This kind of unclean spirit can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting

Mark 9:29
He said to them "This kind of unclean spirit can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting"

Yshua's disciples asked Him why they could not cast out the demons in the person. So they understood from Yshua that they were given the authority to cast out demons, there was no questions that they have the authority to do this, just as we today have the same authority. Their question was practical - why did it not work? So Yshua's answer to them is that this kind of powerful enemy agent, can only be defeated by prayer and fasting. It should be obvious to them that this is not simply religious prayer and fasting to any gods or idols that they chose. It is not a formula for supernatural power. Instead the command is to pray to God the Father, and do fasting to focus our minds on Him. The more powerful the spiritual battle or enemy, the more we have to draw from God the Father himself. It is not our own strength that we can rely on, but only by the power of God.

For all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you

Jesus uses the analogy of the vine to explain the relationship between God the Father, Jesus Himself and His people. Jesus is the vine and His people are the branches. Those who bear fruit will be pruned and produce more fruit. Those who are unfruitful will be cast out, thrown away and burned. This is again the principle of increasing those who are faithful and removing those who are not. The goal at the end of this is that the Father is glorified.

Jesus continues to teach His disciples various important things regarding His relationship with them. They include:
- Loving Him mean obeying His commandments.
- Although commandment also include the Old Testament commandments, but the context is the commandment of love which all others hang on, together with the commandment to love God.
- Jesus describes the ultimate sign of love is to sacrifice ourselves for one another.
- Jesus does not regard us and Him as servant - master relationship. Indeed Jesus the Lord says He regards us as His friends. Some people emphasise the reverence and fear of God and disregard those who call Jesus as a friend. In this Scripture we see Jesus Himself clearly says if we obey Him, He regards us as friends.
- A significant result of such friendship between Jesus and us is that He would reveal many things to us, and we can no longer say those phrases like "God is a mysterious God", since Jesus says "for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Jesus explains that the world, meaning the unbelievers, will hate his followers. This is not because of the followers but because they are actually hating Jesus and so His followers will experience their hatred too. They will not hate their fellow unbelievers. Jesus also explained their source of hatred is fulfilling prophecy that they hated Him without a cause. Finally Jesus promises the Holy Spirit who will be send by the Father, who will witness Jesus to us.









John 15
The True Vine

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Love and Joy Perfected

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’[c]

The Coming Rejection

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another

Jesus continues with His prophecy that some of them at that time will see the Kingdom of God coming with power. Usually this presents a dilemma as it is interpreted as the Second Coming, but the people present in Jesus' time have all been dead now. However, perhaps another interpretation is that the Kingdom of God came at Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In that case man who are present in Jesus' day have witnessed that.

The transfiguration of Jesus was witnessed by Peter, James and John, the inner circle of disciples. In this event, Jesus was shining brighter than snow and Elijah and Moses appeared and talked to Jesus. Then God also declared His approval of Jesus ministry. Then suddenly, all the supernatural things disappeared again. Jesus commanded them to keep this secret until after the resurrection. There was also a question of why Elijah must come first, but this probably refers to John the Baptist who was like Elijah as the lone prophet in the desert.

An account is given of a boy possessed since childhood. His disciples could not cast out the evil spirit. When Jesus saw this, and after the boys father declared his faith, Jesus rebuked the spirit out of the boy. Jesus also thought that this kind of casting out evil spirits required fasting and prayer. Then Jesus again revealed details of his death and resurrection but the disciples seemed to be confused even though they appeared to understand previously.

Jesus continues teaching a few principles out of the disciples' experience, such as:
- to be first in Jesus' eyes, we have to be last and serve everyone else.
- when we serve, receive and be kind to the children, which includes new Christians, then we are serving God.
- anyone else who does the work of Jesus in His name, although do not belong to our group, they also belong to Christ.
- Jesus takes very seriously if we cause any young Christian to stumble.
- Another serious matter is sin. Jesus illustrates His seriousness by saying that if any part of our body causes us to sin, it is better to cut of those parts than to suffer the consequences in hell.
- Jesus tells us to be like salt, so we can add flavour to society and be at peace with one another.





Mark 9
1 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— 6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.

7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”

A Boy Is Healed

14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 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.”

19 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.” 20 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.

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. 22 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,[a] all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

25 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.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”[b]

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Who Is the Greatest?

33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism

38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our[c] side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Jesus Warns of Offenses

42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where

‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’[d]
45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where

‘Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.’[e]
47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where

‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’[f]


Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire,[g] and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”