not your problem "
For too long now we have been looking at problems that are bigger than us as mountains, and they appear as mountains if you focus on them. When you focus on the problem God looks small, when you focus on God the problem looks small. The truth is your problem is a speck of dust, and maybe even an illusion, but Jesus and His Kingdom are the Mountain. God takes us into the "Faith Zone" by allowing us to face situations that are bigger than us so that we can see demonstrations of His love, by His power.
An important lesson about faith is given to us by Jesus in (Matthew 17:14-21 NKJV) And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
A mustard seed was one of the smallest known examples that Jesus could use as an illustration during that time. Jesus was not teaching that they needed more faith, but rather where to place their faith. The disciples had some faith or they would not have tried to cast the demon out in the first place. But their faith was in themselves, they asked, "Why could we not cast it out?” They failed to recognize that even with the authority that Jesus had given them to cast out demons, that it was actually Jesus doing the work. Supernatural events are accomplished by His power not our own. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:14) Jesus told them, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”. So what is important is what moves God to intervene in a situation.
Since faith as small as a mustard seed will move a mountain and nothing will be impossible, just a little faith focused in the right direction will cause God to move in a situation. Their focus was on themselves and the same was true with the father of the boy who came to the disciples first.
But when the boy's father came to Jesus and asked for His mercy and compassion, Jesus was moved, which caused the demon to move out. The story is also recorded in (Mark 9:22-24 NKJV) "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." {23} Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." {24} Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Even a little faith in God's compassion, mercy, and grace will move Jesus and the whole Kingdom of heaven to intervene in the situation. True faith is directly related to knowing God, His will, and His love.
This faith in God's compassion and mercy, His grace, moves the Mountain, which is Christ and His Kingdom. Which is greater, to be able to say to Mount Everest move from here to there and have it obey you; or to be able to move the Creator of the universe to intervene in a situation through prayer, and faith in His compassion, mercy, and grace?
The resources of the Kingdom of heaven are listed in Hebrews chapter 12. Mount Zion is used to symbolize the Kingdom.
(Hebrews 12:22-28 NKJV) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
All Christians go through times of shaking, when the Lord causes us to refocus on Him, to become more dependent upon Him. These are times that are faith is refined into pure gold. The things that are shaken are physical; the things that will remain are spiritual. It is time to focus on things that we cannot see with our physical eyes, but only with the spiritual eyes of our heart. (Hebrews 11:3 NIV) By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
In the book of Daniel there is another example of Christ and His Kingdom symbolized by a mountain. Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is recorded in Daniel chapter two. It tells of four great kingdoms on the earth and then a final kingdom that destroys all the other kingdoms, which is the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom without end.
(Dan 2:35-36) "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. "This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. …(Dan 2:44-45) "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. "Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."
In the passage above it is obvious that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that grows into a mountain that fills the whole earth is referring to Christ and His Kingdom. Several times in the Bible Jesus is symbolized by the term Rock, or Stone. In the above passage Jesus is the stone, God the Father is the Mountain, which Jesus came out of. Christ Kingdom then grows into a Mountain that fills the whole earth.
Christ is expanding His Kingdom on earth through His body, the church. We are part of the Kingdom, the kingdom is in us, and we are in the Kingdom, (Luke 17:21). When the gospel message of Jesus Christ is received and believed by a person they are added to the Kingdom. Everywhere that we take the gospel we are advancing the Kingdom of God until it covers the whole earth. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Another place where “mountain” symbolizes the expanding kingdom is in Isaiah 2:2. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. We are in the last days now. Peter told us in Acts 2 that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the prophecy of Joel chapter 2 being fulfilled. (Acts 2:16-17) But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh… The last days are the days of the expanding Kingdom of God and then the end shall come.
When the Lord began to speak into my heart that He is the Mountain, I said, "Lord show me in your word", I then began to see many places where God and the Kingdom are symbolized as a Mountain. But my biggest question was "Lord what about where it says that if we believe we can cast the Mountain into the sea, it seems disrespectful to throw you in the sea.?" When I asked this I immediately knew the answer. When you put a Mountain in the sea you make an island, the sea represents lost humanity, drowning in sin, bondage, despair, and hopelessness, and they need a Savior. We do not bring them a little lifesaver so they can float. But we bring them Jesus, the Mountain, where they can climb out of the sea, take refuge, and be safe from the storms of life. (Psalms 27:5 NKJV) For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
(Mark 11:22-26 NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Here is a list of some things that are important to God so that we can pray in true faith and see God move:
· Forgive everyone that has offended or hurt you, even in the slightest way. As the scripture above states God will not forgive you if you don't forgive others, it causes separation between you and God and He will not hear your prayer. Unforgiveness is also an open door for Satan to enter and cause division, which God hates. (Luke 6:35-36 NIV) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. {36} Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
· Have a clean heart. (Psalms 24:3-5 NKJV) Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? {4} He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. {5} He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (1 John 3:21-23 NIV) Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God {22} and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. {23} And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
· Pray in God's will. (John 15:7 NIV) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. When Jesus and His words are in us and guiding us then His will becomes our will, and prayers that speak forth God's will move the Kingdom of Heaven into action. Here are some things that you can do and pray for that will move all of heaven into action, for in these God delights. (Isaiah 58:6-12 NKJV) "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? {7} Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? {8} Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. {9} Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, {10} If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. {11} The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. {12} Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
· Call upon the Lord with a humble heart. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Humility always moves us closer to God, pride always moves us further away from God. (Isaiah 57:15 NKJV) For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
· Pray for God's compassion, mercy, and grace. (Jeremiah 9:24 NKJV) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. The Lord loves to demonstrate His lovingkindness, his justice for those that are oppressed, and to bring His righteousness into the hearts of people. These kinds of prayers touch God's heart and move Him into the situation. (Micah 6:8 NKJV) He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
· Focus on Jesus, not the problem. (Matthew 14:29-31 NKJV) So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter was able to walk on the water when he focused on Jesus, but when he began to focus on the physical situation it caused fear, which is doubt, the opposite of faith, doubt caused him to sink. Fortunately He knew where to look when things got really bad, and of course Jesus was moved with compassion to save him.
- Hope is faith without the confidence, the assurance. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). But even hope placed in the Lord and His mercy will move Him. (Psalms 33:18-22 NKJV) Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.
- (Colossians 3:2 NKJV) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
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