Every relationship with God is by FAITH. All the rights and privileges we have in Christ are accessible by faith only. Therefore, nothing comes down from heaven to you except by faith.
Without faith, it is impossible for you and I to access our inheritance in Christ.
We have 7-fold Inheritance in Christ. “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12, KJV).
It is faith that grants us access to this amazing inheritance we have in Christ.
Nothing comes down from Heaven except by faith (Jam. 5:1-6).
Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
You see, God has already given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, but they are all in the unseen world. To bring those things down to the seen world can only happen by faith.
Because of ignorance of this truth, many Christians fail to receive their breakthroughs. So today we want to look at the major secret to Breakthrough in every area of life - “HAVE FAITH IN GOD!”
In Mark 11:22 Jesus said, “…Have faith in God.” Why? “Because without FAITH it is impossible to please God….” (Heb. 11:6). Faith brings you to the realm of the supernatural. The realm of the supernatural is the realm of the miraculous. Supernatural faith is the only way the ability of God can be released into your situation.
How does this function? Whenever you have faith in what God has promised concerning your situation, you please God. And when you please God in this way, He instantly releases the power that will bring your situation to an immediate end.
God’s ability is His power! The Bible has an eight-fold description of this divine power that destroys every yoke of bondage: (1) this power is GREAT! (Acts 4:33); (2) this power is MIGHTY! (Eph. 1:19); (3) this power is EXCEEDING GREAT! (Eph. 1:19); (4) this power is EXCELLENT! (2 Cor. 4:7); (5) this power is ETERNAL! (Rom. 1:20); (6) this power is GLORIOUS! (Col. 1:11); (7) this power is DIVINE! (2 Pet. 1:3), and (8) this power is UNLIMITED (Eph. 3:20).
This power is not natural, but supernatural. Supernatural faith releases the ability of God. And it is God's ability that gets the job done. This is why the Bible says, "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:16-17; Heb. 10:38). The Bible also says that "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7).
Examples of those whose faith in God released God’s power into their situations abound in the Scriptures:
1. The case of the man that was paralyzed from neck to toe (Mk. 2:1-5). Verse 5 says, “When Jesus saw their faith.”
How did Jesus see their faith? Jesus saw the faith of the 4 people carrying the paralyzed man by what they did.
What did they do? They couldn't bring the paralyzed man to Jesus through the door because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above His head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
2. Another good example is the case of the woman with the issue of blood who obtained her healing on the platform of faith (Mk. 5:25-34). One of the definite steps that this woman with the issue of blood took to bring her problem to an end was this: She took a step of faith!
This woman did not stop at hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17), meditating on the Word she heard (Prov. 23:7), confessing the Word (Mk. 5:28), but she went on to take a step of faith. She did what God can see to show (demonstrate, prove) that she really believed the promise God made concerning her situation.
She demonstrated her faith by leaving where she was and going to Jesus, the Healer. She did it. Her action was an evidence (proof) of her faith.
Remember that this woman had a number of obstacles to overcome. On the way to your miracle, you may have a number of obstacles to overcome. That was how it was with this woman.
She did not pray that God would remove the obstacles. She got up and walked over the top of them all – religion, custom, and crowd.
a) Religion: In those days, a woman with an issue of blood was regarded in the same category as a leper and was not allowed to mix with the public, according to the teaching of her religion. But her actions said, “Religion or no religion, I’m going to get my healing.”
b) Custom: Also, in that day, women did not have the liberty to mingle publicly. Again her actions said, “Custom or no custom, I’m going to get my healing.”
c) Crowd: When she got there, a multitude of people crowded between her and Jesus.
In her weakened physical condition, that would have been enough to cause her to give up. But her actions said, “Crowd or no crowd, I’m going to get to Jesus to get my healing. And she elbowed her way through.
This woman’s actions showed (demonstrated) her faith. Her action was an evidence (proof) of her faith. She took a step of faith because faith without works is dead (Jam. 2:26).
Notice that it was her faith (not her grammar, not her connections, not her crying ability, not her nationality) that caused that power of God to flow into her situation. Daughter, Jesus said, “THY FAITH hath made thee whole” (Mk. 5:34).
In Mark 5:30 Jesus immediately knowing in Himself that power (virtue, ability, power) had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" And the disciples replied, “Thou seest the multitude thronging (crowding around) thee, and sayest thou, Who touched Me?”
Many people touched Jesus that day, some due to curiosity, some accidentally, and some just to see if something would happen. But no power flowed until there came a touch of faith! The very moment there was a touch of faith, the power flowed out of Jesus to destroy the yoke in the life of that woman.
When you link up with God through faith, virtue (ability, power) is instantly released into your situation and surely solution to your problem follows. This woman touched Jesus with knowledge. “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment” (Mk. 5:27).
This woman touched Jesus with confidence and expectation. For she said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole” (Mk. 5:28).
In conclusion, if you want that reproach in your life to be permanently rolled away right now, you MUST choose to have faith in God, act on His promises and then rest in His power and faithfulness.
Watch out for the next edition of Good news from the Pulpit!
Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)
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