Have faith in God
Mark 11:12-25
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
" ’My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it ’a den of robbers.’ "
18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19When evening came, they went out of the city.
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
22"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
The story of Jesus’ clearing the temple is all about faith and faithlessness. V.22 Jesus calls for faith… but the climate in which the Jewish nation was in was one of faithlessness. These folks have entered the temple, but their thoughts and hearts were not one of seeking God. In other words, they were not consumed with faith, but consumerism “a den of robbers” robbing people of faith, burdening people with laws that no one can carry. Mindless, faithless, going thru the motions worship and prayer is absolutely useless and disgusting to God. In Is.1:10 ff.
10Listen to the LORD, you leaders of Israel! Listen to the law of our God, people of Israel. You act just like the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. 11"I am sick of your sacrifices," says the LORD. "Don’t bring me any more burnt offerings! I don’t want the fat from your rams or other animals. I don’t want to see the blood from your offerings of bulls and rams and goats. 12Why do you keep parading through my courts with your worthless sacrifices? 13The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils! Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting--even your most pious meetings--are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. 14I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! 15From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims.
Have u felt what’s it like to be robbed? Feel violated, don’t feel secure, don’t feel good, and that’s what Jesus must have noticed in the people who entered the temple. People were to be set free from sins in the temple, a house for folks to come near to God, a house of prayer for all nations, an international gathering for folks to know the mercy of God instead it was an in-house gathering of people with stifling laws and traditions that dealt death not life. It was seen in their true colors when they v.18 looked for a way to kill Jesus. Jesus was perceived as a threat rather than one is calling people to truly seek God.
Fig tree story illustrates God’s frustration of people who were called to bear fruit but alas, they have no fruit, they have no faith in Him, but in fact were looking for a way to take out Jesus. They were consumed with damage control to their political hopes, status, their purse strings. In the midst of this, Jesus once again call out for faith in God to be restored. He cried out “Have faith in God”! With hyperbole, Jesus speaks of the need to trust God and become fruitful again. Come back to where God’s heart is at, for the nations of this world to come near Him, be alive and fruitful, is His cry. Come back to a radical trust in a radical God who dared to choose to love the world.
Perhaps you are today wondering about your fruits, and look in your life and it seems fruitless, getting discouraged… as you come to this place, do u feel sense life or do u sense death? Do u feel violated, insecure, just feel down about yourself? Have people experience life thru you or is it death? Will u today let Jesus clean house, for u are a temple of God.
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day.
For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the mans weary mind: You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.
Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Why kill myself over this? He thought. Ill just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough. And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. Lord, he said, I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?
The Lord responded compassionately, My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back is sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock.
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him... By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves the mountains. When everything seems to go wrong... just P.U.S.H. When the job gets you down... just P.U.S.H. When people don’t react the way you think they should... just P.U.S.H. Just P.U.S.H. P.U.S.H - Pray Until Something Happens
Have faith in God again… don’t let Satan shove u down no more… let his love today overwhelm u again. Stuff of this world can get to us, feel overwhelm by world events… Be alive in God again, have faith in God
16Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. 17Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.
18"Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. 19If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. 20But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord , who has compassion on you. Is. 54:10
Let God’s love take over the hard part of your heart, your inner temple of God. Some of u hanging on to stubborn sins, let Jesus clean it out, it may feel tough, violent even, but let Jesus go through your temple. Let his love take over. He died for u, he will not leave u nor forsake u.
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Cor. 13:2
Let’s not doubt anymore God’s commitment and love to us. Let’s respond. Let’s be purposeful in prayer. Let pass on the forgiveness of God. Have faith in God!
