Faith Is Interesting

Faith Is Interesting

Haven't heard anyone shared this before. But some time ago, when I was in communion with God, He shared with me about faith when I wasn't even thinking about it. I honestly think that my natural mind is not so smart to think of this.

Faith is interesting. It doesn't matter if it is your faith or the recipient's faith. As long as there is faith, grace comes down to make faith a reality.

There is a disparity between two incidents in Mark 5. The first incident has to do with the recipient's faith. And the second has to do with the minister's faith.

First incident:

The woman with the issue of blood heard about the faithfulness and the goodness of God. It is always the faithfulness and the goodness of God that imparts faith to us. As such, the woman had faith for her healing. In fact, there was no record about anyone healed by touching the hem of the garment of Jesus. She was the forerunner in that area. She believed that she would be healed, simply by touching the hem of Jesus' garment. Jesus said that it was her faith that made her well.

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. - Mark 5:34

In this case, it was the recipient's faith (the sick person's faith) that got her healed.

Disclaimer: You can't build your own faith. You just can't do it by your own. If you focus on your faith, you will not make it. But if you focus on how faithful and how good Jesus is, your faith is automatically present. Because faith is always a response towards His goodness and faithfulness.

Second incident:

Jairus' daughter was dying. In fact, after Jesus stopped to speak to the woman with the issue of blood, his daughter died. 

In this incident, Jairus didn't say, "If Jesus were to touch my child, she would be raised from the dead." He was afraid and doubtful. But Jesus told him to believe.

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” - Mark 5:36

Jesus didn't need Jairus to believe in order to work miracles. Because He Himself believed.

Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. - Mark 5:41-42

The fact that they were overcome with great amazement revealed that they didn't expect her to be raised from the dead.

In this case, it was Jesus' faith (minister's faith) that got Jairus' daughter raised from the dead.

There were many other instances in the Gospel to show us that healing works either through the minister's faith (Mark 3:1-5; Mark 9:23-25; Luke 13:10-13; Luke 7:14-15; Acts 3:4-7) or the recipient's faith (Matthew 8:13; Matthew 9:29; Matthew 15:28; Acts 14:9-10). These are just some instances.

It doesn't matter if it is the minister's faith or the recipient's faith. As long as there is faith, grace comes down to make faith a reality.

This truth actually reveals a number of things.

1) If a person is healed, we simply turn to Jesus and praise Him. Because it is not always the minister's faith that makes the person well. It could be the sick person's faith that makes himself well. The minister is simply the point of contact between the recipient and Jesus. Knowing this will prevent the minister from pride, thinking that he is the MAN. At the same time, it prevents people from exalting the minister above Jesus.

This also reveals why healing happens easily in third world countries and third world natives as compared to first world like Singapore when it is the SAME minister who ministers healing. If God is the same and the minister is the same, why isn't there a consistent result when we minister in the first world? Because the third world natives have simple faith. They turn desperately to Jesus instead of medical science. It is their faith that gets them well. The minister is just the point of contact between them and Jesus.

Some time ago, I wanted to minister to a person face to face. But the person said, "It's fine. Just say a word and I will be well." This person actually had such simple faith that I didn't have. I had thought that I needed to minister in person.

A similar incident happened when Jesus ministered to a centurion's servant. Jesus had planned to go to his house to minister healing. But the centurion said, "Lord, just say a word and my servant will be healed." (Matthew 8:8)

We have much to learn from third world natives. They have child-like faith.

Disclaimer: There will be times when we don't see consistent results, not because it's third world or first world, but because we don't always see what Christ sees at the very point of ministering. Mountains move when we minister in faith (Matthew 17:20). When the mountains don't move, it's because we fail to see clearly His finished works on the Cross. The fruit will always determine the root of what we believe.

2) When the minister releases healing from the pulpit for the same type of sickness, why do we see some healed and some not healed? Because healing flows either through the minister's faith or through the recipients' faith. If Jesus were to be the One releasing healing from the pulpit, guess what? All will be healed. Because He believes!

This is one reason why a minister likes to share a healing testimony from the pulpit. He also preaches the Gospel from the pulpit. He even releases word of knowledge to impart faith to the recipients. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God (Rom 10:17). Each time when the minister preaches the Gospel, shares a healing testimony and/or releases word of knowledge, faith arises in the hearts of the recipients, positioning them to receive healing (Galatians 3:5). Without the preaching of the Gospel and the sharing of testimony, we will see a different result, because healing now rests on the minister's faith.

Jesus didn't need to preach or share a testimony to get people healed, because He always sees what the Father sees. In other words, He always believes.

Having said that, we should use all available platforms to get a person healed in the name of Jesus. At the same time, we need to personally continue to grow in seeing what Christ sees.

3) If a person is not healed, it is the minister who needs to grow in seeing what Christ sees (Matthew 17:17-20). Jesus never ever told the sick person, "Because of your unbelief." But He told His disciples (the ones ministering healing), "Because of your unbelief." We don't put burden and yoke on the recipient. If we are the ones ministering, we should humble ourselves and realise that we have much to grow if we don't see the person healed. Neither should we say, "Oh it's a mystery that I don't understand." It is contradictory to say that we believe that it is always God's will and timing to heal all the time, but when it doesn't happen, we say, "I don't know why." Because we can't see this in the life of Jesus. He is the only example we should follow. He is the only standard. Furthermore, if Jesus were to be right there to minister, the person will guarantee be healed.

Faith is interesting. It doesn't matter if it is the minister's faith or the recipient's faith. As long as there is faith, grace comes down to make faith a reality.

Why am I sharing this? Should we try to find out if it's the minister's faith or the recipient's faith that healed the recipient? By no means!

As long as someone is healed, we worship Jesus. We exalt Him. We look to Him. We don't look to man and exalt man above Jesus. This sharing brings clarity to the truth that it is not always the minister who gets someone healed, just because the person is healed. 

It's about the grace and the love of Jesus that healing flows through either party as long as faith is in the equation. It encourages the minister and the recipient to partner together and focus on Jesus. It's about the Body coming together and growing in maturity by looking at the Head instead of looking at one another's Body.

Some relegate what is not understandable at the present to the mystery of God. While there are many things that we do not yet understand, it does not mean that we can never understand. We have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We have the Holy Spirit who searches all things and teaches us concerning all things. It's just that we are still growing in knowing those things.

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. - 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

Faith is interesting. It is also the way of living. "The righteous shall live by faith." If we are to live by faith, faith is probably the most important thing that we can learn about. But the only way to live by faith is to know His love. Because faith always works through love (Galatians 5:6). 

Let's focus on Jesus and grow. Jesus is altogether lovely and awesome!

P.S: I know many will disagree with this sharing. It may even step on some people's toes. It's not a matter of whether you are right or I am right. This is just what I believe. Compare with Scriptures and come to your own conclusion :) In the end, Jesus is still Lord and He loves us. That's the most important thing.