Can you believe God? -- Mark 9:14-29
In Bible Studies - Posted on Wed 23rd September 2009 by Pastor Lorenz
Our money says: "In God we trust." Unfortunately some people in our government seem to want us to put our trust in them. The government seems to be getting more and more involved in our private affairs. For example on March 19, 2009 the largest Savings and Loan in Los Angeles California, IndyMac Bank, was taken over by the FDIC. Then on July 25th First National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank NA of California. Then on July 31st the FDIC took control of five more banks: Mutual Bank, Harvey, Illinois; First Bank Americano, Elizabeth, New Jersey; Peoples Community Bank, West Chester, Ohio; Integrity Bank, Jupiter, Florida; and First State Bank of Altus, Oklahoma. Then last Friday the FDIC assumed control of three more banks: Corus Bank, Chicago, Illinois; Brickwell Community Bank, Woodbury, Minnesota; Venture Bank, Lacy, Washington. If we include these bank seizers with the Federal government's regulation of the mortgage industry; it's control of General Motors; its regulation of salaries for executives on Wall Street, and now Congresses' proposal to take over the health insurance industry; we begin to get a picture of a government that wants to control almost every aspect of our lives. As the government controls more and more of our life it takes away our freedom and makes us wards and dependents of the state. The end result will be a total trust in government for our lives. Someday our money may say "In the U.S. government we trust."
What do you trust? Maybe you trust in your bank account? Maybe you trust in your family to take care of you. Maybe you have faith in your own abilities to get what you want and need. God wants us to trust him. God wants us to trust him, but trusting God is not always easy. A story in the Bible describes a man whom Jesus called to trust and believe in him.
When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. And He asked them, "What are you discussing with them?"Jesus said to the man, "All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
And one of the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it."
And He answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!" They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"
And he said, "From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!"
And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again."
After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, "He is dead!" But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up.
When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, "Why could we not drive it out?"
And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9: 14-29)
What do we see happening in this story? This is a lesson about faith, belief, trust. We see four important spiritual principles about trusting God. We see a problem that the people could not solve without God's help--a boy is possessed by a demon. We see Jesus who has the solution to the problem but he requires faith from those in need. We see those in need responding in faith, and we see Jesus meeting the need. The first spiritual principle is that our problems cannot be solved without God's help. The man asked Jesus: "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us! (Mark 9: 14-22)."
The second spiritual principle is that Jesus has the solution to all problems, but he requires us to believe in him. And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9: 23-24).
On January 17, 1991 Navy Lt. Bob Wetzel along with his bombardier, Jeffrey Zahn, was flying his A-6 off the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga in the Red Sea during Desert Storm. As Wetzel flew his A-6 over Iraq his plane was hit by rockets and he and Zahn ejected from the plane. The force of the ejection broke Wetzel's back, his arm, and his collarbone causing him to lose consciousness. His parachute opened automatically but because he was unconscious he could not control his descent and when he hit the sand of the Iraqi desert, he broke his other arm. Wetzel and Zahn were both captured and taken to prison where they were tortured and interrogated. Although he was in constant pain because of his many broken bones, although, as a POW he was in fear for his life, Wetzel never gave up hope that he would be rescued. He was in pain, he was discouraged, and afraid, but he always had hope. When he resolved to make the best of his situation and began to seek God in prayer his fear and discouragement grew less and his hope in God grew stronger. Wetzel resolved to make the best of his situation and began to seek God in prayer. The Bible says, "All things are possible to him who believes." The father of the boy who was possessed by a demon said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
The third spiritual principle is God will answer our prayer according to his will.
When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, "He is dead!" But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. (Mark 9: 25-27).God will answer our prayer according to his will. Do you believe that God can answer your prayers?
The fourth spiritual principle is believing prayer. We read that "When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, "Why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9: 23-29)."
Oliver Cromwell was captain of small troop of cavalry at the Battle of Edgehill. As he and his men were about to cross a river to attack the Royalists Cromwell told his men, "Put your trust in God, but keep your powder dry." What did Cromwell mean? Cromwell was telling his troops that they needed to believe that they were fighting on God's side and that God would help them win the fight, but in addition to having faith in God his troops were to be ready to go into battle. God will give the victory but we too have a part in the fight. Trust involves prayer and willingness to believe God. Jesus' disciples wanted to know why they had been unable to cast out the demon. Jesus said, "You can do this only by prayer."
What is your need today? What is happening or not happening in your life over which that you have little or no control? Is it a health problem? Is it a financial problem? Is it a family problem? Maybe you say, "I don't really have any problems." What about your spiritual problem. All of us have a spiritual problem. I have a spiritual problem and you have a spiritual problem and we cannot solve without God's help. We read in the Bible that Jesus has the solution to our problem but he requires us to have faith. Jesus is able to help us but we must have faith. Will we respond in faith so that Jesus can meet our need?
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great." The Bible says to trust God and he will be true to you. Expect great things from God and he will prove himself great.
September 7, 1940 was the beginning of the German Blitz of London, England. For the next fifty-seven days London was bombed every day or night. During one such bombing a man and his young son ran from their building which had just been bombed. The man jumped into a huge bomb crater and called for his boy to jump in so he could catch him. The young boy looked into the deep dark hole but could seen nothing but darkness. "I can't see you," said the boy to his father. "But I can see you," the father replied. "Trust me and jump. I'm here to catch you."
God wants us to believe in Him. Can you jump into his loving arms? Can you believe God?
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