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Matthew 17:19, 20 - Mountain Moving Faith.

Matthew 17:19, 20; Mountain Moving Faith.

Matthew 17:19-20 (NIV) Then the disciples came to Jesus in 
private and asked, Why couldnt we drive it out? 20 He replied, 
Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as 
small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from 
here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for 
you.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

Ultimate Fact About Faith
   The Bible tells the story of a father who desperately wanted 
his son to be healed. Jesus disciples had tried and failed. When the 
Lord heard this, he asked for the boy to be brought to him. The 
father came to Jesus and pleaded,  
"If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.'
   "If you can?" Jesus replied. "Everything is possible for one 
who believes." 
   The boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome 
my unbelief!" 
   Immediately, Jesus healed the boy.
   Do you think the boy was healed because of the strength of 
the father's faith? No. Obviously, the father had little faith. He 
wanted to believe, but he had been disappointed so many limes that he 
had difficulty believing. Now the father had faith in the right 
person - Jesus Christ. The ultimate truth is this: faith is only as 
good as the one in whom it's invested. 
   Examine The Case
   Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, 
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will 
move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). Nothing 
will be impossible for us, because nothing is impossible for God. 
Through God's power, our little faith can accomplish big things. 
   Do you have the faith to move mountains? Mountains are big. 
Sometimes we feel strong in our faith. Other times our faith feels pretty 
small. Here's the good news: It's not up to our faith to move 
mountains, because we have nothing to do with it. God does. He made the 
mountains, and only he moves them. At times, we can feel like its up to 
us to muster up the faith to make something big happen. If only I 
have faith, I'll get over this illness, or If only I have faith, I'll 
be able to tell that person about Jesus. But it's not about muster 
- it's about mustard. Jesus said nothing is impossible for the 
person who has the faith of a mustard seed. Invest your tiny faith in a 
big God. Then trust him and see what he does. He may not always move 
the way we hope, but he always moves in the way that's best for us. 
   Final Word
   Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard 
seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it 
will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20. [Case 
For Christ For Kids by Les Strobel] 

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

   Jesus spoke of great faith during His years on earth, but He 
spoke far more about little faith. In today's Scripture, Jesus chides 
the disciples for their small faith. Then He gives them an 
illustration that must have stopped them in their tracks. He tells them, in 
effect, "Why, if your faith were as small a mustard seed, you could do 
anything!" Notice that He doesn't compare little faith with great faith; He 
compares small faith with tiny, barely visible faith. But even this 
microscopic faith, if genuine, can brush aside mountains in its path. 
Earlier in Matthew, we read that the mustard seed, even though tiny, 
grows into one of the largest trees in the garden (Mat. 13:32). It 
grows. It doesn't stay insignificant. You may feel your faith is small 
now, but persevere! Keep obeying, keep trusting, and your small faith 
will one day become something more than you could have imagined.  
   I know, Lord, that the main thing isn't the strength of my 
faith, but the strength of my God. Even so, I want to trust You more 
and more, because I know it pleases You. I want You to smile on my 
faith. And I want my faith to encourage others who are trying so hard 
to hold on to faith at all. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson 
Tada and Larry Libby] 

   Unfortunately, most of us allow our hurts, hang-ups, and 
habits to define us. We see them as immovable mountains, so much so 
that we often can't imagine what our lives would look like if we were 
to find ourselves completely free of them.  
   One of the reasons Celebrate Recovery [or church] has helped 
so many is that it provides a ladder to hope. As we begin to climb 
the ladder, freedom seems more and more possible because we are 
going about it one step at a time. We begin to believe that God is 
bigger than the mountains in our lives, more certain than our greatest 
uncertainties, and completely faithful. In other words, we begin to have faith 
in God. We begin to believe that we can be free, we can be whole.  
   It's true that a mountain represents a huge obstacle, but it 
can be moved. Not because our faith is huge, but because we serve a 
huge God, capable of doing more than we could ever think or imagine. 
Anyone who wants to find out what God can do should come join us at 
Celebrate Recovery [or church]. We know because we've seen the mountains 
in our lives moved.  
   Lord God, thank you for a place where the power of God is 
demonstrated. Give me the words to share what you've done in my life with 
someone who is facing a mountain. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate 
Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker] parentheses added 

   It is reassuring to know that we don't need a large amount of 
faith to begin the recovery process. We need only a small amount, "as 
small as a mustard seed," to bring change and begin to move our 
mountains of hurts, hang-ups, and habits. If we will put the faith that we 
have in Jesus, our lives will be changed! We will find hope in the 
only Higher Power, Jesus Christ. 
   Hope gives us the courage to reach out and hold Christ's 
hand, while facing the present with confidence and the future with 
realistic expectancy. Simply put, my life without Christ is a hopeless 
end; with him it is an endless hope. Let's look at what the word HOPE 
means. 
   H stands for "Higher Power." The only true Higher Power is 
Jesus Christ. 
   O stands for "open to change."
   P stands for "power to change."
   E stands for "expect to change."
   If this is our definition of hope, the changes we have longed 
for are just steps away. We must not give up until we receive our 
miracle from God. Our faith assures us that he exists and that he has 
the power to help us overcome the hurts, hang-ups, and habits that 
have ruled our lives. 
   Father, I place my faith in you and Your mighty power to free 
me. I will not give up. I will hope in your goodness. In Jesus' 
name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny 
Baker] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150127-1700.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782

Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE

Musical Devotional On Christian Living: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/

ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK 

Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad: 
https://vimeo.com/162267518