently. The Jerusalem Council illustrates this with the conclusions of James, to which Paul happily agreed (Acts 15). “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1Corinthians 13:11 KJV). We all honestly understand and explain the world differently, not just from one another, but from the way we used to think. With the guiding attitude of love, we need to humbly ask God to grow our understanding without destroying our brother. “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:1-4 KJV). May God graciously grant us all a childlike humility, so we may grow!
Relationship With Christ
I used to look down on the idea of developing a relationship with God. Just get them saved, and go on and do the same to the next one! But, we are saved from what? For what purpose? Salvation is restoring a lost relationship with God. Remember the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12 KJV). Sure, that lost relationship means eternal separation from God; but, we’re still talking about a relationship. So, how goes our relationship with Yahweh?
We Need A Miracle 
You must be logged in to post a comment.