While Jesus was on earth, in Mark chapter 9, while leaving the rest of the 9 disciples on the foot of the mountain, he took only Peter, James and John to the mountain where he was transfigured.
It happened that one man brought his dump son to rest of the disciples, for them to cast out that dump spirit but they could not. Hear the man in Mark 9:17 as he said to Jesus, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
That man explained to Jesus in verse 22 saying that “often the dump spirit has thrown his son, both into the fire and into the water to destroy him’.
The man went further as he cried to Jesus saying, “but if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” It was in reaction to that out cry that Jesus made that statement to him.
Jesus in his reaction to the cry of the man said to him in Mark 9:23, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Today, we all face one challenge or the other that make us cry to Jesus for his intervention in our affairs.
That statement of Jesus in Mark 9:23 to that man where he told him that , “If he would believe, that all things are possible to him who believes.”
That is to say, it takes our faith if we are to overcome any challenge that may come to our way. It is the level of our faith that determines if we will overcome our challenge or not.
In the same way, in the book of John 11 which recorded about the death of Lazarus and his subsequent resurrection from the death, Jesus equally made a crucial statement to Martha, saying, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
What Jesus was emphasizing here by that statement was the importance of our faith for anyone who desire to see the manifestation of the glory of God in his/her affairs.
In other words, we must necessarily show evidence of our faith, that is believe in God, if we wish to see the manifestation of the glory of God in our life and situations.
The Bible in the the book of Hebrew 11:1 defined faith for us saying, “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.
Verse 6 of the same Hebrew 11 expounded further by saying, “but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.
What all these verses are trying to point out to us is that it takes faith for us to amount to anything in this kingdom and Hebrew 11:3-34 gave us the summary of what the heroes of faith did.
According to that Hebrew 11:33-34, it says, “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Talking about faith, Jesus once looked at his disciples in Luke 8:25 and asked them saying, “where is your faith”. Also, speaking further in Mark 9:23 said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
What blow my mind was the statements that was used to conclude the records of the heroes of faith as recorded in Hebrew 11:39-40.
The above bible portion says, and these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Even though the bible recorded that without us, these heroes of faith should not be made perfect, yet in our daily lives and actions, we manifest unbelief which is opposite of faith or what Jesus often call “little faith”
One of the major reason we manifest unbelief, or is lack faith or exhibit little faith is because we abandon or reject the way or source the bible said that faith comes.
The book of Romans 10:17 equivocally stated that “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Here, the bible didn’t say that faith comes by reading the bible or sole by hearing.
Rather the above verse stated that faith comes by hearing, and HEARING by the word of God. So it is the second hearing mentioned above that sparks faith in us. That second hearing means understanding what we heard.
I wish that we look more at Romans 10:17. It said, “so then” meaning that something very crucial was said earlier before the verse 17 and we need to look at those things that was said.
Verse 13, it says, for “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
Please pay attention to the above verse, it says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
The above verse said,that before they call on him that they must believe Him and need to hear before they believe but they cannot hear without a preacher.
That is to say that it is by hearing preachers that you develop faith to believe. You see reason the devil is trying to manipulate you to hate preachers so as not to listen to preachers.
It is then that we come to verse 17 which says, so then faith comes by hearing preachers , and hearing(understanding) preachers preach the word of God.
Please note that faith doesn’t come by hearing motivational messages as Sunday Adelaja would want us to believe, but only by the words of God.
As said, it is for that reason that the devil does every thing possible to prevent us from hearing anointed messages by anointed messengers or pastors as he don’t want us to have faith.
The apostles, after they realized all the importance of faith, and as Jesus always ask them, “where is your faith”? or chide them of possessing little faith.
It seems that for that reason that in Luke 17:5 the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”. That is to say the apostles requested from Jesus to increase their faith.
Today, Jesus is no more available physically which we can cry to increase our faith. However, god Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
What the above verse is trying to point out to us is that God had chosen and positioned certain pastors to feed us with knowledge and understanding. It will be unfortunate for you not to know or reject the pastors God had positioned to feed you with knowledge and understanding. Shalom!
