Category: Uncategorized

Not feeling well, no post today.

Mark 9:28
Of course the disciples wondered why this situation came out this way. They had cast out other demons. They had not forgotten that fact. However, this event had challenged their faith.
Though questions like this might be embarrassing, they are very important. It is never a good idea to miss out on learning becuase of an unwillingness to swallow pride.

Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching us from your Word! You want us to have truth in our lives, not to just be confused and misinformed. Jesus is such a blessing! We are so privileged to have the gospels to tell us about his time here on earth. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 9:27
Jesus knew that the boy was not dead. And, right away he helps him to his feet. Jesus is quick to help isn’t he? His work in our lives gives us so much hope!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the great cross work of Christ. Thank you for the work of your Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for the great future you have given us. To you, Father, be all the glory forever! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 9:26
The big question in this verse is did the boy die? I can be emphatic, based on the context, that the boy did not die. Although Jesus would be more than able to raise the boy back from the dead had he died, that’s just not what happened. Jesus had just told the demon spirit to leave the boy’s body. This verse records for us the result of that command. The demonic spirit would have been unable to kill the boy upon his exit. And why? Because Jesus had told the demon exactly what to do, and the demon would not be allowed to do anything else to harm the child. The only thing the demon did do, was to put on temper tantrum as we can see here.
Now there are those who will say, yes but the demon rent the boy when he exited. A closer look at the Greek here will reveal that the word means to convulse. In other words this demonic spirit was able to throw the boy to the ground, but he was not able to hurt the child any further. Jesus power is absolute. Once he had told the spirit to leave, there was no other option, the demon had to obey the command.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your power on our behalf. No matter what the devil might try to throw our way, we belong to you. As your Word says greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. May we always rely fully upon you, and look to you in every situation. If we do, there is nothing that the devil, or anyone else, can do about it. Thank you for your faithfulness! Thank you for the beauty that you have put around us, and for our family and friends that are such a blessing to us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 9:25
The sceptic will ask why Jesus rushes to the deliverance of the boy when the people began to crowd together. Well, can we know why? Yes, there were several good reasons. First, Jesus knew that the demon would not be happy about his command, and would throw another temper tantrum when he received it. So, Jesus was protecting the people around the boy from this potential outburst. Secondly, given the complexity of this particular situation there was quite a bit of room for people to misunderstand or misrepresent what was being done. So, Jesus was preventing people’s stories from being too terribly farfetched. Third, as we saw earlier, the whole crowd may not have been there for the same reason. As a result, many of those who were now crowding in to see may not have known what was going on. It was time for the matter to come to a conclusion, rather than dragging on. Finally, the Greek here indicates that the group of people now gathering were actually in addition to the crowd that was already there. It was evidently quite a number of folks. Rather than giving the scribes, or the demon, the opportunity to say anything or do anything else to draw the crowd’s attention, Jesus cast the demon out immediately.
Notice Jesus’ words to the demonic spirit. He is very specific. He very directly charges this demon not to come back to the boy. He refers to the demon as deaf and dumb. As we said before, whether that means the demon itself was deaf, or it was a demon that caused deafness, we don’t really know. However, because Jesus uses this language, it’s important to consider that point. The fact that Jesus tells the demon not to come back seems to indicate that there was a possibility for this to happen. Jesus says no more and no less than what needs to be said. This is consistent with the Scriptures in that the kingdom of darkness is discussed no more, and no less, than necessary.

Heavenly Father, it is so great to know you. You can always be trusted, no matter what. You are truly faithful. You are trustworthy regardless of what might go on in our lives. There is nothing that could come our way which would prove you to be untrustworthy, or unfaithful. You will never ‘fall out of love’ with us. Your power is perfect, we will never find you to fail. It is not even possible! Thank you for you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Hope you had a great day!

Mark 9:24
This is one of the most interesting verses in all of Scripture. It really grips the human sentiment. That paradox of faith and faithlessness is where we often spend our lives. We believe, and yet we don’t believe. This man evidently had more trouble with his faith than many others who came to Christ for help. However, we all have a tendency to be weak in our faith.
What is truly interesting here is the solution this man finds for his faithlessness. He asks Jesus to help. And, really, that was exactly the right thing to do. Our faith has to come from the Lord. He is the one who helps us to grow in faith, as we grow in him. With tears this man expressed his complete dependence upon Christ. We should turn to the same solution.

Heavenly Father, our dependence upon you is a reality. But, we often forget that fact. May we always realize our need for you! You alone have the answers. You alone can meet our deepest needs. You are glorious, holy, pure and true. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 9:23
This story is fairly unique in that we actually have this man making a statement concerning his faith. In most cases, those involved with the miracles of Jesus don’t actually say all that much regarding their faith in him. We do have a few instances where there is some kind of statement made as to Christ’s ability. Even among these examples, this particular event is different. This man actually questions whether or not Jesus is able to rescue his son.
So, as a result, we have Jesus returning to the lesson he always has in connection with his miracles. Though he is able to do any miracle anytime, it’s a question of belief. His ability is not limited by a lack of belief, but his willingness is another matter. The Lord Jesus is quite interested in his glory, as he should be. If he wasn’t, we would know he wasn’t God. Thus, if he’s going to do a miracle, he expects someone to believe in him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your Word, so that we might understand our lives. You are worthy of all of the glory! May we never forget that! You are not to be deprived of your glory in our lives. You deserve all that we are and ever shall be in service to you. Thank you for your faithfulness! You are so easy to love! We have nothing to give you, you give us all we have. I love you, Father. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 9:22
We hear the violence connected with illness when the man was talking to the disciples now explained as the actions of the demonic spirit. It does not seem likely that the demonic influence would have actually killed the boy, though the powers of darkness have a tendency to be destructive even to their own detriment. This demon had a comfortable place so to speak, and would not want to leave. The devil and his minions rule by fear and suffering, thus the demon cast the boy into the flames and the floods.
Jesus, of course, knew the motives of all there present, including the demon itself. And he was already aware of this history. Anyone familiar with the actions of the devil could have guessed that much themselves. Indeed, it is in keeping with the actions of the dark world to hurt the victims in such a way that it becomes more difficult for them to cry out for help. And, you will find many a sin tied to the destruction of the mind and the body.

Heavenly Father, thank you for freeing us from the kingdom of darkness! Thank you for giving us the victory in Jesus Christ! We are so glad to be more than conquerors in the Lord Jesus. We can know that we have victory in him. No matter what may come our way in this life, Father we know that you will care for us. Even when we go through difficult valleys, we know you will never leave us nor forsake us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Mark 9:21