BELIEVE!

TEXT:  MARK 9:23

Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”.
Jesus’ statement must not be taken as an unqualified promise.  The “all things” does not mean everything we can think of.

The prayer of faith must be based upon the will of God, and it never asks for anything foolish or wrong.  James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss (out of order; improper; in a wrong way), that ye may consume it upon your lusts.  (As in selfish desires or that which is evil or is wicked.)

The belief or faith required here must be received as a gift of God and is implanted in the heart of the believer who lives faithfully according to “His will”!  Matthew 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:  for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

This dual origin, “believe” and “faith” are the most important Gospel “word-family” in the New Testament!  Hebrews 11:6  For 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.

In the Greek, “believe” is pisteu’o, which is faith (or pistis, which is to have faith in; commit to one’s trust).  So it means not just to believe but also to be persuaded of; place confidence in; to trust or rely upon one’s word.  “Faith” is persuasion; strong conviction; or belief; assurance; persuaded (bringing about a change of mind).

Let’s take a look at the scriptures and re-translate to show that “believe” and “faith” are really the same in the original.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (has faith in) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Acts 16:31  Believe on [put your faith in] the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth (have faith in) on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Now let’s take three famous “faith” scriptures and re-translate:

·         Hebrews 11:1  Now faith [believing] is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things
        not seen”.
·       Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith [believing]; and that not of yourselves: 
       it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.
·       Romans 4:5  But to him that worketh not  [does not work], but believeth on him that justifieth
       the ungodly, his faith [believing] is counted for righteousness.

The concept of this is simply taking God at His word and trusting what He says is true.

The Word says, “Now faith (believing) is the substance (title deed) of things hoped for”…….meaning your faith is your title deed to eternal life.  Just as a title deed is evidence of real estate, so your belief is evidence of your eternal estate in God!

2 Corinthians 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:  for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Faith is taking God at His Word and asking no questions.  But without faith it is impossible to please him (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith/believing is knowing that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).  Faith does not believe that all things are good or that all things work well.  It believes that all things, whether good or bad, work together for good to them who love God!  Do you believe?

Belief is based in the mind, and faith is based in the joining of heart and mind.  Only believe, only believe!  God will not fail you!!  It is impossible for God to fail!  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it  (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

God will fulfill the promises made to you in His word!!!  Believe it, beloved!!!  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise (Hebrews 6:13-15).

In Matthew chapter 8, the Centurion’s servant was healed.  Matthew 8:10  Jesus said, I have not found so great  faith, no not in Israel.  (Vs13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.  And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

In Matthew 9:27, Jesus heals the blind and mute men.  (Vs 28) Jesus said, Believe ye that I am able to do this?  They said unto him, Yea, Lord.  (Vs 29) Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Matthew 21:12-22 is about the barren “fig tree” [symbolizing Jewish religion or Judaism].  (Vs 21) If ye have faith. and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.  (Vs 22) And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The faith that can move mountains and the faith that causes miracles, healings, and accomplishes great things for God is the faith that produces results!  These things only happen because of faith in God!!  Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God! (The faith the Holy Spirit creates within us!)  Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.  1 Corinthians 12:9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.

Do you believe it?  Then activate it!!  Someone might say, “Well, I pray; I believe; I have faith, but I don’t see any results”.  Well the problem is not with God, nor His Word.  Mark 13:31  Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away”.  (Isaiah 55:11)  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Maybe you have not found your real “self”!  Jesus Christ educated His followers to discern the real man!  Jesus taught that there is a power in man that gives him authority over the things of the world.  That principle is the higher self, the “spiritual man”, The Christ!  In order for us to succeed we must bring forth the principle, “the CHRIST gives us dominion and mastery”!  I can do all things through CHRIST who strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13).

Reveal yourself to yourself by affirming, “I am the Christ, son of the Living God”!  Look at yourself not as flesh and blood only, but also as Spirit!  1 John 4:17  For as he is, so are we in this world! 

Jesus Christ affirmed or declared His true self, and the Father acknowledged Him!  John 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?  He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?  Matthew 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Each of us have within ourselves, “The Christ”,  just as Jesus had, and we must look within to recognize our son-ship, our divine origin, and our birth, even as He did.  How do we do this?  We do this by continually unifying ourselves with the Most High (Highest) by our thoughts and by our words.  Then we too shall become sons of God manifested!  He came to his own, and his own received him not.  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:  which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:11-13).   John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same [that’s us] was in the beginning with God.  (Vs 14) And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.  As Jesus was manifested in flesh, so were we manifested in flesh!  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law (Galatians 4:4).  When God had need of a “son of God” to be born, you came in the flesh!!  HALLELUJAH!!!   Do you believe it?  Do you believe it?

Genesis 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  Briefly on this verse:  The “waters” the Spirit of God moved on was not physical water, but it was “people”.  Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”.  These “peoples, multitudes, and nations from a previous creation" had lost the form or nature of God and had become void (empty; lacking; ineffectual) of God’s dominion, authority and power!  When God said, Let there be light (Genesis 1:3), that was not the day light as we know it.  Technically that wasn’t brought into creation until the fourth day.  The “light” brought forth on the first day were “luminaries”, people called and put into a position of power and authority!  People that would rule and reign over the creation at God’s command!

We’re still talking about “declaring our true self”.   John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth [knoweth] him not, neither knoweth him:  but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.

Romans 8:9-10  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you... And if Christ be in you... the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

What about Luke 4:18?  Not only is the Spirit in you, but the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach, heal, and deliver.  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

Acts 1:8  Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

God has also endued us with power!  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:  and nothing shall by any means hurt you  (Luke 10:19).

Then there is no need for you or me to allow the enemy to invade our territory!

John 1:11-12  He came to his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.

All through history - even from the beginning - the devil (serpent, Lucifer, the enemy) has plotted against us by using people to try to intimidate, attack and afflict the people of God.  He uses words, lies, fear tactics and many other means, more than we can name, whether it is physical, mental, or spiritual.  As I said earlier, this is the time when the principle (general truth, origin) has to come forth!  I am the Christ, the son of the Living God! 

As he is so are we, in this world 1 John 4:17. 

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones (Ephesians 5:30).

Our body is the temple of God, and where the light resides, there is no darkness.  1 Corinthians 6:19 What?  know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the Prophet (Acts 7:48). 

Believeth thou this?  The light of the body is the eye [spiritual vision]:  if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light (Matthew 6:22). 

Ye are all children of light, and the children of the day:  we are not of the night, nor of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

We must declare this Truth!  Now God I am taking you at your word, and whatever the enemy throws at me or my sister and brother, we shall stand on your Word!! 

Should it be sickness:  Isaiah 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed!

If it’s fear:  2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 If it’s torment:  Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:  because he trusteth in thee.  Do you believe it?

Listen people of God, there are only two things that God cannot do:  (1) Never lie!!!! (2) Never fail!!!!  And He said, He that believeth on me, as the scriptures hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38)

He said again, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth  (Mark 9:23).

I believe the storm will soon be over!

I believe the rain will go away!

I believe that I can make it through it!

I believe it’s already done!!

I believe family will get better!

I believe God will provide!

I believe the promise that He made!

I believe it’s already done!!

I believe that my God is a healer!

I believe that I will survive!

I believe that my God is able!

I believe it’s already done!!

I believe God is going to do it for you!

I believe it is going to get better for you!

I believe God is going to fix it!

I believe it is already done!!

~ Evangelist Jackie Burton