By: Jim Kaseman

A person with “faith” speaks faith-filled words – words that line up with God’s Word. There isn’t an ounce of wavering in him.

When Jesus spoke to the fig tree, He didn’t whisper. He boldly said, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever” (Mark 11:14). A person with “Faith” will speak with boldness and authority. He’ll never bow to the whims of man. He’ll be moved only by the Word of God.

Jesus’ disciples received a lot of persecution for following Him, since many of Jesus’ family members already thought He was crazy. Can you imagine what the disciples must have thought now that Jesus is talking out loud to trees? I can just see them making a quiet pact with one another. “If you don’t say anything, I won’t. We’ve got enough trouble without people finding out that He’s now talking to trees.”

When Peter questioned Jesus the next morning when they walked by the cursed fig tree and found it withered from its roots, Jesus responded:”…Have faith in God.”

“For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:22-24).

Did you notice that Jesus didn’t say, “You shall have whatsoever good things you say?” He said, “Whatever you say,” meaning good or bad, depending on what’s coming out of your mouth and heart.

A person with “faith” never speaks the language of the devil. If you’re speaking Satan’s lies (half truths fit into this category, too), you’ll have exactly what you say. An example of Satan’s language is, “It’s not
God’s will to heal everybody. Everybody’s got to be sick once in a while, you know. God allowed this to happen. I mean, my heart condition, my cancer. I don’t feel like I have the joy of the Lord. I don’t feel like I’m healed.” Satan’s lies!

Remember, words or thoughts that have anything to do with stealing, killing, and destroying are authored by the devil, the father of lies, in whom there is no truth.

When you start wavering and doubting, not only will you not receive anything of the Lord, but if you keep it up long enough, you’ll end up being double-minded and unstable in all of your ways. A double-minded person is a schizophrenic, which means one thing comes out of your mouth one day and something else the next. We need to get God’s Word in our heart, leave it there, and give it a chance to grow so it can produce healing, joy, love, peace, patience… all of the fruit of the spirit.

…Expects a performance of his words

A person with “faith” expects a performance of his words. Jesus did. As He spoke, He never looked back. He never gave a thought to what others might think. He communed so intimately with the Father that He knew He had the mind of the Father for His every thought and action.

Now, Peter was aggressive. Can’t you just see Jesus and the disciples walking by the fig tree 24 hours after Jesus spoke to it and they discover that it’s dried up from its roots? Can’t you see Peter saying, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Look at the tree! You talked to the tree, and it’s dead. You didn’t even touch it. I was standing there. You didn’t even spit on it. You didn’t use an axe, yet it’s dead. How did You do that?”

Jesus’ response to Peter was, “Have the God kind of faith.”

For faith to work effectively, three things must be in operation. If any one of these keys is missing, the force of faith will be hindered.

1. You can have what you say, but you must speak it from your mouth.

2. You must believe in your heart.

3. You must put corresponding actions to what you’re speaking and believing.

…Applies faith principles to everyday life

Before I was born again, it was a way of life for me to think, talk, believe, and act just like everybody else in the world. I flowed with the crowd, you know. “Everybody’s doing it, so it must be okay.” I excelled in
some areas before I was born again. For instance, I was the only one ever arrested for ice skating on the city ice pond. With my car, that is. Thank God my nature has changed.

Why do you think a lot of kids end up smoking, drinking, and taking drugs? Why did I end up on alcohol and drugs? Because of Satan’s deception, “Everybody’s doing it.”

Or consider the morality of our nation. People sleeping together before marriage. The usual nonchalant response, “Everybody’s doing it.”

The root of these problems is thinking, talking, believing, and acting just like the world. Remember, Satan is the god of this world.

Once you’re born again, you’ll have to make a quality decision to walk in faith. The faith walk won’t just drop on you with ease. Paul called it a “fight.” He said we’re to fight the good fight of faith (I Timothy 6:12). Why would he call it a fight if it’s so easy to attain?

You’ll taste of resistance and opposition when you begin to walk in faith in every area of your life, but hold fast to the confession of your faith without wavering (Hebrews 10:23). The Amplified Version says, “So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His Word.”

…Stays out of the ditches

A person with “faith” stays out of the ditches. I’m convinced that some Spirit-filled believers think the way to heaven is by means of either the left or right ditch! Yet, the Word of God says the pathway to heaven is by a narrow road. Foolishness enters when a person flies out of one ditch and scoots right over into the other.

I’ve come to the realization that God has His head screwed on right! He’s not a weirdo. He’s not flaky. He’s exactly what the Word of God says He is, and He never changes. He’s always the same (Hebrews 13:8). We’re to imitate Him.

I heard about one medical doctor who experienced some success with diabetic and high blood pressure patients when he had them confess a certain number of times a day what their blood pressure or diabetic condition should be. Within a period of time, along with taking their medicine, the patient’s body came in line with their confession.

Foolishness comes when suddenly a person says, “Bless God. I’m going to throw my insulin away.” That’s one of the worst things you can do if you’re receiving your healing on your own faith, because chances are you haven’t had time to meditate on the Word to get it into your heart to where you fully believe it.

Then there are those who say, “I just found out that by Jesus’ stripes I was healed. I can have what I say. I say that I’m healed.” They think the corresponding action is to throw away their medicine. They’re saying the right thing. They’re acting like it is so, but what’s missing? In many cases, their heart is filled with fear rather than faith. You can hear it in their words. “I hope it works. It had better work because I’ve told everybody I threw away my medicine.” That’s not faith. That’s stupidity.

Keep taking the doctor’s medicine and God’s medicine (His Word) until the manifestation of healing comes in your body. When you take the doctor’s medicine, just say, “Praise God. According to the Word of God, I’m healed.”

Or if you have a head cold, blow your nose in your handkerchief. Don’t ignore it and let snot run all over your shirt! When you blow your nose, just say, “Thank You, Lord, according to Your Word, I’m healed.”

If you don’t want any more children, do something about it, because the law of sowing and reaping will work. It’s one of those natural laws, you know. Yet, we’ve had people say, “You can have what you say. We’re not having any more children.” Then they do what makes children and end up with more children!

People, let’s stop being foolish. Let’s stop bringing a reproach upon the Lord Jesus Christ by flaky actions.

…Operates in love

A person with “faith” will walk in love, for faith works by love. “For (if we are) in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love” (Galatians 5:6, Amp.).

Let’s develop our love and obedience walk as never before so the faith-filled words we speak will literally paralyze Satan in our lives and in the lives of others… so we’ll be such a supernatural force of power upon the earth that people will be drawn to Christ through the reality of Christ in us.

(The above material was published by Jim Kaseman Ministries, Tulsa, OK.)

Christian Information Network