Category Archives: Extra Thoughts

I WAS Healed or I Will be Healed?

Abraham said, “I am the father of many nations,” and not “I will be the father of many nations.” Abraham’s confession was exactly what God promised and it was a contradiction to reality. Faith was stronger. He confessed he was already the father of nations before it was true. This is not a lie, because faith in God’s promise is both truthful and is a stronger power than reality.

Jesus’ exchange with the Sadducees, about the resurrection, showed Jesus pointing out a category fallacy with present tense and past tense. The scripture said God present tense, “I am the God of Abraham and Isaac,” even though they had died many years before. But the Sadducees’ presupposition was the passage was recorded in the different category of past tense, “I was the God of Abraham.” After this Jesus publicly shamed them and shut them up. This passage from Jesus shows us how important logic is; it shows us you cannot violate the laws of Contradiction and Identity and have category fallacies.

The importance of this is significant for faith. Faith is assenting to what God has said. You cannot assent to what God has said, if you change the tense of verbs, because then you change categories and thus change the meaning.

What if Abraham said, “I will be the father of many nations?” If he said it, then it would be a confession of unbelief in God’s promise not a faith confession.  Faith, as shown above, is only faith if it confesses what God said, it is not faith if it changes what God said.  Even such a small change, as a verb tense, Jesus shows that you are greatly mistaken about God’s word and power. One change to a verb tense and you have different doctrines. You cannot confess in faith, while being greatly mistaken about the word you are confessing.

Isaiah 53 says in the past tense that Jesus bore our sin, but also past tense bore our sickness and then present tense by His stripes we are healed.  There is no future tense. Regarding our sickness they have been and are healed.  Thus, Peter in his letter says, 1 Peter 2:24, that we were healed by His stripes.

This is why the faith teachers are correct when they teach you to confess, “By the stripes of Jesus I WAS, or I AM healed,” and not that I will be healed somewhere in the future.

Lastly consider Jesus’ teaching on faith itself.

“And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 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.” (Mark 11:21-24 NKJV)

Jesus teaches us that when we pray that we are to believe (past tense) that we have received what we asked for. He says if you believe that you (past tense) have received, then you will (future tense) receive them. As with the fig tree, they found it, the next day dried up from the roots. It took a day for the full 100-fold manifestation to appear. The presupposition for Jesus is that God’s promise to give us anything we ask for is a past or present tense application, and not future. Even if the answer appears to be delayed, the example of Daniel, shows us that it was answered the moment Daniel prayed, but was delayed by demonic attacks. Thus when you pray believe you have received what you ask for.

This does not mean we never say, “this will happen,” for in some context this would be appropriate, or that God never answers a prayer if the verb tense is wrong; however, we should always strive for perfection in our understanding of God’s promise and speaking it in the same. Faith is assenting to what God has promised, not category changes to it.

Think about Abraham and his confession of faith that he “is” the father of many nations before it happened. This is what faith does. The Israelites shouted and praised God for the defeat of Jericho, before the walls fell down. Faith gives a victory shout before it happens, because we know when we prayed it was answered.  Faith is the contradiction to what we see, but because faith gives us direct contact with God and His power, we know faith is stronger than reality. Because God is sovereignly faithful to fulfill His promise, we know when we ask, God has already given it to us.

Resurrection According The Scripture

Paul says in 1 Corinthian 15:4 that we know Jesus was resurrected because the Scripture says it. This is good reasoning. This is the best type of deductive logic. This is adhering to the laws of Contradiction, Identity and Excluded Middle in perfection. This is thinking like the LOGOS.

Anti-Christians often dislike this type of answer and find it unacceptable. They want you to say, “we know the resurrection is true because of some empirical evidence proves it.” This is of course delusional. Empirical evidence cannot prove any statement of reality because empiricism, observation and scientific experimentation make a triple logical fallacy. This foundation of knowledge makes knowledge impossible. It violates the law of contradiction because it makes knowledge skeptical; and it leads to skepticism, because empiricism, observation and experimentation are fallacious.  Any worldview that uses such a foundation for any knowledge is to be mocked and dismissed.

It is a good thing that resurrection is not proved by our sensations, observations or experimentation, because if it was then resurrection could never be proven. Since our sensations and observations cannot prove any statement of reality, such as water, rocks or trees, then it therefore cannot prove resurrection. Just because some fools use delusional means to interact with the world does not mean you are to follow this example, or compromise by making a bible and delusion into a hybrid. No, you expose how dumb their source of knowledge is and destroy it by logic and the scripture.

The only source of knowledge is God’s revelation. God’s word says there is resurrection and that Jesus was the first born from the dead. Just as He experienced physical resurrection, we also will experience a physical resurrection with a new body. What Jesus experienced we experience. This is God’s love and promise to us.

The Scripture and God are interchangeable, and therefore, Paul says Jesus was raised according to Scripture. We ought to have renewed our minds so that no truth statement about reality has any foundation in our senses, observation or experimentation. As Paul says, we live by faith not sight. This is why Paul says, (Acts 26:8) why should you think it incredible that God raised the dead?

Take Your Choke Points Off

“But Moses responded to the Lord, “There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you say, ‘I will give them meat for a whole month!’ Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power?””
 (Numbers 11:21-23 NLT)

God told Moses that He would feed the Israelites with meat (Quail) for a whole month. Oddly, Moses’ response was that such a thing was impossible even for God. This is the same Moses who performed miracle after miracle and divided the sea with the Staff of God. This is Moses who, as God said it, was a God to Pharaoh. And yet, Moses could not believe God for this miracle food.

I remember Bill Winston in a sermon saying, (as I paraphrase from memory), “God had reached, Moses’ choke point. Moses could believe God for some things, but He could not believe God for this. Take your choke points, off.”

He is correct. Even the heroes of faith still have some choke points where they limit the Holy One of Israel.  No one has perfect faith in this life, but it is our command from God to always live by faith and mature our faith to its greatest heights.  Miracle food in large proportions, for some reason, was a choke point for Moses. It seemed impossible even for God. God rebuked Moses and said, is My arm to short that I cannot do this, or in modern terms, is My power so pathetic to you that I can’t do this miracle? Moses did not doubt God’s willingness to help but His power, and God rebuked Moses for this.

We often combat this abusive doctrine called, “if it is God’s will,” and so we say “God is always willing to help because of His love and because He promise to always provide if we have faith.” However, we can have choke points of doubt regarding God’s power. We might wrongly assume it is about the topic of God’s willingness, when it is really about doubting His power. We all have our own dispositions and weaknesses and strengths. And so it will vary from person to person what might be a choke point of faith. And I will try to use and example that might be more common to all. All Christians have faced those sins that more easily trip them up (Hebrews 12).  What can happen in a besetting sin, is that the experience can distort the mind to doubt God’s “power” to sanctify us.

If a person is blessed to have been ministered healing at their conversion, then asking God for healing would naturally be less of a choke point for them. However, they might find asking God for miracle money, or transmuting material substance to be a choke point of doubt.  Thus, we must find where we choke up with doubt and attack as if it was a cancer on our heart.

I remember Billy in response to Jesus’ statement that “anything is possible for the person who believes,” saying, “James and John asked for seats next to Jesus, but were told those were already reserved by the Father. Therefore, we don’t know if our prayers will be answered because God answers them on the dictates of His own whims.”

We know that apart from extreme examples that are categorically impossible, or violate a command that there are no limits to what we can ask for. Even a fool knows not to ask, “God, I want you to make me immutable and infinite like you, or help me murder my neighbor.” The prayers we see answered in scripture include resurrection from the dead, the multiplication and transmutation of material substance, healing, prosperity, military victory, relationship help, and the list goes on and on. Also, because we understand the blessing of Abraham (which we have in Jesus), which includes prosperity, supernatural health and healing, military victories, fame, glory and excessive fruitfulness in all parts of life, we know that Jesus command to ask for anything and get anything, means what it means.

Billy’s response to prayer, is an example of a person who doesn’t merely have a choke point or two, but who chokes at the entire idea of God helping and blessing them. This is a reprobate mindset. Such a person views God as if God is an outsider. They view God as if they have no Covenant with Him. The idea of Jesus’ Contract in blood, is to remove any “case by case” situation. For more on this see Vincent Cheung, Our Contract, who helped me understand this better. An insider status with God means that we always know how God will relate to us. An outsider status means we do not know how God will relate to us, because it is decided on the whim of God’s choice on a case by case. For example a husband does not decide to love his wife on a day by day decision; no, the contract of marriage means you have made a promise, to remove the case by case, and will always love them. God as removed the case by case, and has promised that if we have faith we will receive what we ask for. This love is only promised to those who God is contracted with. Outsiders of this contract do not have this privilege.

This contract therefore is able to remove all choke points for those with insiders status with God. We already know from the example of the gentile woman, that even without a contract status, faith gives you access to what you ask for. God has a standing contract with faith. However, in our Contract with Jesus, God cuts up His only Son in a bloody mess, and says “I will do what I promise.” There is no room for doubting.  

Removing our choke points is essential if we want to fully obey biblical expansionism in our lives. If we want maturity in expanding our own lives in righteousness and power and visions and expanding the Kingdom of God, we must remove any points of doubts. And doubt here is the key word. Jesus said if you have faith as small as a mustered seed you will command a mountain to move and it will obey you. Any Christian who has lived a few years and has been working on renewing their minds has more than a mustered seed size faith. The reason they do not see answers is because of doubts that gets mixed in with their faith. It is not that they have no faith, but the doubts mixed in is stopping the manifestation. The ins and outs for that, is for another essay; however, remember as you are attacking and removing doubts do not forget that the main focus is always Jesus and His promises, not constant inward self-evaluation.  

We must not put any limits on who we are in Christ and what we can accomplish by faith. Choke points can happen in places such as our vision for our lives. A Christian by faith might finally be out of debt and able to afford a nice home for his family. They even saw some miracles in finances where God helped. They are coasting, and life is good. However, when they were 17 God gave them a dream for ministry and a business that reaches millions of people, and this is still a choke point for them. Some might be enjoying a big house and a family that loves God. But God’s word reminds them if they had enough money to buy 10 big houses, they could give that to godly ministries to help fund the gospel, and for them this financial amount could be a choke point. If we take our eyes off ourselves and think what we could do for the advancement of God’s kingdom, there is always more power, finances and miracles than what we are currently able to do. But God is full of grace. If you seek to believe with no fear, you will find it.

Lastly, if you want to take off the limits and choke points, then you will need to say something with your mouth. Jesus said you will “say,” to this mountain.  Look at the heroes of faith, like Abraham and David. They spoke a confession of confidence in the promise of God. We believe and so we speak. Do not just look at a choke point, speak to it. Say something. Speak the promises of God. Your faith confession is like Moses with the Staff of God. Your staff is your confession in God’s word. Say it. Tell it to get out of your way. Tell the sickness to leave.  

I will let Paul end this with his own exhortation: God answers our prayers exceedingly, abundantly and beyond all that we ask or think. This is how an insider to God thinks about the world and what is available to them in Christ.

Use the Bible to Prove Atheism?

I saw an atheist respond on a post on social media saying,
“How can we know there is a God? Prove it. Not just using the Bible.”

I am not entirely sure if he means, “do not use the bible at all, or use the bible with other non-bible proofs.”

If taken the first way, then the equivalent for me to say the same thing back to him would be like this, “prove to me that evolution is true, but do not use your sensations (empiricism).” An atheist or evolutionist would not accept this because the knowledge of their worldview comes from empiricism.  Without using empiricism, then they have no knowledge about anything. Without their epistemology their worldview is without knowledge. Yet, they demand that we prove our Christian worldview without using the bible, which is the only source of our knowledge. Without the bible there is no knowledge for our worldview about any topic. The bible says that it alone is the source of knowledge (the bible even denies empiricism), and so if we use the bible we can only use the bible for knowledge. There is no dual epistemology in Christianity.

Thus, if meant the second way, then the bible would not allow us to use any other epistemology. Any other source of knowledge would be an anti-Christian source of knowledge. When the opponent is asking us to use other proofs for knowledge other than the Scripture, they are asking to deny the bible at the same time. If we do this, then we have already lost the debate because we have already denied our God and our worldview’s source of knowledge.

 Since the opponent is using empiricism as their source of knowledge, then what they likely mean by “proving Christian with non-biblical knowledge,” means they want us to use so-called empirical proofs for Christianity.  As just said, to do this, since the bible denies empiricism, means we deny Christianity if we use empiricism. Also, empiricism is logically irrational. To infer knowledge from sensation is a never-ending category fallacy. Observation is logically irrational. All conclusions from empiricism and observations are a non-sequitur fallacy. Thus, no matter how good you think your empirical proofs are, they can never logically prove God. Every conclusion from empiricism to God would be a non-sequitur fallacy. For example, the type of existence we sense and observe is not immutable and eternal. Thus, to conclude God’s type of existence from sensation is like saying “All cats are animals, therefore, rocks are yellow.”  The demand to use empirical proofs, is a demand to use a standard of knowledge, that cannot prove any statement about reality. Not only can empiricism not give proof for Christianity, but it also cannot give proof for what is the color red, what is a cloud or what is a rock. Also since Empiricism is irrational, then to hybrid it with the Scripture would be to hybrid the irrational with rational. It would discredit the bible as if the bible is ok with being irrational and stupid. Also what one senses and observes contradicts the bible, and so you have a dual epistemology that contradicts one another. This would make knowledge impossible.

To turn the tables, what if I made a similar demand on the atheist or agnostic by saying, “don’t only use empiricism to prove evolution, but use the bible to give proofs.” The bible obviously contradicts evolution, and many things about their worldview based on their sensations. They would not accept such a demand from me, because they do not accept the bible as a source of knowledge and they know it also contradicts their own worldview.  Likewise, we do not accept empiricism as a source of knowledge. If they want to demand we use their empiricism they need to prove that their epistemology makes knowledge possible. Do not let them bully you with their irrational demands. Rather attack their demands. Attack their standard of empiricism.

I Couldn’t Care Less

To hear one reformed or evangelical guy talk about how involved in politics we should get, I couldn’t care less.  They are discussing a false reality. If they are not presupposing biblical expansionism, then they are talking about what options are left over after there is no God.  If there is no God, then all is lost for me and I don’t care about any of it.

When you have no power, no ability to cast out demons, no supernatural healings, no miracles and no faith to move mountains, then you have about 3 political options, and none of them are good. The Jews in Jesus’ time had no power either. The religious elites were jealous of Jesus, among other reasons, because unlike them, He had real power. If Jesus’ power caused a political shift to happen, even when He was exclusively focus on ministry to people. Imagine if He turned that faith and mountain moving power directly to politics? The Jewish leaders had no faith or power. Thus, even when they directly attacked Jesus, they did not pray to God for help, (obviously God would not answer their prayer, but if they were truly spiritual people, then they would pray and God would help), but turned to the political power to help them attack Jesus. They got political power to help, because they had no faith and power from God. This is what people do when they do not have God’s power and approval. They turn to human power.

When you do not have God’s power, but only human power, you have a few options. Like the Jews during Jesus’ time, you can give up a certain portion of your worldview and adopt (at least partially) some of the worldview of the current culture and governmental ethics. This is the coward’s way, and you make it obvious you have changed Gods. Another option is to remove yourself from the country, so much so, that you form little bubbles, so that you act as if you do not really live where you live. You know you hate the country you live in, and everyone else knows it to. It’s hard to minister to people who know you hate them. The last option is to get super politically involved. This can take all sorts of forms. The Jews during Jesus’ time, took the form of revolting with force. However, in America, it looks a little different. To sum it up quickly, it means you know, speak and do politics as if it is your God, this usually involves spamming politics on social media and protests and endless talks and debates. You look for governmental power to help, because you have no faith or power to move mountains, transmute material substance, cast out demons and heal the sick.   

All three options assume God does not exist, or they act like He doesn’t. Thus, I could care less. Without Jesus who loves me, it all means nothing to me; no matter the options. Unless you want to start with the options we have in the context of biblical expansionism, then I do not care.

Ultimate Stupid Cessationist Arguments #1

Argument: “Miracles are to confirm messages from God. Jesus is the final message. Signs already confirmed Him. No more messages are being revealed. Thus, there are no more miracles.”

This is like saying since the last episode of your favorite show aired, TV doesn’t exist anymore.[1] Because typewriters are obsolete, writing is dead. If I was to forward such an argument in any other field, except Christian theology, I would have been mocked and sent home. But theologians get away with it.

From childhood to non-Christians, workplace and church, this has to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.

For sake of argument, let us say sign gifts have ceased. So what? What logical relevance does that have to do with healing and miracles on demand of faith. It has no connection whatsoever. Just because a pizza does not have olives, does not mean it stops being a pizza.

This is part of the informal fallacies relating to division and composition. Just because something is true of a part, does not mean it is true of the whole.

Jesus healed the lady bent over for 18 years saying it was “necessary” because “she was a daughter of Abraham.” Jesus’ statement means healing miracles are part of Abrahams’ blessing guaranteed to His descendants of faith. Jesus says this healing is not about confirming a message but about being faithful to an old promise of favor and blessings. Two different categories. Jesus’ word to the gentile woman, “to take the children’s bread,” shows Jesus saw healing as part of Abraham’s blessing to be freely given away, and not to confirm a message. Paul argues something similar in Galatians 3 saying this blessing includes miracles and the Spirit. Thus, even after the advent of Jesus’ atonement, Paul says the blessing of Abraham is still in full force, which includes the Spirit (Baptism of the Spirit) and miracles. Even the cross of Jesus did not replace this promise but only made it available to gentiles.

Paul speaks of miracles in Galatians 3 as if they are a common thing. Thus, common miracles are based on Abraham’s blessing secured by Jesus’ atonement. This means even if sign gifts have stopped, and even if the gifts mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14 have stopped, the point is logically non-relevant against saying miracles are a common experience, because God being faithful to His promise to Abraham still stands. God has not ceased in fulfilling His promise to Abraham.

Jesus healed folks not just to prove a point but because they had a VIP pass from Abraham. Healing is like a spiritual inheritance, not just a divine marketing strategy. Think of miracles like family heirlooms, not limited-edition soda drinks. Miracles are part of the package deal with Abraham’s blessing, and they are still part of the children’s DNA post-Jesus. It’s like saying the warranty on your car is still good even if the company launched a new model this year. Just because I got Spotify to stream Elvis, doesn’t mean when I tune my FM radio, there’s nothing but static.

The only way for miracles to stop being a common experience to Christians is if God ceases His promise to Abraham. God would have to rip out Abraham’s blessing from the DNA of Abraham’s children, for miracles on the demand of faith to stop. Jesus also says in John 14 that whosoever believes in Him will do His miracles by faith, and even greater. Jesus makes such miracles in this passage about common discipleship faith, not gifts and not signs. In this passage Jesus says, “by asking anything and getting it,” gives us joy and greatly glorifies the Father. Jesus also mirrors the same extreme faith teaching in places like Matthew 21:21. The signs gifts have no logical relevance to this. None.

And so, anyone who believes will do miracles, even bigger ones. No special gift required, just faith.

Dinosaurs were animals.
Dinosaurs have ceased,
therefore, animals have ceased.

People would never be so shameful or careless in normal speech to say something so irrational; and yet, they will dare to play such games with God’s word. When a person handles God’s word so demonically, it becomes an autobiographic mirror of their hearts.

[1] Some witty remarks in this essay I got from Grok AI 2024, fun mode, as a summary of this essay.

The Staff of God

“So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried
the staff of God.” (Exodus 4:20 NLT)

When Moses was worried that the Israelites would not listen to him, God told Moses to throw his staff on the ground. It turned into a snake, and when he picked it up by the tail, it turned back into the staff. Later in Exodus 4:20 the staff is called the “Staff of God.”

This is similar to the king of the Greek god’s. Zeus had his lightning bolt, which was his weapon of power: “the lightning bolt of Zeus.” He was jealous when a person’s eyes lingered too long on his symbol of power. He did not lend his lightning bolt out. Yet, with God, He freely gives Moses His weapon to use as his own. He even told Moses that he would be like God to Pharaoh.  Notice how generous our God is to His children. This is important because in Jesus Christ we have all been given the Staff of God. Moses longed for this to happen, when all the people were given power from God.

Fast forward to when Moses and the Israelites were backed up against the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army was behind them. Moses then began a monolog.

 “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.  The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!  Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground,” (Exodus 14:13-16).

Moses was midstride in a monolog about God’s deliverance, when God spoke. Moses, was in essence trying to buy time for God to do something while they were backed up against the sea. Notice what God did not say. He did not say “I will divide the sea.” No, God said, “you, divide the sea.” Are we to accuse God for not being God centered, but I digress. This is like Jesus saying to the disciples, “You feed them.”

God interrupted Moses and said (as I put it into modern terms) “why are you whining at Me! Stop begging and get moving. What is that in your hand? Is it not the “Staff of God” I gave you? This is not My problem anymore. You take the Staff, and “you” divide the sea.”  

The mistake Moses made was thinking he was waiting on God to deliver them with a new download of power, when Moses already had the Staff of God.  He acted like he was nothing, and had nothing, and therefore, needed God to come down and give some present or future help. However, He already had God’s help. He already had God’s power grasped in his hand. God did not need to give Moses power to deliver them, because God already gave Moses His power.

It is good to have passages like this because it reminds us to “stop crying out” like a beggar to God, when God has already given us the power and authority to command the healing and mountain to move. God was not happy with Moses’ flattering speech, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Think about that. That is some good theology. Yet, however good his doctrine was, God found it irritating. Again, think about that. Verse 14 is often quoted for promise verses, but in context God did not like it.

Moses said, “God will fight for us.” And God responds by saying, “why are you whining.”

Imagine if I gave you my car and you kept calling me to give you a ride to work. I might find the first time funny, but after the 78th call I would be rather irritated. “Why are you calling me about giving you a ride to work? I gave you my car. You need to get in it, and you need to drive yourself to work. Getting you to work is not my problem anymore, it is now your responsibility to drive yourself.” After a while I would think such a person is missing a few screws and choose to remain silent at their insane requests. As I have heard Andrew Wommack saying in many sermons, “this is why God remains silent at many of your prayers.”

Jesus teaches us a similar lesson Moses learned. When God has already given us the power, we need to stop crying out and start healing the sick, casting the demons, multiplying material substance and making mountains obey us. Jesus says to the disciples, “you feed them,” regarding the feeding of the 5000. Even though Jesus had to multiply material substance to feed the crowd, He expected the disciples to do it. He would not expect them to do it, if they did not have the power and authority to do so. For example, Jesus was irritated when they could not cast out a demon. He said it was because of their unbelief. Earlier He has already given them authority over “all” sickness and demons, “all.” Jesus expects them to do these things because He gave them the ability to do it.

“You divide the Sea, You multiply material substance, You heal the sick, You make mountains obey you.”  This does not sound very God-centered, but it is said by Jesus who was the most God-centered man who ever lived.

Consider what Jesus did not say: “when you face a mountain, cry out to me like a beggar and ask Me if it is part of my will to move it.” No, Jesus said “you” tell it to get out of your way and it will obey “you.” This is not a mere suggestion. Jesus instructs us to command the thing to move. Jesus is not teaching us to ask “Him” to make it go away, but for “us” to speak in faith and make it go away. This is contrary to how many understand faith and prayer.

Jesus said, “you feed them.” Jesus did not say, “cry out to God to feed them.” No, just as He told Moses to divide the water, Jesus commands us to “feed them,” by making material substance multiply in miracle power. Jesus tells us to tell the mountain to move and make it “obey us,” not God. God would not have commanded Moses to divide the Sea, if Moses did not have the power and authority to do it. Obviously, God is the ultimate power for all of this, but the issue is that on the relative level, God has given His power to us. Jesus would not have commanded us to make mountains obey us, by speaking to it in faith, if we did not have the power and authority to do it.

Jesus commands this, because He has already given us His Spirit and authority to do them.  Jesus said that He cast out demons (and healing) by the Spirit of God, not by His own personal Jesus power. This is important because He has also poured on us the fullness of the Spirit, in the baptism of the Spirit. Jesus used the “power of the Spirit” to heal, cast out demons and do ministry. The reason He did it this way, was because He was a man born under the law. He became like one of us. He therefore, ministered as a man, empowered by the Spirit, to do miracle working ministry. He showed the elect how to do it. He has given us this same “power,” and commands us to follow in His same miracle ministry (John 14:12-13, Acts 1:8, 2:39-39). And so, Jesus told the disciples, and those with them, to wait until they were endowed with the same power of the Spirit.

In addition to this power of the Spirit, Jesus has given us the authority to use His name to ask and receive whatever we want (see John chapter 14-16). A shorthand way to use this power and authority is seen in passages like Matthew 21:21. It is praying with His power and authority without hedging. It is praying in absolute confidence in the power, position and authority Jesus has already given us.

We can us this authority for anything we want, because it is guaranteed to us in the Contract made in His blood. However, Jesus also makes demands on us based on this Contract. He commands us to expand His kingdom and tear down the gates of hell. It’s not optional. We expand His kingdom and tear down the gates of hell with the same power and authority He used, but now has bestowed on us through His finished atonement.

The big idea is simple. Every believer has already been given authority to use Jesus’ name, and the baptism of the Spirit is a purchased gift for any believer to receive by faith. God has given every believer the Staff of God, just like with Moses. These powers and gifts of authority is not earned, but given freely through Jesus Christ. They already belong to all Christians.  

Moses wanted to ask God to do something about the sea, but God told Moses to do something about the sea, with the power He had already given him. Jesus teaches us a similar lesson. We cry out for God to do something about feeding them, and God tells us to do something about feeding them.  We cry out to God to do something about healing them, but God tells us to do something about healing them. We are holding Zeus’ lightning bolt in our hands and yet we are still crying out to God to move the mountain, when all we need to do is speak in faith.

Imagine if every Israelite in Moses’ time also had a Staff of God in their hands? It would be like an army of 2 million powerful Gandalfs or wizards. The army of Pharaoh would have been obliviated before they took their 4th step. This is exactly the firepower the true church of God has today in Jesus. But for the most part they look like fools. There is an army of millions and millions of powerful wizards, with the Staff of God in their hands, but yet, they are bowed to the ground crying out to God to give them some power. And despite their good theology in their cries, God is irritated by it.  It’s utterly pathetic.  If they only knew what they had and how to use it, nothing could stand in their way in advancing the Kingdom of God.

This is what Satan truly fears. And he will produce any false doctrine and tradition to convince God’s people they are weak, sinful and endlessly cry out to God, while holding God’s Staff in their hands.

When you pray, believe that life giving waters are already flowing out of “your” belly. Jesus did not promise this would flow out of God’s belly, but yours. See yourself in the Spiritual realm like an empowered wizard in an anime movie. God’s Spirit has already empowered you. When you speak in faith, power is released, every single time. God and His word are one. Thus, when you speak faith filled words, you are releasing God; you are releasing, Power. When you pray, understand that Jesus has already given you the authority to ask and command what you want. When you pray, you are not begging and waiting for God to do something, because He already did something. It’s now your turn, to do something. He already gave you His power and authority. Use it.

Moses did not walk on dry land until he used the Staff of God. Likewise, you will not see the victory you are wanting, until you use God’s power and authority, by speaking and commanding what you want. You are the one holding back your blessing, not God. You are the one preventing the dividing of the Sea, until you use what God has already given you.

If you do not work, then you do not eat. Most, even unbelievers, understand this. Likewise, if you do not open your mouth and command what you want with faith, then you do not get your blessing. Open your mouth today, and start speaking faith filled words.

God’s Word Prunes Us To Ask & Receive  

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]cleans it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”
(John 15:1-8 LSB)

What does it mean for God the Father to prune the branches? Some folks suggest that God’s pruning involves dishing out bad stuff like sickness or troubles to snip away flaws, such as a lustful or jealous heart.

When I hear this nonsense, I keep asking myself: “Why do Christians mix up God and Satan, as if confusing the two is easy?” “It’s not like they’re wearing matching jerseys at the cosmic family reunion!’” Why bother with the nitty-gritty of Christian apologetics or practical wisdom if you still can’t tell whether you are chatting with the Almighty or the devil?

Let me cut to the chase and jump straight to verses 7-8. We’re told that if Jesus’ words abide in you, then ask for whatever you desire, and boom—it’ll be given. This brings the Father (yep, the same one doing the pruning/cleaning) massive glory.

So, how on earth can the Father hand you a miscarriage or cancer when the same passage urges you to ask for whatever you want—like a healthy baby or robust health—and promises He will deliver? Defining the Father’s cleansing relationship as doling out sickness while simultaneously yanking it away? God is not running a cosmic bait-and-switch. That is a faithless sh#t pile. It’s man-made theology for the easily bamboozled.

To nail down the positive take, remember Jesus kicks off by saying His words are what already made the disciples pruned or cleansed. Boom—definition dropped. The terms “pruning” and “cleansing” are intertwined here, pointing to the same gig. Now, notice Jesus says if His “words” (the cleansers) abide in us, we can ask for anything and get it. The passage loops back to His “words” from start to finish.

With pruning pinned to Jesus’ words, the vine analogy is about yanking away the bad, not adding more junk. What is the bad getting the boot? Jesus’ words are pure gold. In John’s Gospel, the Apostle paints Jesus as the Son of God, calling us to believe in Him for eternal and abundant life. Our default human mindset? Straight-up trash. When we swap in Jesus’ golden doctrines, that’s the prune job.

So, if the Father wants to trim adulterous or jealous vibes from our hearts, how’s He swinging it? Jesus spells it out: His words cleanse the rotten thinking. Naturally, ditch the bad thoughts, and the bad behaviors bail too. A good tree bears good fruit, right? A good mind comes from faith in Jesus’ words.

What are some of these cleansing “words” Jesus dropped?
“…Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this…”

Let us ask for whatever we crave, snag it, and bring the Father great glory. We are called to be God-centered and gospel-focused. How can anyone claim the give great glory to God without boldly asking and receiving?

Tradition twists Jesus’ words into a masochistic sideshow. Somehow, the Father zaps us with sickness and setbacks “to teach us,” while Jesus commands we ask to ditch the sickness—and glorify God by getting healed. The very “cleansing” ailment is the one we are begging to remove? Fool’s gold theology, wrapped in self-flagellation. Pure nonsense.

Job didn’t level up from suffering; nope, he got schooled when God spoke revelation. Jesus teaches we learn and get cleansed by believing His revelation.

Finally, this mix-up is straight blasphemy. Jesus isn’t a dealer in sin any more than in sickness or misfortune. Jesus already finished the atonement and is now seated at the right hand of Power. From this position of authority, He is our living and active High Priest. We are not talking about ultimate level metaphysics or God’s sovereignty and decrees. God controls all things; however, in our “relationship” with Jesus it is established in a Contract made with His blood. He has promised to relate to us in certain ways and demands us to relate to Him in particular ways. This Contract makes us insiders and family members to our Father in Heaven.  The contract says God only gives us good. Jesus defines a good prayer as a fish for a fish. Jesus promises to take sin away, to take sickness away and to take poverty away. This is the only way He relates to us now. This makes us family insiders.

If you are a Christian and Jesus enables or causes or gives you sin, then He is an active minister of sin. This is blasphemy. However, the same is true for sickness and misfortune. If your relationship with Jesus as a Christian includes Jesus giving you sickness and misfortune, then Jesus would be an active minister of sickness and misfortune. I feel dirty having to type this out and explain it. Why do I need to explain this to adults?

There’s a spiritual entity who doles out sickness and woe (Acts 10:38), and his handle is Satan. Flipping roles between Satan and Jesus? Faithless error. When sickness hits you or yours, it’s Satan’s gig, not Jesus’. Satan peddles illness; Jesus dishes healing. Satan’s handing out sickness like it’s free candy at a parade, but Jesus is serving up healing like the ultimate divine smoothie.

The faithless are like people the police bring to a lineup to pick out the perpetrator of the crime. The line up includes God and Satan. And the faithless pick God as the one who hurt them, stole from them and tried to destroy them. Imagine being so stupid and confused you can’t tell the different between God and the devil. And yet, these people claim to be teachers and preachers. Sorry, if you are still unsure who is hurting you and giving you sickness and pain, you have no business teaching anyone anything. When God and Satan are interchangeable then we have a massive problem on our hands. They pick God out of the lineup because they are in line with Satan and are covering for him. The faithless cover for their Faithless god because they are wearing the same jersey.  They are not your friends.

Here is the deal. Jesus doesn’t pile on troubles—He clears them out. If the Father is pruning you, He will bring you toward Jesus’ words and amp your faith in His promises. And so, ask, receive, and glorify Him big time. If that is not your contract with Jesus, then double-check whose side you’re on.

Applying God’s Sovereignty

“8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel,” (Matthew 8:8-10 NLT).

If a person claims to be an expert in mathematics, but only succeeds in applying math 2% of the time, would you accept their claim? It would be irrelevant to me if a person went to school and has the approval of other men saying he is an expert in math, if he cannot apply it correctly.

In our passage above the centurion is talking about the sovereignty of God by speaking of Jesus’ power and authority over reality. To cure someone of sickness we are dealing with reality. The centurion says the same way officers and servants obey him, is the same way reality obeys Jesus. The same way an officer goes and comes at his word, is the same way physical tissue and sickness reacts to Jesus’ words. The same way he has authority over people, he implies Jesus has the same authority over reality itself. Jesus reacts to this with astonishment. He praises the centurion for his great faith.

The issue is not if the centurion had a perfect understanding of who Jesus was. He concluded Jesus had authority over reality itself. He understood that reality obeyed Jesus. This is fantastic theology. It is a good understanding of God’s sovereignty. I am not saying it is complete. But as it is, it is a correct theology about God’s sovereignty.

How did the centurion apply this correct doctrine of God’s sovereignty? He applied it with faith to get a miracle. In fact, he was already getting a miracle. He applied God’s sovereignty to upgrade a miracle that was coming in the future to make the miracle happen immediately. Or in modern terms, Jesus promised him an iPhone, and after he applied an argument of faith based on God’s sovereignty, Jesus upgraded it to an iPhone max pro. Also, his argument of faith, based on God’s sovereignty, made time obey the centurion, the way his servants obey him.

Jesus approved the centurion’s understanding of God’s sovereignty and his application of it with faith to receive an upgraded miracle.

Thanks be to God we have examples for how to apply God’s sovereignty in faith for miracles. Therefore, those who claim to understand God’s sovereignty but do not apply it to receive miracles and healing, are liars and frauds. They have no idea what God’s sovereignty is. They have no idea what they are doing or talking about.

Peter

Peter’s application of election is the baptism of the Spirit.

Peter also believed and understood the doctrine of God’s absolute sovereignty. He spoke about predestination in the first apostolic sermon in Acts 2.

“Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. THEN you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those who are far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself,”
(Acts 2:38-39. 38-NLT, 39-LEB).

The crowed said, “what do we do,” in response to seeing the baptism of the Spirit and Peter’s sermon describing why the Spirit is being poured out.  Peter’s response is about the predestination (and reprobation by implication) of God by saying, “as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” The interesting thing about his statement of predestination is that it is directly about the baptism of the Spirit and not directly about forgiveness of sins. Peter uses the forgiveness of sins as a stepping stone to get the promised baptism of the Spirit, purchased by Jesus and promised by the Father. Peter says to repent and be forgiven so that “then” you can receive the Holy Spirit of power. It is specifically about receiving this baptism of power that Peter says, “as many as God calls to Himself.” This includes forgiveness because Peter says you need to be forgiven and then you will be received this baptism of power.

And so Peter’s understanding of predestination and election is about the baptism of the Spirit with forgiveness being presupposed. If God has predestined you, then you will be baptized in the Spirit for power. Baptism of the Spirit is proof of your election and disproves you are a reprobate. This is how Peter applies God’s sovereignty. Peter says, “to those whom God has called TO HIMSELF.” If God has called you “to Himself,” then you will be baptized it the Spirit. How can you be called “to God” and you not be with God at the same time?

When God calls someone to Himself, He predestines them to be baptized in the Spirit. This is Peter’s doctrine of election in application.

It is a good thing the bible shows us how to apply the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. It shows us that election and predestination is applied for baptism of the Spirit and this confirms that God has sovereignly called us to be “with Him.”

Therefore, those who claim to understand predestination and do not apply it with the power of the Spirit are lairs and frauds. They say they understand God’s sovereignty, but they cannot apply it at the most basic level.

Jesus

We have seen a gentile and an apostle, but what about Jesus. How did Jesus apply the doctrine of God’s sovereignty?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 15:16 NIV).

I will quote Vincent Cheung at large on this verse, because he says it so well and by this helped me understand the doctrine of predestination is for those who live by the Spirit and faith for miracles. It is from his essay, “Predestination and Miracles.”

“Jesus said to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). The Bible teaches a doctrine of election, or predestination. Before we became Christians, we were sinners, wicked to the core, so that in ourselves it was impossible for us to turn toward righteousness. It was impossible for us to choose any spiritual good. If we were to turn from evil to good, some other force outside of ourselves would have had to change us. When we accepted the gospel and decided to follow Christ, it was because God had first chosen us before the creation of the world. If you think that you indeed made a choice to follow Christ, you are correct, but your choice was an effect of God’s prior choice….

This is not the end of it. Predestination is for more than bare salvation, or to say it more correctly, salvation involves more than the mere forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven. Salvation in Christ is a whole package of blessings and responsibilities. I do not mean that you need to achieve these blessings and responsibilities in order to attain salvation. No, I mean that when you receive salvation, these blessings and responsibilities also come with it. Thus it is not that you need to reach heaven in order to be saved, but that because you are saved by faith in Christ, you will reach heaven.

God has chosen us, and predestined us. Predestined for what? There was more to what Jesus said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” God predestined us to bear fruit. What is this fruit?

Even in the same verse, we can see that Jesus had in mind not only works of preaching and charity, because he said his followers would produce fruit and that “the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Gospel life and ministry is characterized by answers to prayers. What kinds of prayers? Wait, this is weaker than the way Jesus said it. The doctrine of prayer in historic unbelief is that “God will answer your prayers if it is his will (regardless of what he promised). Or, you can say that he always answers your prayers — sometimes he says yes, sometimes no, sometimes maybe, sometimes later. Or, when you ask for egg, he will give you a scorpion, so that when you ask for spiritual growth, he will give you cancer to teach you a lesson.” Among us, we have never accepted this view of prayer. We recognize it as satanic deception. But Jesus did not even say, “God will answer your prayers” or “God will always answer your prayers.” He said, “God will give you whatever you ask.” This is how God wants us to think about our relationship with him. This is how he wants us to think about discipleship. This is how he wants us to think about faith and prayer. God will give me whatever I ask when I approach him in the name of Jesus. No hiding behind a thousand qualifications. No excuses for me or for him.

God will give me whatever I ask. I will have whatever I ask. What I ask, I get. And I am predestined for this. So I am chosen to get whatever I ask. I am predestined to get whatever I ask. It is my foreordained destiny to receive whatever I ask God in the name of Jesus. If you have never heard this, then you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of predestination, you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of prayer, you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of the name of Jesus, and you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of discipleship. Just several verses earlier, Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (15:7-8). Getting whatever we ask from God is intertwined throughout his discourse with the notions of bearing fruit, being his disciples, and loving one another. Thus getting whatever we ask from God is as pervasive as the gospel itself. It cannot be taken out and thrown away without tearing apart the entire gospel, and thus also our salvation. Here bearing fruit is almost the same thing as getting whatever we ask from God, and by getting what we ask from God, we show ourselves to be true disciples of Christ.”

James

James has something to say about God’s sovereignty and prayer.

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them,” (James 4:13-17 NIV)

James affirms God’s absolute sovereignty over all things. Considering his affirmation of God’s sovereignty what are his commands for us, when we are faced with circumstances like sickness? When tomorrow looks like sickness for us, when seen from our observations, what does James command us to do? Does he say, “you don’t know what will happen, so do not boast about being healed tomorrow, even if you asked God to heal you?” He obviously does not say this, and yet this is how many would abuse James’ teaching on God’s sovereignty.

James chapter 5 says, if you are sick ask for the elders to pray for you, and the prayer of faith will make that person get well. Verse 15 says, “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (NKJV).” The command from James is not commanding us to only pray, but is commanding the result of healing. This is like a commanding officer saying to his subordinate, “Call a restaurant and order us some sandwiches for lunch.” The commander is not merely asking you to call, but to get the result of sandwiches for lunch.  Why do I need to explain this to adults?

James’ application of God’s absolute sovereign control over each day, is to apply it to get results in our prayers; to get absolute certain results in prayer.  And yet, I have seen those who quote James to teach about God’s sovereignty only to deny healing when we pray or say it is at best a maybe. But this same James who understands God’s sovereignty and is writing by the Holy Spirit does not apply God’s sovereignty that way. His application of God’s sovereignty is that if we ask for healing in faith, we will certainly get healed as certain as we are forgiven if we ask for forgiveness by faith.  According to James, God’s sovereignty ensures the certainty of both forgiveness and healing by faith. To say, when we ask for healing in faith that it does not result in guarantee healing, would be to undermine God’s sovereignty that ensures forgiveness if we ask for it by faith. The same sovereignty ensures both promises are guaranteed.

James also says if you lack wisdom then ask in faith, without doubting, and God will give you wisdom. If you doubt, then don’t expect more wisdom. If you have no doubts, then expect to get it. Not a maybe, but God will give you wisdom. Thus, if I ask to wake up tomorrow with more wisdom, in faith, I will certainly wake up tomorrow with more wisdom. This means I know certain things will happen tomorrow. I know them by the power of faith. This is how James applies God’s sovereignty.

Those who quote James’ teaching on God’s sovereignty over tomorrow, might be inclined to remind us the example of God’s hidden sovereign providence in the story of Nehemiah. And yet, James being led by the Holy Spirit, does not remind us of Nehemiah, but of Elijah. He says “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years,” (ver.16-17).

If we don’t know about tomorrow because of God’s sovereignty, then would not the hidden providence of God in Nehemiah be more appropriate? Apparently not. This is so, because such an understanding is a presupposed basic understanding for Christians. We know God is sovereign and as His children is always working behind the scenes to help, guide and bless us. This gives us joy and strength to always face the future in confidence.

James, who teaches that we do not know what will happen tomorrow, because of God’s sovereignty, skips Nehemiah and commands us to have faith like Elijah. He instructs us to make certain things happen tomorrow, like healing and turning the rain off or on like a faucet. By faith we know certain things will happen today and tomorrow. He is not saying we control every aspect of reality like God, and so there are many things about tomorrow we do not know; however, he also teaches us that with faith we make reality obey us today and tomorrow, and then by this know some things will certainly happen.  Even if we have perfect faith to ask for everything we want tomorrow, we would still be limited by time and everyday life when asking, and by this not be able to ask for an infinite number of things.

Paul is correct in saying that even time itself has been given to us (1 Corin. 3:22). Just as man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man, so to, time was made and given to man. With faith we make today and tomorrow yield to our prayers.

This is how the bible applies its own doctrine of God’s absolute control over reality and tomorrow. It instructs us to make the uncertain tomorrow be certainly known by faith. James shows us to make sickness, troubles, and lack of wisdom to bow to healing, wisdom and miracles by a prayer of faith. He does not remind us to remember Nehemiah, but to remember Elijah when we face troubles. Elijah was a mere human like us. He turned the rain off and on like a faucet. He turned reality off and on, the way I twist my shower nob. James tells us to be like Elijah when we pray.  

James says you don’t know what will happen because of God’s sovereignty, but then applies this by telling us to use faith to make reality obey us today and tomorrow. When we do this, we will know certain things will happen tomorrow.

Let us be like Jesus, Peter, James, and gentiles who apply God’s sovereignty to get results in prayer, healings, miracles and the power of the Spirit.

Anyone who affirms God’s absolute and direct sovereignty over all things, but does not apply it the way Jesus and the apostles do are frauds and liars. They would not know God’s sovereignty if it smacked them in the face. They are blind leading the blind. Never let such people be your teachers. Excommunication is the least they deserve.

We saw if you affirm God’s predestination, His election, His power to command reality is like a man ordering his servant and that His control is so complete we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, that its conclusion is more miracles, more healing, more baptism of the Spirit and more wisdom.

Let God’s sovereignty be a foundation for more and more healings and miracles.

God Can, But I Can’t?

I heard this phrase before, but recently heard it in a song. It says, “I can’t, But God can.”

While I understand somewhat where they are coming from, what is being said,  is false. It is true as a basic doctrine of God’s sovereignty that He can do anything. God has no limitations. God directly controls all things, including all human thoughts and actions so that He is the metaphysical author of sin[1]. This is so simple a child can understand and affirm it. I also understand the doctrine that man, only being considered in himself, is weak and very limited. However, if we consider a Christian, then it becomes a “what if scenario” because such a thing does not exist. God does not define or consider a Christian as just a human anymore. Thus in obedience, we do not consider any Christian as just a human with just human limitations. If someone is just human, then they are by definition, not a Christian.  

Jesus, who is the most God centered man who ever lived, helps us to redefine our ability when He says “the mountain will obey YOU.” Because the bible rejects pantheism, we do as well. Thus, Jesus is correct when He says the mountain will obey “you.” God and His creation are separate. This is why Jesus said give to Ceasar what belongs to him. When God fills us with His Spirit, He is filling us, and not Himself with His Spirit. It is not God telling the mountain to move, or telling the demon to come out, or sickness to get out; no, it is “you” speaking these things. And the mountain responds to your command. Jesus did not see any reason to interject His own doctrine by saying, “But God is sovereign, it is really His power not you, and so God is moving the mountain.” No. Jesus, despite what people think, did not say such things in the context when teaching about His extreme faith doctrine. Thus, I see no relevance in saying it.

Jesus’ extreme faith doctrine says with faith I cast out demons, heal the sick and cause mountains to obey me, when I tell them to do something. If a mountain “obeys me,” then it is painfully obvious that “I can.” How can I say, “I am limited,” if I can make demons, sickness and reality obey me? Most Christians have no idea who, or what they are. Most seem to scarcely believe they are forgiven and so they have no power to do any other command of God that involves faith. But Jesus’ faith teaching still stands, because Jesus is still relevant. He still rules, and His definition about us, still holds.

This authority to use Jesus’ name and command reality is not something that will be given to me, but already has. I do not need to ask God to give me this authority or ask His permission to use it. I have already been made the righteousness of God and given full permission to wield Jesus’ name for whatever I want and need. It already belongs to me. I do not ask and beg for something that is already in my possession and part of my definition and DNA.

God can, but with faith, I can as well. This is the theology of Jesus. He likes it. Let us follow His teaching and give glory to God by saying, “God can, but I can to. With faith in Jesus, reality obeys me. To God be all the glory.”

[1] I got this phrase from Vincent Cheung.
See www.vincentcheung.com for more of his materials.