Let’s Move Some Mountains...

Michael, I think you have accurately put your finger on the pulse of what is going on with the steady stream of people leaving the institutional church. A holy dissatisfaction. Traditional church has become a powerless social club for the reasons you mention. You have given language to what has been gnawing at my spirit and soul. And all the while the Lord continues to woo me into His presence through His Spirit. In this age of information, I am realizing talk is cheap. I want to step out in faith and begin to put action to the dreams and visions the Lord has given me. Fear of failure and fear of man are the two obstacles standing in the way. I have been praying not for God's strength to be given to me, but God to be my strength. Thanks for this post.

Michael, Yes, let's go there together! Mountain(s) get out of our way.....! Your messages are always so uplifting, encouraging, and.....REAL! Thank you for this one that reminds us to get out of our comfort zone and be DOERS OF THE WORD! Thank you for your faithfulnes and leadership and letting your light shine in a dark world. Many blessings! Peter Ciganek

Thanks Michael. This message came to me at the very moment I was struggling to believe the Lord after I stepped out in a financial decison. It has encourged and strengthened my resolve to stand firm and believe.

I took that leap of faith in November of last year. I am a realtor and was trying to \"chase my birds on the beach\" After reading those posts I decided to committ to trusting God for everything and it has worked. My business is growing and so is my faith. Relationships have healed. Your words of wisdom have helped me so much. I look forward to each new email with anticipation.

Count me in! I agree, \"talk is cheap\". If we are going to walk in demonstration of power, it's going to be by faith and if I can't \"believe in\" some funds to put some food on the table or keep the lights on, or help/feed another, than I'm fooling myself to think that great manifestations of HIS power will be done through my hands. I'm talking about profound miracles, just like Jesus did. And HE'S the one who said \"greater works than these shall YOU do.\" And it's all by faith, because I BELIEVE what I say will come to pass. Lets get our act together and pass the money test, so that we can get to the real 'meat\", the power test... Luk 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

I too want that kind of faith...faith that is \"connected to the heart, rooted and grounded in love, born of the Spirit, carried by His Word and tested by the circumstances of our life. We need faith that will move mountains.\" I am not sure of what to do to get that faith. I need understanding. A renewing of the mind...something in my thinking and knowing that will get me past this paralysis.

I'm in a similar situation as Mike (see post above), but I'm in much darker place. I lost a lot of money in the market crash last fall and was heavily in debt. It left me nearly broke and considering bankruptcy. I am self-employed and my business has all but dried up, but the collectors still call incessantly. (It's hard to try to work out a re-payment plan when there is no income.) My wife of 19 years left me at Christmas and I've been relegated to living in my RV. I also lost my health insurance and am a diabetic with coronary artery disease. I've been crying out to God for months now and I have to be honest, my faith is beginning to wane a bit. This struggle has been the worst of my life and I've been trying to walk it out in faith, but so far, nothing has manifested in a positive way, other than I am still alive and hanging on. I don't mean for this to be a sob story or a pity party. I'm just being honest. I have tried turning to the Lord so many times only to get the distinct impression my prayers are merely bouncing off the ceiling. I don't know where else to turn. Last night, I asked God to take me home because I simply can't live this way much longer. My faith is strong enough to believe that if God did choose to do so, I would not be afraid. Being with Him would have me in a far better place. I could sure use some faith-based mentoring in learning how to not only resolve this seeming endless enigma and guide me out, but to be a source of encouragement that God is still there and wants me to be happy again. Thank you Michael for your email messages. They are precious nuggets to me. Many times the answer seems so simple and obvious, but then when the rubber meets the road and you don't really know what the first step to take really is, the frustration returns. I really need a road map. I am trying with all it have to stand firm and believe, but each day seems to bring a \"two steps backward\" sticky note attached to it. if anyone has any specific ideas that transcend general philosophies, I would be more than open to them. I am a fellow servant of Jesus Christ and though he slay me, yet will I serve Him. No matter how bad things get, I will never forsake my Lord. Thank you.

This type of message from you always helps me to refresh my soul and to become more determined to move upward.

Yes and Amen! To resist fear and to trust Him more, knowing the vision He has provided is Truth. Then fear is nothing. The mountain becomes small as our faith is enlarged. And we gain strength through Him. To God be the Glory - Yes and Amen.

Steve B., don't give up. I am not right where you are, but there are many of us crying out to God for one reason or another. We can help and encourage each other. I wish we could talk on the phone, I would be able to encourage you with the things God has done for me and my husband. This forum that Michael P. has set up and what he is trying to accomplish is blessed of God. And what a blessing it is to those of us in the body of Christ. We need what God has been providing for us through this. It brings hope and blessing.

Michael, You are surely recieving the Truth and speaking it for all to hear. As God did with Israel when the people strayed from His word and his Law He brought pain and suffering to turn their attention back to Him. He is doing that now with our country, taking away our idols to turn us to Him for all our needs. We lost our security in 2001 and we turned to our Armed forces and our government. We lost our financial security in 2008 and turned to our banks and the government again. I believe hardship will continue til we turn to our Creator as our source for all blessings and strength and honor Him with our life.

I HAVE been feeling this aspect missing in my walk, I so want to be there I cry natural and spiritually over it, often, PLEASE include me in the journey, so that i might learn and in turn, teach while on my way..... PRAISE GOD.! :)

Michael, thank you for this useful, helpful post. This year I've been renewing my mind in God's Word daily (Rom 12:2). Speak out the things that agree with God's Word -- that's key. But at first it can seem daunting, incredible, so my confession in a certain area is more conservative at first. For example, if \"My God is gonna supply ALL my needs\" is hard for you to believe at first, say \"Father, give me the grace to confess the truth of your Word that you're going to supply all my needs.\" The advance in the Christian life is a two-step process shown in Romans 12:1-2. First, present your body a living, holy sacrifice to God. Second, transform your mind by renewing it in God's Word. It's not hard, but it does take regular time. The great result is (v2b) you'll be able to see the world around you exactly the way God sees it. Imagine the wisdom and right decision-making you will experience!!

Wow, this is great! I have been dealing a lot with the \"belief\" thing. I get a blog from a man in Israel, haRold (hethathathanear, I think) and he is sharing about believing. Bless you, Kara

Michael, how did you dare?:) ...fresh cut roses. It looks promising, even smells nice, but can produce nohing but a warm fuzzy feeling.... That is prickly word, offending and even, hurtful, but.. it is true. Truth is not meant to be pleasant, but certainly to set us free. Who said that again? Let us turn into leafy, oxygen producing, action breeding specimens! Amen. Bless you Michael

You nailed it, brother. The Lord spent a good hour revealing these matters to me the other morning. I want to move mountains. Count me in.

This seems to be the theme the Lord is giving to a lot of us now. Just yesterday I listened to Dani Johnson teach on that same thing. It so inspired me that I sat down and wrote the following... Mustard seed faith moves mountains. How can this be??? Faith is a power like no other. God's faith is imparted, caught, instilled, absorbed, grown, poured in. Faith is shown, held/released, acted on, applied, partnered with, lived by. Faith expects miracles, knows God, sees the outcome, fills the heart with joy, asks for the impossible, speaks positively, looks for success, brings down walls, raises the dead, heals the sick, casts out devils, builds businesses, prepares one for supernatural happenings, increases with use, adds new dimensions to everything, absorbs doubt, calls you to action, opens doors for you, excites a riot within you, heralds the coming of the Lord, pays you for moving with it, blesses your every endeavour to obey it, pleases God, holds your attention, commands you, instructs you, raises the absolute answers, attracts believers, foils the enemy, allows children to use it.. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. HIM THAT HATH AN EAR (able to hear) let him listen to and heed what the (Holy) Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). How to go for it will require time with Jesus I am sure..Thanks for agreeing..

Where is the line between faith and presumption? Gary

Michael, I am hearing this message from the Lord also. I know the Iaraelites could not enter the promised land because of unbelief. I listened to atape by Charlotte Torango from The House of The Lord, Nashville, Tn. and her message was to \"become what we believe.\" So, your message is so timely and true. \"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.\" God Bless, Lois

Hey Mike, I'm ready to experience the 2009 'moving mountains' faith ride with humility and Godly wonder.... Hebrews 11:1-39 and James 4:1-17!

Michael you are SO RIGHT! I believe God has to first strip away a lot of our pride, arrogance, and dependence on ourself before we are able to truly walk in faith. As we humble ourselves before the Lord, call upon Him, and walk expectantly in faith, He will indeed move mountatins....but for His glory...not ours!

Michael, I could write allot of words, but I say you are right on the truth, count me in this mountain moving. I pray for the grace of GOD to walk all the way, moving mountain after mountain.

Thank you and Amen, Michael! I emailed a few friends yesterday about Hebrews 11:6. The Holy Spirit is moving! I want to ask some very penetrating questions, in addition to what you wrote. Are we moving with God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; Abiding? Are we too afraid to take risks at God’s leading? Are we even getting before His throne to find out what He wants us to do? He has a lot for us to do. How long are we willing to wait on God? (think about Job) Everything seems fine now; life, jobs, the economy. Or maybe it’s not fine with you. Some of us have work that keeps us almost TOO busy to sit before the Lord and wait on Him. If we aren’t keeping our eyes open, asking the Lord to “open the eyes of our hearts�, and waiting on Him we’re going to miss what He has been speaking because we’ve been too busy, being busy, to wait on Him and get in line with Him (Matt 25:1-13, Matt 25:14-30). What’s He asking you to do? What if He asks us to do something along the lines of what He asked Abraham to do with his son, Isaac? How far are we willing to risk even in the face of the judgment of others; even others in the church because of what we heard the Lord tell us to do which looked like foolishness to them? In Jeremiah 32, the Lord told Jeremiah to buy a parcel of land in the middle of a siege! Foolishness? I want to encourage you who are in a \"pit\". I lost my business 2 years ago. I am in big debt. But the Lord is making a way (Jeremiah 17:5-10). I may be “preaching to the choir� for some, but as we wait on Him, when the right timing comes we will know it. We won’t have to make excuses by saying, “well, I’ll have to pray about that�. We’re supposed to be “Walking in the Spirit�; walk in the light as He is in the light. 1 Corinthians 2 is very clear on this, as well as Proverbs 3:5-6 and James 4:13-17. Am I way out of line here? I believe God wants us dependent on Him every moment of every day. We are His and EVERYTHING on this planet belongs to Him. So what are we afraid of????????!!!!!

I am so ready to move some mountains! I am excited regarding this post. I don't have my own business or anything but I have tons of things that I believe the Lord is pointing out to me that so need to exercise that it's not even funny. Buying my own house, being delivered from a major illness, going around the country with my testimony, writing memiors and stories...so much. Things like this come to me daily. But it's like wow where do I start then I get bombarded with slot of trash to where my focus has shifted to the garbage. I to admit I am liable for that but man it isn't necessarily light things either. So with that said, yes I am ready to do the impossible to better myself and to be a model for others.

I read this tonight at Oswald Chambers site, My utmost for HIS highest. This is where I want to be every single day. When we get to this place then we can move any mountain, and walk in the power of JESUS CHRIST. The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues.

Michael, This is very true thank you for speaking up on this point so many of us who call ourselves christians are deceived. We believe if we speak it with our mouth then we have faith & yet we don't step out when we are given a opportunity test it & there by see it grow in strength. The Lord loves us so much He doesn't want to leave there. He spoke to me about this very thing in my life three times while I drove my car less five miles one evening. He asked me if I trust Him ( which requires faith not knowledge). When He asked it the third time, He also reminded me about the time He asked Peter,\"Do you love me Peter?\" I had to admitt that He knew my heart better than I did.I then & there deceided I would change my action because I was not willing to change my believe & commitment to Christ it has been a exciting adventure.

Thank you, Michael, for the post, and thank you others, for your part in sharing your heart. It helps me know I am not alone and the answer to our inaction is spoken over and over in nearly everyone's comment. I think the enemy would have us think we are alone and powerless. I am excited to see what mountain will be moved in my life. Mountains stand a long time before they are removed, and probably don't much like being moved. Think of the rubble that is disturbed and pushed along the way. Lots of possibilites to build with that rubble, aye? I for one do not want to fear men's faces, but rather, fear the Lord and know that His refining fire is never meant to harm, so I will welcome it and know that something refined and wonderful is on the other side.

Oh, Lord, give me the faith that Michael is talking about.

I agree to a degree. But we can't forget that sometimes our feelings don't line up with 'Faith', and what I mean by that is....... We know without a shadow of a doubt that God is faithful, but sometimes the pain of what we are going through, might seem although you haven't any faith. Some might say, (Or you might even ponder to yourself), if I had faith, would I be behaving like this? This dosen't doubt that you have faith, and your not even doubting faith itself either; it's just a human emotion. There's been alot of teaching on emotions recently, and its starting to get a bit tedious because, we are not robots, and in a time of trial and testing this teaching can be flipped upside down by the enemy. The best thing to do is to remember that 'faith IS the substance of things hoped for AND the evidence of things not seen. And we know that means, just because you don't see it materially, it dosen't mean it actually hasn't taken place. We do get weak, and thats all part of it...to get back strength and new joy. The joy and strength were always there, but the flesh was being crushed at the time, to bear more fruit (or pruned-whichever). So basically, my point is....what seems like Roses, can actually be Roses too! If we hold on to the Substance of that fragrance, as hope dosen't disappoint- no matter what.

Absolutely! Count me in!..................

Sounds like some mountains better be ready to take a dip. . .I can smell what the ROCK is cooking!!! Peace, Mike

www.sellingamongwolves.com - da best. Keep it going! Eremeeff

Yes, Michael, you have reason, I want to go with you too.

Micheal, do you really understand the way your correspondence affects people's lives for good. The work that God is wroughting through you will never end in your generation. Of cause, we shall together move mountains for our God.

As with so many others God has been leading me in this direction for several months. I believe this is where the body of Christ will become the force of change in this world. If John 3:16 is true the everything else in His Word is true including speak to this mountain and it shall be removed; also the verse in Jeremiah about the plans he has for you to do you good and not evil. Isn't time we took the Word at its word?

Dear Michael, I am 100% in agreement with your article. Unfortunately we (most people today - especially christians) don't want to go through anything in our lives which builds character. Thankyou for this hard truth, yet very encouraging word. God Bless

I am finding that the \"mountain\" is sometimes myself and how I am walking in knowledge but not in true faith because faith takes action. My fears and weaknesses open me up to \"the fiery darts of our enemy...makes me weak. My job is to speak what God has said and believe it and move on from that point. I have experienced that when I whine (murmer in my tent) our enemy gets wind of it and closes in for an attack and robs and steals. Loss equals someone stealing from you. Don't let the enemy steal. Speak the truth and act. Just do something...anything. It's better to do than to not. Speak the truth of God and take a baby step. The mountain is beginning to inch over...

Michael, this post is great except I can not help but think of the other recent posts I have read by you encouraging people to trim staff, reduce over head in order to survive this economic down turn. This post is of faith, the post about the rain forest is a worldly perspective, a walk by sight and not faith. You have high ideals, but it appears you are trying to walk by faith priciples to serve your godly customers but trying to keep you revenue stream coming by marketing the worlds ideas to the rest of the world. Your salt is not very saltly, it smells of compromise. I am not throughing stones, rather I too have failed to see the dispartiy of this in recent years. I pray that you will receive this with grace.

Hi Greg Korpi; Believe it or not I just saw your post... Thank you for writing in and sharing your viewpoint. I do not think that faith and good business practices are mutually exclusive. In the end, I believe faith is about trusting and obeying God. So it is not faith for example to keep an employee on staff beyone our means, unless we have a word from the Lord about not letting them go. Too many people disregard common wisdom in the name of faith and go down the tubes in the process, proving that they were either not in faith or they were not in tune with God and were using His name to accomplish their agenda. I am not sure if you are saying the rainforest is a worldly perspective or you were just referring to the Kapok Strategy which dealt with laying people off. But either way, the rainforest as I see it, is something God made and we can learn a lot about His ways by studying His creation. In my opinion that is not worldy, but very spiritual indeed. The world does not tend to value God's ways or at least they tend not to look for them. I am looking for His ways as revealed firstly in Scripture but also in the things He made as in Romans 1:21, Psalms 111:2, 1 Kings 4:33, etc. In conclusion my brother, I don't believe it is compromise to use wisdom gleaned from what God made. I am definitely not marketing the worlds ideas in any way, nor have I ever seen anyone else looking to God's creation to learn how to model their business. It is not worldly to do so in my opinion so I don't believe I am compromising to do things like Solomon admonished us when he said, Consider the ant... Grace and Peace to you, Michael