Sending the Seventy, part 25

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 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. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB) 

(Note: this post is a continuation of part 23 and part 24. You may want to read those before continuing with this post.)

If you are just joining us on this journey with the seventy, we have been studying this passage in Luke 10 for several weeks. Jesus sent seventy of his disciples to the towns and villages where He intended to go later.  They were to take nothing with them, but were dependent upon the hospitality of the villages where they would teach about Jesus and heal the sick. It must have been a hard journey, but they returned rejoicing over all they had  seen. Even the demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus.  

When they reported all that they had seen with their physical eyes to Jesus, He shared with them what He had seen in the spiritual realm. Their obedience in healing those who were beset by demons had great effect in the spiritual realm, resulting in destruction of the kingdom of the evil one. Still speaking from a spiritual sense, He told them He had given them authority to "tread on serpents and scorpions and over all power of the enemy". This was likely a reference to the fatal bruise on the head of the serpent foretold in Genesis and covered in part 24. 

"Nothing will injure you," Jesus told them. The word translated as "injure" comes from a root word meaning to violate justice or to deal fraudulently or deceptively.  We might interpret this to mean that nothing will deceive us. When we are obedient in following Christ, we can trust His Spirit to guide us to truth. If we follow Him, though the enemy fights against us, we will be able to resist and avoid the deception he would offer. 

These men had just completed a long and difficult journey of faith. They were not "social club church goers". These men were 100% sold out to Jesus, willing to go anywhere and do anything in obedience to Him. They were not just followers.  They were disciples. What great news it must have been that, in giving authority to do battle with the enemy, Jesus also gave them protection in the battle. Because they had a promise of protection from the enemy, they did not have to  be afraid of the battle! How often God tells us, "Fear not!" Once again, Jesus teaches them that there is no need to fear because the enemy cannot overcome their faith. 

Does this mean that there will be no physical injury? No. He had been speaking in a spiritual sense throughout this sentence, and there is no reason to think He suddenly jumped to a physical sense. When we place our trust in Jesus, He holds us secure against the wiles of the evil one, who would seek to wrench us from Christ. This fact should give us great hope for eternity and great comfort in our present life. We are safe with Jesus, no matter where He leads. Take heart, then, no matter where your obedience takes you. His Spirit is there, guiding and protecting all the way. Follow then, and fear not.  

Sending the Seventy, part 24: Treading on Serpents and Scorpions

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 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. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB)
(Note: This post is a continuation of part 23, and you can read it here.) 

Our verse today is one of those that has been part of a controversy in the church because of the ones who have interpreted it, in conjunction with Mark 16, to suggest that "true believers" of Christ can handle serpents (rattlesnakes and other poisonous snakes) without harm, even when a snake bite results in envenomation.  When we look at this passage in context, however, I believe we will see it a little differently. The seventy sent-ones had just returned from their journey of sharing the good news of Jesus and healing the sick. They were filled with joy over the results of their labors and rejoiced that "even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 

They rejoiced in what they saw with their physical eyes. Jesus, however, shared and rejoiced in what He saw with His spiritual eyes. "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning." Immediately following that statement, He said, "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." Because Jesus was speaking in the previous sentence from a spiritual perspective, He was almost certainly continuing in a spiritual perspective. 

The word translated as "tread" is pateō, which is defined by BLB as "to advance by setting foot upon, tread upon, to encounter successfully the greatest perils from the machinations and persecutions with which Satan would fain thwart the preaching of the gospel."  The idea of "treading upon serpents" is that we would walk over the serpent successfully and walk past all the power of the enemy (Satan) as  we, through our obedient service to Christ, participate in the destruction of the kingdom of the evil one.  The "treading" does not require us to pick up a literal snake. The "treading" requires us to obey Christ in sharing the Good News of Christ to all we encounter, thus overcoming the power of that spiritual serpent, Satan, by the power of God Almighty.

The very first prophecy of the Messiah occurs in Genesis 3:15 as God cursed the serpent because of his part in the sin of Adam and Eve. These words of Jesus in Luke 10 are almost certainly a direct reference to that curse. Read it and consider.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Geneses 3:15 NASB

Clearly, the heel of Christ and the head of the serpent Satan have a figurative encounter here. Although the serpent Satan will deliver a bruise to Christ's heel, it will not be a terminal wound. The heel of Christ, however, will "bruise" the head of Satan, delivering a fatal blow. (If the head is crushed, it is fatal.) 

Let's put all this rambling together. When we serve Christ in obedience as the seventy sent-ones did, we participate in destruction of the kingdom of the evil one. Christ has given his obedient followers the authority to "tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy". He has given us the authority to participate with Him in the fatal bruise on the head of the serpent Satan. If we have authority to tread "over all the power of the enemy", then there is no power of Satan that can stand against the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. No power. None whatsoever. 

Selah. Pause and consider.

If there is no power of Satan that can stand against the Kingdom of God, why do we allow him to cause such havoc in our lives? Why do we submit to the temptations he offers us? It is well past time for the body of Christ to embrace this truth. Jesus has given us all the authority we need to tread on the head of the enemy of our soul, resisting his temptations, and defeating his power in our lives. Let us embrace the truth that we can be free if we will be free, and live accordingly. 

Sending the Seventy, part 23

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 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. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB)

There is an unbearable sweetness in Jesus' response to the sent-ones on their return. The seventy returned to tell Jesus about their trip. It had been hard and tiring. They must have been physically exhausted. Spiritually, however, they were on a mountaintop from which they would never recover. They were bubbling over with excitement about all they had seen, all God had allowed them to accomplish in the name of Jesus. Even the demons were subject to them in Jesus' name, they told Him. Listen to this sweet thing that Jesus said to them. It's amazing!

"I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning."

How about that?! He was telling His excited disciples, the sent-ones, that He had been keeping His eye on them, and that He knew what they had been doing. He knew that the demons had been subject to them in His name and, when that happened, He "was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning." As they brought healing from demonic influence in the life of those to whom they ministered, Satan literally lost ground in the high places. Jesus told them that, when they were ministering in His name, it was as if he could see lightning flashing all around with the fall of Satan's kingdom. Get that picture in your mind's eye. Wow. Pretty exciting, isn't it?

There's an interesting contrast between what the sent-ones saw and what Jesus saw. The sent-ones saw the lives that were changed. They saw the physical evidence of the demons leaving those who were healed. Jesus, on the other hand, saw the spiritual evidence of Satan's kingdom losing ground. What the disciples saw was very exciting, and there's no doubt about that.  We would be fortunate to see what they saw. If we could see what Jesus sees when we minister, however, how much more exciting it would be! 

"Satan falling from heaven like lightning". We can, through our obedience in sharing the good news of Jesus, be a part in that fall. We can have a part in not only extending the Kingdom of God, but also decreasing the kingdom of darkness.  Best of all? No matter how hard, how lonely, or how tiring our work, we can be assured that our Lord knows exactly what we face and that He is watching and cheering us on! 

So, weary servants, take heart. Even when your way is hard, you are never alone, never out of sight. Our Lord cares for you, and He is watching over you. He doesn't miss a thing!

The Journey, part 4: The Scope

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. (Luke 9:1 NASB)

Previously, we saw that Jesus equipped the twelve with both power and authority (or permission) to act in His name. This verse goes on to delineate the scope of that authority, which extended to "all the demons and to heal diseases". We see immediately that He assigned them responsibility to deal with both spiritual ills, in the form of demons, and physical ills, in the form of disease. 

We turn first to the issue of "all kinds of demons".  The word translated as "demon" is daimonion.  Vine's Expository Dictionary explains that these demons are the spiritual agents at work in idolatry of all kinds and that they act as "seducing spirits" to "disseminate errors" among mankind. The twelve had the job of dealing with these spirits who were actively working to deceive mankind, lead them away from truth, and entice them into believing the lies of the evil one. In essence, then, their job was one of replacing lies with truth. What is truth? Jesus said that He is truth. 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6 NASB)

Ephesians 6 tells us that, in the matter of spiritual warfare, our only offensive weapon is the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."  Putting these two passages together, we can clearly see that the only way to combat the lies of the evil one, the deceptive work of demons, is with the truth of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh.

As we have seen numerous times in Scripture, when Jesus confronted demons, His truth superseded their lies every time, and it still does. It is the job of demons to whisper lies. It is the job of believers to respond to those lies with truth. The Word of God is our only weapon to stop the onslaught, and is only effective if we actually know its truth. This is the reason Bible study and Scripture memorization are so very important. 

When Jesus sent the twelve with power and authority over demons, He was, at least in part, sending them to confront the lies of the evil one with truth, and to stand firm in that truth. They were to use the Sword of the Spirit to deal decisively with the work of evil forces in the lives of those to whom they ministered. Jesus said, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," (John 8:32). The twelve were to go to those in bondage and help them find the freedom that only Christ can bring. 

We have no less responsibility for the truth today. It is still our job to know the truth, proclaim the truth, and stand firm in the truth. It is still our job to speak the truth in love and to help others find the freedom only Christ can bring. Once again, we can only speak truth if we know truth. 

How careful are we about knowing the Word of God? Do we use the Word of God as the standard against which all else is measured or do we seek verses that can be used to confirm whatever we want to believe. Dear ones, in these difficult days in which we find ourselves, it is vital that we know the Truth and live accordingly. It was the job of the twelve and is no less ours today. 

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)

Excitement in the Boat, part 29: The Name

And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. (Luke 8:30 NASB)

When the demoniac met Jesus, he fell at His feet. Jesus looked down and said, "What is your name?"  The man answered, "Legion".  Of course, that wasn't the name his parents had given him. It wasn't the name by which God called him. It was actually a word that described his demon-controlled life. He had lived that life for so many years that he had become known by it. He identified with it. It was "who he was" in a terrible, sad sense, at least in his own mind. 

One of the unfortunate things about being held captive by forces other than our Lord is that we find it so hard to break free. Our failure to break free is often interpreted as an inability to be free, and that translates (in our minds) into the idea that we cannot be free. Before we realize what is happening, we begin to identify with our bondage and think, "This is who I am."  What we so often forget is that the things we do are not necessarily the things God intended for us, nor how He sees us. It is not necessarily how He intends to leave us, either. 

On this blessed day, Jesus looked down at this man and said, in essence, "Legion? No that's not who you are. I'm going to remove that and you will be a brand new man. You are about to be the man you were born to be." And so it was. With a word, the Legion was gone, the man was freed, and he was, in a spiritual sense, reborn. He had much to learn about staying free and serving his Redeener, but he was free indeed. 

How does this translate to our lives?  Look at your own life for a moment. What is the thing to which you go back, over and over? For some, it will be bigotry, a critical spirit, gossip. For others, it will be anything from gluttony to sexual sin to fiscal irresponsibility. Just because you do not have the power to break free from that which controls you, from that which is killing you, does not mean that our God lacks power to set you free. He does not. 

Even in his demon-controlled state, this man was able to take the first vital step to freedom, and so can we. He fell at the feet of Jesus, and let Him take it from there. It was an act of absolute surrender, and it was the one thing that had been missing. Neither chains nor shackles could contain him, but one word from God could set him free, and it can do the same for you.  

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will fall at the feet of Jesus in total surrender of who we have become and allow Him to transform us into who we were created to be. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/lessons-from-battlefield-part-5-uzziah.html

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Our terrorist/terror group of the week is the former ISIS, now the Islamic State. Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To learn more about them and their goal of spreading radical jihad and sharia rule throughout the world, click here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/radical-obedience-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi.html

Excitement in the Boat, part 26: The Big Mistake

When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. (Luke 8:34-37 NASB)

We look now at the most heartbreaking part of the story. When the demons went into the pigs, the pigs started running and quickly ran straight off a cliff into the sea. The herd was lost and those pig herders were likely in big trouble with their boss.  Their only defense was an unbelievable tale about a traveling preacher and a naked wild man. Who was going to believe that?  Nevertheless, those pig herders rushed around, telling everyone they saw about what had happened. 

Their story was so compelling that the people went out to the tombs to see for themselves.  Because the pigs were gone, the only evidence was the former demon-controlled man, now fully dressed, fully sane, and soaking up the words of Jesus, seated at His feet. These were likely the same people who had been part of the effort to restrain him. When they saw him fully restored, it frightened them to death. 

Eye witnesses confirmed what they had seen and the story chilled them to the bone. They were in the presence of something they did not understand. About the only thing they did understand was that an entire herd of pigs had run off the cliff into the sea and somehow Jesus was involved. The loss of the pigs was an economic loss to their owners and probably resulted in job loss for all the pig herders. It was a blow to the community as well as the owner. 

If they had stopped long enough to ask what Jesus wanted to show them, what new plan He had for them, which direction they should go, things would likely have been different. Instead, in the midst of an amazing miracle of grace, redemption, and restoration, on a day filled with miracles, an entire town and the surrounding community allowed their fear and uncertainty to lead them into the biggest mistake they would ever make. 

"You need to leave and don't come back," they told Jesus in no uncertain terms. And He did. 

What could be more tragic than to respond to confusing, uncertain, and difficult times by rejecting the One who has it all firmly under control? 

Are you in the midst of hard times? Have you suffered losses? Are there circumstances you don't understand?  It is easy to respond with fear, our only objective to put distance between us and those circumstances. We would do well to be still, sit at the feet of Jesus along with the newly healed, and listen. Dear ones, the time for rejecting is done. Be still. Know that He is God. Fear not. Embrace His plan. 

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Our terrorist/terror group of the week is the former ISIS, now the Islamic State. Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To learn more about them and their goal of spreading radical jihad and sharia rule throughout the world, click here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/radical-obedience-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi.html

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Link to last night's Friday Night With Friends post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/friday-night-with-friends-prayers-for.html

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Excitement in the boat, part 25: The Problem of the Pigs

Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission.And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. (Luke 8:32, 33 NASB)

In the preceding verses, we saw the destructive hold the demons had on the man. Though the enemy of our soul can be quite deceptive, yet he is ever bent on absolute destruction. We must understand this without confusion. It is Christ, and Christ alone, whose goal is freedom and abundant life. The goal of the devil is destruction and death.  

The power and the heart of Jesus are clearly demonstrated in the restoration of the possessed man. Loosed from that Legion of demons, he was free to operate from a sound mind and a heart of love for his Redeemer.  No longer was he controlled by the power of darkness, compelled to wander, naked and alone, in the tombs. 

The intent and action of the enemy is clearly highlighted by the problem of the swine. Those demons desired to possess, control, and destroy. What we do not seem to understand is that this legion of demons would find a new target. They would possess someone or some thing. They would find a new object for their terrorism. Their desired goal would be a human, of course, but, in the presence of Jesus, that was not open to them. The pigs were their next best host. In allowing the demons to enter the pigs, Jesus prevented them from entering one (or a legion) of the townspeople. 

His ways are not our ways, as is so clearly demonstrated here in the matter of the pigs. The pigs were lost, and it was a real, and significant, blow to their owner. The herdsmen were upset, and it is understandable. It is likely that none of the townspeople ever realized that, in losing the pigs, they had been spared much torment and grief. 

We have that same difficulty, don't we? Because our vision is finite, we cannot know what the future would have held if not for the intervention of God. It is a common response of mankind to view difficult circumstances with a jaundiced eye, disparaging hard times and resenting the trouble they bring. If we had a glimpse of that which those hard times spared us, we might not be so quick to complain. We might, in fact, embrace our trials with thanksgiving, just as we have been commanded. 

Though we will never know, this side of eternity, what we have been spared, we would do well to thank God for His mercy in choosing freedom for us and sacrificing "the swine" (those things that bring temporary loss, yet in that loss bring protection from something worse).  We do well to thank Him, even when we do not understand. 

As you pray today, thank God for all the things we have been spared by the circumstances God has allowed, regardless of their difficulty. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/warrior-positions.html

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Our terrorist/terror group of the week is the former ISIS, now the Islamic State. Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To learn more about them and their goal of spreading radical jihad and sharia rule throughout the world, click here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/radical-obedience-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi.html

Excitement in the boat, part 24: avoiding the abhorrent

They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. (Luke 8:31-32 NASB)

The legion of demons was not at all stupid. It was apparent to them that the Son of God had arrived, and He was in charge. They knew they were about to be thrown out, with no coming back. They had been commanded to leave the man before, but had always returned stronger and more numerous. There would be none of that this time.  They knew that for sure. 

Demons exist, at least in part, to torment mankind. They have rejected the service of Almighty God and have ended up serving the evil one. It seems that, in leaving the man, the demons had two options. They could go back to the pit of hell or find another being to possess. This should be significant to us, but I have never heard anyone mention this next point. Hell is a horrible place. It is so dreadful that even the Legion of demons begged Jesus not to send them back there! 

If demons abhor the possibility of going to hell, we should, too. If demons abhor the possibility of going to hell, we should be filled with such concern for those we love (as well as a lost and perishing world) that we pray non-stop that they would find a saving relationship with our Lord. 

In a time when the forces of evil have been so romanticized as to seem attractive, we need to reconsider the difference between light and darkness, good and evil. We need look no further than the naked, raging man in the tombs to see that we want no part of that darkness, and we should live accordingly. 

We are called to be the light in a dark and lonely world. Is our light a warm, welcoming glow? If it were, perhaps it would be more attractive to those who have been held captive in the darkness for far too long. Dear ones, let's be sure we live in such a way that it is obvious we believe the faith we claim. Only then will we draw others to the Lord we say we love. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-wonder-girls-take-walk.html

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Our terrorist/terror group of the week is the former ISIS, now the Islamic State. Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To learn more about them and their goal of spreading radical jihad and sharia rule throughout the world, click here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/radical-obedience-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi.html

Excitement in the boat, part 23: Empty Space

Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. (Luke 8:30-31 NLT)

Legion. Any way you define that, it's a large number. The Roman military organization was built on a precise and very interesting system that is too detailed for this post. Suffice it to say that a legion, including both soldiers and the ancillary troops needed to support them, consisted of just under 6,000 men. Imagine, then, a legion of demons! 

You may be wondering how someone ends up with 6,000 demons inside, wrestling for control. Jesus' explanation for this is recorded in Matthew's gospel. 

 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45 NLT)

An evil spirit torments a person and then leaves, either because the tormented person or someone else commands it to leave. The tormented one feels great relief but does nothing to fill the void left in his heart and mind. The evil spirit, always seeking more territory, finds seven more evil spirits, invites them to join him, and returns. Finding the void left by his leaving still empty, he moves back in with all his evil companions. The next time there is a struggle to banish these spirits, eight spirits leave and return to the unfilled void with seven new companions each. Suddenly, there are not eight demons but 64. [(1+7) x 8=64] it doesn't take long to have a legion of evil spirits, does it?

There is one key factor in the leaving and returning process, and that is unfilled space. The evil spirits can return because the space they left remains empty. What then can protect the tormented one from further torment? Filling the heart-space with something more powerful is the only hope. Jesus. Only Jesus. 

When we are freed from those things that oppress us, whether it be a recurring sin or an evil spirit, the only way to stay completely free is to fill our hearts with Christ, flood our minds with the truth of Scripture, and immerse ourselves in the relationship only God can provide. 

Have you struggled with something over and over again? Perhaps the problem is empty space. Maybe what is needed is a filling of that space with all that our Lord offers us. What Jesus promised was true freedom, and it is available today. Choose freedom. 

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36 NASB)

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Link to last night's post is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-stepping-stone.html

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Our terrorist/terror group of the week is the former ISIS, now the Islamic State. Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To learn more about them and their goal of spreading radical jihad and sharia rule throughout the world, click here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/radical-obedience-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi.html

Excitement in the boat, part 19:

And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. (Luke 8:27 NASB)

The word translated as "possessed" is echō. This is a word used numerous times throughout Scripture. The same word was used in Luke 5 to indicate that the Son of Man has (echō) authority to forgive sin. It is a word that indicates having something in such a way that it is owned or possessed. It is also used to indicate something that is held in the hand or worn (like a cloak) or something to which we are joined in such a way that it becomes a part of us. The authority of Jesus over sin was not just a momentary authority. He possessed it in such a way that it was clearly an inherent part of who He was. 

In that same way, the demonic influences had gained such control over this man that they, too, had become joined to him. It was as if they owned him. They were so joined to him that they could direct his actions and, at least to a degree, control his thoughts. In fact, they controlled him to such a point that he was living in a dreadful condition among the tombs. 

Here is the amazing thing. Even with the demons controlling him, the man met Jesus as soon as He stepped onto the land. The demons may have ripped him from his home, forced him into the land of the dead, and ripped away every shred of decency, but they could not keep him from Jesus. Demonic power is certainly real and strong, but it is not absolute. In the presence of Jesus, that power can be broken. In the presence of Jesus, that power is broken. 

The question we must answer is what controls us?  Is it the power of God manifested by His Son Jesus? Is it the power of sin and darkness exerted by those demons in the cemetery? If we allow it, we can be so echō, so possessed by the Spirit of God and joined to Him, that He becomes an intrinsic part of us, directing our thoughts and actions. Can you imagine being so filled with the Spirit of God, so filled with His love, that it is evident in every word and action?  That is exactly how we are supposed to live. But do we?  

Pray today that we and our loved ones would be so filled with the love and Spirit of God that all around us would be drawn to Jesus and that His grace and mercy would flow from us to bring healing to a wounded world. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/treasure-on-battlefield.html

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We are still praying for Hamas this week, as well as for the peace of Israel. One thing I'm praying for the leaders of Hamas is not only conviction and transformation but weariness in fighting and a desire to do good rather than further destruction.