Jfirst Cause Weekly Inspirational
October 27, 2007
I Believe
The power of believing – There is a famous woman’s tennis player named Venus Williams who was going through a slump a few years back. She was supposed to be an all time great but instead, she was playing way below average. Venus has a little sister named Serena and Serena was playing way better then Venus and people started to say Serena is going to be a great one but Venus is just not in that league.
All of a sudden, Venus started to play amazing tennis and started to win major tournaments again. She started to be mentioned with the all time greats and during this stretch of Venus’s career she was interviewed by Billy Jean King who happens to be one of the all time greats in women’s tennis.
As Billy Jean King was interviewing Venus Williams she said, “Venus you were playing poor tennis for a long stretch, people start to say you are never going to be an all time great, in fact your sister Serena plays at that level but Venus is average at best then you start to play great tennis again and win a few grand slam tournaments, now you are being compared to the all time greats, what happened to get you to this high level in tennis?” Venus simply looked at Billy Jean King during the interview with a big smile on her face and said, “I started to believe.”
Venus’s words exploded in my spirit. I started to think how believing in yourself can make all the difference between being just another tennis player to one of the all time greats in Venus Williams’ case. Just imagine how much God can work in our lives by believing Him.
This led me to the gospel of Mark. As I read chapter nine, a section reminded me of Venus Williams and her profound words.
Mark 9:14-29 (New King James Version)
A Boy Is Healed
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,[a] all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”[b]
In this passage, Jesus is approached by a man that wants his son to be healed. His son is being tormented by a demon spirit that causes him to foam at the month, gnash his teeth, and throws him to the ground. The man says he asked the disciples to heal him but they couldn’t. Jesus looks at the disciples and says, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?”
Jesus heals the man’s son but before He does, Jesus tells the man anything is possible to him who believes. The man immediately looks at Jesus and says these gut wrenching words, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” This dialogue takes place in verses 23 and 24 and cuts right to the heart.
We all have our moments when we believe that nothing is impossible with Jesus and we see Him do crazy things in our lives for His glory. At other times, we want to believe but doubt ambushes us and believing seems to be the farthest thing from reality.
My question is, how do we make it during those intense times? I see two things this man did when he was faced with believing God or doubting God that can help us believe and not doubt.
1. The man knew who could grant his request. In verses 17-20, the man tells Jesus he brought his son to the disciples to be healed but they couldn’t do it so he went to Jesus. I see the man going to Jesus indirectly when he asks the disciples to heal his son then he goes directly to Jesus when he says the disciples couldn’t heal my son but you can Jesus. The man is saying he believes that Jesus is the One who can grant his request in the matter of his son.
2. The man was honest when confronted with the idea of believing or doubting. In verse 24, the man says I do believe but unbelief is there as well. This man knows that Jesus can do anything at anytime but he still struggles with unbelief and he knows that only Jesus can help him to shake doubt.
When it comes to believing, God works the greatest in faith and in order for faith to be released, believing is the key ingredient that has to be present.
The Challenge – As you read this passage, ask God to help you to believe and overcome unbelief.
Write down the things that you feel are impossible and start to pray for God to use you to see these things become possible.
Share this inspirational with someone who God puts on your heart to share it with so they can be blessed and they can start seeing God use them to do the impossible as well for His Glory
I Believe
The power of believing – There is a famous woman’s tennis player named Venus Williams who was going through a slump a few years back. She was supposed to be an all time great but instead, she was playing way below average. Venus has a little sister named Serena and Serena was playing way better then Venus and people started to say Serena is going to be a great one but Venus is just not in that league.
All of a sudden, Venus started to play amazing tennis and started to win major tournaments again. She started to be mentioned with the all time greats and during this stretch of Venus’s career she was interviewed by Billy Jean King who happens to be one of the all time greats in women’s tennis.
As Billy Jean King was interviewing Venus Williams she said, “Venus you were playing poor tennis for a long stretch, people start to say you are never going to be an all time great, in fact your sister Serena plays at that level but Venus is average at best then you start to play great tennis again and win a few grand slam tournaments, now you are being compared to the all time greats, what happened to get you to this high level in tennis?” Venus simply looked at Billy Jean King during the interview with a big smile on her face and said, “I started to believe.”
Venus’s words exploded in my spirit. I started to think how believing in yourself can make all the difference between being just another tennis player to one of the all time greats in Venus Williams’ case. Just imagine how much God can work in our lives by believing Him.
This led me to the gospel of Mark. As I read chapter nine, a section reminded me of Venus Williams and her profound words.
Mark 9:14-29 (New King James Version)
A Boy Is Healed
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,[a] all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”[b]
In this passage, Jesus is approached by a man that wants his son to be healed. His son is being tormented by a demon spirit that causes him to foam at the month, gnash his teeth, and throws him to the ground. The man says he asked the disciples to heal him but they couldn’t. Jesus looks at the disciples and says, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?”
Jesus heals the man’s son but before He does, Jesus tells the man anything is possible to him who believes. The man immediately looks at Jesus and says these gut wrenching words, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” This dialogue takes place in verses 23 and 24 and cuts right to the heart.
We all have our moments when we believe that nothing is impossible with Jesus and we see Him do crazy things in our lives for His glory. At other times, we want to believe but doubt ambushes us and believing seems to be the farthest thing from reality.
My question is, how do we make it during those intense times? I see two things this man did when he was faced with believing God or doubting God that can help us believe and not doubt.
1. The man knew who could grant his request. In verses 17-20, the man tells Jesus he brought his son to the disciples to be healed but they couldn’t do it so he went to Jesus. I see the man going to Jesus indirectly when he asks the disciples to heal his son then he goes directly to Jesus when he says the disciples couldn’t heal my son but you can Jesus. The man is saying he believes that Jesus is the One who can grant his request in the matter of his son.
2. The man was honest when confronted with the idea of believing or doubting. In verse 24, the man says I do believe but unbelief is there as well. This man knows that Jesus can do anything at anytime but he still struggles with unbelief and he knows that only Jesus can help him to shake doubt.
When it comes to believing, God works the greatest in faith and in order for faith to be released, believing is the key ingredient that has to be present.
The Challenge – As you read this passage, ask God to help you to believe and overcome unbelief.
Write down the things that you feel are impossible and start to pray for God to use you to see these things become possible.
Share this inspirational with someone who God puts on your heart to share it with so they can be blessed and they can start seeing God use them to do the impossible as well for His Glory
Be Blessed,
Joey
PS: If you need prayer, write you requests in the comments section of the blog and we will pray for those needs. Let us know when God answers your prayers by sending your praise reports.
If you haven't received Jesus Christ yet and you want to, pray this prayer with me. Dear God I admit I am a sinner in need of a Savior and I believe that Savior is Jesus Christ. I confess Jesus today as my Lord and Savior and commit my life to Him. I pray this in the name of Jesus Amen.
Let us know if you received Christ so we can rejoice with you because it’s the greatest thing you will ever do in this life.
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