Question from Mark-

[InFlames]

Im not sure this was the right spot to post this but here goes: Mark 11:

‘Have faith in God. [size=-2]23[/size]Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. [size=-2]24[/size]So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Does this apply to people today or was he refering to specificaly the 12 disiciples?

 

[Surprised by joy]

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

I believe that it applies to people today. However, some Christians would disagree with me.

 

[tekwerx]

Mathew 17:20 is another verse.

I beleive it to be literal. Jesus wasnt just talking to hear himself. What Ive learned in the past from being taught about this is that YOU yourself cannot do it, but if the Holy Spirit empowers you to do so. Meaning, if God needed a mountain moved, and He wanted you to move it, He would have the Spirit empower you to command it to toss itself into the sea. A verse that goes good with this is Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Nothing - and I mean nothing - is impossible with faith in God, and with God on your side.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

As said above, nothing at all is impossible with God. If you truly have faith, you can literally shift the plates, push down mountains, etc. BUT, are you doing it in faith, or for showing off, testing God, or another evil purpose? If truly asked for it in faith, it will be done.

 

[Asar'el]

Im not sure this was the right spot to post this but here goes: Mark 11:

‘Have faith in God. [size=-2]23[/size]Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. [size=-2]24[/size]So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Does this apply to people today or was he refering to specificaly the 12 disiciples?

Everything in Scripture applies today; although some things are done away with, they are still there for our instruction. The specific text above about faith, and the possibilities of it, remain as strong today as when Christ said it. Those that avoid it normally are a bit uneasy about being asked to put it to the test - a common request by unbelievers would be 'Go on, move a mountain...'

Something I found interesting, and offer for consideration. Luke 9:54 says,

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

While many see Christ's rebuke in the next verse ... few consider that, in all likelyhood, James and John in their (humanly righteous) anger were quite able to ask and receive the answer sought!
Instead of dwelling on our own lack of faith (like, being unable to move mountains) we should, in fact, be looking up at the examples of men who through faith did indeed work wonders in the name of our God - and ask the Lord that empowered them to grant us of the same Spirit.

 

[The Midge]

Have you never prayed "Thy will be done?" I would recommend praying this first and listening before requesting a cataclism. And listening. I wonder how many stupid things that we ask for are gracefully countered by that little phrase that Jesus in his loving wisdom inserted in to his model prayer! Thanks be to God!

 

[SUNSTONE]

Some really good responses to this question.

Let me add this.
Jesus used that moutain as an example to show us nothing is impossible.
When that cancer, or that addiction, or that whatever gets in our way(mountain), we are to actually get excited in God's power to remove that mountain.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Have you never prayed "Thy will be done?" I would recommend praying this first and listening before requesting a cataclism. And listening. I wonder how many stupid things that we ask for are gracefully countered by that little phrase that Jesus in his loving wisdom inserted in to his model prayer! Thanks be to God!

I think it is not only a great idea, but a requirement for great miracles. After all, what faith have we to move mountains if we don't even ask God first?

 

[TheMainException]

It is applied to EVERYONE!!! Praise God...if you have that faith...you can do it...

 

[Christler]

Let us remember that every thing hinges on God's timing. Just because we may ask today for that mountain to be removed, has he not given us our request if that mountain is removed ten years from today? I say yes. Elizabeth was well stricken in years, and was barren, and an angel appeared unto her and said "your prayers have been heard, and you shall have a son." I'm quite sure she started praying for a child when she was alot younger, and now that she was an old woman, at an age uncommon for child bearing, an angel comes and says, "Your prayers have been heard."

God can give you what you request, only in the center of His will, and on his timing will you have your request come to pass.

 

[Serapha]

Im not sure this was the right spot to post this but here goes: Mark 11:

‘Have faith in God. [size=-2]23[/size]Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. [size=-2]24[/size]So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Does this apply to people today or was he refering to specificaly the 12 disiciples?

Hi there!



The phrase of "moving that mountain" had a bit different meaning to the disciples than it does by today's interpretation of such passages... the disciples had the confidence of knowing that man can move mountains, and how much more could God do.

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Gathering Stones at Herodium

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Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.






Have you ever imagined that mountain mentioned in the Bible actually being moved? At the time of this discourse, Jesus was talking to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, 2750 feet above sea level. Bear with me as I give you a description of what the disciples saw as Jesus talked and walked with them on the Mount of Olives.


The Mount of Olives faces across the KidronValley from Jerusalem. But the Mount of Olives is higher than Jerusalem. When Jesus was talking, the disciples could see all of Jerusalem and beyond. On a very clear day, one could see Herodium, Herod's palace eight miles southeast of Jerusalem. The distance was such that mirrors could be used to communicate signals from Jerusalem to Herodium and onward to Herod's palace at Masada.


Are you familiar with Herodium?

It was two small hills before Herod chose to build his palace there. But, when Herod decided to build there, he first built the fortress on one hill, and then he built a mountain by moving one hill and placing it on the other hill to fortify the palace. He literally had tons of dirt physically moved from one hill to the other to elevate the area to a height of over 2400 feet and to put it in alignment between Jerusalem and Masada.

What did the disciples see in the distance when Jesus asked them if they had the faith to see mountains moved?

They saw a mountain that had been moved.

When you have seen a mountain moved by man, how much more faith would it take for you to believe God could move that mountain and cast it into the sea? Do you have any mountains that you think cannot be moved? Think again. Someone has already moved that mountain at least once sometime in the past. There is nothing new under the sun.

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~serapha~​

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[RVincent]

(Mark 11:23) 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.​

Not "any mountain", but "this mountain". In every instance that Christ made this statement, it was in reference to a fig tree, or Satan's own.

There are two figs (Jer. 24), some good and some evil. "Mountains" in prophecy signify nations. The good figs are Israel, the evil figs are the tares, the children of the wicked one. (Matt. 13)

Christ is giving us power over the evil figs, the wicked nation.

(Rev 8:8-9) And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; {9} And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.​

After 1948, when these two figs were planted, there has been bloodshed and economic effects ever since.

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

Odd, this, isn't it?

It's a strange saying, given that it just doesn't seem to be that way.

The meaning of this must be deep. Is Jesus really saying that if we can muster up enough self-convincement, God will capitulate to our every request?

Or is He actually saying that nothing is too difficult for God, and that God will do what He will do, regardless of how impossible it seems, and He will do it in part through our faith?

Definitely an odd one. What it definitely doesn't mean is that if we can screw ourselves up enough to believe mountains will move, they will.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Definitely an odd one. What it definitely doesn't mean is that if we can screw ourselves up enough to believe mountains will move, they will.

I hope you do not mean faith is messing one's self up...

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

No, but screwing ourselves up desperately trying to believe something because it's some kind of "magic" that will make things work is definitely a mess-up

 

[Rafael]

It means that God's kind of faith can do these things. Jesus also asks if He will find faith when He returns, so it will be His faith and faithfulness that saves us and not our own.

Luke 18:6 Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge.
7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?"

Ga 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 

[All4one]

In Flames,

Gods word is for everyone to learn, understand, and apply. When God said this though He did not just mean believe that it will move and it will. It is by faith that things happen, I mean supernatural things... Our faith is only a secondary faith and when we believe something is possible that is impossible for man we have faith in Gods faith that it will happen... after all, He made EVERYTHING from NOTHING! NOW THATS FAITH... HA!

Love Ya Brother,
All4one

 

[Brain Damage]

Jesus simply meant , faith can move mountains , an expression that we even use today .

If we are going to take everything in the bible lituraly then i guess the next time a sexy chick walks by me and i have some very evil thoughts , then i should do as jesus said and pluck out my eye ball , or cut off my hand...lol...Geez ..


Thank goodness they didn't take jesus lituraly when he said , "eat my flesh and drink my blood".

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Thank goodness we are to take it literally when we read James 5

17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

 

[hola]

Wow...there are some good posts on this thread, and atleast one that I needed to hear for my life personally.

Well, if I could add something, I've also kind of looked at it like this.

I believe the mountain could also represent a kingdom. Just as a stone cut out of a mountain/rock (I'm not exaclty sure) without hands and became a mountain that filled the earth as one of the OT prophets spoke of (I believe), and many have interpreted that particular mountain to mean Christ's kingdom.

Jesus also spoke of trees being removed by faith. That I believe represents a nature. Just as there were 2 trees ("fathers") in the Garden of Eden...and we received the spiritual nature from our natural "father", the devil...and because of this we need to be spiritually born again.

SO...with this inherited spiritual nature and kingdom of the devil that we are born with...if we have the faith of the Son of God (or as that seed represented the "word of God" in another parable, and we know that the Word of God is Christ Jesus himself)...so we can say to that old nature and kingdom of Satan to be cast into the Sea.

That's just as the horses and riders were thrown into the Red Sea in the OT! In Isaiah, the horses represent the flesh (I can get the exact verse if I'm asked...I don't have a Bible in front of me)...and the riders I would say is what "drove" our "flesh" (I could be wrong though). I believe that this represents our old nature and the kingdom of Satan being defeated by Jesus' blood (which blood reminds me of the Red Sea...as the sea in which the Gospels state the mountain or tree would be cast into).

I just wanted to add a little bit of how I also saw it...not that I would disagree with what others have already said.

God bless!