Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

Luke: 17:5: And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

Have you ever ask the Lord to increase your faith because you want to be able to move the mountains that are in your life and to tell the trees in your life to be uprooted and thrown into the see? While using mountains and trees as an analogy for the obstacles that are in your life, when you look at the text the disciples ask for their faith to be increased after Jesus told them the importance of forgiving your brother even if they sinned against you seven times over in a day, verses 3, 4. Then Jesus tells them a true fact about faith that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can up root trees and they will obey you, verse 6 and He said it similarly in Mark 11:23 about moving mountains and in that same passage talked about forgiveness, Mark 11:25. Is it that hard to forgive someone if they sin against you to ask Jesus to increase your faith? Yes, for most people it is hard to forgive! If you look at Luke 17 in the text Jesus is talking about being obedient by doing all that you have been commanded to do, including forgiveness then you will be able to enjoy the blessings that is in store for you, verse 8. Therefore, if the trees and the mountains of life are keeping you from your blessings and you want them removed, Jesus said in Mark 11: 24, therefore I say unto you, whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. However, the qualifying clause in Mark and in Luke is to be obedient, you must forgive! In addition, just like Luke said in verse 10: So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: We have done that which was our duty to do. If you want to move the mountains and the trees in your life I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, as you believe in receiving the things that you are asking, make sure that you are doing the things that He has commanded you so you can enjoy the things He has for you. I believe one of the best ways of knowing your faith is increasing is that you are doing God’s will in obedience to what He has commanded you in Jesus Name...

James Jr. Hairston