Living By Faith

YOU ARE ONE STEP AWAY FROM A MIRACLE

For with God, nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37)

You can never achieve the impossible if you never attempt the impossible. Mark Hankins

Some time ago, I was watching a nationally televised NCAA football game. The team was ranked in the top ten in the country, and the quarterback was one of the best in college football. The quarterback came up to the line, began to yell out the numbers, and bent over to receive the snap of the ball before realizing that he was behind the guard instead of the center. In the middle of calling the play, he took one step over right behind the center, and hollered, “Hut, hut, hut.” The ball was hiked to him, and the play was run successfully.

The Lord spoke to me using this illustration and said, “Some people need to make a small adjustment if they are going to receive from Me. Some people are only one step away from a miracle!” It isn’t difficult, but it requires humbling yourself and moving into closer agreement with God’s ways, power, and plan. Sometimes, it just takes one small step over to receive from God.

Confession: The spirit of faith will position me to possess God’s best blessings. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23)

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FEAR NOT, ONLY BELIEVE

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid,only believe. (Mark 5:36)

I choose to fear not, only believe. Believing is a choice. Mark Hankins

The Bible tells us in Luke 21:26 that in the last days, people’s hearts will fail them because of fear. According to 2 Timothy 1:7, God did not give us a spirit of fear. If God did not give us a spirit of fear, where did it come from? Fear comes from the devil. God is a faith God.  When you have a spirit of faith, you do not have a spirit of fear.

Fear has several relatives and companions: doubt, anxiety, stress, and worry. Every one of these negative emotions stems from fear. It is impossible to have a spirit of faith and a spirit of fear at the same time.

In Mark5, Jairus could have believed the bad report, gotten in fear, and given up on his miracle. But Jesus said, “Fear not, only believe!”  There will be a fight to keep your faith strong in the worst of your circumstances. When you choose to believe God, all things are possible!

Confession: I choose to believe God. I am not anxious or worried because the peace of God guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:6-7)

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BELIEVE IT AND SAY IT

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. (Acts 27:25)

The spirit of faith believes and speaks! Mark Hankins

The spirit of faith works by believing and speaking. The spirit of faith requires your “speaker” to be hooked up to your “believer.” In other words, for faith to work properly, it must be in your heart and your mouth. (Romans 10:8-10;Mark 11:23)

The word spoken to you must be spoken through you. The Apostle Paul illustrated this in the middle of a life-threatening storm at sea. One person with the spirit of faith can change the destiny of many others. Paul said, “It shall be even as it was told me.”

The spirit of faith does not guarantee that you won’t have any storms in life.  However, the spirit of faith is what enables you to face the storms and overcome.

God’s Word is the foundation for our faith. What does the Word say? What has God spoken to you? Believe it and say it. The Word of God will take you through the storms of life and enable you to finish your course.

Confession: I will be of good cheer, “for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” (Acts 27:25) I will believe God through every storm. I believe and speak the Word of God. I will finish my course(2 Timothy 4:7)

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WHOSOEVER SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER

If ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. (Matthew 21:21)

There are no immovable mountains. Mark Hankins

Jesus told you to speak to the mountain. The mountain has been speaking to you, telling you how big it is, how long it has been there, and that it is impossible to move. You need to do some speaking to that mountain! God is holding you responsible to “frame your world” with His Word. The devil would like to frame your world with doubt, fear, depression, sickness, and poverty. The Word of God will put him on the run. We can draw five simple conclusions from Mark 11:23:

1.  If it were God’s will for the mountain to be there, Jesus would not have told you to move it.

2.  If you only knew what was on the other side of your mountain, you would move it.

3.  If it is there, you can move it. There is no mountain in the sphere of your life that you cannot move.

4. Your mountain needs to hear your voice.

5.  If what you have in life was completely up to God, Jesus never would have said Mark 11:23.

Confession: With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  (Matthew 19:26)

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GOD’S MASTERPIECE

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In Christ, you are not just a different person; you are a new kind of person! Mark Hankins

While preaching in Paris, I had the opportunity to visit the Louvre. With over eight miles of galleries, one million works of art and more than 400,000 masterpieces, I knew I would not be able to see everything. So I headed right for the Mona Lisa (one of the most world-famous masterpieces) and spent extra time there. If you see all the other paintings and sculptures, and miss the Mona Lisa, you have missed the most important work of art.

The same is true of the Bible. It contains the world’s greatest collection of God’s works of art. However, if you see all the beautiful pictures in the Word of God and miss God’s greatest masterpiece, then you will have really missed the Bible.

The Bible is the story of man’s redemption. The Bible is about Jesus, our Redeemer, and His work. All sixty-six books contain pictures of God’s plan and purpose to restore man to Himself.

Confession: I am a new creation in Christ. Old things are passed away, and everything made new. I am God’s Masterpiece -a man in Christ!

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