IT TAKES FAITH TO RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM GOD

FAITH IS BELIEVING WHAT GOD SAID AND TRUSTING AND RELYING ON THAT WORD NO MATTER WHAT WE SEE, SMELL, TOUCH, TASTE, OR HEAR.
HEBREWS 11:1 SAYS NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE(CONFIDENCE) OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN.

HOW DO WE SHOW FORTH EVIDENCE THAT ISN'T SEEN. BY OUR TESTIMONY, THE WORDS WE SPEAK HOLDING THE CONFIDENCE OF THE THINGS WE HOPE FOR.

IN MARK THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER JESUS DEMONSTRATES FAITH IN ACTION, AND THEN TEACHES ON IT.
MARK 11:14-15
11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

THERE ARE SOME REAL IMPORTANT THINGS WE NEED TO SEE IN THESE SCRIPTURES. WHY ? TO UNDERSTAND HOW FAITH WORKS?

JESUS WAS HUNGRY AND SAW A FIG TREE OFF IN THE DISTANCE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTICE THIS TREE WAS WITH LEAVES. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT. FIG TREES GROW THE FIGS THEN THE LEAVES. THAT TREE WAS SAYING I HAVE FIGS, BECAUSE OF THE LEAVES. THE TREE WAS LIVING A DECEPTIVE LIFE. IT HAD A FLAW THAT GAVE HOPE THEN TOOK IT AWAY. THE HOPE OF FOOD AND GAVE NOTHING BUT LEAVES. SOMETIMES PEOPLE PUT ON A CERTAIN LOOK THAT SAYS SOMETHING TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF HOW THEY REALLY ARE.

IN VERSE 14 IT SAYS JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO IT ( THE TREE)

SO LOOKS DO SPEAK THE TREES APPEARANCE SAID LOOK AT ME I HAVE FIGS. WHAT DID HE SAY TO THE TREE?

NO MAN EAT FRUIT OF THEE HEREAFTER FOR EVER.

JESUS RELEASED HIS FAITH IN THAT STATEMENT. HIS HOPE WAS FOR THAT TREE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT IT WOULD NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED AS A FOOD SOURCE BECAUSE OF IT'S DECEPTIVE GROWTH PATTERN AND APPEARANCE. THE EVIDENCE WASN'T SEEN IT WAS HELD IN HIS WORDS UNTIL IT WOULD BE MANIFESTED IN A PHYSICAL SEEN WAY. AFTER HE SPOKE HIS FAITH THE TREE STILL LOOKED THE SAME.

AFTER YOU SPEAK YOUR FAITH , YOUR HOPE, AND GIVE EVIDENCE, YOUR WORDS, YOU MAY NOT SEE A CHANGE BUT IT HAS STARTED.

ALSO IN VERSE 14 IT SAYS HIS DISCIPLES HEARD IT. SO FAITH IS SPOKEN AND OTHERS HEARD IT PROVES THAT POINT. JUST THINKING IT, WON'T GET THE JOB DONE. YOU MUST SPEAK IT OUT. IF YOU ARE AT WORK AND YOUR BOSS THINKS, I WISH THEY WOULD GO GET THE QUARTERLY REPORTS AND BRING THEM TO ME. WILL THAT GET THE JOB DONE? NO!! HE MUST SAY TO YOU GO GET THE QUARTERLY REPORTS AND BRING THEM TO ME BEFORE IT WILL HAPPEN. FAITH IS A SERVANT AND MUST BE TOLD WHAT TO DO.

1. JESUS USED HIS FAITH ON A FIG TREE HE SPOKE.
2. FAITH IS WORKING THE MOMENT HE SPOKE YOU JUST COULDN'T SEE IT'S EFFECT YET.
MARK 11:19-26
19And when even was come, he went out of the city.
20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23For 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.
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

THE NEXT DAY AS THEY LEFT THE CITY THEY SAW THE FIG TREE DRIED UP FROM THE ROOTS AND WITHERED AWAY. PETER RECALLS WHAT JESUS SAID TO THE TREE AS A CURSE. IT WAS SIMPLE FAITH NOT A CURSE. JESUS TOOK THE TIME TO TEACH THEM ABOUT HOW FAITH WORKS AFTER THEY HAD SEEN THE END RESULT OF THE TREE.

YOU MAY NOT SEE THE END RESULT WHEN YOU PRAY RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT. LIKE THE TREE, TO THE EYE IT LOOKED THE SAME. HOWEVER IT HAD STARTED TO DRY UP FROM THE ROOTS. FAITH WAS WORKING AND FINALLY IT WAS SEEN IN THE PHYSICAL. YOUR REQUEST ARE BEING WORKED OUT THE MOMENT YOU PRAY, AND WILL COME TO PASS.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW A SPECIFIC SCRIPTURE FOR YOUR NEED THIS PASSAGE WILL COVER ANYTHING YOU CAN BELIEVE FOR.

1. IN VERSE 22 JESUS SAID HAVE FAITH( TRUST, AND LEAN ON AND, RELY UPON) IN GOD.

2. IN VERSES 23 -24 JESUS TELLS US HOW TO GET THE SAME RESULTS HE DID.

23. WHOSOEVER (ANYONE) CAN SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN (ANY PROBLEM THAT SHOULDN'T BE) TELL IT TO BE REMOVED (GO) BE CAST INTO THE SEA ( GET AWAY FROM ME ) SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART ( VERY IMPORTANT WE CAN NOT DOUBT WHAT WE ARE SAYING WILL HAPPEN OR IT WON'T) BUT BELIEVE THOSE THINGS WHICH WE SAY SHALL COME TO PASS WE WILL HAVE WHAT WE SAY.

24. THEREFORE (BECAUSE OF THAT) I SAY UNTO YOU. WHAT THINGS SOEVER YOU DESIRE(NEED , WANT) WHEN YOU PRAY( VERBALIZE, SPEAK, OR ASK OF THE LORD)

BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THEM AND YOU SHALL HAVE THEM. VERSES 25-26 ARE IN THE SAME PASSAGE AND JUST AS IMPORTANT. IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL YOUR FAITH WON'T WORK. YOU MUST FORGIVE ANY THAT YOU HAVE OUGHT AGAINST SO THAT THE HEAVENLY FATHER WILL FORGIVE YOU. IF YOU DON'T FORGIVE THEN YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WON'T FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES.

THIS PASSAGE HAS BEEN TAUGHT SO WRONG IN THE PAST. IT IS TRUE YOUR CONFESSION IS IMPORTANT, BUT CONFESSION( TESTIMONY OR WORDS SPOKEN) ALONE WON'T BRING YOUR DESIRE TO PASS. SOME HAVE STARTED A BLAB IT AND GRAB IT RELIGION THAT JUST WON'T WORK. TRUE YOU MUST SAY OR SPEAK IT OUT,BUT YOU MUST TRUST GOD, AND ALSO BELIEVE IT IN YOUR HEART, AND DOUBT NOT, AND FORGIVE OTHERS. ALL OF THESE THINGS MUST BE PRESENT OR FAITH WILL NOT PRODUCE THE DESIRED RESULTS. IT WON'T BE GODS FAULT, IT WILL BE OUR FAULT. PEOPLE HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE RESPONSIBILITY, AS HUMAN NATURE WANTS TO BLAME ANOTHER FOR OUR OWN SHORTCOMINGS, MAN HAS BLAMED GOD FOR MANS FAILURE.

SAYINGS LIKE GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYER SOMETIMES YES, SOMETIMES NO, SOMETIMES MAYBE, AND SOMETIMES LATER. TOTALLY UNTRUE.

IF YOU AS THE LORD AS IN CONSECRATION OR DEDICATION TO WHAT YOU ARE TO DO IN LIFE. LIKE SHOULD I GO HERE OR MOVE THERE, HE WILL TELL YOU YES OR NO, AND YOU MUST THEN SEEK MORE WISDOM AND DIRECTION FOR YOUR LIFE.

THERE IS A PLACE FOR YES AND NO, BUT CONCERNING THE PROMISES OF GOD PAUL SAID IN 2ND CORINTHIANS 1:20 THAT ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE YES AND AMEN(SO BE IT) ALL OF GODS PROMISES ARE YES AND SO BE IT.

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED?

Passage Matthew 9:27-29:
27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

IT ALL HANGS ON YOUR FAITH. YOU MUST BELIEVE AND DOUBT NOT AND SPEAK IT OUT AND KNOW WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO AND YOUR FAITH WILL DO FOR YOU EXACTLY WHAT GOD SAID IT WOULD DO. AND DOUBT WILL DO EXACTLY WHAT GOD SAID IT WOULD DO, STOP YOUR REQUEST DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS. GET RID OF DOUBT AND ONLY BELIEVE, AND YOU SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE.

TILL NEXT TIME REMEMBER GOD IS LIGHT AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL