SCRIPTURE:
"So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"   "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."  " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."  The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up." (Mark 9:20-27, NIV)

Observations:
What happened to the boy when the spirit saw Jesus?
1. The evil spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.
2. The boy fell to the ground.
3. The boy rolled around.
4. The boy foamed at the mouth.

Interpretation:
I asked myself the significance of what happened to the boy?
When the evil spirit saw Jesus, it wanted to do as much damage to the boy as possible. The evil spirit could not stand the sight of Jesus and decided to take it out on the boy. It shows that since Satan cannot get to Jesus directly, Satan will use his demons to try to destroy those Jesus loves. It will do it's best to bring as much damage as possible. This is not limited to what happened to the boy but evil spirits are prevalent today too. They exist to destroy and bring oppression in our lives when they are given an opening. They could be doing their work for a long time for they don't mind going into overtime to keep that oppression going as long as they can keep others from experiencing the deliverance that can come from Jesus. If they notice that deliverance is at hand, they will pick up the intensity to drive those in oppression to make it worse so those in oppression can give up. This is what happened to the boy but it did not end there due to the abundant grace of the Lord. The boy could not be overtaken and his dad did not give up.

The Lord Jesus met the boy where he was at in his oppression. After finding out how long the boy has been this way, Jesus intervened and brought healing to the boy when others interceded on his behalf. But during the process, the boy had to go through so much pain as the evil spirit tried to stay in but could not withstand the power of Jesus. The evil spirit shrieked, convulsed the boy, and violently came out of the boy and made the boy look like he was dead. However, Jesus brought him back to new life no matter how his life had been in oppression.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. Jesus alone can give new life and bring deliverance out of any kind of oppression that I face no matter what form it comes as. This means only through the power of Jesus can I tread down my enemies especially the enemies of oppression, suppression, bondage, shame, guilt, spirit of bitterness, spirit of unforgiveness, etc. 

HOW GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY REGARDING D.E.L.I.V.E.R.A.N.C.E:
Two years ago on this day of Oct 08, my dad went into cardiac arrest and I prayed, "Jesus, please do not let Satan take my daddy because he does not know you. Please don't let him die. Jesus delivered our dad from death on that day until He gave His life to Christ. On the 70th day, my dad gave His life to Jesus is the day my dad went to be with Jesus. We kept praying for him and for His deliverance from the enemy. My mommy would read Him the entire New Testament and certain Psalms everyday while he was on bed. I cannot recall how many times my mom finished the New Testament to my day reading the whole thing everyday.  God's Word has power to change lives and changed my dad's heart and Christ's blood brought deliverance to my dad. On that day, the verse Jesus gave me when my dad went into cardiac arrest became that much more clear to me from John 11:14: "The purpose of his illness is not death but for the glory of the Lord!"

When my dad went to be with Jesus, 70 days later, it was for the glory of the Lord because deliverance came to my dad and also so many lives were impacted in the hospitals, etc. I praise the Lord for that. Jesus not only delivers from eternal death but also can deliver us from the struggles we face each day.

The areas I struggle in will continue to be a struggle unless a supernatural power greater than Satan intervenes. This supernatural power is the power of the living God who wants to heal me and set me free through the blood of Jesus Christ to bring deliverance.

It is His blood that cleanses me and heals me which Satan cannot go against. When Jesus paid the ransom for me, He rescued me from the kidnapping of Satan. He nourishes me to bring me back to strength, from the days of captivity, through His Word, the Bible and prayer. This is accomplished through His Holy Spirit working in me and through me that will feed me the Word and help me apply the medicine.  I need to take the medicine Jesus offers daily so I can have ammunition to fight Satan and his spirits of oppression for they will look for any avenue to enter in and cause havoc. I am reminded of the importance of wearing the armor of God that can bring deliverance.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:10-13, NIV)

I can only do that when I have Jesus as my Rescuer. For that to happen, I need to daily remember what Jesus did for me at the Cross of Calvary to save me. I need to be assured of my Salvation in Christ by wearing the Helmet of Salvation which is available because of the ransom Jesus paid for me by His precious cleansing blood.  But, I should not stop there but wear the breastplate of righteousness and carry the shield of faith and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Then, I need to also wear the belt of Truth and shoes that ready me to preach the Gospel. It is only in the Gospel is there Good News for freedom. It starts with Jesus. Without Jesus there is no Gospel but thanks be to God that Jesus not only died for my sin but came back to life on the 3rd day to deliver me from Satan when I gave my life to Him. Jesus did that by His grace that cannot ever be bought. It is a free gift. I need to remember that everyday that I am not my own but have been bought with a price, the price of the Blood of the Lamb, so I can be set free and not be a slave to sins that captivate. My deliverance can only be found in Christ alone the Hope of glory, who alone is Mighty to Save. He can save me from all kinds of oppression bringing His deliverance and He can do that for you too friend. Yes, He can. Come as you are to Jesus no matter what you are facing and how long you have been facing it. Do not give up for deliverance is at hand in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will deliver you as He has delivered me from so many areas. As I rest in Him and wait upon Him, He will continue to bring deliverance in different areas. It is the Blood of Christ that brings deliverance for you and me and we take it in.

I ask you now dear friend, where do you need D.E.L.I.V.E.R.A.N.C.E at hand?
Dear friend, there are areas in your life that you need deliverance. You cannot go at it alone. We live in a world that the prince of darkness likes to control for his purposes to take us away from the Lord God. Only through oppression and suppression does Satan try to accomplish that. If Satan can take you to a place where you feel there is never going to be hope, help, and healing, he will take you there. When intervention occurs, your life will only get harder just as what happened to the boy. But do not give up! Take the intervention offered no matter how painful it is. You have to, otherwise you will be trapped in a type of warfare you do not want to be in. It will cause you despondency, despair, and depression until you are delivered. But the Good News is that there is deliverance at hand!

Friend, I do not know what you are going through but Jesus knows. I can only write about the sins of oppression that are common among many Christians I have counseled and spoken too.  It is the oppression of pride, a spirit of bitterness, a spirit of unforgiveness, bondage to sexual sin whether it is pornography, masturbation, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, spirit of rebellion, spirit of covetousness, spirit of doubt, spirit of complaining, spirit of criticalness, spirit of depression, spirit of despair, etc. I can go on and on. Some of these have also oppressed me and suppressed me through the years even as I claimed to be a follower of the Lord and would have continued to be in there if it were not for for the grace of the Lord. Thank you Jesus.

My only deliverance came at the Hand of Jesus. To overcome many areas was very painful because Satan tried and tried to hold me there but as I rested in Christ alone my hope and glory, Satan could not touch me and deliverance eventually came. It can come for you too.

It happens when we hold on to Jesus because we will be holding on to hope. Only when I have let go of Jesus to do my own thing, I started fulfilling the lust of the flesh over the love of the Holy Spirit.  But, it encourages me so much to know God promises His children with these words: "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians)

You can only do that when you have the Spirit of the Living God residing in you and take the power He offers you through His precious cleansing blood. His precious cleansing blood can clean the foulest sin and bring purity to the person's life.

It is better than a dialysis machine where the pollutants are replaced with a clean solution. Just as a person on dialysis needs to be cleaned everyday, we need to remember that we need to be cleaned by Jesus by the solution He offers. It is His Blood. When we accept Jesus Christ into our heart, making Him our Lord and Savior, He will start the transformation of our lives by His grace. We can rest assured that His blood is for us. Yes, friend His blood is for you to clean and bring deliverance. The transaction happened once at the cross, but the billing is paid forever in your life when you have Jesus. For when you know Jesus, you have Him living in you and cleansing you daily by His blood. Praise the Lord!

Jesus said, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28, NIV)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:8-10, NIV)

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14, NIV)

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV)

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7, NIV)

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:6, NIV)

Friend, nothing but the Blood of Jesus can save us and bring us deliverance. It is for you and me friend. Yes, it is! Only the Blood of Jesus can bring deliverance, for Satan cannot stand the blood of Jesus. It is His blood that is Mighty to Save. This Blood is there to bring healing and is Mighty to save you and me. It is because of what Jesus Christ did for you and me at the Cross of Calvary we can even have hope for Redemption and Deliverance.

"This blood is for you. This blood can save the soul, heal the sick, mend the heart. This blood can give you access to the very throne of God. It can still go the distance through the pain where you are. This blood is for you, the blood of the lamb...." as as song by Carman goes called 'This Blood'

Yes, friend Jesus' body was broken for you and me so deliverance from the bondage of sin can be at hand. It is because of the BLOOD OF JESUS there is deliverance. This blood is for you.

Yes, friend whatever you are going through, only Christ can bring deliverance. Even as you read this, you may be trapped in an area that you want deliverance but don't feel like it is coming anytime soon. Don't give up but keep looking to the Blood of Christ for deliverance.

"If you are lost and alone and your mind is confused, this blood is for you. If you feel like you have been hurt and abused, this blood is for you, the atoning blood of the lamb...." as the words of 'This Blood' continue.

Yes, friend in Christ alone will you and I find deliverance. We will be in His arms of Love for He has come to give abundant life.

Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy but my purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (John 10)

Jesus' purpose is to give us life in all its fullness. By His Blood, we can have this deliverance. When we take His blood, He becomes our Great Physician forever. Once saved always saved. Once Jesus has ransomed us by His blood, we will always be covered by His blood.

Then you may ask, why do I still sin and mess up?

Friend, it is because of the flesh and the war we face which is the spiritual warfare but we can overcome. Our Lord Jesus has given us the ammunition to overcome. We need to wear the Armor of God everyday. We do not have to give in to the enemy or let the enemy control us.

We can let Jesus Christ who is filled with so much love for us control us and guide us as we wear His Armor. The Armor of God is based on Helmet of Salvation, Shield of Faith, Breastplate of Righteousness in Christ, Sword of the Spirit (Word of God), Belt of Truth (Bible and Jesus is the Only Way to Salvation), and Good News shoes (To preach the Gospel). We need to wear all of them  each and every day for deliverance. Most important is turning God's Word into prayer for our ammunition. We have to play defense and offense against the enemy. We can do that because we have Jesus Christ as our coach.

^"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:14-18, NIV)

May we all find our help, hope, and healing for deliverance in the One who loves us so much that He became our Deliverer.

"Deliverer Emancipates Lives Imparting Victory Eternally, Redeeming Against Nasty Captivity Everyday!"(D.E.L.I.V.E.R.A.N.C.E)/"Where do you need D.E.L.I.V.E.R.A.N.C.E at hand?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, you are the God who brings deliverance into our lives and are Mighty to Save. Thank you Lord for your blood for this blood is what cleans the foulest hearts, minds, and soul covering us in your love, the power of your love shown by the blood you shed for us to redeem and deliver us. Thank you so much Jesus. I love you Lord. You Oh Lord came to be our Lord and Personal Savior to rescue us from the kidnapping of Satan. I know that I need to be rescued always and you provided a way. Thank you so much. Please Lord take all my struggles and bring your healing into my life as I stand on Your promises. I pray the same for all those who are struggling with different sins being held in captivity. We  thank you Lord Jesus that it does not have to be this way forever. You are God and there is no other. You alone can bring deliverance for each soul so I claim deliverance for those struggling with different sins. I pray Oh Lord that they will never give up and never give Satan an upper hand. You are never done working in us and no matter how many times we fall, when we turn to you, you provide a way out reminding us that we are covered in Your Blood and we can find fellowship in you always. Thank you Jesus. To fight against the enemy help us to wear the armor of God daily for the daily battle we face. It is Your Word that we apply daily that will bring deliverance slowly. Thank you so much Jesus. At other times, it will be speedy but we can be confident that we will be delivered and for that I praise you Lord. You are Mighty to Save. Perfect love casts out fear and we find that love in you. Thank you so much Jesus. Hear our prayers and answer us Oh Lord. Thank you for the restoration you bring. It comes with you Oh Lord and you alone! Thank you for hearing our prayer and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Lord Jesus, You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)

You don't have to be locked away anymore for Christ is here to free you and give you peace to LIVE out your actions.

How do you look at GODISNOWHERE?

One of my pastors, Pastor Hugo SHARED this example one Sunday at the RESURRECTION DAY SERVICE in the combined worship service of Pittsburgh Chinese Church-Oakland & Oakland International Fellowship:

If you look at it as GOD IS NO WHERE, you will still be lost in your sin and be in bondage locked away in your sins and problems finding no peace.

But  as my pastor spoke to the congregation and spoke to me, I am here to tell you that GOD IS NOW HERE.

Yes, friend God is aLIVE and wants to bring a transformation in your life through the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ for He paid the penalty on the cross to rescue you and me and came back to life to save us and LIVE with us.

Yes, friend that is exciting to know that we can experience HIS SAVING GRACE & LIVING GRACE.

When we mess up, we can go to Jesus with our shortcomings and He will forgive us and RESTORE us to Him and we will find peace in Him.

^"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NIV)

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9, NIV)

Friend, we need Jesus because we have been separated from God due to our sin. Because of our sin, Jesus had to pay the price to become our bridge so we can reach God now not of our own good works but because of the finished work of Christ, the Lord on the cross.

"For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

Come to Jesus as you are and pray this prayer to accept Jesus as your Lord and Personal Savior. He will transform your life around! Praise the Lord! You don't have to have all the answers! You can come as you are!

If you want to be a soldier in the Lord's army, you can become it right now. Now is the time of Salvation! You do not have to wait but can pray this prayer and give your life to Christ to serve Him daily! There is no draft but coming to Christ is voluntary. He loves you so much and wants you to come to Him! He will take care of you, guiding you and leading you!

PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me so much and thank you for choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of Man and lived here on earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my pathway. So, Jesus I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you for all that you have done for me. "The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and grace. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you gave your life for us." I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something that you will be proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to live for you. I am forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I want to live for you and need your help. Help me Jesus please. I thank you Jesus for saving me! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. Whatever your will give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!