Introduction

Hello, everyone. We will continue our study of Mark, chapter 3. The theme of this chapter is “Casting Out Demons and Healing the Sick Is God’s Will.” This is also one of the core values of Chinese Mingding Doctrine. Why? Because without casting out demons and healing the sick, what you have is not the gospel preached by Jesus Christ. The gospel Jesus Christ preached is a gospel of casting out demons and healing the sick.

Do not assume that a Christianity without casting out demons and healing the sick—a Christianity that does not resemble Jesus—is orthodox. Let me tell you plainly: this demon is thoroughly wicked! It will throw all kinds of mud at you and declare that healing the sick and casting out demons is not orthodox.

But do you not find it strange that refusing to heal the sick and cast out demons should be called orthodox? This conflict is most certainly a conflict between two kingdoms! It is not a difference of ideas. It is a difference of kingdoms. Do you understand? Casting out demons and healing the sick is God’s will!

The Religious Spirit Hardens People’s Hearts

Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man with a withered hand was there. They watched Jesus closely to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up here in the midst.” Then He asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. (Mark 3:1–4)

Jesus looked around at them in anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians about how they might destroy Jesus. (Mark 3:4–6)

People who carry a religious spirit believe in observing the Sabbath. They think that is God’s will. But Jesus simply asked a question: On the Sabbath, is it lawful to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? Everyone fell silent!

Why? If I said that doing good and saving life were lawful, I would be finished! The Pharisees and the Herodians would surely drive me out of the synagogue, because they presented themselves as “orthodox.” But if you say that nothing can be done on the Sabbath—that saving life is forbidden and doing good is forbidden—you have missed the point. The Sabbath is about being with God. In Jesus’ day, He saw how hardened these people’s hearts had become.

Brothers and sisters, do not underestimate this religious spirit. It is a formidable force in the devil’s kingdom. You must therefore be particularly careful when dealing with it. It hardens people’s hearts. In their determination to keep the rules, they can no longer distinguish between doing good and doing evil, between saving life and destroying it.

They believe that if a sheep falls into a well on the Sabbath, they must not rescue it. They must wait until the Sabbath is over before pulling it out. But by then, the sheep is dead! So, as we continue believing in the Lord, our faith can become rigid. It can even go astray!

Is observing the Sabbath God’s will? Yes! But what exactly are you observing when you keep the Sabbath? Some of these things are utterly detestable! The devil’s kingdom turns people’s hearts towards rules, with no concern for whether problems are solved. If you will not solve the problem, so be it. But at least do not obstruct others. Is that not right? When Jesus saw this, His response was: Good heavens! Has this faith not gone astray?

Is God’s will to keep the Sabbath rather than to set people free? No! God’s will is to release people from bondage! The Sabbath is indeed not a day for making money. But whether it is the Sabbath or not, doing good and releasing people from bondage is still God’s will!

This religious spirit is therefore a powerful thing. If you heal the sick and cast out demons today, let me tell you, many traditional theological systems will treat it as a grave matter. Why? Because you have moved the devil’s cheese. You have threatened the devil’s core interests. So, brothers and sisters, if you do not cast out demons, you cannot solve these people’s problems. Without casting out demons, many illnesses cannot be resolved.

Chinese Mingding Doctrine is, in fact, a theology of healing the sick and casting out demons. Why? Because this is a conflict between two kingdoms. If you want to release people from the devil’s grip, you must cast out the demons. Only then can people be set free.

Of course, must the person still choose to follow Jesus? Yes, that choice remains theirs. The religious spirit is thoroughly wicked. On the surface, it appears to be diligently obeying God’s word. In reality, it is doing the devil’s work.

Jesus Healed Many People

Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, and a large crowd from Galilee followed Him. Many others, having heard of the great things He had done, came to Him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the regions around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd, He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, so that the people would not crush Him. (Mark 3:7–9)

For He had healed many, so all who had diseases pressed forward to touch Him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” Jesus repeatedly warned them not to make Him known. (Mark 3:10–12)

This passage tells us that Jesus healed many people. Was this God’s will? Absolutely! Let me tell you: healing the sick and casting out demons is not easy! Why? Because you are confronting a religious spirit. You are confronting the devil’s most deceptive weapon.

I often see churches preaching a gospel that does not bring healing. Some people say, for instance, “If God does not heal you, will you still believe?” They then deliver a long sermon on that subject. But what exactly are you believing in? Are you supposed to go on living under the devil’s bondage? No.

Jesus healed many people, so we do the same! What Jesus did, we should do properly. What Jesus did not do, we should leave alone! Jesus represents the kingdom of God. Even the demons know this, but people do not. The demons know enough to say, “You are the Son of God!” Yet people do not know that He is the Son of God. They regard Him as a heretic and His teaching as a cult.

But the true gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of healing the sick and casting out demons. Among us, this is not considered extraordinary. When your illness is healed, that is actually quite normal, because casting out demons and healing the sick is God’s will!

Some churches, however, are rather interesting. As they go along, they make healing the sick and casting out demons unnecessarily complicated! They think that diligently obeying God’s will is easier—studying the Bible, for example. But they regard healing the sick and casting out demons as something lofty and advanced. In fact, it is something very basic. Diligently obeying God’s word must begin with healing the sick and casting out demons.

Giving the Twelve Disciples Authority to Cast Out Demons

Jesus went up on a mountain and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, that He might send them out to preach, and that they might have authority to cast out demons. (Mark 3:13–15)

These twelve were Simon, whom Jesus also named Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom He named Boanerges, meaning Sons of Thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. (Mark 3:16–19)

I have spoken before about Jesus giving them authority to cast out demons. Jesus chose twelve disciples and gave them this authority. Now let me ask you: Were they in a good spiritual condition? No! Then how could they cast out demons? Because Jesus gave them the authority.

Did they truly understand the gospel? It seems they did not understand it particularly well. Even before Jesus Christ was crucified, they were still confused. Here, in Mark chapter 3, they had only recently begun following Jesus Christ, yet He already gave them authority to cast out demons.

Did He give these twelve disciples authority to study the Bible? It does not appear so! Did He put them through exceptionally rigorous, Pharisee-style training in reading God’s word? No! But He gave them authority to cast out demons.

Why? Because this carries a profound meaning: casting out demons is relatively basic. Once you receive authority from Jesus, you can cast out demons. In fact, every one of us, brothers and sisters, can receive this authority. Then you can cast out demons!

There was a four-year-old child whose mother had a fever. He remembered how we led prayer in our gatherings, so he led his mother in prayer. His mother recovered! Receiving authority, therefore, is not a matter of your will. It is God’s will.

Jesus gave the twelve disciples authority to cast out demons. Later, He appointed seventy disciples and gave them the same authority. Let me ask you: If He appoints any disciple today, would He not also give that disciple authority to cast out demons? Then why is casting out demons so uncommon in churches today? Do you not find that strange? It is because there are so many lies!

Casting out demons shakes the devil’s kingdom. This is a conflict between two kingdoms. If you want captives to be released and the oppressed to go free, you must do the work of healing the sick and casting out demons. I do not think I could put it more plainly. These twelve disciples kept it simple: they received authority and believed that they had it. If you doubt it, try it. It will certainly work. The demons also know that you have authority.

Jesus’ Relatives Slandered Him

The man’s hand was withered. Jesus cast out demons and healed the sick, and the hand was restored! But something strange happened: Jesus’ family became unhappy. Look at this:

Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again, so that He could not even eat. When His relatives heard about this, they went out to take hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” (Mark 3:20–21)

Can a man who is out of his mind restore a withered hand? No! Then why did His relatives take Jesus by the hand and say, “Let us go home. Stop doing this”? Who do you think was the power of darkness behind it? The devil.

Brothers and sisters, within your own family, the moment you threaten the devil’s core interests, your family members will rise up against you. This is not about anything else. It is not a question of whether they understand you. It is a conflict between two kingdoms.

Scripture says that Jesus’ relatives came to take hold of Him. How strange! This is how the devil uses people. Indeed, a person’s enemies are the members of their own household. They said, “Come home, Jesus! Get on with whatever you ought to be doing. Stop wasting your days here talking nonsense.” But was Jesus talking nonsense? His relatives were slandering Him.

Jesus was born for this. For this He came into the world. Yet they said, “You are out of your mind. You have gone mad.” Can a madman do these things? It is very strange! So it is quite normal if people say that we are out of our minds. Let them say it. We will carry on doing what we ought to do.

The Scribes Also Slandered Jesus

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He casts out demons by the ruler of demons.” Jesus called them to Him and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a household is divided against itself, that household cannot stand. And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.” (Mark 3:22–26)

“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first binds the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. 28 Truly I tell you, all the sins and blasphemies of mankind can be forgiven. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:27–30)

Remember this: someone possessed by an unclean spirit cannot cast out demons. There is no such thing! Only when the Spirit of God comes upon a person can that person heal the sick and cast out demons by God’s Spirit! If you want to walk with God, do this! If you regularly heal the sick and cast out demons, the rewards are substantial.

If you cast out many demons, the results are particularly good. Whatever you do prospers. Why? Because by casting out demons, you can plunder. Once the demons are driven out, you can recover what they have seized and taken away. Do you understand?

Once, while we were training people, there was a sister among us who was doing exceptionally well in sales. Her employer asked her to share with her colleagues how she managed to secure so many orders. She found this difficult. Where did her orders come from? Because she cast out many demons and set many people free, she received many orders.

Do not be surprised. When you cast out demons, you can recover the blessings the devil has stolen. This is a remarkable thing! I must say that this is not a universal truth. This passage is very interesting:

“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first binds the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.” (Mark 3:27)

Do you see it? If you want to recover from the devil the blessings he has taken away and stolen, casting out demons is a good way to do so. But the scribes said that Jesus was possessed by an unclean spirit, possessed by the ruler of demons. This is a straightforward matter, not a particularly profound one. If He cast out demons by the ruler of demons, then the ruler of demons would be destroying his own kingdom. That argument cannot stand.

Do you see how damning their words were? They said that Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of demons. The scribes had studied for so many years, yet they could not understand such a simple point. Why? The reason is straightforward: these people belonged to the devil! Those who belong to the devil speak the devil’s words, and so they slandered Jesus. His family slandered Him, and the scribes slandered Him too.

Try it for yourselves. If you become someone who casts out demons, plenty of mud will be thrown at you. We are used to it. Let them throw it! Even under all that mud, we still know that casting out demons and healing the sick is God’s will. God intends to release the captives and set the oppressed free!

Let me tell you: unbelievers are actually less hostile towards our healing the sick and casting out demons. It is often people in churches who show intense hostility. Do you not find this religious thing detestable?

This Is a Conflict Between Kingdoms

These are two kingdoms: one is God’s kingdom, and the other is the devil’s kingdom. One person may belong to God’s kingdom, while another belongs to the devil’s kingdom. These are two kingdoms with two systems of values.

You may not understand how two people can be so divided. Both look perfectly human. Both have one nose and two eyes. You look like this, and he looks like that. But at their core, some people belong to the devil’s kingdom, while others belong to God’s kingdom.

If you belong to God’s kingdom, the devil’s kingdom will certainly throw mud at you. It will certainly slander you. Look: what demons most like to say is, “What demons? There are no demons!” If you hear that, you can be sure it is the devil talking. This is a conflict between kingdoms. So do not think of the coming of God’s kingdom merely as the words we so often say in the Lord’s Prayer:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10)

What is God’s will? How exactly does God’s kingdom come upon the earth? If God’s kingdom is to come, must we not drive out these things of the devil that do not belong to it? That is what the coming of God’s kingdom means. Building the church, therefore, means building God’s army. God’s army defends God’s kingdom.

Without an army, there is no country. The army is the most essential component of a country. Otherwise, you cannot even defend your borders. You may have money, but money is not as powerful as guns. “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun!” So how does God’s kingdom come? The Bible says:

“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28)

This is very interesting. Jesus also said:

“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:29–30)

Remember this: the Spirit of God heals the sick and casts out demons. He certainly does not do what the Pharisees and scribes were doing. The Spirit of God always sets people free! Where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom.

How do people become free? By driving out the demons! Jesus had the Spirit of God upon Him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they cried out, “You are the Son of God.” The demons knew, but people did not. Is that not deeply strange? Healing the sick and casting out demons is God’s will!

Doing the Heavenly Father’s Will

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. A crowd was sitting around Jesus, and they told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” (Mark 3:31–32)

Jesus answered, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Then He looked around at those seated about Him and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:33–35)

Are these pleasant words to hear? No! What does He mean, “Who are My mother and My brothers and sisters?” Only those who do God’s will are. What, exactly, is God’s will in this chapter? It is to release the captives and set the oppressed free.

Reflect on this: whom have you set free? Perhaps even you yourself are not yet free. The question is whether God’s kingdom is within us. Do we want God’s will to be done in us as it is in heaven?

Doing the heavenly Father’s will—these are weighty words. For Mary and for Jesus’ younger brothers and sisters, they were very hard to hear. But they are God’s words.

And that is indeed the reality. If people belong to the devil’s kingdom, what does it matter if they are your brothers and sisters by flesh? What they think, say, and do belongs to the world and to the devil’s kingdom. How, then, can they be Jesus’ brothers or His mother? Do you understand?

Jesus was born for this. For this He came into the world: to accomplish a great salvation. This great salvation is to release the captives and set the oppressed free. That is the heavenly Father’s will.

“Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

So, brothers and sisters, we really must all rise up. At the very least, become people who receive authority to cast out demons. At the very least, put God’s kingdom in our hearts. “Your kingdom come”—it comes through casting out demons. Wherever demons are cast out, God’s kingdom comes.

Casting out demons holds such an important place in the gospel preached by Jesus Christ. Is a Christianity that does not heal the sick and cast out demons still the Christianity Jesus preached? That deserves a question mark! If we cannot defeat the devil, our enemy, and cannot recover the souls held captive in his house, what benefit is there in the gospel we believe?

We must bind the devil, our enemy, and then seize back what he has taken captive. That includes people’s blessings. If we still carry within us a worldly, fleshly system of reasoning, can we reclaim that territory and make God’s will the thoughts and intentions within us? That is all for this Bible study. May God bless you all!