Universal Life Church

How To Have Mountain-Moving Faith

I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matt. 17:20)

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I received an email the other day with a story of a person traveling to a mountain range in Canada. The person entered the valley and was hit with the beauty of all the flowers. They were not wild flowers. There was someone or some people who had taken time to plant all those flowers. It was ablaze with color. At the local restaurant the traveler asked the waitress if the town had paid for the planting of the flowers. She said no and told the story of a lady who was now in her seventies who planted each and every bulb. As a little girl this woman had vowed to plant flowers in this valley. Every day she would buy a few bulbs and go plant. Every day she would set aside a few coins. Over 60 years of patient planting produced a portrait of beautiful flowers.

What about you? Is there something in your life that needs to be accomplished but you believe that the challenges soar above you like the Rocky Mountains? Let me ask you, How did these United States of America in the 1960s begin to have a dream of flying a man to the moon? Consider all of those obstacles and the technology of that time. Computers then filled rooms and had much less memory. We did not have the metals and plastics then that we have now. What happened? Faith!

Jesus Christ taught that all you need is a little bit of faith. Jesus was stating this in a middle of a discussion as to why his disciples could not cast out a particularly strong demon from a child. So He says, However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. So lets break it all down. Let me give you a few steps that you can begin to put into practice and have mountain moving faith.

First Begin Small. Did you realize that all big corporations, big movements, and big changes all begin with a small idea or group of people? Dell computers started in a dorm room. Subway began an idea of a father given to his sons so they could earn money at college. Abrahams faith in God makes him the father of three major religions today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Consider Jesus parable of the talents. He tells of a master who gives his servants some funds to manage. Two of them double the investment and one hides his one talent. The two who managed their small amounts are rewarded. Note the commendation:

"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord (Matt. 25:23).

George Washington Carver was a brilliant scientist and a Christian. I read once where he prayed to God to let him study the peanut and learn everything about it. He would develop 300 applications for the peanut that we use today.

Second - Be Persistent. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Persistence is a key to moving mountain faith. The people who get to the top in their sports do so because they persist. Persistence in noted in the daily practice of a skill. It is witnessed in the ability to accept each failure as a lesson learned. Every inventor who successes with on great idea will have thousands of failures behind him or her. My son played high school football and his junior year his team went all the way to the state championship were they lost. The coach turned their frowns into cheers when he told them, Do not look at this as a failure. Only two teams make it to the state level. And you are one of them! You made it to the show! You have nothing to be ashamed of. It was a close game. Either team could have won. Persistence helps us to keep going. In the movie, Rudy, the main character had a desire to play for Notre Dames football team. He did not have the grades or the money to go to Notre Dame. He was small in size but he had a big dream. Persistence led him to find ways to make it to the team.

Third - Be Patient. Patience is the twin sister of persistence. Patience is the attitude of the mind. The book of James teaches us: But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4). Patience gives perspective to a challenge. It helps us to slow down, to observe, and to avoid mistakes. Proverbs teaches us: The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty (Prov. 21:5).

Fourth Be Prepared. Praying and fasting are means of preparation for mountain moving faith. The prayer aspect is seeking Divine will, strength, cleansing of the soul, and increasing sensitivity to the move of God in moving mountains. Fasting is simply denial. It is self-sacrificing. This is gets to the foundation of moving mountains. A young girl dreams of being a figure skating and winning the gold medal at the Olympics. This means practice. It also means giving up time and certain pleasure her friends enjoy. It means she makes practice a priority over Girl Scouts, parties, and even some vacations. It means following the instructions of coaches and parents. It means giving up candy and junk food (not a bad idea!) for a healthy diet. It also means that when opportunity arises to go!

Conclusion. Mountain moving faith is hard work. But we must remember the Wisdom of Solomon who writes, The end of a thing is better than its beginning (Eccl. 7:8). We need to keep the end in focus when we step into mountain moving faith. So

Begin Small.

Be Persistent.

Be Patient and

Be Prepared

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