From: Gerald Carnes <gcarnes@mariettanaz.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 10:00 PM
To: list
Subject: "If You Can" - Thursday August 14,, 2025
“If You Can”
Mark 9 explains to us the Transfiguration of Jesus. “After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them” (vs 1-2). As they were returning from the mountain, they saw the other disciples with a large crowd around them arguing with the teachers of the law. As Jesus came near, a man approached Jesus seeking help for his son, who was possessed by a demonic spirit.
We find here a desperate father seeking deliverance for his son. After explaining the son’s situation to Jesus and he’d been this way since childhood, and that demonic forces had often thrown him into fire or water attempting to kill him, the father asked, “IF YOU CAN DO ANYTHING, take pity on us and help us” (vs 17-22).
Have you ever been in a situation where you knew if there was an answer, it would only be because of God? It’s important we remember the response to the father’s statement … “If you can?” said Jesus. “EVERYTHING is possible for him who believes” (v 23). In life, the “IFS” are always on us, never on Jesus. Before the Lord does anything, even before performing a miracle, almost always He requires us to do something. He asked Moses what he had in his hand, Naaman to dip in the river, the invalid to pick up his mat and walk, the disciples to go through the crowd finding what they could to feed a multitude.
He told the blind men, “According to your faith,” and the man with the withered hand to “stretch it out.” In the case of the father, Jesus basically called upon his faith. “I believe” the man said, “but help my unbelief.” Jesus healed the son and even the disciples were shocked as they asked “why couldn’t we drive it (evil spirit) out?” Jesus replied stating, “This kind can come forth only by prayer and fasting” (v 29).
Some things we pray for and God answers. Some things (the extra hard things) require not just regular prayers, but God wants us to pray and fast for them.
Pastor Carnes
