Living By Faith

CHOOSE FAITH OR FEAR

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:23)

“When the devil says that it is all over, Jesus says that it is not all over; it has just been delayed a little while.”  Mark Hankins

There will be a moment when you must choose to either believe God or be full of fear. We read about a moment like that in Jairus’ life in Mark 5:35. Jairus was told his daughter was dead. Jesus grabbed Jairus right in the middle of his crisis and gave him a word: “Fear not, only believe.” (Mark 5:36) Jesus will give you a word right in the middle of your crisis, too. He knows what others are telling you. He knows the doubts that are flooding your mind. Jesus hears and says, “I’d like to interrupt the fear and doubt and give you a word from heaven: Fear not, only believe.”

God can take care of you. He can work in your life and undo everything the devil has done. He is able to raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out devils, and turn your whole life around. When He speaks, faith comes. When faith comes, fear goes!

Confession: I choose to speak words of faith and not fear. Jesus said that all things are possible to him who believes. If God is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31)

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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 Timothy1:7, 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 Mark 5, 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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CLOSE THE DOOR ON THE DEVIL

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

“If you have a spirit of fear, you did not get it from God!” –Mark Hankins

Fear opens the door to the devil. Fear is connected to a lack of power, lack of love, and mental problems. There are more than 100 different kinds of fear. These fears can be irrational, but since fear is of the devil, it does not have to be rational.

For instance, one phobia that plagues mankind is Agoraphobia. This is a fear of outdoors and open spaces. Another one is Anthropophobia; this phobia is a fear of people. There is also a phobia described as Tropophobia or fear of changes. Psychologists say that Thanatophobia, the fear of death, is the root of all fears. If you have a spirit of fear, you did not get it from God.

The Word of God breaks the spirit of fear. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.  When faith comes, fear goes.  There is faith, power, love, and mental soundness in the Word of God! Speak the Word of God with a voice of faith and fear must go!

Confession: God has not given me the spirit of fear! I have the spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind!

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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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