Who has the last say?

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." (Matthew 22:29) 

     When I was taking scuba diving lessons in the early 90's, I got a jaw injury. After a lesson, I discovered that I couldn't open my mouth. I had to pry out the mouthpiece of the scuba gear that I used for breathing.

     I went to see a dentist and he told me the grim news. "You can't dive anymore"

     I was devastated. I was just about to get my certification to become scuba diver and here he was telling me that I had to quit .

     For a month I couldn't open my mouth. I had to use a teaspoon to eat because it was the only thing big enough to get through.

     I prayed, "Lord, Your Word is higher than the doctor's word.  What you say has more weight than what a health professional says. So I put my trust in you instead of the doctor's diagnosis and I believe you are healing my jaw."

     And I did get my healing - as well as my certification as a scuba diver!

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This excerpt from author Rissa Singson-Kawpeng's book "Discover Your Inner Beauty Queen" reminds me of how great and powerful our Lord is. But despite our knowledge of His word, we often allow man's word to supersede the authority of God's Word. Here are a few examples:

When the doctor tells us our sickness is incurable, we take his word for it.

When someone tells us that what we want to achieve is impossible, we believe him.

When our bank account balance tells us we don't have enough money to support our needs, we despair.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, apostle Paul shares to us that "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"

When it feels like the entire universe is conspiring against what you desire to achieve, we can simply listen to it and give up. Or we can put our full trust and faith to the God of the Impossible (Mark 10:27) who created the universe itself (Hebrews 11:3).

When our finances are going downhill, we can panic or we can put our faith in the Lord who richly provides us with everything we need. As it is said in Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus".

When medical tests prove that we have serious illness, we can believe what science tells us about our body, or we can stand on the truth that by Jesus' blood we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 "but He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by His wounds we are HEALED")

This is why it's important to know His Word. We need to know His promises for the situations we face then claim it for ourselves. "Ask and it will be given to you"- Matthew 7:7, "...you do not receive because you do not ask God" James 4:2

So cheer up and claim that life filled with the Lord's bountiful grace and blessing! 

In Mark 11:24 and Matthew 21:22 it is very clear:

PRAY, BELIEVE and RECEIVE!