The Word This Week – YOU CAN MOVE THE HAND OF GOD WITH MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH

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5 May 2014 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar –

MATT.9:21

IF I COULD ONLY TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT I WILL BE HEALED

This woman was afflicted with this disease for 12 long terrible and shameful years. A continual flow of blood came from deep within her and since she was a Jew she was considered cursed, an outcast and therefore unclean and untouchable.

Imagine for 12 long years, she bore the emotional and psychological baggage and the pain of being ostracised from her family and the community around her.

What would have been like to experience such pain and humiliation for a person especially a woman in a society? Unthinkable I guess!

The Jewish law of the Old Testament states:

Levi:15:25

“‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.”

The culture of her time in which she lived, women with such affliction were virtually stigmatized and not allowed to function as a wife and a mother. They were not allowed to be involved in the daily chores of housework. They were not permitted to cook. They were practically isolated not only in their own family but also in the community as a whole. . Anybody who touches her became unclean as well that was the norm of the culture.

I believe she sat in an isolated state of rejection and for all you know, depression would have set in. The bibile says for 12 long years she wasted all her money chasing after doctors trying to find a solution for her problem but apparently it was all in vain. Not only she was left broke, her condition became worse and on top of it. Presumably she had lost faith in the doctors since they were not able to fix her problem.

But then she suddenly hears about Jesus, she believes, I suppose, that Jesus is a miracle working God and she looks for Him in desperation with a mind blowing level of faith.

Therefore, she said within herself; “If I may but touch His garment I shall be whole”. (Matthew 9:21) I just want to ask you, “what kind of faith was that”. I believe most of us would want a face to face encounter with God under such circumstances.

But this woman with the issue of blood was totally different. She said to herself “if I could only touch the hem of His garment”. Where was she in the beginning and where did she end up when she received that supernatural healing?

You notice that at this crucial moment of her life she shifted her faith from trusting in man’s ability to Gods ability. Although her condition became worse and despite her hopeless and helpless situation she was determined not to give up. She did not just conclude or accept the fact that she has to live like this until the day she dies.

There are basically three things we can pick up from this miracle

1)SHE WAS AN UNUSUAL WOMAN WITH EXCEPTIONAL DETERMINATION

She carried violent faith in her, so to say :

“For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. (Matt.9:21)

You know what? In the end, it’s not what others say that will determine your destiny. It’s what you say or think within yourself that will bring about a breakthrough in your life. No one can control your thoughts. You are the gatekeeper of your thoughts!

As a man thinketh in his heart so is he ( Prov.23:7)

Have you ever realized that the world will give you a lot of clever ideas to go about solving your problems without God in the picture?

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man,But its end is the way of death.

The secret is to get into agreement with God’s word and His promises and apply it in your life.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

…….anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

That’s what faith is! That’s what trust is! Your willingness to walk in alignment with God’s word creates a ceiling above which your faith can’t rise. This woman with the issue of blood had a faith that was “mountain moving.”

2) SHE WAS COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO MOVE FORWARD

Don’t ever keep saying, “I am waiting for God to move”. God is saying to you today, unless you take the bold step of faith and make that move first I can’t move my arm to fight the battle for you. You know what? You will never be able to cross the river, if all you do is simply keeping staring at the water.

How did she react with her new found faith in Jesus? It was no simple task to get near to Jesus. It was a serious business. Not forgetting the fact on the one hand that it was “a man’s world” that she was living in. Meanwhile, Jesus was on the way to the home of Jarius to heal his daughter who was very sick with a crowd of five thousand thronging Him.

Instead of creating a pity party environment and waiting for someone to come and assist her, which I guess most of the people of our day would have done. She took control of her situation. This is something that was an exceptional quality of character to be admired. Despite realizing the danger surrounding the culture of the day, that if she was identified amongst the crowd, she could be seriously punished even to death.

The woman with the issue of blood was neither discouraged nor fearful by what she was seeing. She moved forward and desperately infiltrated into the crowd and managed to touch the hem of His garment. She touched Him with faith but the question is what kind of faith was that? Indeed her faith must have been so aggressive and dynamic that she was literally able to draw the power from God to meet her need.

The amazing thing about this woman is that despite being a social outcast in the community, she carried in her a faith that was extraordinary and violent. This indeed is awesome. I am sure with a crowd of five thousand many would have been very close and touching the garment of Jesus. But the difference is that none of them amongst the five thousand had “such extraordinary faith“ except this women who could breakthrough with healing.

3) SHE WAS ABIDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Mark 5:39 She felt in her body she was healed. Not many people can sense this tangible anointing unless there was a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit moving at that moment. In her case the bible says she could sense that she was healed and made whole immediately.

1 John 3:24

We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Here is something we need to understand. God can only meet you at the level of your expectancy. And this woman was in absolute expectation for a miracle in her life.

Ps 145:15-16 NKJV

The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The second thing you would notice is the way Jesus reacted. Every time Jesus went about to heal the sick and the lame or raise the dead the presence of God was with Him to perform a miracle.

Jesus was immediately aware that someone drew from Him His power. .

He asked, “Who touched my robe?”

“Lord, look at the multitude.”

“The whole multitude is pressing against you!”

“You see what is happening–so why ask, ‘Who touched me?'”

However, the trembling, scared woman acknowledged what she did.

Despite foreseeing the seriousness of the circumstances she moved forward to acknowledge she indeed touched Jesus.

Faith is not the absence of fear. Faith is despite the fears you are willing to move forward. Jesus commended this woman for her faith.

In fear, she fell in front of Jesus and told Him the entire truth

Jesus’ response must have amazed her!

“Your faith has healed you–your faith allowed this to happen.”

“Go in peace”–what comforting words!

What is God telling you today?

The Lord’s power will not benefit a person unless the person comes with confidence that God indeed is all powerful.

There was an incredible difference in touching Jesus with “mountain moving faith“ and just touching Jesus with”lukewarm faith.“

Many people touched Jesus that day, many were touching Jesus when the miracle occurred. However, they did not do it with expectancy for anything to happen.

This woman wanted to be helped. She came with great expectancy to be helped.

And apparently she found help that day. This indeed is awesome which teaches us that when our level of faith is violent, it’s going to draw the presence of God in your desperate situation.

You notice the physical act of touching Jesus was the same for everyone amongst the five thousand people. It is undeniable that power was present in Jesus when all touched him.

The difference in the outcome was the difference in the people.

Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is also the representative of Faith International Bible School for Malaysia & Singapore. He is the founder and senior pastor of Full Gospel Outreach Ministry KL, a member of ECCM, Spiritual Adviser & overseer of Full Gospel Christian Church KL. Co-founder and adviser of Kingdom Christian Fellowship, Subang Jaya, he is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’