Matthew 17:14-16…..Working

Matthew 17:14-16…..Working

17:14 When they (Jesus, Peter, James, and John) came to the crowd (Among whom the scribes were arguing with the other Nine disciples. That Jesus, their Master, who they followed must not be so great as they said, since they couldn’t heal a demonic boy.-{Mark 9:14-18}) a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. (i.e. To bow down in humility.)15 “Lord, have mercy (compassion, pity) on my son,” (my only child.-{Luke 9:38}) he said. “He has seizures (he is a lunatic-K.J.V.-4583-Moon-struck, crazy, epileptic. Suggests the boy was suffering from some form of Epilepsy.) and is suffering greatly. (The disorder was causing the boy tremendous affliction.) He often falls into the fire or into the water. (Expresses how the child’s life was in constant danger as a result of his epileptic seizures, causing him to tumble into fireplaces, resulting in severe burns, or into lakes resulting in near drowning’s.) 16 I brought him to your disciples, (The nine) but they could not heal him.” (Suggests they were depending on their own power. Or because of their lack spiritual discipline  in fasting and praying.-V. 21)

    Continued From Book

“Warns how we can have mountaintop experiences one moment and the next back in the valley of failures and defeats.” ⇒ We all have to come off the mountain at some point. be prepared to face spiritual hardships and struggles when you go back to your daily routine.Some days you may experience a spiritual high after attending a church service, conferences, retreat, or seminar. But much of life takes place in the valley of reality. Where days are dark and disappointments are real, where people are hurting, and where prayers go unanswered. The greatest moments doesn’t happen up the mountain, as important and helpful as those encouragements are needed. But the real work happens down the hill in getting our hands dirty in helping others. Mountain tops are necessary to inspire and equip us for the valleys below. Most of life is experienced in the valleys. Mundane, dreary, dull, humdrum existence of our everyday lives. Our spirit wants to remain on the mountaintop, but our calling from God is to follow Him through the valleys. Just like the disciples, our mountaintop experiences end, too; There comes a time when we must descend the mountain to face the everyday challenges and trials of life. Despite all our efforts to maintain the glow and the tingle, to experience the glory, despite all our efforts to stay in the euphoria, it eventually, usually quickly, fades, and we find ourselves in the trenches facing battles. We try to convince ourselves – when I go home, I’ll never be the same again. I’m going to take the mountaintop with me. Then the trials of everyday life come – usually the next day. Mountain tops are meant to transform you by the glory of God, and valleys are designed to conform you to be more like Christ by the grace of God.

“Teaches the importance of exercising spiritual discipline in the absence of Jesus or our faith can start to wane.” ⇒ Just one moment away from Jesus can render you powerless. Your on dangerous ground when you try to do things apart from Jesus. Or when you start to do things disconnected from Jesus.

“Warns how our failures and lack of faith can have a damaging affect on others, hindering their ability to believe and come to Jesus.” ⇒ If your not a member of the Church or someone who had a interaction with a Christian and it was a bad experience. Please do not use that as a reason or an excuse for not thinking about Christ or considering becoming a believer. Thinking if that’s what Christianity is like and that is what His followers act like. I don’t want any part of Jesus. Instead will you make your assessment directly off of Christ. Off His words, His claims, His actions, His life, His love, His perfection. And then say is Christ someone I want to follow or not. Even Jesus says in the text, “Bring the boy to me”. Jesus is the person who will solve the problem. Jesus is the person who will prove Himself true and trustworthy. So it is when evaluating Christianity don’t do it with someone who is fallible and imperfect as they are. Many whether intentionally or unintentionally have perverted the message and Christ’s image. Do you, as a follower of Jesus, make it easier for people to believe in Jesus or do you make it harder? If you argue, get angry, and talk and act just like people who don’t know Jesus, you are making it harder for people to believe.

“Even today, it’s a great shame and disservice to Christ when the lost and hurting come looking for answers in their time of need only to find nothing that we can offer, eventually causing them to look elsewhere, that maybe Jesus isn’t as powerful as we claimed.” ⇒ Have you ever been approached by someone and they asked you to pray for something (direction, healing, wisdom, restoration in a relationship, etc.) but nothing happened. No change occurred.