Stretching Your Faith

Stretching Your Faith

How did Jesus walk without unbelief when He had to be feeding five thousands with five loaves and two fish for the first time in His life? How did He walk without unbelief when He had to raise the dead for the first time on earth? 

I find that pretty intriguing.

"Most assuredly, I am saying to you, the Son is not able to be doing by Himself anything except that which He is seeing the Father doing; for whatever things that One is doing, these things also the Son in like manner is doing. For the Father is fond of the Son and is constantly showing Him all things which He Himself is doing. And greater works than these will He show Him in order that you may be marvelling." - John 5:19-20 (WUESTNT)

Some charismatic circles teach that Jesus saw what the Father was literally doing, and He followed likewise. For example, the Father spat on the ground... and Jesus did the same in order to heal the blind man (John 9:6). If this is true, then Jesus probably had to check out if the Father started walking with His left leg or right leg before He followed suit.

Some say, "Well... that's common sense. Don't need to see what God is doing when it comes to walking." Well, what is common sense to you doesn't mean it is common sense to Him. If you want to stick to one principle, you have to be consistent and stick to all. You can't pick and choose what you want to suit your own theology.

Let me submit to you that what Jesus saw in John 5:19 is the will and the heart of the Father. He knew that the Father would always heal and always provide. So He did likewise.

Verse 20 says that the Father would show Him greater works. In other words, Jesus had to stretch His faith beyond what He already saw in the "lesser" works of God.

What Jesus saw and did prepared Him to do the "greater" works. This is the same principle as 1 Samuel 17:37 - "And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Jesus had to lean on the healing and miracles He saw and stretched His faith for the feeding of five thousands and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

The God Who Was with me is the God Who Is with me. Therefore, I can stretch further. Greater works require greater stretching. We need to go beyond our comfort level. This applies to all areas: healing, prophecy, word of knowledge, relationship, finances, etc.

If you are comfortable at getting a word of knowledge for ailment, then stretch for names, vocation, address, contact number, etc.

If you are comfortable at giving 5-10% away, then stretch for 20% first, and watch how God supplies extra to you.

If you are comfortable at your job (because of stable income), then quit your job and go after what God is already telling you to do.

We can't see the "greater" if we are not willing to stretch further. Every time when we stretch a little more, we destroy unbelief a little more.