Treasure Land

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A Reflection of Your Faith

Text: Mark 9: 14-27

I will be taking a series on the theme based on an understanding the Lord gave me about this encounter in the scriptures. Today I will be looking at the topic – A reflection of your faith

The incidence here and the question that the man asked Jesus is a reflection of something going on inside the man.

The three things going in his heart reflected by his question to Jesus are:

1. A level of disappointment
2. A level of uncertainty
3. A level of prepared pessimistic hope

On different occasions in our lives we have been through these stages, which has influenced our expression. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our experiences both personal and around us further compound the problem, where we end up asking the same question from Jesus. Can you do anything about it?

Let me quickly explain these 3 things:
A level of disappointment

The stories of people around you and the ones you have gone through have brought you to a point of disappointment. Things you have prayed for that did not happen, people that have prayed and gone through similar experiences still don’t have a testimony, then you become so disappointed. The expression of this man from the question was that of disappointment because the disciples could not do anything about the case he brought them. Though he brought the case to Jesus, his first disappointment was that Jesus was not available at that time and he had to resolve to try out the disciples or the disciples offered to help. Then ask yourself what are you disappointed about? Who has disappointed you? Do you think you have met the absence of Jesus and your hope becomes dampened? And you have lost hope. And now the only question you can ask the Lord is, can you do anything about it? As it is you may have been disappointed by systems, government, science and technology and people of different powers and strength. But now that you met Jesus, you have based your judgment on previous disappointment and what you can only say to Him is, can you do anything about it?

A level of uncertainty
Over the years you have built up doubt in the capacity of God to handle your matter or the matter of the people you are concerned about. This was a level after you have been disappointed at different times and you said, after all, can all these miracles be true? Does He really have the capacity to do anything about it? This brought to mind the story of Gideon and who asked, where are the miracles of the days of our fathers. Judges 6:13 NKJV “Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Maybe you have faithed a lot of things and it ended up that your expectations were not met. Or the report of men, or medical report written by science has told you all the impossibilities based on facts. May be the economic situation, your family background, inherited situations, and other information keep telling you of a high degree of impossibility of coming out of the situation. Now you have come to a point to say, can He really do anything about it? The scripture says about a doubtful man, he cannot receive anything from God. You might need to come to a point to resolve your doubt and questions about the ability of God to handle your situation. He is the God of all flesh, is there anything too difficult for Him? No wonder Jesus responded by telling the man, if only you can believe. If He chose not to heal some, or deliver some, or change the story of some, or answer the prayer of some, does not in any way change the truth that He is the Almighty God and there is nothing outside his capacity. He is still in control of His universe, because He rules in the affairs of men. Therefore, that does not suggest that your case cannot be different.

A level of prepared pessimistic hope
Well, you said, for me not to be disappointed again, you just agree to fate to say that if it happens fine and if not, no problems. Like you were not really expecting anything supernatural to happen, but if it does happen you will accept it. You have no anchor to rest your faith on to believe God for what He has capacity to do. More like a defense mechanism to say if it does not happen as you expected you will not feel disappointed. You have given up on the miraculous! Why are you pessimistic about the possible outcome of that surgery, outcome of that interview, outcome of that test, outcome of that prayer and fasting etc.

Now, to answer that question in your mind or that you have even said out. To tell you, He has actually done something about it.

What has He done about it?

1. He died for your sins and paid the debt – Rom 5:8-9, 1 Cor 15:3
2. He was stricken for your health and by His stripes you were healed – Is 53:5
3. He was bruised for your iniquity and raised for your justification – Rom 4:25
4. He forgave all your trespasses – Col 2:13, Eph 1:7
5. He blotted out every ordinance and handwriting written against you – Col 2:14
6. He disarmed principalities and powers for your sake – Col 2:15
7. He conquered death and removed its sting – 1 Cor 15: 56-57, Heb 2:14-15
8. He is interceding for you – Rom 8:34
9. He made all things available for life and godliness – 2 Pet 1:2-4
10. He has substituted your poverty for his riches – 2 Cor 8:9
11. He has removed all ancestral and generational curses, to give us Abraham blessings because he was hanged on the cross – Gal 3:10-14
12. He gives us all things – Rom 8:32

In all, Jesus’ response is actually that He has done something about it. But you can only access it if you believe that I have done it, you ask for it in faith and accept the package.

To them that believe all things are possible. Mark 9:23
Rom 4:21, you need to be persuaded and convincingly sure that whatever He promised, He does not lack the power to perform.

Gen 18:14, hear the word of the Lord, there is a timing of life to bring to pass that which you are believing Him for. I hear the Lord saying it is set time to favour you, it is the appointed time and he will return to revisit his promise and give you testimony. Only believe!

John 11:40 – If you believe you shall see the glory of God

If it is the weight of your sins that is repressing you and you feel your past is too horrible that He cannot do anything about it. He has actually done. Just accept his provision for your salvation and give your past, present and future life to Him.

Will you say to Jesus like the man responded; Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!

JESUS SAVES! JESUS SAVES!! JESUS SAVES!!!
The Revd Bamidele Oni
deleoni2002@yahoo.com
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