The disciples failed to cast out a demon from an apparently epileptic boy. Jesus intervened. “All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23 KJV). The distraught father cried out, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief” (9:24). The faith of both the father and the disciples failed them. After healing the boy, Jesus diagnosed the solution. “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (9:29). The sins of the parents are visited upon the “children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7 KJV). Deliverance is possible only through Spirit directed searching, confession, repentance, and forgiveness of sins by means of prayer and fasting.
Promises
Goodness and Mercy Follow Me
If I adopted two puppies from a litter, and named them Goodness and Mercy, they would always follow me. Even better, because we have been adopted by the LORD, we should always follow our Lord. And, looking behind us, we notice Goodness and Mercy following us. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalm 23:6 KJV). Thank you, LORD!
Devil Doesn’t Care
The devil doesn’t care if we start, so long as we don’t finish. Of course, he’d prefer we never started. Nonetheless, only “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13 KJV). Not only does God care that we start, but He has an intimate interest in our finishing. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 KJV). No one gets to Heaven or Hell against their will.
Looking for the Promise
A promise from God guarantees its outcome. In Scripture, we are always looking for God’s promised outcome. For example, with the end of this age, we are “looking for and hastening [we are making come quicker] the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:12-13 NASB).
More Blessed to Give Than Receive
“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 KJV). The Father gave His One and Only Son. The Son laid down His life for a world of angry rebels. If Jesus said giving is more blessed than receiving, then God is well pleased with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Now, we need to be as convinced as He is about our giving. Faith believes we aren’t being defrauded by the world, but we are in heart sympathy with our LORD.
Better Than We Can Imagine
Better than we can imagine is what the LORD has prepared for us, if we truly love Him. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1Corinthians 2:9 KJV).
Willingness to Do the Will of God
“Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own” (John 7:17 NIV). Willingness to do the will of God must precede God’s willingness to teach us. Either we impose our will upon God, or we submit our will to His. From the beginning it was so. Angelic or human moral agents from Lucifer to Adam to us, all have the necessity of admitting God is in a position of preeminence over us. Anyone reading the Gospel of John, who is willing to do the will of God, will understand Jesus’ claims of divinity and sacrifice for our sins.
What Is His Son’s Name?
Paul asked Christians, “Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite” (Romans 11:1 KJV). Paul reminds us, “Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [the Jews] to jealousy” (11:11). With that I ask my Jewish friends, “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in His fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is His name, and what is His son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4 KJV). What is the name of God’s son? “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV). Jesus
Impossible Choices
Life is full of seemingly impossible choices. The right choice is always to trust God. “Abraham believed God” (James 2:23) about a future line of descendants through his son Isaac. Then, in the “obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26 KJV), God commanded Abraham to kill Isaac as a human sacrifice. When Abraham complied, Yahweh stopped the sacrifice, substituted a nearby ram, and confirmed, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:18 KJV). Every offspring possessing faith — Arab, Israeli, Gentile — becomes a child of Abraham (Romans 4:16; 9:8).
Canary in the Coal Mine
Just as canaries warned of dangerous levels of carbon monoxide gas in coal mines, antisemitism on American college campuses in support of Hamas and condemning Israel in the wake of the 2023 attacks against Israel from Gaza predict a future hatred for Christianity. Jews were initially targeted in Nazi Germany, but next Christians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer were silenced, too. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3 KJV).
We Need A Miracle 
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