“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23
I have been pondering this verse with much anxiety and fire in my soul. If if IF!!! What a word….’IF’.
Infact, when you think about it, the word ‘if’ is made up of two letters that often are used as the first letters to words we use to signify our ‘reformed’ status.
What do I mean? ‘I’ stands for ‘Independant’ and ‘F’ stands for ‘Fundamentalist’ and oh how we pride ourselves these days that we’re ‘Indepandant’ Baptists or ‘Fundamental’ Presbyterians (and vise versa), but what is that doing for us?
Now don’t get me wrong, I support the ‘old-fashioned’, reformed way of thinking completely, but our orthodoxy means very little in terms of our impact upon society.
We’ve come to the stage where the ‘I’ or ‘F’ associated with our tags should be pushed together to question ourselves on this text I’ve quoted above. “IF thou canst believe”
If we’re honest, we don’t really believe God these days. We don’t believe to the fullest extent in the power of the word of God, and its ability to change lives. Everytime we witness or step into a pulpit, very few have the attitude, “this is going to change lives”. You can fool me and say you do, but you’ll not fool God, and the proof will always be in the pudding, because the man that believes this will see “signs following”.
Consider the implications of this text. “ALL things are possible to him that believeth”. What things are possible? Go on….answer! All things, ALL things, ALL things!!!
What does that exclude? Everything that is forbidden in scripture by God.
What does it include? EVERYTHING ELSE!
Does God forbid that his people be edified, revived and set on fire? Does God forbid the salvation of souls? Does God forbid church revival? Does God forbid a national reformation? Does God forbid a continental awakening?
No!
All of these things are possible to him that believeth. What does that mean? It means NOT ONE SINGLE BELIEVER BELIEVES THAT GOD WILL DO PRECISELY WHAT HE ASKS!
I hear some say that’s wrong. God will never do precisely what we ask. That may be so, but He will do precisely what He’s promised, and it just so happens Jesus said,
“whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13
What does ‘whatsoever’ mean? It means ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!
Not convinced?
“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:14
What things will He do? ANY thing!!
So I say again - NOT ONE SINGLE BELIEVER BELIEVES THAT GOD WILL DO PRECISELY WHAT HE ASKS!
What a tragedy!! It makes me wonder if any of us really are so sure about our salvation. Is our assurance of faith merely based upon our ‘experience’, or is it based upon the promises and the God of the promises? If we are so sure about our salvation as promised by God, then why aren’t we so sure that He’ll do what we ask in relation to a national awakening?
God have mercy on us!!
This isn’t a mere blog entry. This is a call to the people of God reading this. Will you join me in sincere repentance because of our unbelief, and then to pray for a national awakening?
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14
I’ll end with the words of a hymn:
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Patiently labor, sowing the seed.
Soon comes the harvest—glorious day!
A mighty revival is sweeping this way.Sweeping this way, yes, sweeping this way,
A mighty revival is sweeping this way.
Keep on believing, trust and obey;
A mighty revival is sweeping this way.
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Added Commentary
By Kyle
on 09.03.07
Very stirring post brother!
By Taleen
on 09.03.07
Striking, yes.
I get so upset and dissapointed in myself about the extent of my unbelief. Often I dont witness, so so much, not because I believe God won’t make a difference, but more because of a belief that God won’t make a difference through me. When I remember that I’ve been sick and what happened during that time and how I doubted anyones power to bring me out of it after a length of time, or when I’ve desperately, desperately failed Him or when I invite people to church and there seems to be no moving, I don’t so much think “Can He?” But I do think “Will He?” This is an awful state we’re finding ourselves in…..unbelief in the One who created our very brains and hearts that doubt Him? Unbelief in someone who CAN do A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G?? What must our hearts be like?
By Glenn
on 10.03.07
I don’t really think that our finite minds can truely grasp the ” power of the Word of God” but I do believe that God will do precisely what I ask…when I pray and ask “Thy will be done”.
This artical has stirred up a query that I had some time ago,and never really had it satisfactorally cleared up.
You quoted “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” Now, of course “any thing” means precisely what it says. But it is “any thing in my name”. What is it to pray ” in His name”?
I truely believe God has the ability to heal whomsoever he will…save whosoever he would…and awaken whatever nation he wanted to. But I suspect that whether or not God answers our prayer, has more to do with whether or not we are truely praying “in the Spirit”, than whether we believe in God’s ability to answer prayer. If we are truely praying “in the Spirit” then we will ask for that which is in God’s will, and therefore it shall be done.
I suspect also that praying “in the Spirit” is somehow connected to asking “any thing in His name”
What are your views on praying in His name? What do you think it really means to pray “in His name”?
I don’t know if I have made sense here, but I do agree with Kyle,it is a stirring post…it has certainly given me food for thought!
By Armen
on 10.03.07
Glenn - Your question is a good one. In fact, rather than give a brief answer here I should probably write an article on it. So if you could just hold off for a little while and I’ll try and get something put together.
Taleen - to be honest pet, I don’t think many think, “Can He” it is nearly always, “Will He”.
There comes a time when humility in our own inability, changes to doubt in His promises.
“Forgetting those things those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13-14
By Melanie
on 11.03.07
Armen what you told me about George Muller comes to mind.
Isn’t it true that he believed without shadow of doubt that God was going to answer his prayer, and even if years passed without seeing an answer, he STILL believed, until God DID answer, or until circumstances made it impossible for it to happen.
He recorded so many answers to prayer..what was his secret?? I think he simply believed God ‘will do it’.
By Taleen
on 12.03.07
Glenn, I agree very much with what you have said….and yes, you have made sense!!!
Armen - thank you x
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