Saints,
Bless you all. Remember to pray for one another this week. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful, and you are all righteous in Christ, your glorious Lord. Look to Him. Cry out to Him. Appeal to Heaven on one another’s behalf.
May the end of summer be sweet and full of light and sunshine and ice cream.
Filling up the edges
Mark 9:14-29
In the house Jesus emphasizes the theological point of an incident. In this instance the final conversation relates to the central theme of the unit, for the epilogue qualifies the faith of verse 23 as the faith that prays.
In response to the inevitable question of why they had failed, Jesus explained to the disciples that such malign evil spirits can be expelled only by a full reliance upon the unlimited power of God expressed through prayer.
This response contains at least the implicit criticism that the disciples had failed because they had not acted in prayer and sincere faith.
Prayer is a sign of our humility and faith. Our prayer lives reflect whether we think we control our own lives. Whether we are self-sufficient and don’t need anything from one another or God.
Prayer is both a thermometer and thermostat. It heats up our spiritual lives and shows how hot they are.
The disciples relied on Jesus’ previous command and equipping. They relied on their previous success, forgetting where their success had come from.
The father was honest, damaged by the church’s failure, He turned to Christ and humbly stated exactly where he stood in relation to Jesus.
And Jesus responded.
Having the spirit is not walking by Him. We have to remember both. The indicative the fact – Jesus has given you His spirit.
We then need remember the imperative. Because the Spirit has been given to us, we ought to walk by His power and revelatory light, not our own.
We think having the spirit is the same as walking by the spirit. But they are not.
Seeking the source, lifting our hearts Godward, pursuing to enliven, renew and strengthen our connection to Christ by His Spirit is what keeps us in line with God’s revealed will.
More Spirit = more power.
Genesis 1:1–2 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 2:6–7 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Because the Spirit gives life, then in our re-creation in Christ, when we receive the down payment of eternal life, it looks a lot like our first creation.
John 20:22–23 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:3–4 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
But being animated by the Holy Spirit as creatures isn’t the same as the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, which isn’t the same as walking by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16–24 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 2 Timothy 1:7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
The power of God is the Spirit. The power in Prayers and those praying is the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:26–27 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.Jude 20But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Be like the father who brought his Son to Jesus. He believed and yet knew how imperfect his faith was. The disciples all stood in their own power and strength and were defeated.
The father cried out to God in humility and need. Our wavering faith in an unwavering savior is the problem.
Not God’s ability. Not’s God’s compassion. Not’s God power.
The power of a righteous man is the power of the Holy Spirit flowing out.
John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
When a sailing ship gets in the doldrums, there is no wind and the boat lies listless and unmoving. Christians are just the same.
The power of a Righteous man is in His prayer, because that is where Christ meets Him by the Spirit.
Need more wind? More Power? More motivation and propulsion? Go to the one who controls the wind. The source of power.
Around the web
Do musicians understand the Bible better?
Devotional
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ shared our toil and hallowed our labor in his earthly life. Be present with your people where they work, and move those who carry on the industries and commerce of this land to honesty and fairness. Guide us to do all our work to your glory and for our neighbor’s good; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
Source: Based on a collect in The Book of Common Prayer 1979.
Church Calendar
Confession – Erik
Prayer – Covey
Adult BBQ Visit with Dean
The Hewards are hosting an adult get together for Dean & Antonia Sunday September 1, at 6:30 at our house.{ Outside} We are barbecuing burgers, and will have all the fixin’s. Please bring a drink of your choice. Would like a head count, so let me know if you’re coming.
CHILDCARE WORKERS NEEDED FOR LYNWOOD CC GROUP
Mondays (morning and afternoon positions available) from Sept – April; contact Rachel Estabaya at 425-876-4651 and see the email from Kael with more details.
PROVIDENCE AIDES NEEDED
Providence is looking to hire two teacher aides for the 2019/2020 school year: 1st grade – Mondays and Thursdays 7:45-3:30 and 5th grade – Monday through Friday 8am-noon. If anyone is interested, please contact Alice Kniss: alicekniss@pccs.org.
HEIDELFEST
Saturday, September 28th. Get free tickets/meal reservations online at heidelfest.org.
Locusts and Wild Honey 