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Mark 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Christians are so quick to quote these scriptures, but very few of them actually believe what they’re quoting. It seems as if some believers are choosing to believe what they’ve seen or experienced over believing God. Unbelief is expected in the world, but not for born-again believers.
For instance, if someone would say they are standing in faith for an easy pain-free pregnancy and delivery, some “believers” would laugh in unbelief and/or try to talk them out of what they’re standing in faith for. Why? Why would some “believers” attempt to persuade that person or couple to think logically and naturally instead of supernaturally? They’re only standing on a collection of promises found in Exodus 23:26, Isaiah 53:4-5, and 1 Timothy 2:15.
If someone would say they will be debt free next year. Some may say they should be “realistic.” Why minimize the belief of another?
The scriptures say have faith in God and with God all things are possible. It doesn’t say faith in logic or realistic expectations.
Let’s encourage and stand in agreement for the members in the body of Christ to believe big. We shouldn’t reduce our beliefs, dreams, and desires to the finite thinking of man. We serve a big God who can and is willing to do the impossible for us.
Believe Big!
Psalms 67: 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
This was an old covenant conditional blessing the people would receive as a result of their praise and worship to God. When people praised and worshiped our God, the earth would yield its increase and God would bless them.
Through Christ, we are under a better covenant. Through the blood of Christ, we have access to the earth’s increase and God’s blessings through faith alone. Although our praise and worship does not cause God to bless us, our praise and worship displays where our faith lies. Our faith or belief in God, through Christ, allows us to obtain the promises of God (Romans 4:16). Our praise and worship prior to receiving the manifestation of our desires shows God and everyone else we’ve received, by faith, the manifestation of our blessings. Our praise and worship after receiving the manifestation of our desires shows God and everyone else we acknowledge Who was responsible for the manifestation of our blessings.
Let’s praise and worship our God to solidify our faith.
Galatians 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
When a minister or someone well-known in the body of Christ gets caught in the act(s) of sin, people often say they “fell from grace.”
As we can see, the term “fell from grace” has no correlation with sin. Falling from grace means a person who chooses to be justified or made righteous by the law. When a person chooses to be justified by the law, they choose to live by religious rules and regulations of the old covenant. They think by following these rules and regulations of the old covenant, they are righteous, holy, and positioning themselves to receive blessings from God. Meanwhile, these same people reduce the works of Jesus to only dying for their sins. They forget that through the grace of God, Jesus has made them righteous, Jesus has made them holy, and there is nothing they could ever do (righteous works or good behavior) that can outdo what Jesus has done (1 Cor. 1:30).
These are the people who “fell from grace.” They pushed grace aside and believe their acts of righteousness and good behavior alone will make them right with God and get them the desires of their hearts.
With all this in mind, let’s examine our lives to see if we’ve fallen from grace. Let’s determine if we’ve magnified our self-efforts to be righteous above what Jesus has done. If so, we need to make a change and receive everything that grace has provided.
1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.
This is such a simple verse but, it’s impactful and beneficial.
Regardless of what we do, we must make sure we’re doing it in love. It doesn’t matter if we’re helping out a friend, serving at our church, working at our jobs, or disciplining our children. It all must be done with love.
God is Love (1 John 4:8). When we do things in love, we share a piece of our God with those who are experiencing our help or assistance. We may not be able to preach the gospel to those we’re assisting, but if our actions are done in love, they may experience a touch of God that will leave them wanting more of Him.
Imagine if an unsaved person wakes up and calls customer service and experiences someone helping with the genuine love of God. That person then goes to the grocery store and someone greets them with Love. Then later on at the gym people are socializing with that person in the love of God. Eventually, that person’s heart will be softened and someone will have the opportunity to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ to that person. Now, that person is no longer unsaved but saved, and spreading the love of God to others.
Let’s examine the love in our lives to determine if we’re spreading love in everything we do.
Philippians 3:14 (AMP) I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
Everyone is called to a specific purpose or purposes. So many people believe that the purposes He has for us are going to be automatically handed to us or they will come with time. As we can see, this scripture alone proves that there is a corresponding action we must have to receive ALL God has for us.
The scripture says, “I press toward the goal.” We must be intentional regarding understanding the purpose(s) God has for us. This means, we may need to turn off the TV and get off the phone and seek God regarding His purpose(s) for our lives.
We can go through life without ever accomplishing the purpose God has for us, or we can do the will of God and press towards the goal He’s established for us.
Psalm 66:5 Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
When people look at our lives, the works of God should be present and evident in our lives. Our lives should be an open invitation for all to see the wondrous works of our God. When people see us, they should see a blessed people, who are prosperous, healed, joyful, and at peace. People should see our children highly successful in school, respectful to everyone, and giving God praise at an early age. They should see us living, driving, and eating the best because we are children of the Most High God. They should also see us being generous and a blessing to those less fortunate than ourselves.
And when unfortunate circumstances arise in our lives, people should see us calm, continuously giving God the praise, and expecting something good to come out of that negative situation.
Let’s give God the praise for all the awesome things He has done in our lives.
Psalms 119:148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises.
God’s Word says we are healed (1 Peter 2:24).
God’s Word says we are prosperous (3 John 1:2).
God’s Word says we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7).
These are just a few promises of God.
Meditation is not sitting with our legs crossed together chanting. Meditation, in the Word of God, is continuously forcing our minds to focus on the things in the Word of God. In this case, meditation is forcing our mind to focus on the promises of God. All of God’s promises are found in His Word.
As we continue to meditate on the promises of God, we create a picture inside of our minds. We start to see ourselves healed, prosperous, and forgiven. That way, if sickness attacks our bodies, we’ve already meditated on the truth that we’re healed. We not only confess we’re healed, but in the middle of the sickness, we can see ourselves healed. This can be done with any thought or situation that is contrary to the Word of God.
Continue to meditate on the promises of God. Let’s place them in our minds and in our hearts.
Psalms 66:13-14 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
Have you ever been in a bad situation and you said the following: “God if you get me out this situation I will never _________ (fill in the blank)? How many of us have fulfilled that vow to God? How many of us have actually stopped that behavior that put us into that bad predicament? Or, have we forgotten our vow or didn’t care enough to keep it?
When God brings us out of terrible situations, He didn’t bring us out so that we can put ourselves back into the same situation. He brought us out for a greater purpose. He brought us out to be a greater vessel. He brought us out so that we can fulfill His will on the earth.
There are fruitless things we can be involved in on this earth and we’re all smart enough to know what those fruitless things are. Before engaging in fruitless activities, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Will this action bring glory to God?
2. Will this action spiritually, mentally, and physically benefit my life or the life of another?
Let’s not keep placing ourselves in situations where we need to be rescued. Live a life that’s pleasing to God.
Mark 15:34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Jesus was the sacrificial lamb for mankind. Because Jesus was the sacrificial lamb, there were some exchanges that took place on the cross. There were some things Jesus experienced so that we won’t have to.
For instance, Jesus became poor, so that we might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9), Jesus took our sicknesses, so that we can be healed (Isaiah 53:4-5), and the most important, Jesus died, so that we might forever live (1 Thessalonians 5:10).
Jesus being forsaken by God on the cross is an example of another exchange. Since Jesus was forsaken by God, we have the opportunity to be reconciled back with God. Whether in the spirit or in the natural, we will never be without God. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can boldly declare, God will never leave us nor forsake us.
Praise Jesus for the many sacrificial exchanges He made just for us.
Grace is unmerited or unearned favor of God through Jesus Christ. There was nothing we did to earn our salvation. Our salvation is a gift from God. Likewise, there is no sinful behavior that will remove our salvation because through grace, all of our sins have been forgiven and where sin is present, grace is even more abundant (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:20).
With this understanding of grace, some may say grace encourages people to sin. This was a concern Paul addressed in Romans 6:1 which states, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? In verse two, Paul says, “Certainly not.” What some don’t realize is grace is a teacher. When we truly submit ourselves to God and receive all that grace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, has made available, grace will teach us to live righteously, holy, and in a way that pleases God (Titus 2:11-14). Grace won’t encourage us to sin more but, it will teach us to sin less.
Praise God for His grace because with His grace, we can never fail.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
Inspired by the teachings of Pastor C. Dollar
John 12:8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
Jesus tells us the poor will be with us always. What was the importance of Jesus letting us know that the poor would always be with us? Since the poor will always be with us, we will always have an opportunity operate in the principle of giving.
The principle of giving can be found in Luke 6:38 and Ephesians 6:8. Luke 6:38 says, give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Ephesians 6:8 says, knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
The principle of giving shows us that when we give to the church, to a charity, or to the poor, we can expect to receive. Our giving not only impacts the lives of the poor, but our giving positively impacts our personal lives.
Let’s open up our hearts and open up our wallets and give.
Acts 28:3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand.
5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed.
Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake. Paul shook the snake off into the fire and continued doing what he was doing. Paul didn’t panic, look for medical care, or say his final words because he thought he would die. Why? Paul had an understanding of Luke 10:19 which states, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Although the snake bit him, Paul had more faith in what Jesus declared versus the effects of the poisonous snake.
Paul gave us an example of how we should respond in seemingly troubling situations. There is no need to panic, complain, or be afraid. Find scriptures to stand on related to the situation. If we’ve been bitten by the poisonous snake of lack, we should surround our faith around God being our Shepherd and we shall not want (Psalms 23:1). If we’ve been bitten by the snake of sickness/disease, we should place our faith in the fact that by the stripes of Jesus, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
Whatever the negative situation may be, let’s surround our thinking, our faith, and our attitude around God’s Word rather than the affects of the negative situation.
John 12:42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
There are some people who believe in Jesus and all He’s done for the Kingdom of God, but their belief in the Son of God is not displayed publicly. It’s more important for them to be identified with the “in crowd” than to be identified as a born-again believer. They make the excuse that their relationship with God is personal and private.
These people take a great risk by prioritizing people and organizations over Jesus. They take the risk of being ashamed by the Savior Himself. Jesus said in Luke 9:26 for whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
This message is not to condemn anyone. This should encourage every believer to take their relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, to another level. We ALL can be more vocal in our relationship with God so, let’s start today.
Take Jesus Public.
Psalms 63:5 My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
Our satisfaction is not based on what car we drive, the lifestyle we live, and the amount of money we have. Our satisfaction should flow through God alone.
Some may read this scripture and go overboard and think we shouldn’t desire anything at all because we should be satisfied with God. That’s not true. If that were true, God’s Word would not have said He will supply all our needs and give us the desires of our hearts (Philippians 4:19; Ps. 37:4).
The problem some people have is they feel unsatisfied if they don’t have worldly possessions. Essentially, they make those possessions their God.
Be satisfied with God because with God, we can receive those worldly possessions and things money can’t buy like, joy, peace, wisdom, healing, and the continuous sensation of genuine love.
Be satisfied with God.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood. The word remissions means, the cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty. Jesus shed His blood on the cross and placed His blood on the mercy seat of God. Because of the blood of Jesus, all of our sin debt has been paid and we are totally forgiven. In the old covenant, the blood of animals only covered our sins for a year (Hebrew 9:7). For the believer, in this new and better covenant, the blood of Jesus totally removed sin from our account forever.
That sin we committed last week has been paid for. That sin we may commit next week has been paid for. All sin has been removed from our account and charged to the blood of Christ.
All God asked us to do is to believe what Jesus has done. We don’t have to work for this forgiveness or earn this forgiveness. All we have to do is to believe. Receive what Jesus has done and be spiritually, mentally, and emotionally forgiven.
I Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
David surveyed the obstacle in front of him. David not only was facing a giant, but David was facing a giant with a sword, a spear, and a javelin. Regardless of what David saw, David had to make an intentional decision to make God bigger than his obstacle.
In life, there will be issues that we will have to face. Some of those issues look like giants and they seem impossible to get over. We can either continue to look at this giant of an obstacle, or make God bigger than our obstacle. Some of us have magnified our obstacle for years. At some point, as believers, we have to make the decision and overcome that obstacle.
Remember, it’s not by our strength or logic that we overcome our giants. It’s in the name of the Lord Jesus that we overcome our giants. So, in the name of Jesus, we overcome cancer. In the name of Jesus, we overcome depression. In the name of Jesus, we defeat everything that stands in the way of our promise.
Overcome your giant.
Psalms 62:5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
The question that is on the table is, where are we placing our expectation? Our expectation is meant for God alone, but many of us place our expectation in other things.
Some place their expectation in riches. If they only can get enough money then, everything will be alright. Some place their expectation in having a good career. If they only can get their desired career then, they will be happy. Some place their expectation in relationships. If they can find the right person then, life would be so much better. These are temporary fixes. If our expectation is not placed in God alone, we will always be searching for the next best thing and we will never be satisfied.
Let’s remove every earthly thing from our mentality that will seemingly make us happy. Let’s place our hope, our trust, and our expectations in a stable God.
Psalms 61:6 You will prolong the king’s life, His years as many generations.
When people die at an early age, IT IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD. God didn’t pluck them up like a flower, God didn’t call them home, and God didn’t take them out.
The will of God is that we live a long satisfying life (Psalm 91:16). We see God granting long life in 1 Kings 3:14, Psalms 21:4, and Proverbs 3:1-2. Now, we see the same desire granted to kings in this scripture. Guess what? Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we’ve become kings and priest, therefore, we qualify for long life (Revelations 5:10).
If your desire is to spend many years on this earth fulfilling the will of God and the purposes He has for you, stand on the scriptures above pertaining to having a long satisfying life.
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
God’s Word encourages us to believe big. Unfortunately, there are a few reasons why some people choose not to believe big.
One of the reasons is disappointment. Disappointment works through doubt. Anytime we put our faith in God on the line, thoughts of doubt will enter our minds. Not only will thoughts of doubt enter our minds, but doubt will come from the people closest to us. What we must realize is all doubt comes by way of the enemy. If the enemy can place limitations on our faith, he can withhold great things that God has promised us. Doubt may enter the mind, but don’t allow it to enter the heart (Mark 11:23).
The second reason one chooses not to believe big is a false sense of humility. There are some people who feel like if they ask God for “too much” they become worldly or carnal. God placed these promises in His Word for us to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17). If we don’t obtain these promises, who else will? We’re not more spiritual because we ask God for the bare minimum. In fact, we’re rejecting some of the things Jesus died for.
The final reason why some choose not to believe big is they think they’re doing God a favor. Some think if they don’t stand in faith for big desires, God won’t have to work as hard. First of all, they’re putting human limitations on our infinite God. Secondly, every desire (big or small) is already prepared for us. It’s not a work in progress. Finally, God is the One Who said He can do the impossible and He desires to do the impossible for us.
Remove the limitations and choose to believe big.
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
God’s Word encourages us to believe big. Throughout the scriptures, His Word tells us to move mountains, ask for anything, and have limitless expectations (Mark 11:23; Matthew 21:22; Matthew 19:26).
With this in mind, we should believe big. We should believe for things that are in scripture, but are totally illogical to the world. We should believe that we will never be sick another day in our life. We won’t be affected by a cold, the flu, or cancer. This is based on Isaiah 53:5 which declares by His stripes, we are (not going to be) healed. We should believe all of our debts (mortgage, car note, and student loans) are paid off in a year based on the belief that with God, all things are possible. We should believe that every year of our marriage is easy, raising children is easy, and our newborn babies will sleep through the night. Anything is possible to those who believe, but it’s according to our (individual) faith (Matthew 9:29).
Believing for big may seem impossible for people in the world and it may seem farfetched to believers, but don’t allow anyone to stop you from receiving the desires of YOUR heart.
Stand on His Word and on His Word alone.
Mark 11:14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.
John 11:43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
In Mark 11:23, Jesus teaches us how to take a hands-off approach over our problems, situations, and circumstances. He provided examples on how to take a hands-off approach in the case of the fig tree and with Lazarus.
In the case of the fig tree, Jesus by faith, cursed the fig tree and the fig tree dried up from the roots. Jesus didn’t take an ax and physically cut the tree down. In Lazarus’ death, Jesus by faith, called him back to life. Jesus didn’t walk up to Lazarus and shake him or perform CPR on him.
What can we learn from this? By faith, we can speak to our situation, circumstance, or problems and expect them to move. We can declare peace in our work environments. We can declare joy in our marriages. We can declare employment opportunities for all.
Don’t attempt to accomplish things using self effort. By faith, take a hands-off approach and declare what you desire to see.
Mark 11:23 Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them
Graced To Do God's Will 