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We’re talking about Mark 11:22 where Jesus said, “Have faith in God.”
A number of years ago, I was scheduled to preach the Sunday morning service for Pastor Happy Caldwell in Little Rock, Ark. About 4 a.m., I was awakened suddenly, and had a vision of Jesus standing at the foot of my bed. He was holding a large tray. It was a big, wide serving tray heaped high with cookies. You’d think someone with a huge tray filled with cookies would be smiling, right? He was not. He didn’t look mad, but He did look very stern. He said in a very bold voice, “HAVE A COOKIE!” I just lay there with, I’m sure, a very dumb look on my face. Then He said, Your response is, “I believe. I will. I take it. I have it. I praise You for it, and I forgive.” That was it. As I lay there meditating on what I had heard and seen, I saw myself, with a cookie in my hand, in a room full of people who were standing around visiting. Someone came up to me and said, “Would you like a cookie?” I said, “No, thank you. I have one.” One of the first things the Holy Spirit revealed to me about all this is that He’s not saying in Mark 11:22 that we should do all we can to have faith. That’s good, and we should, but He was, and still is, impressing on me that He has provided faith for us! He was offering it to me and was obviously upset that I wasn’t coming to Him and praising and thanking Him for it. Let’s look at these six statements The LORD spoke to me: 1. I believe. That is a declaration of faith. Where is faith? It’s a spiritual force born in the heart, or the spirit, of a born-again believer. 2. I will. That’s a statement of the will, bringing it in line with faith. 3. I take it. Remember Mark 11:24: 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. The Greek word translated receive in that verse is lambano. It means “to take with the hand, lay hold of,” or “to take in order to carry away.” Jesus was saying to me, I’m offering you My faith—TAKE IT, IT’S YOURS! 4. I have it. Jesus is pointing out the importance and the power of have. The definition of the English word have is “to possess, to own.” That’s easy in the natural when, for instance, one has a piece of property with the deed to that property in hand. However, it becomes something else entirely when taking something by faith. I don’t “HAVE,” or “OWN,” sickness. Sickness is part of the curse of the law. Jesus has redeemed me from the curse. Therefore, I “HAVE,” or “OWN,” healing. Take it a step further: I “HAVE,” or I “OWN,” good health. Now that’s THE TRUTH about the matter! The visible fact may be something completely different. But, the TRUTH—GOD’S WORD, will change the facts when it’s mixed with faith. 5. I thank You for it. Praise God, I have it! Think about this: When we pray, we come into His presence. When we praise, He comes into ours! Look at Psalm 22:3:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Praise is the big gun of faith! In so many cases, personal praise is the lacking element. Take healing, for instance. After going through the healing scriptures in the Old and New Testaments, begin to praise and thank your heavenly Father who sent Jesus to the cross: “Oh, thank You, Jesus, for bearing my sins in Your own body on the tree. By Your stripes I was, and I am, the healed! It’s so wonderful to be free of all that (not this) pain.” Praise Him! When you can’t sleep because of the pain, praise Him. Praise Him long enough, and the Spirit of worship will come. In that place of praise and worship, great victories are won. Remember, faith is the victory that overcomes the world. 6. I forgive. This one is the most important of all. All the other five statements are dependent on it. Faith will not work in an unforgiving heart. Look at Mark 11:25:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by Love. No Love, no faith! Why? Because God is Love, and it’s His faith in us that saved us in the first place. The cross reference in my Bible for Mark 11:22, “Have faith in God,” says, “Have the faith of God.” It could have just as easily said, “Have the faith of Jesus.” Wow! The light just came on for someone, including me! These same six I’s of faith can, and should, be applied to receiving victory over financial problems, family problems or anything else the enemy is trying to steal from you. Meditate on these things. Apply them. The victory is yours. Take it! Say: “I believe. I will. I take it. I have it. I thank You for it, Jesus, and I forgive if I have aught against any.” Contains excerpts by Kenneth Copeland.
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(Article: Kenneth Copeland Word Of Faith Study Bible (KCSB) )
(Romans 4:16-25) Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be [a]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. New covenant salvation is by faith so that it might be by grace. Unlike the old covenant, doing righteousness by the works of the law was the schoolmaster to bring God’s people to the freedom of faith through Christ, The Anointed One and His Anointing (Galatians 3:24). Faith is our part. Grace is God’s part. Grace imputes righteousness by faith, not by works, or by earning it (Romans 4:3). Abraham, the father of our faith, believed God 430 years before the law was given, and his faith was counted to him for righteousness. So righteousness is not achieved by doing good works or by earning it-doing everything just right to please God. Galatians 3:7 says, “Therefore know that those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham.” We are his seed by faith in Jesus Christ (verse 26). Because of the power of the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in us, we are to be “imitators of God as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1) How does God create and bring things to pass? He calls those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17) He believes and speaks, and expects us, as His co-laborers in the earth, to do the same as imitators of Him, Jesus said, “He who believes in Me will do the works that I do also. And he will do greater works than these, because I am going to My Father” (John 14:12). We are to use the measure of the God kind of faith He gave us when we were born again (Mark 11:22; Romans 12:3) to do the works He did, and greater works (John 14:12). The Spirit of God who came to live inside you when you were born again brought His faith with Him. You have God’s own faith living inside you. Second Corinthians 4:13 says “We have the same spirit of faith. As it is written, ‘I believed, and therefore I have spoken. So we also believe and therefore speak.” God used this same principle when He changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. Not only were they now in eternal blood covenant with Almighty God, but speaking each other’s new name, they too began calling those things that were not as though they were. Every day they called each other Father of Many Nations” and “Mother of Many Nations,” their vision grew. Since faith comes by hearing The WORD, Isaac, the son of promise, was eventually born to a ninety year old barren woman and a one–hundred year old man because of their faith in God’s promise and daily calling things that were not as though they were. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues [forces] of life.” God’s promise that had grown deep down in their hearts began to germinate and produce the desire of their hearts. Abraham became “fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able to perform” (Romans 4:21). The faith connection was made, and the manifestation of the promise came into the earth (Genesis 21:2). It works the same way in our lives. Righteousness is imputed to us also when we believe in Jesus and the One who raised Him from the dead. He has made us His righteousness because of our faith in Him (1 Corinthians 1:30). “And whatever we ask, we will receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22). What is pleasing in His sight? Earning our righteousness by doing good works? No. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Abraham’s covenant was based on God’s spoken word to him. Our written new covenant is based on better promises because of the power of the new birth (Hebrews 8:6). With the strength of God’s eternal WORD in our hearts and in our mouths we, like Him, are to call those things that are not as though they were. We are to be like Abraham, the father of our faith, who on the strength of his covenant with God “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). Believers have been given the Name of Jesus and the authority to use it to change natural circumstances (Mark 16:17-18). Faith looks into the unseen based on the covenant promise and despite natural circumstances, speaks the desired end result. Abraham’s and Sarah’s names were changed by God to reflect what He had spoken to them. In agreement with God’s word to them they called those things that were not as though they were, every day, just as we are to do if we, like them desire to see our circumstances change. As a result they became strong in faith, giving glory to God for what He had promised them. They received the impossible. The strength of our covenant with God, ratified in the blood of His own Son and the power of His written WORD, gives us the ability to stand strong, knowing that heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s words will never pass away (Mark 13:31). Victory is assured for us if we, like Abraham and Sarah will stay strong in faith, giving glory to God, and be fully persuaded that what God has promised us in His WORD, He is able to perform. His own faith, already resident in us will heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils (Mark 16:17-18). It will cause mountains to move and accomplish the impossible. It’s time to step out and use it! For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10
Do you need a miracle? Then believe it, confess it and receive it! "Oh Gloria, I just don't know if I can do that." Yes, you can! You've already done it once. When you made Jesus the Lord of your life, you believed, confessed and received the greatest miracle in the universe, the miracle of a reborn spirit! Every other miracle you receive will come in exactly the same way. You start by simply believing what God's Word says concerning your area of need, by letting that Word change your heart and mind. A lot of people try to skip that step. They try to believe for a miracle without spending enough time in the Word to change their hearts and minds. They just want to confess it with their mouths and have it instantly appear. But that won't happen. It's what we believe in our hearts and say with our mouths that we receive. If you don't have enough faith yet to believe for the miracle you need, then you can get it. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). So start filling the ears of your heart with the Word until faith for your miracle is born. That's what the woman did who had the issue of blood. She believed in her heart that Jesus would heal her. Then she spoke her faith out loud. Then she acted on that faith--and she received her miracle. It wasn't Jesus' decision. He didn't suddenly say, "You know, I think I'll work a miracle for that little lady today." No. She made it happen. She took her faith and drew on the power of God. That's why Jesus said, "Daughter, your faith has made you whole" (Matthew 9:22). You have that same opportunity. God's power is always present everywhere. Your faith will bring it into your life, body or circumstances. So reach out to Jesus. Believe, confess and receive your miracle today. Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:18-31 Gloria Copeland Growing a few tomato plants in the back yard doesn’t make someone a farmer. Any more than giving an offering on Sunday makes that individual a sower. Nor does planting a vegetable garden.
A sower is a person who understands the power of the seed and the law of seedtime and harvest. From the very beginning, God intended that you and I be sowers. It is how He planned for our lives to be sustained. Through our sowing, we have the power to determine our own destiny. We see this principle in Genesis 1:28 when God told the first man and woman to have dominion. The Message translation says: Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!... God is saying that through the law of seedtime and harvest, we can actually take charge of our future. Sowing is what got you where you are today and it is how you are going to get where God wants you to be. Sowing is not a part-time endeavor or a hobby. It is what you are and what you do. Most of us have no idea that the way our lives have turned out is a direct result of the seeds we’ve sown. Like most people, we wake up every morning wondering what will happen next, how will we pay the rent, will our families have enough to eat. It’s never occurred to us that we have the ability to take charge of our lives and destinies. Our lives are on a downward spiral because of the seeds we had sown and we’re still sowing. Thank God you finally hear the truth from God’s Word, and that truth sets you free. The parable of the sower, told by Jesus in Mark, has been called the granddaddy of all parables because it is the blueprint for how God’s kingdom works. Sowing Activates The Law The parable of the sower, told by Jesus in Mark, has been called the granddaddy of all parables because it is the blueprint for how God’s kingdom works. Mark 4:3-8, 13: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? Once we understand what it means to be a sower and that our sowing activates the law of seedtime and harvest, the Bible takes on a whole new meaning. Suddenly you can’t get enough of the Word. You are on a quest. You want to understand how to apply the law of seedtime and harvest in a way that would change your life and destiny, as well as the destiny of your family. God will reveal to you that there are different types of seed available to you and how they can produce either good or bad harvests, depending on how you plant them. If I asked you, “what is the greatest Spiritual Law?”
What would your answer be? You might ask, what is a spiritual law? Simply stated, it is a rule or pattern that can be applied to everything in the universe. Now I ask you again, “what is the greatest Spiritual Law?” The greatest spiritual law is the law of SEEDTIME AND HARVEST. The first thing you need to understand about the law of seedtime and harvest is this: EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON PLANET EARTH REVOLVES AROUND THIS LAW - including the events in your life. Or to put it another way, the seeds you sow determine how far you go – especially in God’s plan for your life. In order to understand this law, we need to go back to the book of Genesis where everything began: Genesis 1:27-29 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Notice the last word of the scripture is food. It can also mean provision. God is saying, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for your provision.” It’s clear that God intended for us to make provision for our lives by sowing. The act of sowing not only makes provision for us and sustains us, it also represents what we are and what we do. We are sowers and we sow. You may work as a mechanic; you may be a teacher; perhaps you are a doctor. But from God’s perspective, although you may be gifted in your vocation (in other words, your job, or career), the work that you do is not how He intends for you to sustain your life or something you do to earn a living. God intends for our jobs to provide a means for us to earn a giving. Pastor has taught us that. Our jobs are nothing more than a means for us to have seed to sow. Don’t brush me off now! Stay with me! This is probably new to most of us. Notice I said us. We cannot limit ourselves to a paycheck because we were created to be sowers. Our income is determined by our sowing, not by what we get paid. You might say, I don’t have several avenues for additional income, or I’m on a fixed income. Although we don’t realize it, when we make statements like that, we are actually limiting ourselves by our confession. Well, if we’ll do what the Word of God says, we can change some things. And the first step is making the decision to become a sower. Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes. Proverbs 4:20-21
Once you’ve made the Word of God final authority in your life, your first step to victory over the attacks of the enemy is to go to the Word and lay hold of God’s promises concerning your situation. Notice I said, “Go to the Word.” It’s good to have the Word committed to memory. But don’t let that substitute for getting the Word before your eyes on a daily basis. Think about it this way. It never did a hungry person any good to think about what a potato tastes like. Not even if he could remember it perfectly. The same thing is true with the Word of God. It’s important to keep it in memory, but it’s also necessary to go directly to it and feed your spirit with it. There is power in keeping the Word in front of your eyes and going into your ears. That’s how it gets in your heart, so you can live by it. So don’t just think about the Word today, read it. Go to the promises that cover your situation. Feed on those promises and grow strong! Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9 The Greatest Commandment “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 10:19, The Amplified Bible We believers need to start watching our language! We need to quit throwing words around like they weren't important and start using them like our lives depended on it--because, according to the Word of God, they do! (Proverbs 18:21). You speak many times, but it's not really what you meant." Listen, the world of the spirit doesn't operate on what you mean. It operates on what you say. Mark 11:23 tells us 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." It's what you say that counts. Just use the wisdom God has given you. Train your mouth to be obedient to His Word. Then, when you need it most, you'll find that Word dwelling richly in you. Scripture Reading: Proverbs 10:11-21 Kenneth Copeland Add to Favorites
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Proverbs 4:5-6 Recently, God has been raising up ever-growing numbers of people who are hungry. Hungry to know their Lord in a deeper way. Hungry to serve Him—in pulpits, on mission fields, in homes, in office buildings and anywhere else He might choose to send them. They are people who simply aren't content to find the path of least resistance and coast their way into heaven. No, they're determined to run the race...to run, as the apostle Paul said, to obtain the prize. Spiritually speaking, they are on the road to excellence. Are you among them? If so, I want to share four simple words that, I believe, will enable you to run the race like a winner. Put the Word first. Whether your goal is to be an excellent evangelist or a first-rate engineer in the service of the Lord, it is the wisdom that comes from the Word of God that will get you there. Jesus said it this way: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). So commit yourself right now to do whatever it takes to totally saturate yourself with the Word of God. Use every available moment to read, study, listen to and meditate on it. I know it won't be easy, but if you've made a definite decision to amount to something in the ministry of Jesus Christ and you are determined to take the Great Commission seriously, then be diligent. Put the Word first and there will surely be glorious victories ahead. Scripture Reading: Proverbs 4:1-18 Kenneth Copeland
And being not weak in faith, [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Romans 4:19-20 In the years I've spent living by faith, there's something I've learned to do that helps me receive from God in the toughest of situations. It's something I call stepping over the faith line. A faith line is what you need when you want God to do the "impossible" in your life. It's what you need when you want to be firm in your faith and yet you keep wavering back and forth between your circumstances and God's promises—believing first one, then the other. It's what can make you like faithful Abraham. You know, Abraham had natural facts to deal with just like we do. He knew there was no natural way for God's promise to him to come true. Yet the Word says Abraham considered not his own body. In other words, Abraham ignored the natural evidence around him and believed only God's promise. Somewhere he stepped across the line of faith. He made an irreversible decision to go with the Word of God. He made a final commitment. He chose to step past the point of no return. And if you and I are ever going to see God do the impossible in our lives, we're going to have to do the same thing! How do you draw that faith line? Begin with the Word. Search the promises of God and purposely believe what He has said, and is saying, about your need. Meditate on those promises until faith rises in your heart. Then draw the line of faith. Draw it in your mind and heart. Draw it across the floor in your prayer room. Say, "In the presence of God, in the presence of all the angels in this room, and in the devils face, I am stepping across the line of faith. From this moment on, I consider this matter done. From this day forward, I give God the praise and the glory in the Name of Jesus." From that moment on, speak only as if your miracle has already happened. Turn your back on the problems, on the doubts, and turn your face toward Jesus. God will do the impossible in your life. Dare to step across the faith line! Scripture Reading: Romans 4:13-21 1 Timothy 6:11-16 MEV
11 But you, O man of God, escape these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you are called and have professed a good profession before many witnesses. 13 I command you, in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who testified a good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 to keep this commandment without blemish, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at the proper time. 16 He alone has immortality, living in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen, nor can see. To Him be honor and everlasting power. Amen |
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