FAITH SPEAKS OUT

Mark 5:34
“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”

Continuing still on the characteristics of the faith that makes whole, the third characteristic is that, it speaks out. The scripture said, “…for she said, if I may but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole.” 

You cannot be made whole without declaring your faith. I know you might have come across something like this severally, but the issue of speaking out your faith is not something that can be taught too much. This is because, this is how you choose what happens to you, whether you are going to go through life deprived or supplied with the things you desire in life.

The fourth characteristic of the faith that makes whole is that it leaves the past behind. The scripture says, “faith is now”. You must learn to live in the present, you cannot be locked up in the past failures and expect to be made whole. 

In fact you cannot be locked up in the successes of yesterday and expect to conquer new territories or have new victories. When Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda if he wants to be made whole, he was not sensitive to what was about to take place in his life, because he was locked up in the past attempts that did not work. So forget the past and receive wholeness now.

FAITH THAT MAKES WHOLE

Mark 5:34

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

Let us see from this story of the woman with the issue of blood some things that characterize the faith that makes one whole.

The first thing you notice is that the faith that makes whole comes because you respond to the word that you heard. The Scripture says concerning the woman, “…when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind…” 

She had many reasons not respond, she could say she does not know if this would be like the doctors she had heard about and pursued but nothing came of that venture. No she did like Peter, who said, “Master we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless, AT THY WORD I will let down the net.” 

You cannot allow past negative experiences to hold you back from the possibility of a new reality. If you are to be made whole in any situation, you must determine that you will always respond to the word of God that comes to you.

The second thing that characterizes the faith that makes whole is that it makes you reach out always for the presence of God or the anointing. Faith’s job is to connect you with the anointing that will remove the burden and destroy the yoke, so when you make the faith connection, what results is the wholeness that you receive. 

When she touched Jesus, Jesus said virtue left Him. When your faith makes the connection, virtue or anointing will also be transferred to make you whole. So always ensure you reach out to the anointing.

BE MADE WHOLE

Mark 5:34

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

The essence of our faith is for us to receive wholeness from God, this means the ability to believe God should add to us such that wherever there is a lack in our lives, through faith in God we can make a demand for supply to come in. This can happen whether it is spiritual, physical, material, financial or social. 

This is why your faith in God can bring wholeness to your life. The book of James puts it like this: “…that you may be perfect wanting nothing”. It is rendered thus in the amplified translation: “…so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking nothing.” Do you accept the possibility of such a state?

When the woman met Jesus, she needed not only a physical touch, but material and financial because her sickness had impoverished her. So Jesus knew what He was saying when He said, “Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole.” 

Notice, “whole” not “healed” implying she got more than physical healing when she made that touch of faith. You too can be made whole when you make a touch of faith. Make that touch today and you too shall be made whole.

CONFESSION: I CAN TOUCH GOD WITH MY FAITH, THEREFORE I CAN BE WHOLE AND I AM WHOLE.

YOU ARE CAPABLE OF HAVING FAITH IN GOD

 “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God…” Romans 14:22

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.” Mark 11:22

We are still asking and answering the question, Have you faith? And I say a categorical YES. You have faith. On what authority can anyone say he has faith? On Jesus’ authority. Jesus said in our second text, “have faith in God.” 

 Now you know He would not ask you to have faith in God if you are incapable of having faith in God. So for the simple reason that Jesus asked you to have faith means you have faith, because if anybody should know, it would be Jesus. 

The main issue is not that people don’t have faith, it is that they fail to put the faith they have to use and faith not put to use is like a dead or a zero faith.  

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

CONFESSION: I have faith in God, and it is working for me.

DO YOU HAVE FAITH?

Romans 14:22(KJV)

“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God…”

“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others…”(MSG)

I left off yesterday with this words that you ask yourself, rephrasing our text, “have I faith…” I want to pursue this a bit more. Can you answer this question.” Now don’t get religious on me and think it is pride to say you have faith. 

 No it is not. You better know that you have faith to face the challenges of life before they come at you. So I ask again, “Hast thou faith? You may ask how would I know I have it? Firstly, though faith is a spiritual thing, it is real. You will know if it is there or not. Secondly, you can know by the relationship that you have with God. The message bible renders our text thus: “cultivate your own relationship with God…” When you cultivate a relationship with God, faith rubs off on you. 

Thirdly, your relationship with the word of God in definite areas will birth faith in you in those areas. Lastly, actually exercising faith on a daily basis will keep you in  shape faith wise. For instance, if you go to a top athlete like Usain Bolt and ask if he can run a hundred metres dash, he will tell you he can do anytime. Why because he does things that keeps him in shape to do it. Though he might put in extra time for practice for a major race, when such is close by, his body is conditioned already to run a hundred metres dash.

WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE FAITH

Romans 14:22(KJV)

“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God…”

“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others…”(MSG)

I like our scripture for meditation and I am enjoying what we are gleaning from it. I hope you are too. I have been directing this meditation outwards, by that I mean you trying to use your faith for other people. 

But in reality, it is directed to you. You are the first reason why you should have faith, it says firstly your faith should be a personal thing between you and God. You should be at the place where you have faith in yourself for yourself, that is for your own use. Why is this important? There are people who all their lifetime are always needing someone to do their praying and believing for them. 

God does not expect any child of His to be at such level all their lives. You must be the custodian of faith for your own use.

Jesus, speaking to everyone, says, “Have faith in God.” Who is to have faith? You. Not your fellow brother, not your spouse, not and definitely not your pastor. And then He went further to say, “and whosoever shall say…” That whosoever means you. Then in the book of James, the Holy Spirit through Apostle James asked, “Is any afflicted, let him(the afflicted one) pray.” 

That is you are to do your own praying. This is the reason you are to develop your faith for your own use firstly. Ask yourself, “have I faith…” You better know that you have.

CARRY OTHERS ON YOUR FAITH

Romans 14:22(KJV)

“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God…”

“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others…”(MSG)

The third group of people you may be able to carry on your faith are people who invite you to pray for them and who may be in such a position that they cannot exercise faith for themselves. This would apply to pastors of churches and maybe an evangelist on a crusade ground. Remember James 5:14,15?

 “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

Notice here, the sick called for the elders of the church. By that call authority has been given to them by the sick to exercise faith on his behalf. This is why the scripture says the prayer of faith shall save him and the Lord shall raise him up. That probably indicates, the sick was at the point of death.

You see, no matter how much you love someone there is a limit to which you can carry them on your faith. The best is to help people develop their own faith so that they can stand on their own in the faith walk.

CARRY OTHERS ON YOUR FAITH

Romans 14:22(KJV)


“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God…”

Do you know that there is a limit to how far you can carry people on your faith? This is necessary for you to understand because some people try to believe for other people and then when it does not work, they say God has failed them. 

There are things you must realize, you cannot force your faith on people, our text for meditation says if you have faith, have it to thyself before God. Don’t try to force your faith on other people especially if they are not under your authority. Who are the people your faith will work for?

Firstly, parents can believe for their children, that is, you can carry your children on your faith and that also has its limits. A time will come when God will expect them to stand on their own two feet and believe for themselves depending on the exposure they have had to the life of faith.

Secondly, husband and wives can carry each other on their faith for a while and in certain areas especially if they are just married and one is more exposed to this life style than the other. But I know after a while you will not be able to anymore, the best you will be able to do is to come into agreement with one another in matters that affect the other person.

YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING

Hebrews 10:23(KJV)

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.”

“Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.” (MSG)

We are still meditating on our Scripture for yesterday, which we applied to specific issues in our lives. That is, you do not stop making confession on issues you have taken to God until you see manifestation. Then also there things that I believe generally should just be things you make confessions about and keep at it or hold fast to them.

 What this does is that the confessions you make will enable you keep a firm grip (in the words of the Message Bible) on the promises of God and build your faith. Let me give you a few examples of such things that you regularly make confession not in particular order or degree of importance, so you can arrange them as you want. 

You should hold fast your confession on the integrity of God and His Word so that your faith in the word of God is unshakeable. Scriptures like Psalm 119:89; Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6; Deuteronomy 7:9.

According to our text, the basis of your hold fast the confession of your faith is even because God is dependable, faithful or that He sticks by His word, that is, He has integrity. He never disappoints!

NEW CREATION!

Hebrews 10:23(KJV)

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.”

“Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.” (MSG)

We are still meditating on our Scripture for yesterday, which we applied to specific issues in our lives. That is, you do not stop making confession on issues you have taken to God until you see manifestation. Then also there things that I believe generally should just be things you make confessions about and keep at it or hold fast to them.

 What this does is that the confessions you make will enable you keep a firm grip (in the words of the Message Bible) on the promises of God and build your faith. Let me give you a few examples of such things that you regularly make confession not in particular order or degree of importance, so you can arrange them as you want. 

You should hold fast your confession on the integrity of God and His Word so that your faith in the word of God is unshakeable. Scriptures like Psalm 119:89; Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6; Deuteronomy 7:9.

According to our text, the basis of your hold fast the confession of your faith is even because God is dependable, faithful or that He sticks by His word, that is, He has integrity. He never disappoints!

HOLD FAST TO YOUR CONFESSION

Hebrews 10:23(KJV)

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.”

“Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.” (MSG)

We are still meditating on our Scripture for yesterday, which we applied to specific issues in our lives. That is, you do not stop making confession on issues you have taken to God until you see manifestation. Then also there things that I believe generally should just be things you make confessions about and keep at it or hold fast to them.

 What this does is that the confessions you make will enable you keep a firm grip (in the words of the Message Bible) on the promises of God and build your faith. Let me give you a few examples of such things that you regularly make confession not in particular order or degree of importance, so you can arrange them as you want. 

You should hold fast your confession on the integrity of God and His Word so that your faith in the word of God is unshakeable. Scriptures like Psalm 119:89; Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6; Deuteronomy 7:9.

According to our text, the basis of your hold fast the confession of your faith is even because God is dependable, faithful or that He sticks by His word, that is, He has integrity. He never disappoints!

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Hebrews 10:23(KJV)

 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.”

“Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.” (MSG)

The word profession in our text today can also be translated confession, so you are being told to hold on to your confession without wavering or without doubting or being of two minds about it. Why, because He, God, is faithful. 

This means if we do not let go, God will perform. You see, dear friend, this confession business is not something you do when you feel like it only, it is something you keep on going in your life. So what confession do you need to hold fast to or as the Message Bible says keep a firm grip on. 

 Firstly, specifically, you need to keep a firm grip on confessions that are related to the specific issues that you are dealing with in your life right now. Once you have made the request to God, you have to keep on your confession about it till manifestation comes. Notice our text says God is faithful to His word, so the onus whether you receive lies on you. 

Do not go out today without making your confession. Sometimes all you need say is, I believe I receive my healing(if it is healing) according to 1Peter 2:24 or whatever Scripture it is you are standing on.

EXPECTING MANIFESTATION

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Heb 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

We are still examining learning to expect manifestation now. In fact I believe everyone should always expect to receive in the now when they pray if not you will be like Pharaoh who Moses came to ask when he would love for the frogs to be taken off Egypt and he said tomorrow. 

 That is what happens when you are always tomorrow minded. Even though in Mark 11:24, we see the sense of a time gap between when we believe we receive and when we actually do. But you know what the word told us is that you believe you receive when you pray, you know what, it is possible that the time you believe you receive and the time you receive can actually be the same. 

 When that happens, that is now. Expect it! By the way, we are in the age of suddenlies, so expect to receive in the now! Faith is now, not tomorrow.

YOU CAN RECEIVE NOW

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Heb 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

When you look at the two Scriptures for today, you see two things. One is that there is a time element involved before one sees manifestation. This time can be from one minute to one year or hundred years for all you know. 

The second is the element of the now that faith has in it, that is, that it can happen now. Now, why are we looking at this today? It is because in the normal faith walk people can get so used to waiting to receive manifestation that you never consider that you can have instantaneous manifestation. 

That is, you can believe you receive and receive NOW. The reason why this is important is that if you are not sensitive to receiving in the now, you can miss out on manifestation. Jesus stood in front of Martha and told her that her brother will rise again, you know what she said? 

Yes I know, in the resurrection, but Jesus answered her, I am the resurrection and the life. In other words you don’t have to wait for some time to have manifestation, manifestation is here now. Someone’s manifestation is here today in Jesus’ name.

FAITH WILL TAKE YOUR LIFE HIGHER

Rom 1:17

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Faith in God is a life enhancer. That means living by faith is meant to enhance the quality of your life here on earth. It enables you to raise the quality of your life to the highest possible level because God is a faith God. So living by faith is like living like God lives and when you live like God lives, you come up to His level. 

Remember God said as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways. Therefore when you live by faith which is a way God lives, your life cannot but rise to a higher level. Faith will always take your life higher and higher. 

Our text for meditation reads like this in the Amplified Bible: “for in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]…” What this means is that as you partake of the things of God by faith it arouses more faith in  you which makes you to reach for higher and greater things in God. 

This is why faith is a life enhancer. No one who truly lives by faith can remain at the same level year in year out, just like the Scripture says, “the pathway of the just is like a break of dawn that shines more and more unto a perfect day.” (Proverbs 4:18)

CONFESSION: My life is getting better and better because I am moving from faith to faith.

THE SUPERNATURAL LIFE

Heb 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death;

 

Let us revisit faith and the supernatural life because I use the example of death, this might throw some people off. But when you read through Hebrews chapter eleven, you cannot dispute that faith will take you to the realms of supernatural living. Is it Abraham and Sarah that had a child when it was naturally impossible for them to have one. 

Did you read what I just said, “naturally impossible”? Or the children of Israel who crossed the red sea on dry ground with an army bearing down on them to destroy them, who were eventually destroyed under the same red sea. 

What more shall we say of Noah who by faith saved his whole family from a flood that destroyed the whole earth or David who killed a man by the name Goliath who surpassed David in terms of experience when it comes to war. If in all your experiences in life, you cannot lay claim to bypassing the natural, then begin today. Let me share an experience with you. 

When we were to have our first son, doctors diagnosed my wife with fibroid and also that the baby was in a breach, when she was seven months gone. Well, I cursed the fibroid and commanded the baby to be in the right position for delivery at the appropriate time. When it was time for the baby to come, fibroid had disappeared and baby was properly positioned for delivery. Glory to God!

AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE

Heb 11:5

“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death…”

To live by faith is to live a supernatural and sometimes spectacular life. This means, it is to live a life above the ordinary, an exceptional life. Our scripture for meditation says by faith Enoch did not experience death, now you will agree with me that is supernatural, above ordinary experience. 

This is because death is something that everyone is meant to pass through or experience, that is, death is a natural experience awaiting everyone. But someone bypassed it by walking by faith. But I can hear someone saying, that is not for everyone.

Firstly, I want you to focus on how he overcame it; the scriptures says by faith. Is faith available to every one of us? The answer of course is yes. God has given everyone of us the measure of faith, the Bible says. Then I want you to see death in the context of something natural which by faith you can escape. Also Jesus said, “whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? (John 11:26) 

Jesus is the one asking you, “believeth thou this?”, not me. What would your answer be?

Something out of nothing

Heb 11:3

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Faith will enable you to create something out of nothing. Our text for meditation says what is seen was made out of what was not visible. This why you should not worry that you do not have anything now or that you are at ground zero, with your faith in God you can begin to build your life and get to the pinnacle of your dreams.  

When Joseph got into Egypt, he had nothing, he had nobody, he was a slave but he had God. The Scriptures said, “And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. And He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” (Genesis 39:2) How can a man be called prosperous when he was yet a slave? You are not defined by what you do, but by who is with you and your faith. Joseph believed his God and out of seeming nothingness he became the prime minister of Egypt. 

Don’t look down on yourself. God specializes in making somebodies out of nobodies. The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich and adds no sorrows. God can make you rich and prosperous and it has nothing to do with what you have or don’t have naturally. It is all a matter of what you can believe. 

THE SUPERNATURAL

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

Faith enables you to understand the supernatural. To walk with God you have to take things by faith. You can not wait until you can reason things out before accepting or receiving, you just accept by faith that things will turn out the way God said they will turn out. 

You do not have to understand how the financial need will be met, nor how your spouse will be saved or how God will turn your marriage around. God never asked you to figure out the how, He just asks you to trust Him. The Scriptures say, “trust the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding”. Don’t lean to your reasoning. Reason is not faith and faith is not reason. 

When it comes to God, reasoning does not figure in the scheme of things at all. God is bigger than your reasoning faculty, so trust Him absolutely. Faith though enables you to understand God and the things of God. An example is how the bumble bee flies. It is against nature, nature says the bumble bee with its big body and tiny wings should not be flying, but it is flying. 

That cannot be figured out, but I can take it by faith. Faith says that which is impossible naturally, is possible by faith.