If You Can?
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May 29, 2016 |
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 Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"And Jesus said to him, '"If You can?" All things are possible to him who believes.'"(Mark 9:23)
In Mark 9:22, the father came before Jesus with his son's problem. His son couldn't see and speak and had seizures since childhood due to demon-possession. Once he had seizures, he fell into fire or water. His life was threatened many times. When he met Jesus, however, the problem was solved right away.
Whether it is a disease, business problem, family problem, or something that can't be solved by men, it can be solved with faith. Let's now delve into the ways to receive answers from God.
1. We have to make a profession of faith.
Mark 9:22 shows us how the man who had a demon-possessed son received the answer. He just asked Jesus, "If you can, help us." Concerning his statement, Jesus planted faith in him saying, '"If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."
The father said, "I believe". But in fact, this profession did not come from true faith either. It was just that he was overwhelmed by the spiritual authority of Jesus who had spoken so very firmly. Darkness went away and this father's negative thoughts were subdued by the word of Jesus. It was possible because this father had a good heart and was able to believe the news about Jesus. At least he had faith as knowledge.
If you also have at least faith as knowledge, you should make a positive profession of faith all the time. The words of your lips are very important. Romans 10:10 says, "…for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Of course we receive salvation and answers with faith, but it is the action that perfects faith. So, the positive confession of faith is the foundation to reach the perfect faith and it is the minimum of action.
But some believers make negative professions even while they are praying to receive an answer saying or thinking, "My family members have such hardened hearts and they don't accept the gospel." "I don't have good field of heart, so I can't even think of standing on the rock not to mention spirit." "I can't! Impossible! Too difficult! It's hard! Is it possible? Can I really?"
Mark 10:27 says, "Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'" God the Father also says in Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
We have to hold on to the word and say, "God can do everything. We believe in this God, and we can also do everything too." If we at least know with our knowledge that God is almighty, we have to say it with our lips so that faith can begin to grow in our heart.
Whether the problem is big or small, to God who created everything with His word, it is all nothing. If you make the almighty God an incapable God with your negative words, then it is disappointing to God. Doing so will allow for you to be caught in the snares of Satan. Therefore, even though you can't really make a profession of faith from the depth of your heart, I hope you will still make positive confessions of faith. The positive professions of faith become the seed and eventually they will bear the fruit of perfect faith.
2. We have to receive the faith to believe from the heart.
After the father in the reading passage said, "I believe," he said, "Help my unbelief." He just said, "I believe," and why did he immediately say, "Help my unbelief?"
Before the authority in the word of Jesus, with a desperate heart this father said that he believed. But now he confessed that he did not have the spiritual faith to be able to receive the answer. He had realized that for the power of Jesus to heal his son, he had to show the kind of faith to believe from his heart. He realized, however, the faith he had was too little.
Suppose you were looking everywhere for medicine that could cure your son's disease and finally found it. And when you went to buy the medicine, the money you prepared was not enough. You can't help begging the person who has the medicine to help you so you could cure your son.
Jesus had already read the mind of this father. He had read how desperate he was when he came to solve the problem of his son and how much he tried. Jesus knew his characters, his efforts, earnestness, truthfulness, and humbleness. So, Jesus' heart was finally moved, and He drove out the demon from the son.
Here, we can understand what we have to do in order to possess faith to believe from heart. Like the father in the reading passage, we have to show our effort that can reach God. Of course, first of all we must not have any wall of sin. Having no wall of sin, if we show the kinds of effort that can move God and actions that can please God, we can receive the faith to believe from the heart.
The faith to believe from heart, namely spiritual faith, cannot be possessed just because we desire to have it. Only God can give it to us. If we have the faith to believe from heart, we will have the assurance about the answer. Eventually, it will be done as we have believed it would.
3. We have to cry out in prayer until we receive the answer.
As written in Mark 9:24, the father also cried out to Jesus. His crying out tells us how desperate he was in his heart. This kind of action is a must for us to have faith with which all things are possible.
Jeremiah 33:3 also says, "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Ezekiel 36:36 latter part-37 says, "I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it. Thus says the LORD God, 'This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock.'"
In the Bible, we see the patriarchs cried out before God. Even the Son of God, Jesus, cried out in prayer. When He prayed at Gethsemane, He prayed with all His strength such that His sweat became like drops of blood. When He was hung on the cross, He cried out with a loud voice saying, "Into Your hands I commit My spirit."
We also have to cry out in prayer until the answer is given. If you began with faith, you have to pray until the end without giving up. If you want to receive an answer for something impossible, you should fill up the measure of justice through your effort and perseverance. As you keep on crying out in prayer, you will have prepared the vessel to receive the answer. If you cry out in prayer, you will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and you will hear His voice or receive His guidance telling you that you have to repent of something or you have to show a certain action.
As a child of God keeps on crying out in prayer, the Holy Spirit teaches him the way to receive the answer. If you obey the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit, God gives you the faith to believe from heart. On the contrary, if you do not obey the urging of the Holy Spirit, the vessel for the answer will not be prepared no matter how much you cry out in prayer. Thus, you can't receive the faith to believe from heart. I urge you to receive answers and blessings by crying out in prayer and preparing your vessels well.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as this father in the reading passage, if we profess our faith and cry out until we receive the faith to believe from heart, we can receive any kind of answer. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will receive whatever you want by faith in God the Creator for whom nothing is impossible and glorify God.
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