People can talk to you, they can counsel you and they can pray for you. But, it's your faith alone that brings the final results in your life.
When you were saved, for example, others could pray for you; but it was your faith alone that brought regeneration to your life and reconciliation with God the Father.
We must stand alone in this life. And, we must begin to believe God and receive what God has told us belongs to us. I know there's such a thing as prayer of agreement, but in the final analysis, when you begin to study the Word, you find in almost every incident that when Jesus met someone, He turned to them and said, "Thy faith has made you whole." He didn't say, "The crowd's faith had made you whole." He said, "YOUR FAITH has made you whole." That means their faith alone did it.
Turn to Mark 5 to read the familiar story of the woman with an issue of blood. The Bible says she "spent all she had, was nothing better, but rather grew worse."But, look what happens next. When she heard of Jesus, faith came into her heart and she said, "If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole."
When you hear of Jesus, it causes faith to come into your heart. ( Look at Romans 10:17 ). The Word tells us in John 1 that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Who was the Word? JESUS.
Notice something about both Bartimaeus and this woman. Both made up their minds to believe God-when faith began to arise in their hearts, they both did something with their faith that brought success.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walked down the dusty road outside of Jericho the day Bartimaeus was healed. His every step was ordered by the Holy Spirit. He was on a mission with an objective from on High.
Notice what brought Him to a halt-the cry of faith from a blind beggar who cried out, "Jesus, have mercy on me!" that cry stopped the Son of God in His tracks.
Jesus looked around to see who it was. He said, "Bring him to me." Those who had been telling Bartimaeus to keep quiet were now quiet themselves. Those who wouldn't give Bartimaeus a helping hand before were now quick to lead him to the Master.
Jesus said," Bring him here." God Incarnate, the Sustainer of the universe, was brought to a halt. Was it somebody's preaching that stopped Him? Was it someone's emotionalism that stopped Him? NO. Emmanuel-God with us-was brought to a halt on that roadside by the cry of faith from a human being in need.
That same cry of faith from the lips of any person God has created-regardless of color or language, man or woman, boy or girl, young or old-will find a response from God.
But, too many of us are relying on someone else. We need to get it out of our heads and into our spirits (down on the inside of us) that all it takes for us to be a success is to stand alone before God.
Look at blind Bartimaeus who stood before Jesus. He didn't have the nicest clothes and he probably need a bath. He had no right or authority to even think he could be in the presence of the Nazarene whom he heard was going about doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed.
The day Bartimaeus got up and called for Jesus, Jesus had looked at him and said, "What would you have?" And, Bartimaeus' response was, "Lord that I might see." Jesus said, "You've got it."
That same Jesus who had only done good was taken from the judgement hall and whipped with a cat-o-nine tails across His back. The Word tells us "by whose stripes ye were healed" in 1Peter 2:24.
If you were healed then you are healed; it's already done. What you have to do is accept by faith what God has given you.
Look at Mark 9:23. That verse of scripture is still real today.
Maybe you have a sickness in your body or any need in your life. Can you believe right now-alone? Are you ready to believe? Are you ready to receive? Today is no different from the day Jesus stopped on the road outside of Jericho at the sound of Bartimaeus' crying out. Today is no different from the day a woman touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed.
That very same Jesus who had the power to heal then has the power to heal today. And, He has sent that power down through time. Today, you can be healed if you dare to stand and believe God's Word.
It may seem black or even bleak. You may be in the same position as the woman in Mark 5. The physicians told her there was no hope and that she was going to die. You may be like Bartimaeus, sitting by the wayside, broke and blind. But, God is saying, "If you will step out in faith and act on My Word, then you can walk free in the power of the Most High." Are you ready to act in faith? Are you ready to rise and be healed? Are you ready to receive right now? Who's going to do it for you? YOU ARE.
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