Have you ever heard someone say: "That's just semantics!" when discussing words and their meanings? That's what semantics is, the meanings of words in their context. When studying the Bible, context is vitally important! WORDS are vitally important! Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's Faith Food!
"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22).
The margin of a good King James reference Bible renders today's text as, "Have the faith of God." Greek scholars tell us the literal translation of what Jesus said here is, "Have the God-kind of faith." Some modern translations also show the verse that way.
Even if you don't know anything about Greek, you can readily see that this would be a correct translation of this verse, because Jesus had just demonstrated to the disciples that He had that kind of faith: the God-kind of faith, the kind of faith that God used to create the world in the beginning.
Earlier in this chapter, Jesus had spoken to the barren fig tree. He hadn't prayed. He had simply said to that tree, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever" (v. 14).
The next morning, as Jesus and the disciples passed by the same place, they saw that the fig tree had dried up from its roots. Peter, remembering, said, "Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away" (v. 21). Jesus answered him, "Have the God-kind of faith." Jesus demonstrated the God-kind of faith for us. Then He told us to have it.
Confession: "I see the demonstration of the God-kind of faith by my Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus expects me to know about and to have the God-kind of faith! And I do have it!"
Do you see that having, and operating in, the kind of faith that God has and operates in means MUCH MORE than simply having faith IN God! Having faith IN God means that you trust GOD to do something. Having the God-kind of faith means that WE do something with the same kind of faith that God operates in! Jesus DID say this in John 14:12:
12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. AMP
We who are born again, having received Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, and filled with His Spirit, CAN DO the same works that Jesus did! And JESUS said we will do even greater things! Have YOU been doing the works that Jesus did? Let's make it our determined purpose to begin again today! Be on the lookout for opportunities to do what Jesus would do if He were still ministering on the earth! Now watch HIM confirm the Word and Works with signs, wonders and miracles that will draw all men to HIM! AMEN! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":
Shalom in Him!
