Author Archives: Rev. Dr. David Bissett

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About Rev. Dr. David Bissett

I pastor a church in upstate NY. I'm happily married and the father of seven kids. It's fun, really! Leave me some feedback...

Prayer’s potency

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After the miraculous transfiguration event (Mk 9 & Mt 17), Jesus and the inner circle of disciples return from the mountain to find the other disciples facing a tough situation: a father had brought demon-possessed boy to them, but they could not heal him. Jesus rebukes the evil spirit and heals the boy.

There is a fine, two-part lesson on the power of prayer, when the disciples ask why they could not heal the lad. Listen to what Jesus told them —

Mark 9 —
28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
[some translations say “much prayer” or “prayer and fasting”]

and Matthew 17 –
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Both passages refer to the same event, and speak of prayer from two angles.

First, in reading Mark’s account, Jesus tell us that prayer is sufficient for the toughest times. When you meet a really tough opponent or obstacle, you do not need to change tactics or abandon praying! It’s at this very event that Jesus speaks of pray moving mountains! Praying is proper — and more praying is often the key.

Second, when you read Matthew’s account of the situation, Jesus looks behind the scene to the faith of the ones praying. He says that little (or weak) faith can fail to tap the power of prayer. Remember that Jesus often spoke to His disciples about their weak faith, and this label does not mean they were not believers; simply that their faith was only making small connections with the great power of God and the potential of prayer. Rather, Jesus aims to teach (and provoke) believers into greater exercise of faith.

In fact, I would suggest that most of the challenges we face, and over which we pray, are designed (in part) to grow our faith and our grasp of the power of prayer.

Recap: (1) Do not under estimate the potency of prayer. It is the first and best option for getting the help of God in any situation. (2) Do not attempt to wield prayer without genuine faith in Christ Jesus — and always seek to grow in your faith in the Lord.

yours by divine mercy,
pdb

Greatest miracle of the Old Testament?

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Jonathan Edwards, the great American theologian, wrote the following in his series of sermons published as A HISTORY OF THE WORK OF REDEMPTION….

But this preservation of the children of Israel for so long a time in the wilderness, was on some accounts more remarkable than any of them [other previous miracles, including Noah and the ark]; for it was by a continual miracle of so long duration. There was, as may be fairly computed, at first two millions of souls in that congregation, that could not subsist any better without meat and drink than other men. But if this had been withheld, they must all have perished, every man, woman, and child, in less than one month’s time, so that there would not have been one of them left. But this vast multitude subsisted for forty years together, in a dry barren wilderness, without sowing or reaping, or tilling any land, having their bread daily rained down to them our of heaven and being furnished with water to satisfy them all, our of a rock; and the same clothes with which they came our of Egypt, lasting without wearing out all that time. Never was any instance like this, of a nation being so upheld for so long a time together. Thus God upheld his church by a continue miracle and kept alive that people in who was the blessing, the promised seed, and great Redeemer of the world.
(page 85)

As you ponder that great preservation of God’s people in the wilderness, do not miss the intended application: God will so preserve His present people in the midst our current wilderness of this world!

Great is the Lord our God!
pdb