Good Morning beautiful souls,
I’m going to preach a little bit; I hope you will provide me
with the courtesy of reading the message. I don’t know who needs to hear it but
I can guarantee you that it needs to be preached; not just for myself. I used
the word “preached” because I am going to bolster my position with scripture. I
know that some folks do not like religious dogma and doctrine; I personally do
not care for organized religion because of some of the atrocities committed and
justified by humans invoking God’s name
Man, can I say what a week!!! I mean this not in a good
way. Strange how when you begin to focus
on and begin taking actions toward the things that you NEED to do…your passion
and your purpose, you immediately come under spiritual attack.
1 Peter 5:8 Be
sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour.
With this preface into my week, my mind went to the scripture.
Some of you may know the song “I go to the rock” this has been my practice for a
goodly number of years. I had no particular passage of scripture in mind to
calm myself and to detoxify from my week I just began reading my book Crazy Love and began
the accompanying workbook exercise. It was during this time my mind momentarily
took me from my workbook to a passage of scripture in Mark 5:1-20
Mark 5:1-20 New International Version (NIV)
5 They went across the lake to the region of the
Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an
impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived
in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For
he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke
the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night
and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with
stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell
on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice,
“What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s
name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out
of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And
he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby
hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow
us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure
spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in
number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this
in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When
they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the
legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and
they were
afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the
people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as
well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their
region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who
had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let
him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the
Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the
man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for
him. And all the people were amazed.
This passage came to life for me for so many reasons…first,
the encounters with the contrary spirit (I can’t definitively say anything
about impurity of that spirit documented but I can address my choice of words “contrary”
not to say one thing is right and the other thing is wrong but to say that the
particular spirit sought to elevate itself without empathy, compassion or love;
I hope that makes sense.. I fully understand that there are situations and
circumstances that prompt our actions and no one knows what battles people are
fighting unless they tell you. The problem may be clearly visible but just
because it looks like something you recognize doesn’t mean that it’s
necessarily that thing (salt looks like sugar, ya feel me?) but based on this
scripture, I want you to note the fact that this “spirit” lives in the tombs. Juxtapose
this to everyday life…every single day we compromise something in our beliefs
to dwell among the dead; gossip, white lies, omissions, remaining silent in the
presence of wrong, etc…and before you come for me, note the fact that I said
WE! This spirit was comfortable with the dead! and being in the presence of
things that cannot bring life.
The second thing that spoke to me was the fact that the
spirit KNEW that its life was off kilter, howling in affliction day and night,
breaking man’s attempts to contain, cutting itself. The spirit ran to God but
then again spoke of its internal conflict, knowing that its life was not quite
right. The spirit asked to not be put out of the area and not to be tortured (basically
saying I’m not comfortable in my discontent but afraid of change because it’s
an unknown) The spirit asked to be sent into the pigs (coincidence? Unfamiliar with
the perception of the animal?)
There was no torture; there was no over the top action; there
was no massive throng of people. The spirit asked something of God; God spoke
and His action took place noting the spirits request. God spoke in love. God
spoke in authority and a life was changed. The end
What’s my point…speak in a way that you wish to be spoken to,
speak in love, and know that 1 can conquer a legion
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