Skeptics: The Cure
“Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
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.”
Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth…
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:17-24 (NKJV)
Apart from its original meaning of “inquiring and inner reflection,” skepticism is distinctly dangerous.
Question:
Should you skip skeptics or try to help them?
Consider two answers:
1) Avoid those who’ve harmed you personally, until you’re strong enough to cast it off.
2) Help those who see you… by your example of positivity and faithfulness.
Question:
How can you transform hardened human hearts?
Answer:
You can't, but God’s Spirit within you can. The heart-rending story of the father and his demon-possessed son holds a key. Consider what preceded this event:
Jesus, Peter, James, and John had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration…to enter the mix of an angry mob, a desperate dad, his afflicted son, some skeptical scribes, nine confused disciples who couldn’t help… and a multitude of people watching.
Question:
Why couldn’t the other nine disciples deliver the child?
Answer:
A faithless generation circled them. This massive skepticism generated an almost impenetrable rampart. Jesus moved through it.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ,
Here’s the parallel:
In this new age where media is king, skepticism and faithlessness circle YOU. Hit by hype and hucksters, people get hard. Defensive walls grow. Offensive words fly.
You must do what early believers did in many biblical emergencies. 'This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting' (Mark 9:29).
Be an example of humility. Because in self-denying emptiness… comes penetrating and softening strength.
Countless searching and desperate people… are NOW ready to say, 'Lord, I believe. Help me believe.'
You’ve been commissioned as agents of change. You understand the types of skepticism, and for each of them, you carry the Cure.
Don’t be discouraged. You’re needed! Go forth!
Skeptics: The Cure (Part 12, Conclusion)
* Full account of the boy who was healed: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A14-29&version=NKJV
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings. This series is a rewrite of a prior 2014 series.