I’ll Take You There
We live in a world where communication is key, its very important to all of us. An event, thought or idea can be instantaneously can be sent and received around the world. The moment another country does something or test something, we know about it, the moment is happens.
Never has there been a time in history, people have ever communicated with each other more than they do now a days. I also might add actually talking with each other probably not so much.
However, the number of ways of communicating grows on a daily basis. Smart phones keep getting smarter and faster, platforms to voice your ideas and opinions are in non-stop development.
Its almost like everyone and I mean everyone thinks, using a cell phone is covered under the first amendment, which we all know is the freedom of speech.
Just the other day, Twitter a well known posting and communications platform, decided they were going to limit the speaker of the House’s freedom of speech. Seems as though they forgot the very thing that made them a giant amongst all the others, that very Freedom!
And for their blunder, I’m sure they will regret the investigation into their business practices that will take place in the not so distant future.
A study conducted 400 or so University students, The average person (male or female) speaks 16,000 words per day which is like 15 words per waking minute?
So much communication, so many words, and while a small percent of the population may realize what a few we’ll placed sentences can do to direct their narrative and influence public opinion, far to many people don’t.
God has always known words possess power,
Gen 1:1-3 NKJ
1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2.The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3. Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
All through out creation we read how God spoke the world into existence.
Ever since the beginning of time we see how all words have power in them.
Jesus gave us a great example of how much power our words possess,
TBS. in the book of Mark 11:12-14, 19-24 NKJ
12. Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.
13. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14. In response Jesus said to it, Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.
And His disciples heard it.
( Jesus was direct and to the point.)
19. When evening had come, He went out of the city.
20. Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.
(peter was amazed, at the power Jesus words contained in them, Jesus wasnt surprised at all, He was trying to teach them about faith! And what our words can and will accomplish for us.)
22. So Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God.
23. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
It was a miracle, what Jesus accomplished was something within our reach and Jesus was spelling it out for us, Jesus was saying, if you have a need in your life, no matter what it is;
*even if it seems like a mountain to you
*it doesnt matter, when or where it happens
*speak to your situation,
*have faith in God,
*believe God will take care of it,
*let go and let God do what He said He would do!
The last one, thats the hardest part of doing Jesus instructions huh? The letting go part!
You know God could perform any miracle you may need without you letting go of it, but that wouldnt require much faith would it, if He did? Only when you let go, does it release your faith and allow Him to do what you ask Him to!
We all remember the story where Jesus used a small boys lunch of 2 fish and 5 little loaves of bread, to feed 5,000 men, 5,000 women and if they were like the statistics now a days of 2.3 children per household times 5k, that would bring the grand total to much speculation, but about 21,500 men, women and children give or take.
I say all this, to bring relevance to vs 24 of our text. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Well this event, even though we know the story, is still monumental to most of us to even we have heard it a thousand times! But yet, it is nothing out of the ordinary of possibility with God!
If we were able to ask God how hard it was, I’m sure modestly God would say, “awe it was nothing!” Have you ever said the words, yeah right? Then you’re in good company, because you are thinking exactly the way the disciples thought that day.
Matt. 14:16-20 NKJ
16. But Jesus said to them, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.
17. And they said to Him, We have here only five loaves and two fish.
Circumstances will always try to dictate doubt and unbelief every time. Remember this...”Faith isn’t swayed by circumstances, however circumstances are always swayed by Faith in God’s Abilities!”
18. He said, Bring them here to Me.
19. Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
20. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.
God is not a God of Barely Get By, He never has been!
God is a far exceeding, over the top, Abundant God, of Way to Much!
While head knowledge seems good, when it moves from head knowledge to heart knowledge, thats where faith springs from, takes and makes its residence!
*you dont have to look for it
*you dont need to muster it up
*it becomes real to you and relevant, available and on demand anytime you need to use it!
The apostle Paul realized first hand what we’re talking about and wrote in great detail.
2 Cor. 4:13-18 MSG.
13-15. We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
16-18. So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.
Paul was saying don’t be distracted by circumstances, praise God in spite of your circumstances and you will start to change them with every word of your praise!
Prov. 18:20-21 Msg.
20. Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.
21. Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit you choose.
Far too many people fail to realize what comes out of their mouth either produces poison or fruit over every circumstance they face, with real and lasting results on a daily basis!
Illus. by Jim Kilson
A missionary was assigned to some remote islands in the Pacific. After three months, he sent a fax to mission headquarters: "I’m being plagued by rats. What shall I do?" Soon a crate arrived, filled with rattraps. However, hardly a month later the missionary sent a second fax to headquarters: "The rats won’t take the Bait. What shall I do?" Not long after, a second crate arrived, filled with rat poison. However, hardly another month passed, when the missionary found it necessary to send a third fax to headquarters: "The rats won’t touch the poison. Do you have any other suggestions?" Soon he received another fax from mission headquarters: "We suggest you get used to the rats!”
What they were saying was get used to your circumstances, because there probably not going to change! Sounds like bad advice to me, but yet the constant bombardment from the accuser in our everyday lives tells us the same thing, over and over!
Jesus said “if anyone says to this mountain,” but Anyone here I want you to know, is not just anyone. Anyone refers to someone who knows they are in fact a child of God, someone who knows Jesus as their Lord and Savior and what their relationship entitles them too!
The moment you were saved, you became that anyone, able to speak and to take authority over your mountain, to expect results in real time and the ability to watch them happen as God works them out for you!
We’ve all heard the old saying, “I’m beginning to see the handwriting on the wall.” The same should be said of our spiritual walk when call the name of the Lord to work something out for us that we are concerned about!
Do you believe this applies to you? If you proclaim to be a Christian you should!
If you want to live the abundant life that God has planned for you, you should!
Gods word promises and declares this is something were entitled to! Gods word is true, Gods word accomplishes what it sets out to do and Gods word never returns void!
The unbeliever says I might believe it if I could understand how all this works. Since when is the Word and the ability of God working in your life determined by your understanding?
So many things; like electricity, Quantum physics, trigonometry, nuclear energy and the list goes on and on of complicated things we don’t understand in our lives, but yet we whole heartedly and readily accept all of them, without question.
Is. 55:8-11 NKJ.
8. For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD.
9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
The best way to return Gods word to Him is, as a confession of faith, over every situation that’s going on in your life. Amen!
When you speak the word of God over your life and the ones around you,
you are tapping into the Greatest Promise and Power Source ever known to mankind or any kind.
Mark 11:21-25 MSG.
22-25. Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'no shuffling or shilly-shallying and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
You’ll get Gods everything, Hallelujah! Do you believe it?
When you finally and truly realize, what this is talking about, and the availability of this promise to all, “ALL” of us who have accepted Jesus and the Grace message He gave us,
It is a life changing, game changing, turn your world upside down, inside out experience!
The same power that brought down the walls of the heavily fortified city of Jericho with the blast of a trumpet and a shout, we all have access to. Praise God!
*The same power that parted the red sea,
*that fed the 5k,
*that healed the woman with the issue of blood,
*that not just created, but spoke the world into being, we have ACCESS too!
Billy Graham wrote in his book “the secret of happiness” the words of Hudson Taylor
"Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with them."
We used to sing the chorus and the words still ring true;
We’ve got the power in the name of Jesus, we’ve got the power in the name of the Lord, though Satan rages we will not be defeated, we’ve got the power in the name of the Lord.
And when we acknowledge and depend on the power of God in our lives, there’s no place God is not willing to take us too, and no mountain He is not willing to move out of the way in the process of the journey!
Let us pray!
