When faced with a problem, the typical Christian can react in a few different ways:

1. With extreme passivity — “everything is God’s will; he’ll help if he wants to”
2. With self-abasement, doubt — “Why is this happening? Am I being punished?”
3. With anger and resentment — “How could God do this to me! This is bogus!”

While all of these positions look at the problem from a slightly different angle, they all produce the same result; these ideas immobilize you.

Think about it; if you believe that absolutely everything is God’s will, then you will never resist anything, because all of it is his will. So when spiritual forces attack, you’ll just roll over and accept it because, hey, it’s God’s will.

Similarly, if you believe that negative situations are God’s punishment for some wrong you’ve committed, then you still will not resist, because you deserve what is happening… it’s your punishment after all. So you’ll just suffer through the pain.

And the third idea is even more straightforward. You just directly accuse God of causing the problem.

All of these ideas keep you in a mental and spiritual box— never able to move forward, because moving forward requires the power of God. But if you see God as the source of your suffering or somehow complicit in it, then there’s no reason to even ask him for help!

Looking at things this way can seem rather hopeless; but all is not as it appears. The scriptures show us a different perspective; one not of hopeless reassignment to loss, but one of strength, power, and victory.

 

A Mountain Is Not Impassable

A few weeks ago, we looked at what was going on with the world, and how you are not as weak as you might think. Our authority in Christ is often hidden in modern Christianity, or disregarded as something not worth studying.

Jesus taught these principles, however, so obviously God wants us to know these things; and honestly we need to know these things to live the way that we should on this earth.

So let’s take a look at Mark 11:22-23:

“ ²²And Jesus answering said to them, Have faith in God.

²³ For truly I say to you, That whoever shall say to this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he said.”

Two giant takeaways that we see from these verses are that a mountain is not an immovable object and a mountain is not an impassable wall. These two facts may seem obvious, but in practice we often behave as though mountains are both of these things.

Many times we complain to God about our maintains, often in desperation, hopelessness or fear; we act as though the mountain is bigger than God… and we remain immobile. We fail to move beyond the mountain, because we don’t see a way out.

 

 

The Unwavering Faith of God

However Jesus says here to have faith in God. The literal Greek rendering is to have the faith of God, or in other words the information about God and what He has accomplished. Jesus was teaching the disciples about the very foundation for the kind of powerful authority that has results, just as with the fig tree in the previous verses.

In verse 23 Jesus says that whoever shall say to this mountain. Listen up; pay attention; whoever shall say to this mountain. Jesus is straight up, flat out, telling you to speak to the mountain. He didn’t say to think really hard about the mountain, or to even pray about it… He didn’t say to wonder about whether moving the mountain was God’s will, either! He’s telling you His will—  He wants you to speak to the mountain and command it to get out of your way!

Now, the second half of verse 23 is a sticking point for some people because it mentions not doubting in your heart. You may be wondering how accomplishing this is even possible.  And honestly, it’s easy to get stuck right here and give up.

This one point caused a lot of fear and hopelessness over the years. In the past, I’ve attempted to stand in faith for things and then went into deep self-analysis, and found a teeny-tiny speck of doubt… and then abandoned the thing I was contending for. After all, since I couldn’t remove all doubt from my heart, there was little point in continuing since doubtlessness was a requirement for success given by Jesus.

Notice what Jesus says here. We know that Jesus wants us to speak to the mountain, not from  a place of uncertainty, or timidity, but a place of confidence in power in the faith of God.  Jesus says that we are not asking, begging, or pleading for the mountain to move; we are commanding it to move. Jesus also says that when we speak to the mountain we are to not doubt in our heart, but believe that those things which we say shall come to pass.

We often reverse this whole thing. We wait for the thing to come to pass first before we believe. But Jesus says that we should believe at the time we are giving the command. In essence, Jesus is saying to believe that your words carry authority. Whose authority? His authority. You have no authority in and of yourself; true. But you do have authority in Christ. The same authority that He has delegated to you. Understanding this is how you can not doubt in your heart so let’s again allow Jesus to enlighten us about the authority He has given to us.

 

Your Authority in Christ

In John 14:12-14, Jesus says the following:

“ ¹²Truly, truly, I say to you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father.

¹³And whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

Now some people think that Jesus only granted authority to the original twelve disciples, but here we see that Jesus clearly says whoever believes on me, the works that I do he will do also.

He then goes on to say in verse 13, that whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  He then repeats this statement in verse 14 because He knew that it was so awesome that we wouldn’t believe it— like a spiritual double-take!

Look at this: whoever believes on me (this includes you and me) you will do the same works as Jesus … and whatever you ask in His name, He will do it;  and by doing it, the Father gets glory through Jesus!  Your words having authority actually honors the Father and Jesus because it testifies that Jesus finished the work!

Asking in the name of Jesus is not simply ending your statement or prayer with the words “in Jesus name, amen.”  That’s using his name like ritualistic empty magic words. No.

Rather, in theme of Jesus is referring to the place and position of authority in Christ; the position that you and I enjoy today because of His completed sacrifice and redemption.

The word “ask” in these verses can also be translated as call for or to require. Just as with the mountain in Mark 11, Jesus is not teaching us to beg or plead things to happen; He is teaching us to take our rightful place in his kingdom authority… stop cowering before our mountains, and start commanding them to move.

Be blessed.