Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:22-24).
God has destined and designed you for a glorious purpose. He has made you to live a full, abundant life (John 10:10), to be the salt and light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-16), and to be an overcomer of trial through the blood of Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:11). But sometimes, great trials or difficulties—”mountains”—may seem to stand in your way of fulfilling your dreams, thriving in your relationships or living the abundant life you were destined for.
As we enter into 2017 and reflect on 2016, you may find that you faced mountains that seemed insurmountable. Your mountains can include challenges in your finances, problems in your marriage, sickness, addiction, depression or hopelessness, just to name a few. As the people of God, we are destined to see heaven invade earth—and there is no sorrow or pain in heaven. Do you need breakthrough, healing, miraculous provision or open doors? I want to encourage you that your heavenly Father wants to partner with you to see your mountains removed, so that you can “have life and … have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), bring heaven to Earth and fulfill your God-given purpose.
Speak to Your Mountain
“I willl give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Just as Adam and Eve were given authority in Genesis 1 to “replenish the earth and subdue it” and “rule … over every living thing” (Genesis 1:28), you have authority to rule and reign on this earth. You are called a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) and “kings and priests” (Rev. 5:10). You have the authority to make decrees that result in transformation and blessing.
In the Gospels, Jesus made decrees again and again that brought healing and peace to the world around Him. In Mark 4:39, Jesus said to the storm raging around Him and His disciples, “Peace! Be still!”—and the storm died. In John 5:8b, He said to the sick man at the pool at Bethesda, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” In these instances, Jesus did not ask for what He wanted; He decreed.
You are called to “bind and loose” things in prayer that release heaven onto earth—and there are no sicknesses, relational difficulties or financial issues in heaven. Begin by listening to God in prayer, and then make decrees that move the mountains before you. Decree healing over your body, salvation for your family and breakthrough in your finances—out loud. Your words are powerful and carry the authority of Jesus Christ.
Believe You Have It Before You See It
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24).
You must learn to believe that you have received what you have asked for or decreed, before you see the fulfillment of the reality. Faith is not for the future—it is for the “now.” The world may say that you must see something to believe it, but Hebrews 11:1 says that “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (emphasis added)
When we purchased Ambassador Auditorium for HRock Church in 2004, I had an encounter with God where He revealed to me that I was seated in the heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 2:6), and not to worry about the finances that we needed to pay off the mortgage. I knew it was a “done deal.”
Know that when you decree something, you have received it. If you are dealing with illness, know that “by His stripes [you] are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5b) If you have a prodigal son or daughter, receive their return to you and God in faith. Faith is a present reality that will transform even the most overwhelming of circumstances.
Radically Obey God
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
Faith and obedience go hand in hand. God wants to partner with you in order to see healing, restoration and transformation in your life. If you want to see your mountains moved, you’ve got step out in faith and obedience to the Word of God and the leading of God. In Hebrews 11, Abraham is commended for His faith because he obeyed and “went out not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8b). Later on, we know that he received an incredible inheritance—but he obeyed first.
When Sue and I moved to Los Angeles in 1992, we had no family, friends or acquaintances to receive us. It was a very radical move, and it did not come without challenges and difficulty. But God had spoken to me about the great harvest that was coming, and I received His Word by faith—and God doesn’t disappoint.
James 2:17 says that “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” What are the action steps God wants you take to remove your mountain? I encourage you to listen to Him, and step out in obedience. At HRock Church, we are taking active steps in order to eradicate the existing debt of our building payment, by partnering with our church body. We have a divine assignment to bring great transformation to the arts and entertainment industry with the beautiful building God has provided for us. In order to see this fulfilled, we must remove the mountain before us.
Joy Comes in the Morning
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).
If 2016 has been an especially difficult year for you, I want to encourage you that joy is coming in 2017. Decree change and transformation, receive God’s Word by faith and obey His leading. Believe your mountains will be “cast into the sea.” {eoa}
Ché Ahn and his wife, Sue, are the founding pastors of HRock Church in Pasadena, California. Ché serves as the founder and president of Harvest International Ministry (HIM) and the International Chancellor of Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI). With a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, he has played a key role in many strategic outreaches on local, national and international levels. He has written more than a dozen books and travels extensively throughout the world, bringing apostolic insight with an impartation of renewal, healing and evangelism.
This article originally appeared at hrockchurch.com.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.