14. Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.

15. But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons."

16. Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

17. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.

18. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub.

19. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

20. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

21. "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.

22. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.

23. "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

24. "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

25. When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

26. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

27. As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."

28. He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."


Reflection:
In this passage some of the people asked for a miracle from heaven even after witnessing Jesus drive the demon from the man. I think that many times in my life I also do that. God has blessed me in more ways than I can list and he's performed miracles in my life that nobody else could have but when I need something I find myself not having faith that He can deliver. It's like when I find myself having to put total faith and trust in God I doubt him and I kind of say "God if you can do this or that then I will put my faith in you." Why must God prove himself to me over and over?? He has shown me has power yet I still don't have complete faith and trust in him.

Verse 23 says :"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters."
I think that it is important that we are with God in every way. We must have faith in Him, believe in Him, know the Word, and live by the Word. Without doing these things we would be against God because we wouldn't know him. How can we know God's glory and be one with Him if we don't know him? How do you have faith and trust in someone when you don't know what they've done or who they are? I think that God wants us to walk side by side with him, know him intimately, and be with him instead of against him. This also applies to us as a church and as a EM group. We need to be grow together and be one with God together in order to be stronger Christians and be able to go through all the ups and down that we are going to face spiritually. We want to grow together and be disciples of God without letting satan penetrate our group.

I hope that I can get closer to God so that I can have faith in Him and trust Him with everything in my life. I don't want to doubt God or even be confused by what he has done and continues to do. I want to be so intimate and close with God that I never ever have to ask him to "perform a miracle" for me to have faith in him and believe in him. I also hope and pray that we as a church will be able to unite spiritually and be one with God. I think that everyday that we get closer to God we get closer as a church but it is up to every single one of us to do our parts to get closer with God and with each other.

I pray and hope that you guys have a good day, am safe at all times, have good health, and am blessed by God in many ways.


Tag: Jeff Park