Introduction
What is your reaction to some of the incredible promises contained in Scripture?
Some who could be called Sinful Skeptics point to what they consider to be outrageous claims as proof that the Bible is not the authoritative Word of God.
The Doctrinal Dull believe the Bible to be true, but they hold to a doctrinal position that regulates miraculous manifestations to specific periods of biblical history.
But, there is a company of the Faithful Few who embrace the precious promises of Scripture for daily living.
On two separate occasions the Lord Jesus declared that incredible, "mountain moving" power was available to those who exercised faith. The promise, if it occurred just once in Scripture, is holy and reliable. God's choice to present this truth in multiple settings heightens the significance of the promise for all believers. It is an awesome life-changing moment when you realize that God has promised supernatural power to followers of Christ.
God's miracle-working power is not limited to salvation, but God desires to manifest His power, glory, forgiveness, joy, and peace in and through our lives on a daily basis. To understand mountain moving faith we must carefully consider Jesus' teaching in Matthew 17 and Mark 11.
I. Spiritual dimension
One of the first observations that must be made is to understand that Jesus is using physical illustrations to communicate spiritual truth. When He said, "Tell this mountain to be cast into the sea," Jesus is not teaching a college course on landscape design. He is not explaining horticulture principles when the fig tree dies. In the Matthew passage, Jesus uses "mountain moving faith" to instruct the disciples who failed to defeat demonic forces. In Mark 11:22-25 Jesus addresses the rebellion of Israel and their refusal to embrace the Kingdom of God. The specific context of Mark 11 includes Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and driving the money changers out of the temple. Quoting from the prophet Isaiah Jesus declares, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." The incredible promise of moving mountains occurs within the context of purity and prayer.
Observing when and where Jesus declared these promises reveals the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God. Throughout His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus encountered many who wanted to make Him a political or military leader, but He reminded them, that His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). We struggle with the same inability or unwillingness to operate according to spiritual principles. Often, we are dominated by the material world. Just as devastating as being consumed by materialistic greed is the spiritual blindness that handicaps so many believers.
Randy Alcorn's insightful book Lord Foulgrin's Letters applies the concepts of C.S. Lewis classic work The Screwtape Letters to a 21st century American family. A high ranking demon shares with his apprentice effective strategies for leading a family to Hell.Lord Foulgrin writes to the demon Squaltaint, "Consider whom we are dealing with here. The virus of the galaxy, these parasites called image bearers, are so ignorant they image the cosmos is limited to what they see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. The rest of the universe, 99.99% of all reality, in their puny minds simply doesn't exist. They're like those slimy babies in their vermin mother's womb, never suspecting there's a vast world beyond the realm of their senses. (Randy Alcorn, Lord Foulgrin's Letters. Sisters: Multnoma Publishers, 2001, p. 21.)
We must recognize the spiritual reality of unseen principles that govern the Kingdom of God. This does not imply that we should ignore physical or material threats to our faith. But, a failure to appreciate the unseen forces affecting our lives prevents us from utilizing the power of faith promised by Christ. The apostle Paul exhorted the saints of God to follow his example, "We fix our eyes on what is unseen because what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor. 4: 18).
The earth travels around its own axis at 1,000 m.p.h. and around the sun at 67,000 m.p.h. We zoom through the galaxy at an astonishing speed of 481,000 miles per hour! (H. L. Willmington, Willmington's Guide To The Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1989, p.13.) Our daily experience or material existence makes us feel like we are standing still. But, the reality is that we are moving through space at enormous speeds. We understand that concepts like anger, fear, and love are real even though they are not physical packages that can be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. Jesus used the terminology of moving mountains to elevate our perception beyond the finite limits of time and space and to call upon an infinite God to release supernatural power in our lives.
II. Spoken expression
The second major characteristic of mountain moving faith is the spoken expression of believing God to honor His promises. In the mountain moving passages, Jesus emphasized the practice of speaking faith into action. We are commanded to "say to the mountain." The concept of speaking faith has been ignored by large segments of the Christian community. The second part of Jesus' teaching in Mark 11:24 of "believing in your heart" enjoys broader acceptance. Some fear being labeled "charismatic" if they speak to demons or mountains that threaten the advance of God's Kingdom in and through our lives. We must lay aside labels and carefully consider the teaching of Christ.
The principle of speaking faith is not an isolated anecdote. When God prescribed the formula of success for Joshua, He said, "Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Josh. 1:8). Did you notice where the Book of the Law should not depart? God said keep the word in your mouth. If you are not familiar with this passage, you expect God to tell Joshua to keep the Book in his heart, but God wants His word in our mouth. We consume the Word of God so that we can speak the Word of God in faith.
Do you remember why God prevented Moses from entering the Promised Land? The Bible says Moses struck the rock twice instead of speaking to the rock as a demonstration of God's provision for the people. Moses' offense was more than a failure to speak. He acted out of anger toward Israel, and he failed to declare that God would bring water from the rock. Moses took credit for God's miracle. His disobedience was severely punished. God's rebuke of Moses illustrates the priority that God places on obedience, but it also reveals the significance of verbalizing our faith.
When we hear the term confess, we usually think of confessing sin, but confession is more than identifying failure. Confession provides a way to strengthen our faith. Romans 10:9-10 is a central piece of what is often referred to as "The Roman Road of Salvation." Selected verses from the book of Romans provide a brief but comprehensive description of what it means to trust Christ for eternal life. Romans 10:9-10 says "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Additional references illustrate the importance of speaking or confessing faith, but recognition of the role in salvation should be sufficient evidence.
Another critical element in the discipline of speaking faith is identifying to what you are speaking. Notice you speak to the mountain. Beyond just making a request in prayer, we must speak to the mountain that we desire God to move. This dynamic principle is best seen in the ministry of Jesus. When He delivered people from demonic strongholds, Jesus spoke directly to the demon, even calling the demons by name. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He could have just prayed for God to perform a resurrection. But, Jesus said. "Lazarus come forth!" Some Bible scholars believe every dead person is Bethany would have come out of the grave if Jesus had not called Lazarus by name. Examples of godly people who understood this concept include King David who spoke directly to Goliath saying, "The God whom you have mocked will deliver you into my hands." Elisha instructed a widow to collect all the empty vessels she could gather as a testimony of her emptiness and an expectation for God meet her needs. A Roman centurion amazed Jesus by his faith because this military commander understood the power of spoken authority. The centurion did not request for Jesus to visit his home; rather he believed that Jesus could speak healing for a dying servant. The Bible says Jesus was amazed that this Roman soldier understood what most of Israel had missed.
What is the mountain standing in the way of your spiritual victory? In order to command a mountain to be cast into the sea, you must accurately identify what it is. Is a fear of failure preventing you from attempting a new task? Has a negative experience in your past held you in bondage? Perhaps a nagging or recurring sin is robbing the joy of dynamic faith. Financial struggles may create strife in a marriage and unnecessary stress. Physical sickness or emotional suffering can become strongholds that quench the fire of faith.
Instead of praying generic prayers like, "Bless me and my family," and receiving generic answers, begin attacking the mountains. Rebuke the laziness or lack of discipline that leads us down the road of compromise. Declare that disease must leave your body. Tell the mountains of bitterness to be cast in to the sea of forgiveness. Say to the fear that paralyzes your ability to change, "Fear, you no longer will be my master. I have a new Lord in my life, and He has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control."
Some falsely assume that because God knows our heart, we do not need to verbalize our request. God knows what we will say before we say it. Therefore, they just remain silent. Please understand when we speak to the mountains and claim God's promises, we are not informing God of the situation. He is not ruling the universe in a confused state waiting for us to identify an appropriate use of His awesome power. Speaking to mountains is for our benefit. Verbalizing what we desire God to do in our lives creates humble dependence. Calling the mountains by name helps us recognize the struggle and express thanksgiving to the source of our deliverance. When you incorporate this discipline in your devotional life, you can climb to higher levels of maturity that most saints never attempt or imagine.
III. Sustained dedication
As transforming as the discipline of speaking faith is to most believers, the third principle of sustained dedication is where most saints stop climbing. Matthew 17 includes the powerful but often misapplied illustration of the mustard seed. The popular misapplication of the passage is, "If you just have a tiny bit of faith, God can use your little faith to accomplish significant things." Jesus is NOT promoting small faith. Throughout his ministry he rebuked the disciples and others for their lack of faith. "O ye of little faith" is not a statement of commendation. Jesus was amazed at the centurion in Luke 7 because he demonstrated "great faith."
The mustard seed illustrates powerful potential not small size. Just as a small amount of Anthrax or the Ebola virus can produce incredible devastation, mustard seed faith possesses the power to transform your life. Three significant characteristics of the mustard seed must be applied to our faith in order to experience the power that Jesus promised in this passage.
Mustard seeds illustrate LIMITATION. That may sound contradictory, but the point is that mustard seeds produce mustard trees or plants. Mustard seeds do not produce apples, oranges, or pineapples. Jesus taught the Word of God is like a seed (see Matt. 13). Mustard seed faith is powerful, but the power is limited to producing those things consistent with biblical revelation. This is not the text to build a "name it and claim it" philosophy. Jesus is not promising to give you whatever you want; He promises that faith releases the power of God to produce biblical maturity in your life and display God's glory. God's power is limited to sacred desires not selfish delights.
Mustard seeds illustrate EXPECTATION. When a mustard seed is planted, one expects a mustard plant to emerge from the ground. Even though you can not see the seed making the transformation, you expect the process to work. The writer of Hebrews defined faith as the "conviction of things not seen and the assurance of things hoped for" (Heb 11:1). Jesus said, "When you ask, believe as though you have already received it" (Mark 11:24). Do you expect God to answer your prayers?
Mustard seeds illustrate DEDICATION. A seed requires time and sustained growth to germinate and finally breakthrough the soil. The seed continues developing for months before it is considered a mature plant. Many Christians experience doubt, disappointment, and confusion because they do not understand this mustard seed principle. Perhaps you have said or know someone who has said, "I prayed for a miracle. I asked in Jesus name. I spoke to the mountains. God did not answer prayer in 24 hours, so I decided those promises are bogus." Of course if you are reading this book, you probably would never say God's Word is bogus. Instead, you pray acceptable and safe prayers like, "God if it is your will please remove this mountain." When the mountains remain, we say it must be God's will and avoid personal evaluation of our unwillingness to labor in prayer or fasting.
Please understand I am not saying that all the bad things that happen in life are the result of a lack of faith. A casual reading of Scripture and Church history reveals that God's will may include broken hearts, trials, the valley of the shadow of death, shipwrecks, a lion's den, and mistreatment by enemies of the cross. However, any honest evaluation of American Christianity must conclude that sustained intense praying is an endangered discipline. You are more likely to find in most churches, state of the art media equipment that impresses men, instead of steadfast praying that captures the heart of God.
E. M. Bounds sounds like an Old Testament prophet with his strong challenge for the Church to return to Christ-honoring prayer. "The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. This vital, urgent truth is one that this age of machinery is apt to forget. The forgetting of it is as detrimental to the Word of God as removing the sun from its sphere. Darkness, confusion, and death would ensue. What the Church needs is not better machinery, not new organizations, or more novel methods. She needs men whom the Holy Spirit can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer." ( E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer. New Kensington: Whitaker House, 1982, p. 8-9.)
IV. Study the map
One of my favorite golfing stories addresses the desire for supernatural power that we have considered in this chapter. A young man from the Middle East moved to Scotland. Since Scotland is the birth place of golf, the man decided to try the game, and he was terrible. He made duffers and weekend hackers look like Tiger Woods. On one of the beautiful ocean courses, he hit his ball off the fairway, over the cliff, and onto the beach. Determined not to take a penalty stroke and playing with the last ball in his bag, he climbed down the cliff to hit the ball from the beach. When he got down the cliff, he discovered a magic genie lamp on the beach near his ball. When he removed the seaweed from the lamp, a genie appeared and said, "Your wish is my command!"
The man said, "I wish for peace in my homeland." The genie asked where he was from. The man pulled a small map from his wallet and showed the genie a small town near Jerusalem. The genie said, "Let's be realistic. The Middle East has been a place or turmoil for thousands of years. Do you really think a genie covered in seaweed on the coast of Scotland can grant that wish? Make another wish." The man said "I want to be a professional golfer." The genie said, "Now that's more like it. Take a practice swing, so I will know what to improve." The man took his swing, and the genie said, "Let me have one more look at that map!"
If the promises of mountain moving power seem too good to be true, you need to take one more look at the map. The one making the promises is not a magic genie but a majestic God who desires to demonstrate His power in your life. Embrace the possibility that God's supernatural activity did not stop with the cross, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things" (Rom. 8:32). See the mountain. Speak to the mountain, and send it to the sea!