You have to USE your faith. One thing that we read over and over again in the BIBLE is that you have to USE your faith. BELIEVING what God has said, what He has promised. There’s BELIEVING. Then, there is SPEAKING. Using your mouth. You have to SAY SOMETHING that represents what you believe. Something that expresses your faith. And then there is ACTING on your faith.
Even when you first come to the Lord, you can see that pattern. There is hearing the Gospel. You have to believe the Gospel. The Bible says we are saved by grace, through faith, believing. Then, there is acting on your faith; Confessing your sins, turning from them, confessing Jesus as Lord. Allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your life. It isn’t our works, but HIS work and we ALLOW Him to do His works through us.
God has miracles for you. Miracles in your household. Blessings in your situation. I believe that God has miracles of provision for you.
God will multiply His power in your life, His blessing in your life as you respond to His leading, as we act on His word, as we yield to Him, draw near to Him. Some churches and ministries make you feel like you have to give them money so you can have the touch of God in your life. But that isn’t how God works. You can’t buy the blessing of God. You can’t buy a miracle from God. God’s kingdom is more than just money.
Believing God releases more of His power in your life. Giving money isn't what releases the power of God. Believing God is what releases the power of God. And that's what gets your needs met. Believing God for answers gets inspired ideas and solutions released. Those are revealed by the Holy Spirit, speaking to your heart. As you are in your heart, that's the real you.
What would you want Jesus to do in your life? I was reading about a man with an extreme need. And the man did something to attract the attention of Jesus - and he got his miracle.
In Luke’s gospel, chapter 18: 35, it says, "And it came to pass, that as He was come near to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
Jesus was walking among the people. He is always walking among the people. And there was a man in the midst of the crowd, begging. Have you ever felt like a beggar in the midst of the crowd? The others had pretty much all they wanted, and their needs were met, you can feel like, for YOU it's different. I have felt like that. Many times. And I believe that the Spirit of God is speaking to you…
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. The man HEARD but did not understand. That may be you. You might have heard, head many times, but somehow did not connect to it. This man was like that. But he did just one thing. And that was the one thing that began to set into motion his miracle. He asked. Sometimes you have to ASK someone who knows, someone who can help you.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passes by. When he asked, an answer came. When you are ready to learn, that is the beginning of your miracle, of your answer.
38 And he cried, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." When his first level of answer came, he began to call out to Jesus. He didn’t call out to the crowd, he called out to Jesus. He didn’t ask for much, he just asked for mercy. He called on Jesus and asked for mercy. Then what happened?
39 And those who went ahead of Jesus rebuked him, telling him to be quiet. But, instead, he cried so much the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me." Those who went first, rebuked him. It was easy for them to try to shut him down. They didn’t have a need, they didn't need a miracle, they didn’t have problems that only God could solve… and they didn’t understand his problem – so they told him to be quiet. It wasn’t cool to shout out.
But if you’re like me, when you need a move of God in your life, in your situation, you don't care about what’s cool, or what other people will think! All you care about is getting the attention of Jesus! The blind man had to make a decision. Either listen to the people or get the attention of Jesus. And he determined to get the attention of Jesus. He continued to reach out to Jesus!
40 And Jesus stopped, and told the people to bring the blind man to Him. When he was come near, Jesus asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
The man got the attention of Jesus. Jesus stopped walking with the crowd, and turned His attention to the man who had a need and cried out. And when the man was near to Jesus, Jesus began to speak to him. Many times, when you come near to Jesus, He will have a word for you.
Jesus asked, what do you want me to do for you? That is what He asked the man. That is what Jesus would ask you now. What do YOU want Jesus to do for you?
The man brought his need to Jesus and told Jesus plainly what he needed. His need wasn’t someone else’s need, it was HIS need.
What is YOUR need? What do you want Jesus to do for you? He doesn’t ask you what you think is the most important thing in life, or what is the world’s greatest need, or what you want Him to do for humanity. He asks, "What do you want ME to do for you?"
42 And Jesus said unto him, "Receive your sight: your faith has saved you." And then Jesus speaks the word that the man had waited all his life to hear. "Receive what you asked me for! Receive that blessing! Receive that answer to prayer! That is what Jesus says!
"Your faith has…" Whose faith? YOUR faith! You have the faith for your answer to prayer to be released from Heaven. That is why you have to have faith. Your faith is enough to touch Jesus! That is the first key to receiving from God. Saving faith. Believing on Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And when all the people saw it,they, too gave praise to God.
The man listened to Jesus. He heard what Jesus said, and he BELIEVED it. He heard the Word of God and he believed it. He believed it, and now he RECEIVED it.
Your faith, your believing sets the level of your receiving. He believed, was saved, he got his VISION… his sight… his ANSWER, his direction.
What was his direction? To FOLLOW Jesus! Many people hear, they believe and they receive… some receive a miracle. Some receive an answer to their prayers. And they stop right there and don’t go any further.
This man, was a 100 percenter. He asked, he prayed, he heard, he believed, he was saved and he received. And then what? He followed Jesus! You get this heart for following Jesus! He followed Jesus and glorified God!
It glorifies God when you follow Jesus. It impacts other people when you follow Jesus. His faith caused him to act. This man gave his heart, and received his sight. And he began to live an abundant, full rich life that glorified God and caused other people who were around him to glorify God!
A lot of people hear what God wants to do in His peoples’ lives, about it but they don't believe it. What you believe is possible will determine what IS possible for you. It’s not about trying to impress your parents or your grandma, or anybody else. It is about walking with the Lord, following Jesus and allowing Him to use you for His glory. The number one job in the Kingdom of God is to reach people for the Lord, to make an impact on the lives of the people around us.
God tells us in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” That means to tell people about this good news from Heaven, this Gospel, this salvation, this new life that He has died to purchase for you. Be ready at the drop of a hat to bring this good news gospel. Sometimes you have to correct people. Sometimes you have to warn people. Sometimes you have to teach people. And you need to be patient with them, and then He says, “with all doctrine.” In other words, be sure you know what you are talking about! You don’t know the whole Bible, but you CAN be sure of the parts you DO know!
God doesn't judge like the world judges. Another thing that the Lord wants you to know is, that HE doesn’t judge like the world judges. He says, “Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.” I want to tell you, that if you’re out there reaching people or even THINKING about it, they really don't care what you look like. They don’t care how old you are, how young you are, what color you are. Do you think that blind man was dressed in designer clothes and had a fresh haircut and beautiful expensive jewelry on? Of course not! And, do you think anybody cared about that? What they care about is if you care! Do you CARE about them and what is going on in their lives? Do you listen to them? That is one way they know that you care about them. Care about them, show it by listening to them, and being concerned. Treat people with respect, and they will listen to you.
God brings you through different situations for a reason. Whatever He brings you to, He will bring you through. When you think things are against you, you can be sure that God is for you! Romans 8:31 says, “…If God be for us, who can be against us?” You might have every devil in Hell coming against you, but I want you to know that God will be right there with you and will strengthen you and uphold you in that storm, in that trial, in that test!
Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel.” The time is fulfilled. In other words, He is saying, “What are you waiting for?” NOW is the time! Now is the accepted time! Now is the day of salvation! That’s 2 Corinthians 6:2.
God wants to move in your life! He wants to bring that change, the blessing, that answer NOW! The Holy Spirit is here to bring you that strength, that vision, that miracle that you need!
You might have been thinking that your answer is far away; that something else has to happen first; That God has to do something first. And Jesus is saying here, the time is FULFILLED! Nothing else has to happen! Then He says, the Kingdom of God is at hand! It is right here, if you’ll reach out and take it!
What you believe sets your level of receiving. If think things are out of reach, you won't reach out for them. If you think it is far off, you won’t walk in it. And Jesus is telling you that it is NOT out of reach, it is not far off, it is here! It is here now!
Repent! Change your mind! He says, it is close, it is at hand, it is here, so REPENT. That word repent is from two Greek words. Meta and Nous. It means to Change your mind or change your heart. Change your heart about what you have been believing and begin to believe what God says here in the Bible! You are so close to that prayer being answered! You are so close to that dream coming to reality. It can be really close yet you can't see it; you can’t see it if you’re still blinded by unbelief! You’re so close all you have to do is knock.
Change your thinking because the Kingdom of God is right here at hand – if you'll reach it. The purpose God put you here on earth for, is at hand. If you believe that you are so far from being used, and that God can’t use you, or that God won’t use you, you won't reach out and try even if it is right there at hand for you.
Learn to Believe. Listen to this Word. Read the Word of God, meditate on it. Think on it, repeat it to yourself. Listen to what God says to you as you read His word and meditate on it. Come to a Gospel preaching church and worship, praise, and feel the Holy Spirit. Listen to the Word of God as it’s being taught. Get with God’s people as much as you can, and learn from them. Grow with them. Hang out with them. Read and listen to the word of God. And as you do that, faith comes. Like the blind man, Vision comes. Sight comes. And then one day you say that’s it! I'M GONNA DO IT! I’m going to follow Jesus and I am going to glorify God! What if the other people in my life aren’t there yet? Well, they find out what God is doing in your life, and they can glorify God, too!