FAITH LIKE JESUS

 

We all want a faith that moves mountains, faith that walks on water, faith that calms the storms in our lives, and faith that heals the sick and raises the dead. Wouldn’t it be amazing if every believer could have faith like Jesus, so we could do just like Jesus said, according to John 14:12— “Whosoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do…”

 

Jesus was not undermining or misrepresenting this powerful truth, He was not lying. Jesus said it because all believers can do the works of Jesus if we simply believe in what He says.

 

And Jesus said to him, “If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.”

Mark 9:23

 

The same works as Jesus, the works that had the chief priests and Pharisees say in John 11:47-48 “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him.” It was because of the works of Jesus that those who opposed him sought to kill Him.

 

“They made plans to put Him to death”.

John 11:53 

 

Those same works and greater are possible for all new covenant believers. Greater works than the works of Jesus (according to scripture). And you and I as believers—followers of Jesus, can do those same works and greater if we only believe.

 

Have you ever wondered what are the works of Jesus, works that new covenant believers are required to do, and greater works? Luke 4:18-19 gives insight into the works of Jesus during His earthly ministry.

 

The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:18-19

 

Wow, if just one individual—Jesus; continuing in His good works would have caused all to believe, can you even imagine what would happen if His body, (made up of an estimated 2.2 billion believers, including you and I) just believed? 2.2 billion believers all over the world, doing His works and greater.

 

“Finding a need and meeting it, finding a hurt and healing it, a people touched by God, touching people with God” How different the world would be and how quickly a difference would happen.

 

Can you imagine a world where no one could escape the love of God revealed through His body, “you and me;” whether at work, at school, at the store, at the hospital, at the restaurant, at the park, at the beach, at the movies.

 

Can you imagine, everywhere you went, His love’s revealed for all to see and experience? A love made known through believers choosing by faith to allow their “obedience to become someone else’s breakthrough.”

 

Love is revealed by believers shining forth God’s glory—tangible presence through signs and wonders, healings, miracles, deliverance, and salvation. Believers declare God’s will, reveal God’s works, walk in God’s ways, and love with God’s heart. Forever bringing joy and comfort to the lost, sick, oppressed, depressed, confused, and weary.

 

Then truly the experiential knowledge of God’s glory (His tangible presence) would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea—completely. As you and me; “His sons,” “His daughters,” and “His bride,” continually make Him known throughout the world wherever we go.

 

“A people touched by God, touching people with God.”

~Deborah Viljoen

 

Believers are taught how twelve men (the disciples) changed the known world, turning it upside down—Acts 17:6. Although the truth is, that one man—Jesus Christ; changed the world forever. The disciples only went about doing and teaching all that Jesus had originally taught and instructed. Now that’s good news.

 

As believers, we now have the ability through faith to continue the works of Jesus, the works He instructed His disciples to teach others to obey.

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JESUS NEVER FAILED

 

So, how do we receive this faith that moves mountains, faith that produces the works of Jesus and greater works? We forever keep our eyes and thoughts fixed—set on Jesus; the founder and perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross—Hebrews 12:2.

 

If we want to know how to operate in mountain moving, water walking, storm calming, demon delivering, dead raising—faith, we must look to the founder and author of our faith—Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus is not only an example for believers to follow, but also the example of whom new covenant believers have already become, the very moment they believed in Him.

 

Throughout the pages of this book, you will learn about faith in a way you may not have heard or seen before. The material in “Faith That Jesus Taught” will attempt to reveal the teaching of ‘faith’, and how Jesus taught faith. Jesus made faith so simple. After reading this book, you may wonder how believers ever managed to make faith so complicated.

 

When you finish this book, you will know beyond any doubt, you already have the faith needed to move mountains. You will learn everything you will need to know to start stepping out, making the impossible possible, and turning the natural into the supernatural.

 

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Acts 10:38

 

Believers need to understand that Jesus never failed—not once. Jesus had a 100% success rate. He went around healing all. It is interesting when we look at the meaning of “all” in the original Greek, it simply means—all (everyone, all things, everything). Try finding one time (recorded in scripture) when Jesus failed.

 

Can you find anywhere in scripture, one example where Jesus laid His hands on the sick and they did not recover, or He commanded the dead to rise, and they remained dead? No!

 

Can you find anywhere in scripture, one example where Jesus tried to walk on water, calm a storm, multiply fish, and cast out demons—but failed? No!

 

It is impossible to find a recorded event in biblical history to which Jesus failed. Jesus never failed! He healed all! Here is what is genuinely exciting for you and me as new covenant believers. We are anointed, receiving an anointing from the Holy One—1 John 2:20. Believers received the same Holy Spirit—Ephesians 1:13; we have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwelling in us—Romans 8:11.

 

We have the same authority and power as Jesus—Romans 8:17, enabling us to produce good works; His works, and greater works, because like Jesus, God is with us. God is not only among us as partakers of a new and better covenant with better promises, but God now lives within us, within every believer. Believers are now the temple of the living God—2 Corinthians 6:16.

 

JESUS’ HOMETOWN

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When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Matthew 13:53-58

 

Ok, I may know what you are thinking, based on what you may have been taught. “What about Jesus’ hometown?”

 

Most believers were taught that Jesus was unable to heal in His hometown, because of the people’s unbelief, right? They were taught that Jesus failed. Although, if we simply read the account as recorded in Matthew 13:53-58, without a predetermined understanding (based on what we have been taught), we’ll see a completely different picture—a different record of events taking place that day in Jesus’ Hometown.

 

For a moment, let’s look at the events that transpired, placing ourselves in the shoes of the people in Jesus’ hometown. I would like to note that in my Bible, this passage is titled “Jesus Rejected at Nazareth.” This is exactly what the passage of scripture recorded in history; “Jesus being rejected”, not—Jesus fails to heal.

 

When reading this account in Matthew 13:53-58, we discover that the people in Jesus’ hometown were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works.”

 

Yes, they were astonished by His mighty works. Why, because He was doing mighty works in their presence. They even go as far as to ask, “Where did this man get all these things?” According to scripture, Jesus was doing mighty works in His hometown.

 

So, why couldn’t Jesus do many mighty works in His hometown? Because of their (people's) unbelief. After they were astonished and marveled “they took offense at Him.” The Greek word—skandalizó is translated as “taking offense,” meaning “I cause to stumble, cause to sin, cause to become indignant, shock, offend.”

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Let us continue looking through the eyes of the people in Jesus’ hometown, attempting to see what they saw and understand how they may have felt. The people are shocked and offended, therefore rejecting Jesus and His ministry. Can you imagine what they must have been thinking?

 

“After all, who does He think He is?”

 

“Isn’t he one of us?”

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“Don’t we know His brothers and sisters and they’re still with us.”

 

Not only are they offended but could also have some negative opinions or perceptions concerning where His power came from. So, if they are offended and therefore reject Jesus because of their “unbelief” would they approach Jesus for healing or deliverance? No!

 

If you were in their shoes, would you ask someone who offends you, to pray for you? Or would you allow someone who deeply offends you, to pray for you?

 

This passage of scripture does not support the position or belief that Jesus was unable to heal certain people. In the sense that He prayed for people who were sick and did not recover. Just the opposite, this passage of scripture proves Jesus produced mighty works, to the point that everyone marveled and was astonished. But then they took offense, rejecting Him, and therefore He was not able to perform many mighty works in His hometown.

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ALWAYS WILLING

 

Jesus is the exact representation of God, the expressed image of His Father, and the very radiance of God’s glory—Hebrews 1:3. God is Jehovah Rapha the God that heals, and Jesus went around healing all. Sometimes we wonder whether it is God’s will to heal. To answer this question, we must look to the life of Jesus, God’s exact representation. When asked if He was willing to heal (e.g., Matthew 8:3) Jesus always said, “I am willing”.

 

Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:3

 

The Greek word for— “I am willing”, is theló, which speaks of passion, and desire, to take pleasure in, being resolved, or determined. a good translation for the phrase, “I am willing” would be…

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“I am always willing; it is my intense desire and I take pleasure in doing so.” 

 

Jesus always acted on His very nature—love, as our healer, deliverer, and Savior. Jesus always acted on the very will, character, and nature of His Father. The will of the Father revealed through Jesus’ earthly ministry, is still the same today, nothing has changed.

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Jesus commanded His disciples to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons”—Matthew 10:8. Then in Matthew 28:19-20 He commanded them to “go and make disciples of all nations” instructing them to “teach others to observe all that He had commanded them”. New covenant believers, (followers of Jesus), are to—téreó, meaning to keep guard and observe all that He commanded them.

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Jesus always fulfilled His Father’s will. He’s already accomplished all things through His atonement, providing physical and spiritual healing for all humanity—by His stripes, we were healed—1 Peter 2:24.

 

Jesus instructed His disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils and then instructed them to teach others to keep those same instructions. If it was not His will, He never would have instructed it to be continually taught and obeyed, with the intent to disciple all nations. But it is His will, His intense desire; it brings Him immense pleasure.

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Jesus not only instructed believers to heal, but He also accomplished divine healing for all with every stroke and every piece of flesh torn from His body—at the whipping post.

 

Now by faith, believers simply reveal what Jesus has already done, showing the world all Jesus accomplished through His natural sufferings, death on the cross, descent into and resurrection from hades, and His ascension and enthronement. Where Jesus is now seated as King of kings and Lord of lords, at the right hand of His Father in heaven.

 

NOT JUST ABOUT PHYSICAL HEALING

 

The material presented within this book deals directly with faith, “Faith that Jesus taught.” Faith is not just about physical healing.

 

• Faith that moves mountains in your life.

 

• Faith that receives what it believes.

 

• Faith that reveals in your life all that Jesus provided.

 

• Faith to do His works and greater.

 

• Faith to receive your breakthrough.

 

• Faith through obedience, becoming someone else’s breakthrough.