Believing Equals Receiving
Believing Equals Receiving
In every Scriptural account in the Word of God
where a miracle took place or where God did a
mighty work, the principles pointed out in the
previous chapter were present. The persons
involved knew what was available, how to receive
what they needed, and what to do with it after they
received, and they had their needs and wants
coordinated knowing that God’s ability equals His
willingness to keep His promises. When these keys
are understood, we can read any place from Genesis
to Revelation and see this pattern.
As an illustration, let’s begin with Mark 3:1.
And he [Jesus] entered again into the synagogue;
and there was a man there which had a
withered hand.
The man had a need. The synagogue was the
place where people worshipped, where they were
taught, where people of God were to meet and have
their needs met.
Verse 2,
And they [the Pharisees] watched him [Jesus],
whether he would heal him on the sabbath day;
that they might accuse him.
Why did these so-called religious leaders watch
Jesus? Because they wanted to accuse Jesus if He
did any healing on the wrong day of the week.
These people were surely interested in the man who
had the withered hand, were they not? No. They
were only interested in whether Jesus acted at the
right place, at the right time, and with their blessing.
This man with the withered hand was at the place to
expect help, but what had he received? Nothing.
Verse 3,
And he [Jesus] saith unto the man which had
the withered hand, Stand forth.
The moment the man stood forth he knew he was
separating himself from the onlookers and that he
would receive the same criticism they were leveling
against Jesus.
Verse 4,
And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good
on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life,
or to kill? But they [the leaders and the
Pharisees] held their peace.
Do you know why? The leaders in the synagogue
were not interested in whether the man was
delivered or not; they were interested only in one
thing – exposing Jesus.
Verse 5,
And when he had looked round about on them
with [compassion? NO. NO. It says] anger...
We have always been taught that if a person is a
real Christian the only thing he ever does is love.
Don’t you think that Jesus Christ loved? Wasn’t He
all love? Yet, Mark 3 records that He looked around
about on those synagogue leaders with anger. Jesus
was really irritated, The idea that Christians and
men of God have to go around patting everybody
on the back all the time is a distorted concept.
Sometimes men of God have to take a stand against
those obstructing the power of God. Jesus looked
upon them with anger.
Verse 5,
And when he had looked round about on them
with anger, being grieved for the hardness of
their hearts, he saith unto the man [with the
withered hand], Stretch forth thine hand....
In an analysis of this section from Mark 3:1–5,
the first thing we see is what is available. The
command stated what was available. The command
was “Stretch forth thine hand.” That appeared to be
an impossibility because the man’s hand was
withered; he could not naturally stretch it forth. Yet
Jesus said to the man the withered hand,
...Stretch forth thine hand. And he [the man]
stretched it out....
The man with the withered hand who had this
tremendous need, stretched out his hand. He did the
impossible. How? He believed. Believe is a verb
and a verb shows action. The man believed that
what Jesus said was God’s will; therefore, he
stretched his hand forth. Once you have the promise
of God, the “how” of receiving is to believe literally
what that promise says. It appeared impossible for
the man to stretch out his hand. Yet this man,
believing what The Word said or what God said by
way of Jesus Christ, stretched it forth.
...and his hand was restored whole as the other.
He did not receive his wholeness first and then
stretch forth his hand; it was in the stretching forth
that he was made whole. Before one receives
anything, he must act as though he already has it
and then he receives.
Whenever I read this record from Mark 3, it
reminds me of the times I was practicing the
principles of the greatness of God’s Word in other
countries of the world. On one occasion when I was
teaching in Jubbulpore, India, a lady who had
worked in a mission service for thirty years was
delivered by God’s power of a number of
sicknesses which appeared incurable. This deliverance
caused such a stir in the city of Jubbulpore the
morning after the miracle occurred, that when my
family and I were ready to board the train and leave
Jubbulpore, hundreds of people gathered at the
railroad depot. This crowd, which was composed
mainly of Hindus, wanted me to lay my hands on
them individually because they thought that I must
have some special power in my hands since I had
laid my hands on the woman the previous day. They
felt that if I just laid my hands on them, they too
would be delivered. Just before the train on which
we were traveling moved out of the depot, a high-caste
Hindu, whose paralyzed arm was hanging
limp at his side, ran up to our railroad compartment.
He said to me, “Will you pray for my arm?”
However, he immediately added, “But I do not
believe in your Jesus.”
What would you have done? I asked him if he
believed God would deliver him. He said, “I believe
that God will heal me if you pray for me, but I do
not believe in your Jesus.” So again I asked him,
“Do you believe God will set you free?” And he
said, “I believe God will heal me, but I do not
believe in your Jesus.” I laid my hands on him and I
prayed that God would set him free in the name of
Jesus Christ. When I finished I said to him, “Now
lift your arm.” He began to put it up and suddenly
he thrust up both of his arms. He leaped and
shouted with tears streaming down his face. Once
he had lifted his arm a little, he realized the miracle.
He was totally set free. About then the train began
moving and I said, “Praise God; thank God that you
were healed in the name of Jesus Christ.”
At the next stop a man came to our compartment
in the train saying that he was representing his
master who wanted to come and meet the man of
God. He said his master was so-and-so, a member of
Parliament in New Delhi, who was also riding on the
train. The member of Parliament then came to our
compartment to tell Mrs. Wierwille and me that what
he had seen in Jubbulpore was the most tremendous
Christian event he had ever witnessed – that a man of
God would bless all God’s people irrespective of
whether they were Christian or Hindu. He offered us
the keys to his city and said that any time we wanted
to minister in India, the doors of India and the Far
East would be open to us to teach the accuracy and
the greatness of God’s Word.
In Mark 3, as well as in Jubbulpore, both persons
had the promise of God; both men believed, and
when they believed, they acted; and when they
acted, their hand and arm were restored whole. The
how of receiving is believing. When their needs and
wants were in balance, they received. After
knowing what is available, how to receive, and
what to do, a person then believes and finally acts
upon his believing in a positive way.
Look at the power of believing as defined in
Ephesians 1:19.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who [do one thing] believe....
Ephesians 3:20:
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us.
He is not only able to do things abundantly, but
exceeding abundantly. Believe and then receive.
The law of believing is the greatest law in the
Word of God. As a matter of fact, it is not only the
greatest law in The Word, it is the greatest law in
the whole world. Believing works for saint and
sinner alike. In Mark 11 this great law of believing
is set forth.
Mark 11:12, 13:
And on the morrow [this is the last week of
Jesus’ life here upon earth], when they [Jesus
and His twelve apostles] were come from
Bethany, he was hungry:
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he
came, if haply [perchance] he might find any
thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found
nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not
yet.
Jesus went to the fig tree hoping to find
something thereon, but “...the time of figs was not
yet.” Do you mean to tell me that Jesus was
ignorant? Would I go to an apple tree if it were not
time for apples? Do you think that Jesus would go
to a fig tree if He knew it was not the right season?
What is the situation?
There are two trees in the Bible designated as the
people’s trees: the coconut palm and the fig tree. It
was never stealing to take fruit off either of those
trees no matter on whose land the tree stood. If I
had a fig tree in my front yard, you could walk over
and help yourself to the fruit of the tree anytime
because it was a people’s tree. In the record of
Mark 11, Jesus was coming from Bethany to
Jerusalem and He was hungry. That does not mean
that He was starving to death. He was hungry as we
get hungry for a snack. He wanted a little bit to
nibble on, so he saw a fig tree and he walked over
hoping to find something. The time of figs was not
yet and Jesus knew that. However, as the leaves
come out on this species of fig tree, there are little
buds which are as sweet as candy. It was not time
for the mature, ripe figs; but if the tree did not have
any buds, Jesus knew that it would not have any
figs later on. Now watch the story develop.
“And Jesus answered and said unto it” – Jesus
was speaking to the fig tree. Can you imagine the
neighbors looking at Jesus, can you imagine the
apostles scratching their heads wondering what
Jesus was doing talking to that old fig tree? Let’s
look at the record.
Verse 14,
And Jesus answered and said unto it [If you
ever want to receive the power of God you
have to be specific. He did not beat around the
bush; He spoke to the tree.], No man eat fruit
of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples
heard it.
Jesus and the apostles returned to Bethany that
very day.
Verse 20,
And in the [following] morning, as they passed
by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the
roots.
The death of a tree is generally noticeable first in
the upper leaves, then down the branches, and
finally the roots. But this tree died backwards and
overnight.
Mark 11:21, 22:
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto
him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou
cursedst is withered away.
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have
faith in God.
The “original” text read, “...Have the faith of
God.” Observe verse 23 carefully.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and
be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in
his heart, but shall believe that those things
which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have
whatsoever he saith.
This is the great law in the Word of God.
“...Whosoever...” It does not say Christian or non-
Christian; whosoever means whosoever. “Whosoever
shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed,
and...cast into the sea and shall not doubt...but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come
to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” In other
words: say it, believe it, and it will come to pass.
Then Jesus reiterated this truth in verse 24.
Mark 11:24:
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever
ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them, and ye shall have them.
The law of believing is the greatest law in the
Word of God: whosoever says it, whosoever
believes, will act and receive.