228-Declare What You Believe and You Will See#
228-Declare What You Believe and You Will See
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic of sharing is called: Declare What You Believe and You Will See
Mark 11:11-24
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! As a new week begins, we first receive Your provision, believing that the promises in the Bible are for me. Through Your words, let my spirit be ignited once again, granting me strength and supply, receiving Your personal nourishment. Thank You and praise You! Bless every brother and sister who seeks You. May the Holy Spirit help each of us, renewing our thoughts and intentions. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Do you all know that everyone is declaring something? Whether or not you believe in Jesus, you are making declarations. Some people declare negative things, while others declare positive things. Some talk about their past, while others keep talking about their future. Regardless of what is said, you are all making declarations, and many people see what they speak. I want to tell you: Jesus is also making declarations. Do you see how Jesus declares? He made a declaration to a fig tree. Why did Jesus curse this fig tree? The reason is simple: Jesus wanted to eat the figs, but when he got to the tree, he found only leaves and no figs, so he cursed the tree, saying that no one would ever eat its fruit again.
I have a question for you: The Bible clearly states that it is not the season for figs, which proves that this tree could be fruitless. We need to have a basic understanding of the fig tree. You must know that what we believe must be correct, and Jesus could never act irrationally or unjustly against a tree.
Let me explain: In the Jewish region, which is now the Middle East, fig trees bear fruit in the autumn, and in winter, the fruits can hang on the tree, some even until the spring of the following year. Fig trees are wild and it is impossible to gather all the fruits to take home, proving that this fig tree must not have borne fruit, and it is not that someone took the fruit home. In the Jewish region, this does not happen. Jesus saw that the tree had leaves, so he went there to find fruit to eat. From this, we can see that there should have been fruit on the tree. Jesus wanted to eat figs but found no fruit, only leaves, so he cursed the fig tree.
However, the Bible says it is not the season for figs, and Jesus was not being unreasonable with the tree. Many people think that Jesus was making things difficult for this tree, but that is not the case. Through this passage, I want to tell you that Jesus declared a curse, and the fig tree withered from the roots. Many people think that since it is not the season for figs, it might not bear fruit. But think about this: Who does the fig tree represent? The fig tree represents Israel. When they do not bear fruit, does the Lord curse them to death? That is not the case, brothers and sisters. If we interpret it this way, then what would Jesus do when we do not bear fruit? Would he curse us? That seems problematic.
I want to use this incident to tell you that Jesus' words have authority and power. Jesus simply declared what he believed, and he saw what he declared. You need to learn one thing: declare what you believe. Do not go out and look for a tree to test this. I want to tell you that Jesus did not deliberately seek out this tree, nor did he wish for it to die. He used this incident to illustrate that the words from his mouth have authority. Do not let your mouth speak negative things.
Some people keep talking about their past. Although the past may have been full of failures, do not say you are a failure today. Perhaps you were weak in the past and everything you did was weak, but do not say you are weak anymore. Declare the results you want in the name of Jesus Christ. Declare the true version of yourself in God's eyes, not the version you see. You need to know how God sees you and then declare it. Do you understand? As mentioned earlier, since Jesus was not making things difficult for this tree, what was the reason?
Verse 13 states very clearly that it is not the season for figs.
Harvest means abundance. June is the harvest time for wheat, while May is not. But what do you see? If you cannot see a single ear of wheat in May, can you harvest in June? Do you understand now? Just because it is not the season for figs does not mean it cannot bear fruit; at most, the fruit is not ripe, but there should at least be some figs. So even though it is not the season for figs, there must be fruit.
Many people have changed this. In the past, I heard some people say: "Because it is not the season for figs." Who told you it is not the season for figs? It is not the day of harvest, but there must be fruit on the tree. We must take the Bible seriously. Do not think that just because it is not the season for figs, Jesus cursed the tree for not bearing fruit. That is not the case. The fig tree has a characteristic: it can bear fruit without blooming. Hence, it is called a fig tree. Do you know why it does not bloom? It is not that our Lord does not want it to look beautiful; it means it is exempt from the obligation to bloom, using all its blooming power to bear fruit.
Many times, we are busy blooming, aiming to bear fruit, but some trees bloom not to bear fruit but just to show off. Do you understand? God does not want us to be such ornamental flowers; He wants us to be real fruit-bearing trees. What are the characteristics of a fruit-bearing tree? It can supply others. If you are just a flowering tree, how long can you bloom? There is a saying that flowers do not last a hundred days; they end in three months. However, fruits can last for over a year, and when the next year comes, they can still bear fruit while the previous fruits remain.
Our Lord has actually exempted it from the obligation to bloom, allowing it to bear more fruit than other trees. The leaves here represent the exterior. If they have only leaves and no fruit, it proves that they can only use their appearance as a capital for show. The fig tree becomes both flowerless and fruitless. God does not want us to do this; He wants you to have no flowers but definitely have fruit. We cannot believe in those empty names or things that are merely appearances, as they are of no benefit. The Lord Jesus demonstrated the power of His words here. Brothers and sisters, you should also learn to declare in the name of Jesus Christ regarding your problems or against the devil.
Let us see what Jesus said in Mark 11:14.
Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
It is clear that when they passed by the fig tree, after Jesus declared, the fig tree did not change at all. It was only the next day that the disciples noticed that the tree had withered, indicating that after Jesus spoke, the tree remained the same, and the disciples continued on. If the tree had withered immediately after Jesus spoke, all the disciples would have noticed, especially Peter, who was particularly attentive to such matters. The tree still did not change, but it had already been cursed. It is evident that when they passed by in the evening, they saw that the tree had not changed. If the tree had already withered, it would have been recognizable. But the tree still did not change until the next day. After a night had passed, the next day, Peter suddenly noticed and said, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” This situation occurred the next day.
Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you another fact: Many times you have declared, but you do not see the results because you are too anxious. Can you wait a moment? We all hope for immediate results: declare now, and in the next second, it will be accomplished. In this matter, our faith is strong, but God's way of doing things is: once you declare, you must believe it will happen. Even if you do not see the results now, you must believe it will happen. Do not be anxious; rest and wait for the results to appear.
After Jesus declared, the next day the disciples found that the tree had withered. In the meantime, another story was added. The Holy Spirit arranged this passage in this way. After Jesus declared, they went to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered the temple, driving out those who were buying and selling. At that time, problems had already arisen in the temple, which was called a house of prayer for all nations, but had become a marketplace. Many people were doing business in the temple, even running around with tools during gatherings, which would have been impossible in the past. Why is this story inserted here? What did Jesus do in the temple? We call it cleansing the temple.
In verse 15, they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple and began driving out those who were buying and selling, overturning the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
Previously, Jesus was teaching the disciples to make declarations, and then he took the disciples to the temple to cleanse it. Remember: the arrangement of such passages in the Bible is definitely not without meaning. Why is this story added between the beginning and the end? It is actually to tell you: If you have declared but still worry in your heart, what should you do? Should you continue to declare that matter? Lord, accomplish this for me in the name of Jesus. After declaring, if you still worry or doubt, what should you do? What is the outcome?
In verse 23, I tell you the truth: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
Jesus mentions here not to doubt. Many people, after declaring, still have doubts. What should they do? You say to continue declaring, but do not forget that if you declare and still have doubts, you are still in doubt. You need to think carefully about this story. When you have doubts, you need to let Jesus cleanse your heart, which proves that there are other things in your heart, causing you to doubt.
If you declare and believe, it proves that there are no other things in your heart. If you declare and still doubt, it proves that there are other things in you, which means there are money changers in you. You are worried about whether this method will work, or to use an example of offering, you say, “Lord, I am putting in one dollar now, in the name of Lord Jesus, give me one hundred dollars.” Isn’t that a hundredfold blessing? You start to think, when will I receive it? Can it appear in the next second? This is a mindset of a money changer. What should you do? Set those thoughts aside first. When you do these things, do not think about using God.
Many people declare but actually use God instead of sincerely submitting to Him. Do you understand? Many Christians have reached a point where they say, “Lord, you do this for me, you do that for me…” as if they have become gods themselves, and He is just a servant. The positions are reversed, which proves there is a problem. What about the benches of those selling doves? What does this have to do with it? One is a table, and the other is a bench. These can occupy your heart. Do you understand? If you always focus on these tables and benches, you are focusing on whether your matter can be accomplished. You should focus on Jesus: “Lord! I entrust this matter to You.” The focus should be on Jesus, not on the tables of money changers or the benches of those selling doves, nor on any tools. This means that when you pray for something, you should focus on Jesus. If your focus remains on that matter after declaring, it proves that you need to cleanse your heart.
How to cleanse? Reacquaint yourself with Jesus, His power, authority, and how much He loves you. If you get the focus wrong, you will still have doubts in your heart. After Jesus declared, where were the disciples' hearts? Were they on that tree? No. Jesus declared, and you also declared. Peter did not say, “Lord! You declared, why is there no result? Why hasn’t the tree died?” This proves that his focus was on that tree.
How many times do we declare, but our focus remains on that matter? Always on that matter, “Lord, when will this matter change?” If that day, after Jesus declared, Peter said, “You go ahead, I won’t leave. I will sit here and watch when this tree withers.” He might become weaker the more he looks, wondering why Jesus’ declaration had no effect. Your focus should not be on that matter. After declaring, you should turn your gaze to Jesus. Hallelujah!
Jesus also taught them in verse 17, saying, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
This means that when you pray, your focus should be on God. When selling things, where is your focus? On the things. I hope through this passage, everyone understands that no matter what you declare, after declaring, put your focus on the Lord. You have made it a den of robbers; a den of robbers must be about dividing spoils, with all eyes on those things. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord!
In verse 18, the chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill Jesus, but they feared him because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
Do you think Jesus was telling a ridiculous story? Is it a strange truth? No, He was merely restoring the temple to its original state. Is the gospel you hear a strange gospel? Is it a newly invented gospel? No, it is just the gospel that God hoped we would believe from the beginning. I am merely bringing you before Jesus, letting you declare while focusing on Him. Hallelujah!
In verse 19, every evening, Jesus went out of the city.
This proves that the Holy Spirit included this passage to tell you: After they declared and entered the city, cleansing the temple, they had to pass by that tree. This proves that Peter still did not see anything special about that tree. Do you understand? If you have declared, you must continue to keep your focus on the Lord. Even if you see that matter has not changed, do not get entangled or surprised. Otherwise, when they came out of the temple, Peter said, “Lord! You just declared, we went around, why hasn’t it worked? Why hasn’t it withered?” Isn’t that doubt in his heart? When people ask such questions, their hearts are already in doubt.
Many people often ask me, “Teacher Ren, I have declared, but it doesn’t work. Can I take medicine?” I reply, “Go buy the medicine.” Some say, “You are teaching people to live without faith.” Why do I give them this answer? They already have no faith in their declaration and are in doubt; their faith is now in medicine, so let them have the medicine. God can also use this method to help them. So the focus is not on which method; you must know that any method is a way God wants to bless you. Do not get entangled in saying no; I just want to see the result that comes out of my mouth. If you do not doubt, but still doubt, what should you do? Cleanse your heart through hearing the word and through the correct words to cleanse your heart. You say, “I try hard to cleanse,” but you will find it still does not work. Trying hard not to doubt still does not work. You need to let the truth enter your heart. Hallelujah!
The next day after Jesus declared, the disciples found that the tree had dried up. Brothers and sisters, our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. If your heart is always filled with tables, benches, and tools, it will indeed be difficult to see God’s grace and works during prayer. Therefore, you come to hear the word to cleanse your heart, not to think that you must cleanse yourself before coming to hear the word. If you have already cleansed yourself at the door, you can go back. This seems different from tradition; traditionally, you must cleanse your heart before hearing the word and praying. I tell you, it is not that complicated. You come in to hear the word, and you will be cleansed. After you are cleansed, then you declare, and you will see the results. Hallelujah!
If your heart is always filled with various tables, benches, and tools, these refer to the matters you think about and focus on, which will indeed lead to doubts. How do you remove these worries and fears from your heart? Through hearing the word and gathering, it is to remove these issues from your heart. Amen! Let us see the grace of Christ through God’s words. After Jesus overturned the tables, benches, and tools in the temple, the purpose was to let them look solely to God. What is the purpose of focusing on Jesus Christ and putting down your worries and concerns? It is precisely to solve your problems. Therefore, the methods here are definitely different from those of the world. The world says, “You cannot take your eyes off the problem; if you do, aren’t you deceiving yourself?” I want to tell you that not looking at the problem means looking at the Lord who is greater than the problem. When you see the grace of Jesus Christ through the word, you will have faith to welcome the results you desire.
In verse 20, in the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
Sometimes when you declare against certain ailments, the situation still does not change. Do not be discouraged or lose heart. A tree that seems to be full of leaves looks very green, but once the roots are withered, what will happen to the outside? Withering is only a matter of time. What happens spiritually? When Jesus said, “From now on, no one will ever eat your fruit again,” the roots of that tree withered. Do you understand? After a night passed, it began to wither from the roots, and the next day they saw the whole tree had withered. If only a branch withered and the roots did not, that would be like cutting grass without removing the roots.
Do you want your ailment to be cut off from the roots, or just to remove the surface layer? For example, if someone has a tumor, what is the doctor’s method? Cut it off. If a few days later another one grows back, what then? Cut it off. If another one grows somewhere else, what then? Cut it off. Is this a solution to the problem? What result do you want? When Jesus said, “From now on, no one will ever eat your fruit again,” it died completely from the roots. The external things are temporary. If its roots, its life, are no longer supplied, the external thing will eventually disappear.
Now I want to tell you the simplest and most effective method: When you declare against your diseases, problems, and difficulties, even if you do not see external changes, do not worry. In fact, from its core, it has already begun to die. This requires you to see it from a spiritual perspective. When you look at an apple, you say, “This apple seems fine,” but when you cut it open, you find it is rotten inside. An apple that is already rotten on the outside proves it is rotten through and through inside. Do you understand?
Do you know that healing is also like this? The solution to your problems is also like this; it must first change from the roots. So when you declare, believe that it has already changed from the roots. The root that supplies the cancer has already died. Are you still worried about the external problem? Withering is only a matter of time because there is no longer any life supplying it; it is doomed to die. Amen! I want to tell you: When you declare, see such results in the spiritual realm. When you begin to curse the cancer cells in your body in the name of Lord Jesus, you may say, “It still hurts; the problem seems to still be there,” but at the moment you declare, the roots inside have already died. Do you understand now? The roots have died. Our way of solving problems is completely different from the world’s way. As long as you do not doubt and believe that what you say has been accomplished, just wait for the good news to appear. Thank and praise the Lord!
I have heard some testimonies among you. When praying for relatives, it is the same. You believe that the matter has been resolved, so you no longer worry. Even though they are in the hospital, you say, “No problem, the issue has been resolved.” Do you know why? Because the cancer cells have already died from the roots. So later, you see the results. No matter what disease or problem you are facing now, please remember: When you declare, Jesus has completely cut off its source from the roots; it is doomed to die. It has been severed from the roots. It is not about what you do; it is about what you believe Jesus has done. You need to declare and believe in the name of Lord Jesus, and you will see this result appear. After such a story, Jesus began to tell the conclusion to the disciples. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord!
In verse 21, Peter remembered what Jesus had said and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.”
This proves that at this time, both the roots and the branches, leaves have all withered, so Peter said it has withered. Jesus did not say, “Why do you have no faith? It started drying up yesterday.” Many times, after we pray, we lack faith and seek the pastor. He says, “Why do you have no faith? Can’t you have a little more faith?” He should tell you, “Congratulations, you have declared; just believe it has already withered from the roots and wait for good things to happen.” How many people dare to teach like this? We should use the Bible as our standard.
After Peter asked this, Jesus replied, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” What does this passage mean? Jesus answered, “Have faith in God.”
What do you think it means to have faith in God? To believe and obey, to completely submit to Him, to trust in His faith? What does it mean? We have always used this passage, believing and obeying. The original meaning is that you must have faith in God. It speaks of having faith in God, meaning you must have a faith that belongs to God. It means that when you make a declaration, you must believe that God will do this. This is what it means to have faith in God. When do we not believe Him? After you declare, you still act; that is not believing. Do you understand?
Let me give you a simple example. I say to Sister Zhang, “There is a bad spot on this apple; can you help me cut it off?” She is about to take the apple, and I grab it back and cut it myself. Is that believing in her? That is not believing. We said that when you entrust something to God, declare it to God, you must completely give it to Him and let Him do it. Amen! What can you do? Expect the result. Do you know how great God’s power is?
Many times, we see the problem but do not see God. When you declare, you still see the problem and not God. You should change your focus; at all times, only see your God and do not look at your problem. You must believe in God’s power; it is so great. God sees things differently from us. In the beginning of Genesis, when our God saw the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, God did not say, “Wow! It is so dark.” How do we describe problems after they arise? “How terrible! How difficult! How annoying! I am going to die…” Is this our declaration? But what effect does this declaration have? It only makes your problems bigger and makes you more afraid.
When God saw darkness, He said, “Let there be light,” and light appeared. We should learn to speak like God and believe in His power. God said there should be birds in the sky and various animals in the sea. When God finished speaking, it was done. The Bible says it was done. So how did it come to be? The God you believe in is how it came to be. As for how it came to be, that is not something you should worry about because you do not have that ability, so you cannot understand it. When you have that ability, it will be very simple for you. Because you do not have that ability, what you need to do is believe in God’s power. This is called having faith in God. Amen!
When you declare against diseases, do you believe that God has the power to solve this disease? After declaring, just wait for God to solve the problem. Learn to speak out the results first, and then you will see. Is God like this? In the Bible, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. It is first to say and then to have. It is first to say what He wants as a result. Many times, we do it the other way around: “Lord, you first accomplish it, and I will say it has been done.” Can we learn to live with God’s faith and God’s thinking? Because you are not of the earth, you already have the citizenship of the kingdom of heaven, so your words, actions, and demeanor should be like those in heaven. Amen! God’s way of doing things and His laws are that you first declare the results you want, and then I will let you see.
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
What is the thing we hope for? The ultimate result of what you are hoping for. The ultimate hope of a patient is health. If he says, “I just want a doctor,” God says, “Okay, I will let you see a doctor.” What result do you want to see? If you say, “I just want this tumor to disappear, I want this cancer to disappear, I am healthy,” then declare the result of your health. We often tell everyone, “In the name of Lord Jesus, I am healthy.” Some say, “Isn’t that deceiving myself?” Saying this is actually not believing in God. We are merely declaring the results we want to see in the future. Many people, after seeing cancer reports, what do they say? We have people working in hospitals among us. If a report comes out saying, “You have three months left…” is this a declaration? They immediately put this result in their hearts and tell others, “I only have three months left.”
How many cancer patients do not die from the cancer itself but die from the shock? In the end, they are scared to death. Under this shock, cancer begins to grow wildly, and the body becomes worse and worse. The reason is that they keep declaring that they have only three months left… Have they not started to countdown to their death? What should you do? In the name of Lord Jesus, declare that the cancer is dead from today onwards. Then how should you live? It does not matter; the symptoms are still there, but it has already died from the roots. I am just waiting for the day it withers. Your body will become stronger and stronger. Jesus said to the leper, “You are cleansed,” and immediately the man was cleansed. Jesus did not say, “Wow! Your problem is so big; you have leprosy from head to toe.” If He had said that, would this person still die? It would not have brought him any benefit.
What Jesus declared were the results He wanted to see. Amen! Why did Jesus use this metaphor, saying that anyone who says to this mountain…? Did Jesus have nothing better to say to the disciples than, “Disciples, when I die, you should practice with this mountain”? He was not using the mountain as an example, was He? Do you know a saying or metaphor in the Jewish region? In Jesus’ time, when rabbis preached, they often referred to problems as mountains, like a problem as huge as a mountain. We also have this saying: “A disease comes like a mountain.” It is used to describe a very difficult problem. But Jesus said that anyone, regardless of whether they have great faith or little faith, if you are willing to live in God’s way, you will see this result. Amen!
This mountain symbolizes any problem in your life now, whether it is your disease, your financial issues, or an obstacle. Whatever it is, you must first learn to declare the results against your problem. Amen! Many people only talk to God about the mountain, coming before God and saying, “Lord, you do not know; I have the elderly and children at home…” Does God not know? This is all nonsense. God does not want you to come before Him and describe how big your problem is.
When Moses crossed the Red Sea, he came before God and pleaded with Jehovah. Did God say, “It seems you really love my people; you have no way out. Okay, I will give you a method”? Did He say that? God said, “Why are you crying out to me? What do you have in your hand?” Moses said, “A staff.” “Stretch out your staff over the Red Sea.”
Our Lord did not say, “Moses, your faith is so small!” He did not criticize him but simply told him the method to solve this great mountain. Moses indeed came before God and told God how big his mountain was, but God told him: “Do not tell me how big your mountain is; just declare to your mountain.” God’s meaning is like this: Do not come before God and discuss how big your mountain is; you should speak to the mountain with God’s words. The problem is not how big your mountain is; it is how much you understand God. Here I advise everyone: Never discuss how big your problem is; declare how great Jesus’ power is in front of your problem. Amen! This is the solution. When you go back, do not discuss “How big is this matter…” Do not let your mouth always mention how big and serious your problem is; that is not what you should be saying. Hallelujah!
Mark 1:23-26,
23 In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by an impure spirit. He cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
In this long passage, how did Jesus solve this problem? Jesus did not sing, shout, or jump around in front of this man. Instead, the demon kept trying to speak to Jesus, crying out, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The demon wanted to express something, but what did Jesus say? “Be quiet! Come out of him!” We must not fall into the trap of constantly talking to demons or discussing our problems. Whenever we meet someone, we talk about how serious our problems are or what our past was like. This is not important. What is important is that you should not say anything about your past or your problems; you should declare that your problems have been solved with Jesus’ words. Jesus commanded the demon to leave with His words; this is declaration.
Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
This proves that there are two kinds of fruits in a person’s mouth, two kinds of declarations. The first kind is declarations of life, and the second kind is declarations of death. This is the inspired word of God; life and death are in your tongue. The world loves to declare death. When it is hot, they say, “I am dying from the heat.” In winter, when it is cold, they say, “I am freezing to death.” If someone gets a little angry, they say, “I am so angry I could die.” When they are troubled, they say, “I am so annoyed I could die.” When they go upstairs, they say, “I am so tired I could die…” People are constantly declaring death. When you are troubled, do not speak, especially when you are sick. A few days ago, I watched a health program. It was not that I wanted to watch it; it just popped up, and I looked at it. It was an old Chinese medicine doctor who did not believe in God. He said that actually, 70% of diseases in the body are caused by anger, and several diseases are particularly obvious. He said that when some people get angry, their faces turn red, and they are most likely to have problems with their lymph nodes, leading to lymphoma.
Some people do not have problems in their necks but feel chest tightness when they get angry. He said that such people, especially women, are prone to breast cancer. Some people feel pain in their stomachs when they get angry, leading to uterine cancer. All these are caused by what we say when we are angry. Do you know what the solution is? The old doctor said, “Do not be angry for more than three minutes, and then laugh heartily.” He only tells you the result but does not tell you where the power comes from. Our Lord gives you the power. Hallelujah! Have you noticed that the world’s research ultimately leads back to our God? And what does our Lord say? “The tongue has the power of life and death.” You just choose which one.
Deuteronomy 30:19, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
Brothers and sisters, we should not speak words of death like the world; we should speak words of life. Who is the source of life? Jesus is the source of life. You should often speak the words of Jesus Christ from your mouth. The reason we can see is that we believe in the results. You must believe this and then declare it. The more you do this, the more your conduct will resemble our God. This is how God does things; He first speaks the results He wants, and then it is done. You should live like this. Before blessings come before you, you must first speak them out through faith. This faith is like currency in heaven. Jesus gave His life so that we could qualify for all of this, and we receive all blessings through faith. This is what we mean by believing; when you say it, you will see it. It is like a check.
Have you ever exchanged a check? The first time I went to exchange a check, I received a piece of paper with a number written on it. When I held it, I thought, “Can this thing really be turned into money?” Although I had seen it on TV, when I actually held the check, I thought, “What if they say this is fake when I go to exchange it?” Faith always has doubts. I handed the check to my wife and said, “You go.” She did not have as many doubts as I did. I told her, “This is given to us by someone; it must be fine. Go ahead.” She went without much thought and came back telling me she had exchanged it. Many times, this is our faith; it is as if God has already given you the check, and you must exchange this blessing through faith.
Through Jesus, blessings have already been given to you. How do you turn them into reality? You take the check and exchange it for money. Is there a need for an intermediary to exchange it? The intermediary is the bank. Do you believe that Jesus has given you all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven? Are they real? How do you exchange them? By declaring through faith, and then you will see. Hallelujah!
In verse 24, therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
This is a very classic declaration of prayer. Here, Jesus did not say, “As long as you believe you will receive it, you might get it, or you may get it.” Jesus did not say that, did He? “Will be” means it will definitely happen. Is God deceiving us? The previous story teaches us that Jesus first demonstrated and then told you to clear away all the unclean things in your heart, and you will not doubt.
When you remove doubt and declare, whatever it is, as long as you believe you have received it, you will definitely receive it. Do you understand? This is closely related to prayer. This is a type of prayer. No matter what you ask for, perhaps some are asking for financial turnaround, some are asking for healing, and some are asking for release from bad habits. Regardless of what you ask for, as long as you believe you have received it, it proves that you have already received it.
Now, in faith, you have already seen it, and then you will definitely receive it. Is it not real that your eyes can see the results? Therefore, these two must not be confused. Your eyes have not yet seen the results you want, but in your heart, you already know that this result has been received, and then you declare it. This is called prayer. Always believe like this. You must believe that this week is a different week, a week full of grace, a week where everything begins to turn around. Declare it like this; this is a declaration in prayer. God likes us to pray like this. Do not say, “Lord, why hasn’t it been accomplished yet?” This is equivalent to Peter asking Lord Jesus, “Why hasn’t that tree withered yet?” Jesus would say, “Wait a moment; do not be anxious. The time will come, and you will see it wither, and it will wither thoroughly.” Amen! I want to tell everyone that God will surely accomplish what you pray for; He will surely do it! Can you believe it? Yes!!!
Here, I want to give you a testimony. A pastor named Gan Jianxin, who has served God for sixty years, has never been sick. He is a well-known pastor. When he was about seventeen years old, he contracted a strange disease related to his blood, and the cause could not be determined. He also had a congenital heart condition. At that time, he was lying in bed, close to death. The doctors said he could not be saved and might only have two or three months left; this was the doctor’s declaration. Someone preached the gospel to him, but did not explain clearly what Jesus was. They gave him a Bible and said, “You might find this helpful.” This one sentence was very effective.
When Gan Jianxin received the Bible, he saw how thick it was. The doctor said he had only two months left; could he finish reading it? He thought it was too thick and could not finish it in two months. He opened the Bible and found it had both the Old and New Testaments. The New Testament was relatively thin, so he decided to start with the New Testament. In fact, no one told him to read the New Testament first. He thought, “I might be able to finish the New Testament before I die,” so he chose to read the New Testament. In fact, he did not even finish reading the New Testament. When he read this passage in the Gospel of Mark, he closed the Bible and said, “I believe You are such a Lord because You said, ‘Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’ I believe God has healed me.”
When he made this declaration, he felt strength come upon him, and with all his might, he propped himself up from the bed and made this declaration: “In the name of Lord Jesus, I am healthy.” From that moment on, he was healed. For the next sixty years, he did not get sick. I am not saying he did not have symptoms; sometimes his heart would skip a beat. What would an ordinary person think? “Oh no, my heart disease has relapsed.” But do you know what Gan Jianxin did? “In the name of Lord Jesus, return to normal.” Isn’t that the result he wanted? After you say that, if the heart disease relapses, is that also a declaration? Do you want it to relapse? Then what should you say? You should speak like Gan Jianxin. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, God will surely hear and answer your prayers. There is a principle I want to tell everyone: God does not have to accomplish your prayer in the exact way you pray. Sometimes we say, “Lord, You must accomplish it this way.” God says, “This way is too bad; it has side effects.” You say, “No, I do not see this way; I believe You have not accomplished it.” Look back at your prayer; sometimes God gives you a better accomplishment. But God will surely accomplish it. Thank and praise the Lord! God wants to give you the best, not the second best. Believe and declare like this; when you believe and declare, your eyes will be able to see the facts of what you declare.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for restoring our faith through Your words. What we hope for is not what our eyes can see, what we have not yet seen, but in faith, we believe and see it, and declare it. I believe, Lord Jesus, You can do all things. So I declare what I need in my heart; I believe You have cleansed me. I am a beloved child of God; I am a channel of blessings. In the name of Lord Jesus, I declare that this week is a blessed week, today is a different day. I believe You support my hands and feet; You will guide my steps, allowing me to walk through each day in Your blessings. In the name of Jesus Christ, I also declare that my body is healthy. Thank and praise You for granting me such abundant blessings. In Jesus Christ's name, I pray. Amen!