“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.” Mark 11:22-25
Gaining the victory over temptation and walking in the faith that empowers us to overcome the things that stand between us and God’s will for us, is found in three simple things.
1) Having faith in God,
2) Saying to the obstacles in our way “Be removed and be cast into the sea!” and
3) Forgiving from our heart those who have wronged us.
Each one of these is related to the other, so all three are needed for the “mountain” to be removed.
First, we need genuine faith in God that His Word, and His promises are true, and that they are true for us! Faith says, the Word of God is near me in my heart and in my mouth, so that is the Word I speak.
“Mountain of _____(whatever hindrance is before you) be removed and be cast into the sea!”
There is no magic in those specific words. There is no magic involved in the kingdom of God at all. It’s not about sleight of hand or misdirection. It’s not about computer generated imagery, It’s not about smoke and mirrors. It is about truth, about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It’s about true faith that is based on the sure foundation of God’s Word, His will, and His promises.
Let that sink in for a moment. Faith is absolute confidence and assurance with steely determination not to be moved, dissuaded, deterred, or denied by doubt, fear, or unbelief.
Faith is the determined resolve to receive and walk in the fullest measure of God’s intended will, no matter the costs. God has given us the power, the authority, and the permission to speak change into the natural realm and when we do, things in the natural realm must respond and obey our words that we speak from the realm of the spirit. Jesus said His words are Spirit and they are life. When we speak His Words, we are also speaking spirit and life!
Why would Jesus tell us to do anything, if He didn’t mean for us to do it? The question that has stumped most of us is, “Did He mean it literally?” As for as I know we have no record of Him literally throwing a mountain into the sea or commanding it to take a running leap off the ground into the sea below.
We do know He spoke to a storm, and the wind, and the sea immediately became calm. And we know that Elijah spoke concerning the weather, that there would be no rain on the earth for three and a half years and it didn’t rain for three and a half years, just like he said. And He spoke again, and the rain returned in its normal course and reoccurring regularity. We know that Jesus spoke to a fig tree, and it dried up from the roots over night. We have it recorded that Moses, prompted by God, raised his staff over the Red Sea and divided it so that the people of Israel crossed over it on dry ground, not mud. (Exodus 14:16)
Blind eyes were restored to sight, lame people regained the ability to walk, deaf ears were opened, the dead were raised to life again, demon-possessed people were delivered and set free from their bondage, and many more were healed of all manner of sickness and diseases. We know that Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish, but no record of a literal mountain being thrown into the sea was recorded, as far as the Scriptures are concerned.
Because we have faith in God that what we say will come to pass, we must, therefore, forgive all those who have wronged us or spoken evil against us falsely for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel. We are commanded to love them and pray for them, not that any harm or destruction would come to them, but praying for them that they may be set fee from the snare of the devil.
Knowing this, that showing mercy to those who have offended and trespassed against us is the way of our Father, God who loves us and shows His mercy to us daily, though we all sin and fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23).
Therefore, be imitators of God as dear little children (Ephesians 5:1). Your power AND AUTHROTY to overcome evil, to remove “mountains,” to do the works of God’s love does not come by human effort alone, but by faith in God, by speaking His Word, and by living a life of forgiveness and blessing toward others whether they deserve it or not.
Finally, remember God our Father is kind to all.
“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:35-36.
Caveat: Be Discerning! Not every thought of so called, “good deed doing” is from God. Yes, Jesus taught us to give to everyone that asks of us and even to the one who would take (steal) our coat, our outer garment, to give it to him, and give him our inner garment as well.
Luke 6:38-39 is very clear about this. But we should never do anything that know would cause someone to be ensnared by the devil or harm themselves or others because we enabled them through our “good deed.” The Holy Spirit will guide and direct us in all these things as we yield to His leading, being knowledgeable of the Word.
The first thing that we must do before saying and doing is, HAVE FAITH IN GOD!