and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Our family enjoys having pets around. We have a female Lab and a male Weimaraner dog. Both Labs and Weimaraner's are very affectionate family dogs but they are also very high energy dogs. Training them is a necessity. Training requires us to use many different methods. When training, we can have up to three different collars on them at one time. Their regular leash collar, a pinch collar and an e-collar. Each collar plays a specific role. But the purpose is to use all collars at once so you can control them and begin to train them to do what you want. The devil's scheme is very similar in that he desires that one area of bondage or control would lead to other areas of bondage and control so that he can "train" us for his ways. The man that Jesus immediately encounters in the country of the Gerasenes in Mark 5 was already bound by demons. The people in that region new that something supernatural and demonic was happening in his life by the way that he would break through even the chains and shackles that they would put on him. He was a nuisance as he would scream out from among the tombs and caves and gash himself with stones. No one could subdue this man because of the strength of the demons inside of him. I'm sure that there were some during that time who felt compassion and were truly trying to help him, while others found him quite annoying. But notice how they wanted to help him. They tried to bind him with shackles and chains. They must have thought, "at least if he is bound he won't be as much of a danger or nuisance. If we continue to find different ways to bind him and 'train' him, maybe we can find a way to deal with him in an easier way." This is a great illustration of the world's ways even today. When you are facing a problem that you can't fix, the world will say: "come under our control and let us direct you if you want to find freedom from that ailment. Take our chains on you, do what we say, talk like we talk, walk like we walk and all your problems will go away and you will be free." What they are essentially saying is: "Do you want freedom? Then take our yoke of slavery upon you and become bound to other things that will help with that one thing." We live in a time where the world is coming up with alternative ways to find "freedom" from the afflictions of life. But notice that almost every way of "freedom" that the world offers involves some sort of dependency upon something else. They don't remove anything, they just mask it by providing some sort of alternative way to help you "cope". But notice that even the coping mechanisms themselves become a yoke of slavery! I am thankful for modern medicine and how God has blessed humankind with the ability of the mind to come up with new ways to deal with sicknesses and ailments. For instance, as we have seen in recent years, there has been an incredible rise of addiction to Fentanyl. But even worse than that, an unprecedented rise of death because of addiction to Fentanyl. Something that was meant to be a way to help people cope with pain has become a yoke of slavery. An extreme example of this would be experiencing intense pain in your leg and then breaking your finger in order to take your mind off of the pain in your foot (Major Payne anyone?). That's not freedom; that's compounded bondage. When Jesus says in John 8:36: “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Jesus is promising complete freedom. He says you will be free indeed, which means really and actually free. Not theoretically, not partially, not in our hearts, but actually, completely free. When Jesus casts the demons out of this man in Mark 5:12, 13 that man was totally free. Jesus didn't give him "coping mechanisms"; He set him free. Every time that Jesus brought healing or deliverance it was complete and final. "I once was blind but now I see" is complete and evidentiary. There weren't any gimmicks or tricks or additional things that Jesus added to His work. He spoke, He touched, and He loved to where freedom flowed from His innermost being. Are you free today; not theologically but in reality? If not, take God at His word and experience complete freedom through Christ by calling on His name the way that the man in Mark 5 did. Questions to Consider: 1. What are areas in your life where you are not free from sin? Will you share those areas with someone to receive prayer? 2. What are areas in your life where you have trusted in the world to bring about freedom for you but it hasn't worked? Examples: social media, watching tv, medications, alcohol, money etc.
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35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Mark 4:35 NASB
We all know what happens next in this story. The disciples follow Jesus, they face a deadly storm on the sea, Jesus gets up from sleeping and rebukes the storm, and the sea becomes calm. Jesus certainly knew what was about to happen before He led His disciples into the boat that day. Yet, Jesus had a mission to go to the other side of the sea and was not going to let a storm divert Him. The disciples (and most of us) would have probably thought of turning around to head back to the closest shore; but Jesus never offered that as an option. Maybe the disciples would have thought that this was a warning from God to not continue to the other side and to turn back. Once again, Jesus never uses that as an option. So, why is Jesus wanting to go to the other side so badly that He would lead Himself and the disciples into a deadly storm? The other side of the Sea of Galilee is what was called the Decapolis (which means 10 cities in Greek). In 64-63 BC, the Roman general Pompey brought the entire Near East under Rome's dominion. He incorporated the Greek cities east of the Sea of Galilee into a league of cities known as the Decapolis. Most of these cities resisted the Jewish religion and were pleased to have autonomy to be able to practice their own religion, education, culture and philosophy. This whole region was considered pagan as they worshiped other gods through sacrificing pigs and other animals and by teaching that the human form was the ultimate ideal. While all of this is important to note, Jesus is not going to the other side of the sea to try and specifically change the Greek culture; He is going over there for one man who is in need of freedom. They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, Mark 5:1-2 NASB Jesus got into a boat, leaving behind crowds of people on the other side who were mesmerized by His teaching and authority, to face a storm that was considered life-threatening, to enter into a region that most Jewish people avoided because of their pagan practices, all to set free one man who was bound by demons who called themselves Legion. After Jesus gets done dealing with these demons (and pigs), He will be forced to leave the region. So, Jesus went through all of that to set free one man? So, what's on the other side of the sea? I am and so are you. It was not by chance that Christ found you. He did not just stumble upon you one day and call you to follow Him. The calling of Christ is an individual and sovereign call that Christ Himself makes. If you are in Christ right now, it is because Jesus humbled Himself, left His heavenly home, took on human form and suffered as a man on a cross that was meant for me and you. My redemption and your redemption was costly; all of eternity will be spent trying to comprehend the unmeasurable grace of God. Jesus came to the other side of the sea for you and for me, let us give Him the praise and worship due unto His name. "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."- C.T. Studd Questions to Consider: 1. Where did you find yourself before you met Christ? Will you share your testimony this week with someone you don't know? 2. Do you struggle with thankfulness or expressing your thankfulness? Will you take the time to express your thankfulness to God through prayer or praise for what He has done? And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” Mark 4:30-32 NASB
In the beginning portion of Mark 4, Jesus speaks about one of the seeds that fell on the road and what happened to that seed. as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Mark 4:4 NASB “These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. Mark 4:15 NASB Jesus says that the "bird" that came and snatched the seed off of the road is a picture of Satan. We know Satan to be God's enemy and our enemy, but the word "Satan" means adversary and accuser. So, because of the hardness of the soil (pictured as a packed down road), and before this seed could ever go deeper and take root, Satan swoops down like a bird to snatch the seed away. If you have ever watched a bird swoop down to grab something to eat, they do so swiftly, with precision, and with stealth. Their domain is in the air, so they try not to spend too much time on the ground; so they come quickly and then disappear. How does Satan snatch up the seeds of the word of God that have been sown in someone? In two primary ways: 1. By bringing accusations against us causing us to feel unworthy of the truth of the word. 2. Bringing accusations against God causing us to doubt His goodness and the truth of the word. When we experience accusations against ourselves and against God, we should recognize that we are under attack and that something spiritual is taking place. Know this, the devil will do everything he can to make sure that the truth of God's word does not take root in our hearts because he knows that he is no match for the power of God's word. In Mark 4:32 above, Jesus says that once the seed of God has grown it will grow up and become large enough to provide shade for the birds to nest under. We know already from the previous devotional titled: "Shade for the birds" that we are called to be a place for people to come and nest under and find shade from the trials and worries of life (see Matthew 6:25-26 & Matthew 11:28). To nest means to dwell or take up quarters, and the word under means to come under the authority of someone as a subordinate; to come under and remain under someone else. So, not only are we called to be a place of shade for the birds (people), but we are also called to be a place of shade from the thieving, swooping birds of the air. Demonic birds are constantly trying to steal the powerful word of God. It's important to note that the hard, rocky, packed down hearts of people that the seed is sown upon is of major concern. If it wasn't a hardened heart where the seed fell then the seed may have immediately been hidden deep in the soil, untouched by birds of the air. But we must remember what the prophet Jeremiah prophesied: "Is not My word like fire?" declares the Lord, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock." Jeremiah 23:29 We should never underestimate the power of the word of God. If it falls in an impossible situation of even a hardened heart, the word of God can still break through causing tenderness to happen. What Jesus is describing here in Mark 4:30-32 is what becomes of those who allow the word and seed of God to take root in them and transform them. These little seeds grow and become large trees with large branches. They will begin to stand firm in a new authority through the transformation of the life of Christ. When we allow God’s seed to grow in us, we will become a place of shade for others to come to for protection and concealment from even the swooping demonic realm of Satan. We will begin to walk in the authority of Christ to where even demonic "birds" of the air that fly around snatching up the seeds of the word of God, come up "under our shade" of authority. We don’t have the authority in and of ourselves, the seed of Christ in us gives us that authority. The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:17-19 NASB We have been given authority over all the power of the enemy through Christ. This starts with us on an individual level in our individual walk, but it "branches out" to others that are in need of protection, deliverance and guidance from Satanic influences. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy but we as partakers of the life of Christ have been called to bring life and life abundantly. Let us walk in this calling and in Christ's authority. Questions to Consider: 1. Are we a shade for ourselves, our families and our church that protects them from the demonic "birds" that fly around snatching up the truth of God's word? 2. Have you ever noticed how hard the devil and this world fights to keep us from the word and from prayer? How does the devil and the world do this in your life?
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