Don’t make it make sense, make it make FAITH!

Faith without works is dead (James 2:18- But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.)

Without faith, you can’t please God (Hebrews 11:6-ut without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.)

Faith comes when you hear the Word (Romans 10:17-So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.)

In order to work the Word, you have to know the Word!

Proverbs 16:20 (ESV)-Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,…

(AMP)- He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good,…

So the question is….

What does God (who is His Word according to John 1:1) say to me about my situation/circumstance/test/trial

OR

desire/need/inherited rights

What does He say about the CHANGE I want in my life, whether it is from something that burdens me OR something that brings joy to me????

MARK 11:23-24 (NET)

²³ I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

²⁴ For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark gives us 3 things to do:

1. SAY BELIEVE   3.RECEIVE (have/possess, take into possession)

# 1 SAY

Hebrews 10:23-Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 4:14 (AMP)-Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior].

Your Spoken words are SEEDS (you have what you say)

Luke 8:4-8 (NKJV)

 (5) by the wayside—trampled on; eaten by birds

You’re “just” quoting scriptures BUT you allow your doubt to eat up the Word

James 1:6-8—(NKJV) ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

^{(AMP) 7} For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, ⁸ being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

(6) fell on rock—sprang up; withered away because it lacked moisture

You believe it and act on it BUT you give up when it doesn’t happen on YOUR time

Proverbs 24:10— If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

^(MSG)If you fall to pieces in a crisis,
there wasn’t much to you in the first place.

(7) fell among thorns—thorns sprang up with it and choked it

You tell others about your problems OR desires AND they aren’t in faith; they end up choking your faith and YOU don’t harvest your change

Lamentations 3:26— It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

(8) fell on good ground— sprang up and yielded a crop a hundredfold

You stayed with it until it manifested in the natural

Hebrews 6:12— That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

^(MSG) Don’t drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.

# 2 BELIEVE

You can’t believe the Word you don’t know!

God is so GOD that He WILL fulfill everything He’s said in His Word.

2 Categories of God:

1. Deliverer – Luke 19:10-For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. Getting you out of your mess (through your test and trials)
2. Provider – John 10:10-…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Putting you into your inherited rights (desires)

Proverbs 30:5 (ESV)-Every word of God proves true;

His Word holds up; stands on its own.

^(AMP) Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver];

Silver refining process—preparation of the ore for use in various products

THEREFORE, the Word is tested and refined so that it can be used in YOUR various test/trial/circumstances OR desires/needs/inherited rights.

Silver has long been valued for its white metallic lustre, (His blood washes white as snow) its ability to be readily worked, (now faith is) and its resistance to the corrosive effects of moisture and oxygen (Have you not even read this [passage of] Scripture: The very Stone which after putting It to the test] the builders rejected has become the Head of the corner [Cornerstone];).  Mark 12:10 (AMPC)

You should believe because this is what the Lord is saying:

I’m watching over my word to perform it BECAUSE the words that go out of my mouth don’t come back to me void, but they complete what I command them and increase that in which I send it to.  I send my Word to the earth, and my Word runs swiftly BECAUSE heaven and earth will pass before one ounce or drop of my Word fails or becomes void.  Therefore, because you have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him to take hold the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end BECAUSE it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom BECAUSE he takes pleasure in his people.

Jeremiah 1:12       Isaiah 55:11                        Psalm 147:15          Luke 16:17              

Ephesians 3:12     Jeremiah 29:11     Luke 12:32              Psalm 149:4

# 3 RECEIVE (To have or possess)

2 Corinthians 5:18-And all things are of God,….

Romans 5:15 (NIV)-…how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

So what you receive/have/take possession of is not earned BUT given by God!

You can’t do anything good enough to earn something from God…..AND the good news is—–You Don’t Have To!!!

Psalm 35:27-…Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

Receiving (circumstance)

Mark 10:46-52

He said, he believed, and he received (his sight).

 

Receiving (rights)

The Lord instructed Isaac to live Gerar, and he told the king Rebekah his wife was his sister.  After finding out she was his wife, king Abimelech ordered that no one touch either of the two.

Genesis 26:12

It was his right to receive BECAUSE he had sown.  He acted upon God’s Word.

Examples of working the Word until the Word worked:

Mark 5:25-34                                            

²⁵ And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

²⁶ And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

²⁷ When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

²⁸ For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. (believe)

²⁹ And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (receive)

³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

³¹ And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?  [Didn’t make sense to them BUT it made faith to her]

³² And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

³³ But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

³⁴ And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Matthew 8:5-10; 13

⁵ Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

⁷ And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. (believe)

⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed,“ Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. (receive)

**Did it make sense for him to tell Jesus “NO, you can’t come to my house.”  BUT it did make faith when he said “Speak the word only.”

Matthew 14:22-31 (MSG)

^22-23 As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.

^24-26 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror.

²⁷ But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”

^29-30 He said, “Come ahead.”

Jumping out of the boat (believe), Peter walked (receive) on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”

³¹ Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

Never take your eyes of Jesus!

John 16:24-(HCSB) Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

^(MSG)-Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!

1 John 5:14-15-(HCSB) ¹⁴ Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

Confess:

Because the Word says that I can decree a thing, I speak to my _________ (sickness, pain, worry, grief, house, job, car, etc.) BECAUSE I believe that God takes pleasure in my having what He’s declared in His Word (deliverance and provision) AND I receive it into the natural and possess it. AMEN.

–Minister Michelle Johnson