Living Manna

Today we are studying the 15^th part in the Gospel of Mark, we see the issue of evil spirits. Jesus has previously cast out evil spirits and Mark brought up this issue of evil spirits again. Evil spirits are not referring to ghosts like in horror movies, but evil spirits are the underlings of Satan. Altogether collectively we call them “Satan” or devil. Evil spirits fulfill the will of Satan in trying to lead us away from the Lord, prevent us from believing, and even if we continue to attend church they prevent us from truly giving our lives to the Lord and listening to the Word.

Today while Jesus was up on the mountain of transfiguration with 3 disciples, as we have learnt last week, the father with a son possessed by evil spirits brought his son to Jesus with great expectations that the problem will be solved. But Jesus was not there. The rest of the disciples tried to cast out the spirit without success.

In this story, the disciples represent the church of today. You and I are the disciples of Jesus Christ. The child who was possessed by evil spirit, this boy, represents the fruit of the time, fruit of the age. How are the evil spirits afflicting this age, our children, and us today? Here in today’s passage, it says, it is a deaf and mute spirit. A spirit that prevents us from hearing the Word of God and speaking the Word of God. Mark 9:20. Whenever the evil spirit seizes the boy, he is thrown to the ground, stiffens up and foams at the mouth. This is the extent of pain that the evil spirit is causing the boy. Likewise the evil spirits of today are causing us, our families, our friends, with so much pain, downtrodden depression, anger management issues. Mark 9:18. Are we not able to give thanks to God and share the love of Christ freely? Just because of something thrown into our hearts? Hatred, despise, pain, sickness, etc. Mark 9:26. Satan gives us the gift of death. More people today are suffering from such difficulties and hardships that the evil spirits bring to us, we did not know this. Mark 9:22. We are fervent and flip back to anger issues and darkness next moment. We are the disciples of Jesus, just like them we also imitate the things that Jesus would do but the problem is not solved, and we feel deflated.

Are we effectively casting out evil spirits? That is why we feel defeated, just like the disciples. Coming down from the mountain looking at this situation, Jesus rebukes, and may this same rebuke be upon us:

Mark 9:19 (NKJ) He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

When Jesus sees sin, a problem blocking us from receiving His blessings, He rebukes that sin, when we receive that rebuke, that sin is taken away so His blessing will reach us. The answer Jesus is giving them is to bring it to Him. Let us bring people to Jesus, let us bring our problems to Jesus.

Jesus then scolds the father regarding his faith. The father was not sure Jesus can do anything.

Mark 9:22-23 (NKJ) “And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³  Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

We pray and listen to the Word, but are we believing or unbelieving? After everything, the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked why they couldn’t cast out the evil spirit. Jesus said, it is because you did not have prayer. Mark 9:28-29 .

The prayer and cries that we have only when we meet problems, is superficial. Jesus is referring to a life of prayer, a continued fellowship and friendship with Him.

The 2 things that Jesus is emphasizing in this story is: Do you believe – Faith. Prayer.

Faith is giving God the steering wheel, and letting Him do whatever He wants and wills, doing what we cannot do. Ephesians 3:20. 

God will and wants to, and is able to give you way more than what you ask for. So don’t limit Him to what we need only now. Where is that power to do all these mighty things? He put it in you. Hebrews 11:33-34. Not because these mighty men of faith were capable, but because of the power of prayer and faith. If you don’t have faith, you cannot pray. How can you ask God to do anything, if you don’t have faith. Prayer comes only when you can believe.

What will happen if we have true faith and prayer?

1. Dream or a vision of faith becomes possible and will be fulfilled

The father of the boy came to Jesus with this big dream that his son may be healed, but he lacked faith. Jesus points it out and the father accepted Jesus’ Words, he repented, and in the end, he received the fulfillment of his vision and prayer. His dream came true.

Many people come to Jesus and receive fulfillment to their hopes and dreams. In Mark 5, the woman with hemorrhage. She had faith that was life or death level. She believed, as long as she even touches the edge of Jesus’ cloak, she will be healed. That allowed her sick body to move. When we have faith, that faith allows us to move. She crawls with all the interferences, obstacles, crowd in the marketplace, and reaches the cloak of Jesus. That is prayer!

Look at Moses. It took him such a long time and energy to convince the stubborn Israelites to come out of Egypt. The people are grumbling. In the midst of that, Moses was able to go forward, why? Because he believed.

Exodus 14:13-14 (NKJ) And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ¹⁴  “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Have the great faith today, and hear God’s voice: Whatever problem you are facing, stand by, do not fear, and see the salvation of the Lord.

The disciples tried to do it on their own. But Moses said, see the salvation of the Lord. He will do it. He will accomplish it for you today. The problem you are facing today, you will never see it again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.

Even Daniel the prophet, he knew he would die if he prayed more, but he prayed 3 times a day without ceasing with his windows open, putting his life on the line because he knew this was the will of God. Let us not be afraid but go forward.

2. When faith and prayer come together, the Word of God comes before my own thoughts.

Many times, things do not happen in our faith, not even change taking place, because the Word of God is always hidden under my own thoughts, my own ways, my own situation and circumstances, everything else takes priority before the Word of God. But look at this father of the boy, he said: If you can Jesus, can you heal my son? Jesus said, all things are possible for him who believe. The father’s response was immediate:

Mark 9:24 (NKJ) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Before this, his own thoughts were in front. But after Jesus’ rebuke, he put his own thoughts away and followed Jesus’ instruction to believe.

Zion Church members, you are not customers. We are to bring the children of God to Father God, and have them receive salvation, and make sure they are in heaven.  Our goal likewise is to get into the kingdom of heaven. Our job is not to make people comfortable necessarily. Comfort and consolation come from the Lord, not from human beings. If we can introduce Jesus to let them find true love and comfort, and represent Jesus’ true love and comfort, that is the genuine faith.

To this father, the Word of Jesus came, and he put away his own thoughts and issues and the Word of Jesus came to the front. This is what happens when there is faith and prayer. Denying myself is rejecting all thoughts and elements that cause us not to believe, holding only onto the Word. Matthew 16:24.

In Mark 10, we see a rich young ruler coming to Jesus, asking how to receive eternal life. Jesus’ answer in verse 21 was not followed or accepted. Mark 10:21. He couldn’t do this because there were so many more things that took priority before Jesus Christ.

For all leaders, if you do church work without understanding the Word of God, we might be deceiving ourselves. There is a reason why God gave us the bible. This is the only clear revelation God has given to us. Not understanding the bible means we just want good things to be given to us.

Our Zion Church was set up with a purpose can be described as these 5:

• Sola Scriptura – scriptures alone
• Sola Fide – Faith alone
• Sola Gratus – Grace alone
• Solus Christus – Christ alone
• Soli Deo Gloria – To the glory of God alone

What is not included here is – For myself alone. Church work is not for myself, not what I think. Church work is about what the Lord commanded us.

Our purpose is to make sure that our members become the members of the kingdom of heaven, and we are all pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6. We cannot please God without faith. We don’t want to focus on building a church that make people feel good about themselves. As leaders, we need to ask ourselves: Is this good in the eyes of God? Or good in the eyes of people? Is this good in my eyes? Or other’s eyes? Which goal does my ministry and the church strive for?

Therefore, leaders, if we are not receiving the command from above, through worship services, you will not know which direction to lead the people. That is why we need to be at every service. We need to keep our spiritual condition, at top notch level. Can you imagine the commander in chief, getting tired before the soldiers during physical training?? It is shameful. Our leaders have to be spiritually alert and awake.

3. (When faith and prayer come together) There is a blessing of hope

When we have living hope, we are able to persevere. When we have hope, we can gain victory. Death is when we do not have hope. In striving towards that hope, there is growth, fulfillment, fruits that are born.

That is why the bible tells us to put our hope on the things above, not things below. Those who put our hopes in the things above, the forefathers of faith, and today’s believers can testify when they put their hopes above, it will never fail. You will find joy in it.

The bible tells us if you put your hope on the things below, it may bring you temporary momentary joy and hype, like the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil but that joy is too short lived and too small in comparison to the trouble, disappointment and despair, and regrets that will follow.

Like the father today, those who repent and seek for Jesus and His forgiveness and say: “I do believe, help my unbelief!” That was his honest repentance.

4.Through faith and prayer, there will be satisfying fulfillment

The end will be good. May your problem be cast out and not enter you again.

Mark 9:25-26 (NKJ) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” ²⁶  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

Take it as Jesus’ invitation to you today. Isaiah 40:28-31.

AMEN.