PIECES OF THE PUZZLE: BLESSING THE LAND - THOUGHTS ON JEREMIAH 29

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Today I'm repeating a blog I wrote right after the last election.  Not much of my thinking has changed.  I still offer these simple, but often overlooked answers as a way for our country to change in spite of the culture deteriorating around us.  There is hope still.  Let's grab onto it!  So here are my thoughts from back in November of 2012:

I don’t often quote myself.  That would seem rather arrogant to say the least; but without really realizing what I was saying, I did make a very thought provoking statement in a previous blog that has stayed on my mind and sort of haunted my thoughts.  The article was about a totally different subject than the one I’m discussing today, but that one little statement has taken me into a whole new realm of ideas to consider.  The statement I refer to is: “Isn’t that just like our Great God to turn dread and fear into a time of celebration and joy? He is a God of great reversals.” 

My heart and my mind has been bogged down with all ofthe recent governmental changes made by our supreme court, the elected officials and the world around us.  In the midst of all of those problems I keep looking at the sad financial state of most of America.   My spirit has been troubled.  My first instinct is to ignore it and go on living "happily ever after", but that would be so irresponsible! Eventually I would come to see the hard reality of my own illusions.  It often feels like there is a hovering, uncontrollable cloud looming over us, a cloud full of storms that could bring nasty weather at any moment. It feels like heavy oppression.  It has occurred to me that oppression often comes from living in a constant state of total chaos and confusion, and that seems to be what our country is living under.  Oppression is not godly.

My prayers are often lifted up to God for direction in this subject; and I am constantly asking God to give us change and relief.  I am always hoping that the people and the leaders of the people will wake up and return to the values that our nation was founded on and once again become one nation under God.  I find that I am constantly repenting to God for the current state of our nation, for the corruption, the greed, the paganism, the lack of any morality and the lack of compassion and concern for each other. 

Praying prayers similar to Abraham, I am always bringing up the fact that there are still at least ten good men left in this land, and hoping for mercy.   I can actually see many, many good men hiding behind this smokescreen the media is always presenting, and I note that they are still out there living their lives and striving for better days.  The recent question has been:  Is hoping and trying to survive as free Americans all futile in the end?  Will we be defeated in spite of our best efforts to make a change?  I’ve pondered this from many angles. 

While sorting through all the various answers out there, I read a very uplifting article by Steve Elliott from “Grassfire Nation” regarding his own personal feelings about the state of things the day following the election.  I’ve heard that Glenn Beck read and was inspired by the same article.  I haven’t listened to what Mr. Beck took away from it yet, but I want to share some of the places that my own thoughts wandered to after reading this. 

Steve Elliott quotes that verse that we all quote in times of uncertainty; “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Then Steve informs us that we never read that whole passage of scripture found in Jeremiah, Chapter 29. If we did we would see that God’s answer came in the form of exile for 70 years.  I reread the passage for myself and confirmed that Steve was absolutely right.  Apparently the plan the Lord had in store for Israel was a plan of exile, and He proceeds through the Prophet Jeremiah, to explain to 

the people how they should live in exile.

This became even more interesting to me when I read of the states in this country that are desiring to succeed from the union.  A civil war of sorts seems to be brewing.  A huge division is forming among the people that apparently cannot be healed.  There is a now a group of people in Washington, DC that are making a demand of the president that anyone who signs a paper stating that they wish to succeed from the union be stripped of their citizenship and exiled from the country!  I saw this AFTER reading Steve Elliott’s article.  How strange that America has come to this point.  We are playing into the desires of the socialists without even putting up a fight.  It is their plan to conquer by causing divisions and strife and chaos.  We are letting it happen over and over again just like children following the pied piper.    

I do think Steve Elliott has hit on a very interesting suggestion.  There were six things that the letter from Jeremiah told the people going into exile to remember.  They were to:  (1) Build houses and settle down. (2) Plant gardens and eat what they produce.  (3) Marry and have sons and daughters.  (4) Marry off the sons and daughters so that they can have children.  (5) Increase in number.  Do not decrease.  (6) Bless the land.

Even without the threat of stripping one’s citizenship and shipping them out of the country, it surely seems that Christians in this country are already falling under another type of exile.  We have been forced to be compliant to laws that keep us from expressing the words and ways of our God in public.  We have been advised not to carry on our worship in private homes. We are often told to put our children in public schools that do not honor our God and that teach them the ways of other gods.  We have been bullied into complying with special interest groups that are totally opposed to keeping the laws of the God that we honor.  We have been infiltrated in our own houses and churches by so much sin and corruption that we often cannot carry out our true purpose.   It is a sad state, much like that of the children of Israel faced when going into exile.  They were forced to live under rulers that they did not relate to, rulers that carted them off to another strange land and forced them to live as slaves.  So what was God’s answer to them in their time of exile?  That is what Steve Elliott so eloquently pointed out in his article, and it is my favorite part of this story.  It seems very strange at first, but God told them to build houses, plant gardens, have children, get their children married and having children of their own, and to bless the land that they were exiled into. 

Did you hear that last part?  BLESS THE LAND.  We can’t give up now.  We must keep on doing what Christians do.  As people of God, we must be passing on a blessing – always.  It is our greatest witness of our faith.  It is the one thing that always pleases God.

So how do we go about being that blessing in a suffering land with a dying economy?  It seems the first thing we need to do is to build homes for our families.  I know, I know….how do you build a home for your family when you can’t even find a job?  What money are you going to use?  Let me tell you a secret America, sometimes when you lower your standards of living you are able to achieve more abundance.  Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Consider this:  A home is the place where your family lives; it doesn’t have to be a mansion on the hill.  You “build” it by putting your family into it, making them as comfortable as possible and establishing a firm residence of love and compassion in your house.  You put the name of God above your doorposts and you honor Him above all else.  He is the first step to having a peaceful home – anywhere.  You eat there, you sleep there, and you raise your children there.  You come back to that place after your work for the day is done and you exist in peace no matter what is going on with the rest of the world outside.  Even if it is a large cardboard box, you honor God for giving you the box, and you make that box your castle.

The next thing you want to do is to “plant a garden.”  This can be taken in two ways:  a physical garden that will grow healthy safe food for your family (it has become harder and harder to eat healthy nutritious food in this country), and/or a type of income that comes from being productive with the gifts God has given you that will provide for your family.  If you are suffering from loss of income in this horrible economy I encourage you to look at the gifts that God has given you as an individual and try to find a way to use them that is profitable enough to feed your family.  Don’t give up, keep trying against all odds.  God has a purpose for you.  He has given each of us talents and abilities, whether our government or culture recognizes them or not.  Find yours and use it in the Christian community.  Even if you have to work for free for awhile, see where God leads you.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  If you are diligent and persistent you will find a way to feed your family.  It may not be luxurious or great at first, but if you give your energy to the work that God has created you for, He will increase you and bless you.  Part of this whole situation may be learning to be a good receiver and allowing others the privilege of blessing you too.  You can always remember to return the blessing in God’s good time.  This is not a “name it and claim it” philosophy.  There will be hard times and struggles, but if you do this God will not forsake you.  It is promised in Psalm 37:25.  God always keeps His promises.  Sometimes we just don’t see how He is going about it.

So, if you can; plant a garden to feed your family.  It will be safer and you will be healthier.  If you do not have a way to do this, partner with someone who does.  Help them to make it happen on their land and share.  Many do not have the means or the place to plant a physical garden, but they can plant seeds into the economy by using their talents that will grow into the form of income that will support those who CAN plant gardens.  So if this is true for you consider that your “garden” might be a good idea, a side job, a form of artwork that makes a statement, a publication that awakens people to new ideas, a way to improve day-to-day life, a way to improve your community, etc.  Think outside of the box and just do something that can multiply into something that will help the whole world in the end.  God loves creativity – after all – He invented the concept!  Try to use your imagination to make the world better and bless the land. 

You might consider selling your current home and spending the equity gained to pay for a much less expensive but adequate place to live.  That frees up your mortgage payment to help you help others to make a better world.  It works like the little boy who brought the loaves and fishes to Jesus to feed the crowd.  What you give multiplies.  It gives you “seed” money to use.  You might sell some of your more luxurious possessions and put the value of that cash to a more constructive use.  Do you really need that third automobile?  Do you really have to eat out five nights a week?  If you find yourself being able to actually plant a physical garden and grow your own food, you will find yourself saving a bundle on the grocery bill.  You can then put that extra cash to work among others trying to do well within the Christian community.

An important thing for us all to consider in building houses and establishing residences for families is to study the ways that we can all get out of debt.  The government may think it has to live that way, but the people don’t have to buy into that philosophy.  It may sound crazy but I think those of us who have been the most prosperous in the past need to re-group by selling our equity, buying less and living in debt free homes.  Simpler is better.  You will have less property tax, less homeowner’s insurance, and less property to maintain.  Use what you are saving to help others.  If you don’t have enough equity to live without a mortgage, get a reasonably priced apartment or rent until you can buy.  

Every home in America should be trying to live debt free and establishing a savings account; and that money should be put into a bank that is owned and operated by Christian people who are running it based on Christian principles.  Help one another out; pool your resources with people who believe in your values.  They in turn will eventually find a way to invest in your business ventures too.  Forget anything financed, insured or owned by the government.  It may sound good, but more than likely, it is a trap.  Forget government housing programs and assistant programs.  Turn to local churches for help.  Local churches should in turn be building up a way to help those in need.   Find a job doing anything that is decent and rent any independently owned property and improve the place by putting your family into it.  

God told us to work six days a week and rest on the seventh.  Families with values make for good neighborhoods.  Teach your children living in your home how to be a good neighbor.  Help to make your own community DECENT and ORDERLY before God.

 

That brings us to the next step of the process; marry and have sons and daughters.  The true definition of marriage seems to be lost in our culture.  Let’s do our part to bring back the real definition of marriage – a union between one man and one woman under God.  The pagan cultures around us have given our children the idea that it is okay to live together without marriage.  They have been bombarded with media that proclaims “anything goes” as long as it makes you happy.  Why have we let this happen?  

Start reinforcing true values in your community.  Do this with love and respect, but do it.  Explain to your children that God’s definition of marriage began with Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.  Explain why this is true and right.  Teach your sons to be boys and your daughters to be girls.  Scientist have finally offered positive proof that homosexuality is not genetic.  Educate yourselves on the proper ways to raise children to respect their gender and celebrate it.  Do not show hate; love those who have been molded by this culture of wrong thinking.  Love them and help them to see God’s plan not by preaching it, but by your example of living it.  Let God judge, but keep your own house in order.  You will have to answer for it in the end.  It won’t matter to God on judgment day that the culture around you was doing otherwise.  He has called YOU.   The bible plainly states that homosexuality is an abomination to God.  So is hatred and lack of compassion for fellow human beings.  Be careful, but be true to God.  We are all sinners needing mercy and grace.  Some people’s sins are just different from others.  It is all sin in the end.  We all are guilty.  Show to others the mercy, grace and truth that God has given to you.  You can do this by simply putting one little four letter word into action without words – LOVE.  That is how God did it for us.  That was Jesus’s greatest lesson for us.

The next step of the answer is for your children to have children.  How will this come about in a culture that supports and celebrates the act of murder we call abortion?  Instill the sanctity of life in your family.  Teach this to your children while they are very young.  “Life, life and more life,” to quote Eugene Peterson.  Life is the answer.  Do not support the culture of death in any way, shape, form or fashion.  It is hiding and lurking in the shadows everywhere.  If you are not careful you will fall victim to it.  Be aware.  Be educated about the facts behind the facts of so many large organizations that are just money making engines for death, greed and selfishness.  Learn the facts about the work going on behind the scenes of many of the United Nations “good causes” and study the “charities” and “good works” that you contribute to.  Are they real?  Are they genuine?  Support the REAL ones.  Do they truly help in the way that they come across in the media?  Teach your children how to discern this for themselves.  God says for us to be good stewards with our money.  Do not promote the causes of the enemy by ignorance.

Involve yourself with true ministries that promote true family values.  I highly recommend those suggested by “Family Life Today” and some of those that have been established by Chuck Coleson.  There are many others.  Welcome these efforts.  Bring these into your church congregations and promote the family in every way that you can.

Supporting the family, standing against abortion, and living for life all fall into the next suggestion that Jeremiah brought us from the Lord; “increase, do not decrease.”  Form families that bless the land.  If God’s people flourish and increase in spite of the enemy, how can they be defeated?   Sometimes you win battles simply because your soldiers outnumber the enemy’s soldiers.

This my friends is how I think we should fight the problems that satan has brought to America.  Understand that he is the one who underlines all these problems.  Our God is a Great God.  He is greater than anything or anyone.  He can turn dread and fear into joy and celebration.  We simply need to listen to him.  He can bring about a total reversal; we’ve seen it happen in the scriptures a million times in the lives of Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, Esther and many others.  We must remember this and have hope.

Rise up America and bless the land!

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE - ON THE SUBJECT OF DEMONS

                                        

It was one of those subjects you don’t usually get excited about discussing in a group.  I’m speaking of our recent bible study from Luke, Chapter 8.  The subject was that odd story of the man who had a legion of demons living in him when Jesus came along and cast them out and healed him.  For many people this horrifying example of demonic possession is a pretty frightening subject that they would prefer not to think about. 

At first glance it seems odd and a bit foreign to discover such a bazaar story tucked in among the safe and reassuring passages of so many other happy and joyful scriptural miracles of the Gospel.    On second thought, and after a closer consideration the truths of The Kingdom of God; perhaps the subject isn’t really “odd” at all.  It could be considered another one of the greatest miracles.

I will confess that most of the people I know (myself included) aren’t living in graveyards or cutting themselves with rocks like the man in this story; but the truth is many ARE fighting demons constantly.  Many are not even aware of what is truly happening to them on a daily basis.  They might notice something is wrong, but not understand what is going on.  Some actually realize what is going on and are tired of fighting the battle and have just caved in to their demons.  These are people who are constantly tormented all the time.  They have given up hope.  Seems this was even a problem for Martin Luther at times, but he overcame this by God’s power.  Maybe it isn’t such an “odd” story after all.  Maybe this old story can be applied to our lives today.  Perhaps we should listen more carefully.  Jesus never wasted His words.    Let’s let the scriptures speak for themselves.  Both Mark and Luke were witnesses to this miracle: 

 Mark 5:1-17

5 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. ² When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, ³ and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; ⁴ because 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. ⁵ Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. ⁶ Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; ⁷ and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” ⁸ For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹ And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. ¹¹ Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. ¹² The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” ¹³ Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.¹⁴ Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. ¹⁷ And they began to implore Him to leave their region.

Luke 8:26-37

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. ³² 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. ³³ 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. ³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ 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. ³⁶ Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. ³⁷ 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.


Would Jesus have stayed longer, had the local people been more welcoming?  I wonder.

The timing of the demoniac crossing the path of Jesus was very interesting.  Jesus had just been on the sea in a storm with the disciples and they had been extremely afraid.  Jesus calmed the storm as well as the disciple’s fears, and they landed safely on the other side of the sea; the side where the Gentiles dwelled.  It is often in times like these when demons chose to show up.  They like to catch you off guard, and they enjoy playing on people’s fears.  

Trauma and traumatic experiences often open the door of our souls to demons.  For most of us who are Christians, God will shield us and not allow them to stay; but that doesn’t mean they will not keep trying to continue their games of torture in the meantime.  We tend to react just like those disciples in that boat did.  So often when we reach the place of fear in our lives, we forget that Jesus is in the boat with us.  More times than not we allow ourselves to become weak and helpless before we even think of calling out His name.  These demonic spirits like for us to stay in this condition, and they sneak easily in when we aren’t filling our hearts and minds with the peace of God instead of the lies of the enemy. 

The disciples had just been through a lot of trauma on that ship at sea.  Fortunately for them, Jesus was there, and brought His peace into the situation, making them stronger instead of weaker as they crossed over the sea and entered the land of the gentiles. 

I love how the passage notes that they “crossed over the sea.”  Those words conjure up images of all the many multiple times God’s people have been in danger and He gently led them out of bondage, through the sea and into the promise land.  We really need to hold on to this image as we live out our lives in today’s world.  We really need to trust in the miraculous delivery of God when we come to those hard, impossible places that we must navigate through in life. We too are on a journey to a promise land, and no one ever said it was going to be easy! 

Undoubtedly this man in the story who was possessed by a legion of demons had been through many hard, dry places in his life; Legion is a Roman word that means “an army of many.”  The actual numbers in a legion varied, but the basic pattern of organization was always the same.  This might matter to you one day should you ever face a legion of demons.  Listen up here!   Satan is very organized and his demons use the same old patterns over and over again.  They are not so smart; they just keep repeating the same patterns.  If you know the usual patterns, you will begin to better understand how they operate. 

In a Roman legion the smallest unit was the tent group (contubernium).  This group was usually composed of 8 men who shared a tent.  They usually had a mule, and they carried eating equipment with them.  The fact that they shared a tent is significant.  I find it interesting how many times our bodies are referred to in the bible as “tabernacles,” or "tents," in other words – “dwelling places.”    Perhaps the “tents” referred to here could mean a man’s body.  This legion of many demonic spirits was dwelling in the tent of a man’s body. 

In a Roman legion, these contubernium were organized into a disciplinary unit called a century.  A century was under the command of a centurion.  The basic fighting unit was a called a cohort and it was composed of six centuries (usually 480 men each plus 6 centurions each).  The legion itself was composed of ten cohorts, and the first cohort had many extra men—the clerks, engineers, and other specialists who did not usually fight—and the senior centurion of the legion, the primipilus, or “number one javelin.”  Are you getting a picture?  These many demons making up the legion were experts in many different fields. 

So, does this mean that all legions of demons are organized similar to the structure of the Roman army?  Who knows?  But it is a thought worth pondering.  It might matter in your approach to receiving discernment from God in casting them out.  The more you understand about what you are facing, the more you will understand what to do.  Look to The Holy Spirit for true answers and guidance.  If you listen to The Holy Spirit you will not need to know all of the facts, because God knows and His Spirit will guide you.  Trust God to lead you.

This legion of organized demons now had this man in the story under a strong bondage.   Can you imagine what he faced every day of his life being subject to an army of many demons living in him?   If they WERE in fact organized similar to a Roman legion it would have meant that each demon involved in the army carried out different functions within the group.  The poor man would have been in a state of constant confusion and chaos.    It was a prison so strong and fortified that this poor man had lost hope and stopped fighting.  What a perfect time for the only answer available to step out of the boat and appear on this side of the sea!  Jesus, the lover of this man’s soul was passing by!   Anytime Jesus is passing by; it is wise to pay attention.

This sad, evil, pagan place on the other side of the sea was where Jesus performed the first of a long string of miracles for this Gentile part of the country.  His witnesses were those twelve (or maybe more at times) raggedy disciples; those peculiar men who had been strengthened enough in the boat to let go of their fear and step out to be the first little church of believers.  I’ve often wondered why it was this particular miracle that came in this particular order.  The miracle that happened after the time of preparing the disciples in the boat and teaching them not to be afraid was a miracle of casting out a legion of demons.  Now that’s a powerful start!   It also gives the church a point of priority. 

When Jesus and the disciples came to the land of the Gerasenes to a place “opposite of Galilee,” as Luke describes it, the demoniac came running up to Jesus. 

It comes to mind that Jesus and the disciples were on THE OTHER SIDE; the side that was opposite to  everything that was familiar and safe to them.  Often we find that dealing with demons means walking through and encountering the unknown, unsafe and unfamiliar.  As they stepped out of the boat following Jesus, the first place they had to walk through was a horrible, evil place.  There is no talk of life and the living on this side of the world.  They found themselves in a graveyard, a place of the dead.   Gone was the beauty and glory of Jerusalem and the excitement and adventure of overcoming in the days spent together in the boat.  They found themselves far from the land of the living.  Nothing was familiar here.  Everything was opposite of what they knew to be good and right and Godly.  They must have wondered why Jesus sent them to this place of all places.

Anyone trying to follow Jesus, trying to step bravely out of the boat, may find themselves in this same place one day.  It happens.  You go on God’s Sabbath to worship and praise and spend time before the Lord thanking Him for all He has done and has been to you.  You find your soul is filled up with the power of God from each of the holy convocations where He meets with His people and inhabits their praises in pure and holy times of worship.  The experience is wonderful!  Just being in the strong pure presence of God with your brothers and sisters is awesome.  Here we see The Church in its truest form, serving like a little cocoon, wrapping its love around true believers, nourishing them, teaching and protecting them and giving them safe harbor and rest each seventh day; so that they may gain the strength and stamina to go out into the world again, carrying the gospel as they go.  The church prepares God’s people to walk among the dead.  Hopefully within the fortified walls of the congregation of God they learn how to pass on the power of God to others who at present can only dream of moving to the land of the living. 

If you are a Christian bent on ministry and carrying out God’s will in your life you too will pass daily through a cruel world of dead men walking; seeking no good.  It is not the fault of these people.  It is the work of our enemy living in and around them.  We must be like Jesus and see beyond their demons and learn to love their souls.  God did not put anyone on this earth to be tormented.  He has a purpose for each life that comes into this world.  Sometimes we can’t see beyond the circumstances, but God can.  We must trust this fact and be bold.  By the blood of Jesus shed for us we all can be free.  Sometimes God uses His people and certain circumstances to bring about His purposes that Satan is always trying to destroy.  My friends remember, the battle has already been accomplished on the cross at Calvary.  Believe me; God is in control of the demons in the world.    

In this place of the dead, among the graves, dwelt that tired man who was less than alive.  Both Mark and Luke clearly described his condition in their writings. 

The people were basically ignoring this man.  They were afraid of him.  The people in this land were going about their day, oblivious to God’s dietary laws, obviously making a very good living by breeding and selling pigs.  

We all have our pigs to sell, don’t we?  Sometimes out there in the world we are encouraged to accept the things that God doesn’t approve of in the name of making a living.   We try to justify this stance and make it appear honorable.   We often compromise our principals and justify our means for doing so by calling it “being responsible.”   Now these are “respectable” sins, but soon we learn that even when our sins are “respectable” in the eyes of some men; they are still sins none the less.  We must seek God’s respect, not mans.  It is very hard to continue to stay holy and clean before God in this world because of all the demons prowling around, twisting and turning the truth of our perceptions until we can’t even see correctly anymore.  Thus was the state of these people.  Thus was the state of the demoniac.  The demons were having a hay day with everyone here.  Some of it was more obvious.  Jesus could see it all.  His eyes are pure and holy.
 

Jesus did not verbally address the obvious problems of the crowd; He just eliminated the problem of all the pigs along with the demons as He cleaned and healed the soul of the helpless man.  Jesus is like that.  He has a way of making everything simple often without even using words. 

The man who came to Jesus obviously was living a horrible life.   Have you ever seen a person caught in a severe pattern of self destruction?  There is no logic to it.  That is usually the first sign that they haven’t decided to let God get involved with their lives yet.  

God is a God of order, not chaos.  He brought order to chaos when He breathed into the deep and the world was first born and shaped.  From the very beginning, God has been about controlling the chaos that Satan tries to orchestrate in our world. 

Over and over when you find out demons are tormenting people you will see a pattern of chaos and disorder in every area of their lives.  They might not be cutting themselves like the man in the story, or running around naked screaming or bruising themselves constantly by rocks; but something is usually clearly off.  They will often seem to be going against every pattern of logic that could help them improve their situation.  

People who care about those tormented with demons will often try to help to no avail.  For some reason the tormented souls will often refuse to listen to those closest to them who have their best interest in mind.  They continue the pattern of self destruction taking all those who step into their path down the hard road with them.  Eventually they end up very broken and alone.   If you’ve seen and experienced this, you might be looking at someone a lot like the man in this story. 

Demons don’t discriminate.  

It can happen to anyone.  

Ordinary, honest, hard working people might suddenly have several demons living inside of them or around about them, controlling them, manipulating them and ruining their lives.  It happens even to good people.  After all, why would demons need to control bad people?  They are already contributing to the work of Satan without even realizing it.  Demons love to conquer the pure of heart the most. 

The only cure for this is for the one who is being tormented to bow at the feet of Jesus and ask for mercy.  

You can’t do this for them.  

You can intercede for them and beg God to speak to their hearts and souls and help them to hear.  You can offer a fast for them and pray for them, but the person being tormented must submit himself to the power of Jesus in order for the demons to leave and stay gone.  

If you are praying for a person tormented by demons, ask God to soften their hearts and make them aware of His will for them.  Ask for mercy and forgiveness for them.  Then ask God to lead them to the right person that is willing to do battle for them in His army.  It may be you, if it is; you should be ready.  Be filled up to the brim with God’s Holy Spirit.  Be walking and talking with Jesus every day.  Be strong in prayer and obedience.  Be fully confessed of your sins before God.  Be strong and courageous and covered in the blood of Jesus.  This isn’t a place for the weak to visit.

Most of the time the wounded and hurting people caught up in these situations are not even consciously aware of what is going on.  They just know something is terribly wrong, but they can’t figure it out.  It takes Jesus coming along, passing their way, entering into the land of the dead where they are living out their lives.  He may pass by through you. 

How does this happen today? 

If Jesus is living in you, He is passing through the land within you.  Through you He is protecting and defending others as you pass through the land of the dead and hopeless of this world.  You are taking Him with you everywhere you go.  You are simply the vessel for other people’s healing; a connection to God for them when they are hopeless and have truly lost their way.  You are a disciple who has been delivered from fear.  You are able to step boldly out of the boat of the church into an opposite world that is in great need.  

You are crossing the sea to the other side every time you leave the comfort and peace of the worship inside the church.  Be prayed up and be aware.  Get refueled every Sabbath.  Keep The Holy Spirit abundant and overflowing in your spirit.  Don’t fall.  Make careful prayerful steps down the path of light.  Don’t forget to stay behind the footsteps of Jesus on your journey.  That is your place of safety.  If you forget Jesus, you put yourself and others in jeopardy of falling into the same life that the man in the story fell into. 

It is only the power of Jesus that saves us and makes us whole.  So; take Jesus with you where ever you go, and let Jesus use you as an instrument to do His work, which sometimes means casting out legions of demons.   

Believe it, demons exist, but believe more that Jesus exist!

Working right along with Jesus are legions of Angels!  His army is much stronger than Satan’s.  Jesus has overcome the world and the demons must bow at His feet.  God has given Him all authority over Heaven and Earth.  Jesus has given His church that same authority.

Does that frighten you? 

Maybe it is a wise fear that will provoke you to call Jesus into the situation, just like the disciples in the boat as they went through the storm before they encountered the land full of demons.  God conquered their fears first; then He sent them out to use His power.

Always remember WHO is in charge.  Those who remember to keep the power of God alive and dwelling within them have the power to overcome all demons and the demons will tremble at their command.   This is because they know WHO has the power and it is God, not their weak human flesh.  This is because those who know Jesus will be prepared from their time in the boat, and they will be quick and sure to follow the example that Jesus showed them through this odd little often ignored story.

Once again I tell you, the man was living among the dead.  Have you ever found yourself living among the dead? 

Do you hang out with people who don’t have the living power of God dwelling inside of them and think that they will bring you out of your misery?  Well, they can only take you further down to the pits of hell.  Misery loves company.  Choose your companions wisely.  If you spend your life hanging out among the dead you are going to begin to collect demons.  That is where they dwell.  They can’t dwell in the people who have the living power of God inside of them. 

If The Holy Spirit inhabits your soul there will be no room for the demons.  Stay filled up!  This man in the story didn’t make very wise choices in friendship.  He chose the dead instead of the living.

It would have been okay for him to go out there hoping to help those who had the sad life among the graves, but that is not what he was doing.  He was there to become like them, to live their sad lifestyle until it destroyed him.  If you venture out to a place full of spiritually dead people, give your testimony, pray for them, ask God to remove their demons, ask God to remove the curses they leave like a trail behind them.  Love their souls and pray for them, but move on out of the land of the dead afterwards.  

Come back into the fold to be refilled with life.  Come back to the land of the living where your people dwell.  Come back to the place of God’s presence and avoid the demons unless God specifically tells you to go there.  He will need for you to do this at times, but when your mission is done, come home to The Church, the place where God has put his name and the place that is about LIFE and not death.  If all goes well, you will be bringing those with new life back with you. 

If the demons are truly cast out, the people seeking help will be re-clothed.  The robe of the blood of Jesus will cover them, and they will come and sit at His feet and worship with you.  It is up to them to decide. God does not twist people’s arm to make decisions.  He allows free will.  He wants true love, not desperate love that comes and goes with every circumstance in life.  You cannot decide for anyone else.  Every man must choose for himself.  

This man knowingly and intentionally kept inflicting wound upon wound upon himself.   We do that when we don’t turn to God and ask forgiveness for our own sins, and that opens the door wide for demons to dwell. 

Why I don’t know, but often we who know better just keep returning to those same old sins, inflicting wound upon wound, knowing we do wrong and knowing that we aren’t following God, until we reach the place where we let too many demons come upon us.  

This sad state is often found even among the faithful of God who attend church regularly.  If you had a demon detector that made the demons people bring in the door every Sabbath show up, you might be surprised and even afraid to sit on your favorite pew.   Leave them alone until the time it right, they are seeking Jesus and that is the first step.  When people truly begin to worship and praise God; the demons will flee of their own accord. 

This was the state of the man who came to Jesus in the story.  He had opened too many doors and too many demons had taken over.  He was in a very helpless state.  They now controlled him; and he thought it was useless to fight them anymore.  He gave himself over to them and they just became stronger and stronger.  The passage tells of how strong they were.  Someone had tried to bind the man to keep him from inflicting pain upon himself.  He had broken the binds.  Someone had shackled him and he had even broken the shackles.

This is what happens when you know you are giving in to your demons and you decide to ask a weak Christian who hasn’t spent much time before God earnestly seeking His will to pray for you about this.     They have a little power because they are covered in the blood of Jesus; so they can pray a little prayer that will temporarily bind the demons, but then the demons will break the binds and the process will start all over again.  Maybe another demon will join them, and it will become twice as strong as before.  The demon possessed person must seek Jesus!  The person praying with them must be strong in The Lord and be walking in purity and truth before The Lord.  Discernment matters.  If you are in a weak spiritual state, please excuse yourself from praying against demons.  It will only harm the person needing help. 

The passage says there were shackles put on the man and they were broken too.  Shackles are thick locked chains that can’t usually be broken, but the demons were so many that they were broken.  An army of demons can easily break shackles; but one word from Jesus can stop them in their tracks! 

So let me say it another way, for emphasis:  How do you get rid of an army of demons? 

Good question!  YOU can’t, but Jesus CAN.  You ask Jesus to pass through the area and cast them out and send them where Jesus wills for them to go, never to return.  Jesus has the power to do this.  If He dwells inside of you and you are truly submitted to His will, you can request this and it will happen. 

So Jesus passed through the land and the man became aware of him.  The demons inside of the man were under the authority of Jesus and they knew it.  They FEARED Him.  They knew He had the power to cast them into utter darkness into the abyss forever.  They bowed before Jesus and pleaded for mercy.

When they bowed before Jesus we are told that He told them to come out of the man and He asked them what their name was.

When you are confronting another person’s demons and trying to help them, be sure Jesus is there with you.  Stay prayed up.  If you know and feel the power of Jesus in you, command the demons to bow before Jesus.  Then do what Jesus did.  Ask them their names.  You have to know how many demons you are dealing with.  It isn’t impossible to deal with many demons. In this story Jesus was dealing with a legion!  Can you imagine how long it must have taken just for all of them to tell Jesus their names? So many names bowing before The King of Kings, waiting in fear to see what He is going to do with them! 

My friends, it is important to understand something.  Legions of demons are the reason this country is in the shape it is in.  Armies form principalities.  We are told to pray against the principalities of the devil. The church isn’t on its knees enough for bringing those demons to bow before Jesus and name who they are and what they are up to.  

We are guilty of remaining lukewarm.  We are guilty of carrying around our own demons and letting them prevent us from casting the demons out of others.  If you have been doing this – confess your sins to God and beg for mercy and forgiveness.  You can cast the demons out of your own life.  They should have no power over you.  Every time you confess and God grants forgiveness they have to leave.  Don’t let them accumulate until you allow a legion!  Get rid of them.  

Most of the time people are only tormented by demons that come and go.  Real possession is rare, though it can happen.  These weak little demons are so insignificant before the throne of God.  Use the authority Jesus gave you when He died for you and allow His blood to cast them out. 

Then; when you are clean and filled up with the Holy Spirit until it spills out and runs over, join the REAL army.  Go help clean up the legions that are attacking the church, our land, our nation, and the nations of the world.  

Seek The Kingdom of God every day.  

Get that army of demons to bow before Jesus, get them to say who they are.  Ask Jesus to send them to the place He chooses to send them.  If the whole church would stand up and do this, we would not have the problems we have today.  We would only have a clean, pure, loving home here on earth where we are waiting on our Bridegroom to come for us.  Our dwelling place would be prepared and ready for the King of Kings, and He would return to find his true love waiting, clean and ready for service before Him.  The church needs to get this picture.

It has always puzzled me as to why Jesus honored the request of the demons and sent them into a herd of swine, and why the demons even wanted Him to do this.  Why did He have mercy on those demons and not send them straight to the abyss?  When they went into the swine and the swine ran off the cliff and died, what happened to the demons at that point? 

There is definitely another lesson to learn here.  The people of the region were allowing sin to exist and run rampant among them.  They had not taken control of the area and had not put their land under the Kingdom Authority of God; hence the demonic activity freely ruled the land.  Did they repent when they saw the miracle of Jesus?  NO!  They were simply fascinated that it happened.  They were probably disgusted that they lost their investment in the pigs.  

They considered it, became fearful and asked Jesus to leave.  Can you imagine that?  Yet, it happens in churches across America everyday!  People come and sight-see.  They observe great miracles done in the name of Jesus.  And they walk away and go right back to their homes full of sins and demons. 

Will America ever get this? 

The people of the land in this story were not a bit changed when Jesus, The Son of God, passed by.

So, who was changed? 

The only one in that whole land that changed was the man that Jesus healed. 

One man.  I am reminded of The Good Shepherd who leaves the many to go and save the one.   

It was said that the local people were amazed to see the man clean and clothed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, begging to follow Him and go with Him.   

Isn’t that us all after Jesus comes and cleans up our demons?  He cleans us and clothes us with the robes of righteousness.  He covers us with His cloak, that cloak of the wedding feast that will allow us the grace to enter the Father’s banquet one day.  We find ourselves sitting at the feet of Jesus, hungry and thirsty to know more of HIM.  We find ourselves completely in love with him, wanting to go where He goes and do what He does. 

He didn’t allow the man to go with him.  Jesus needed that man right were he was.  It was now up to him to live out a life before God that would bring all the other people to know the truth of The Kingdom.   

We are in the same situation.  We long to be in our heavenly home, but for now, He looks at us and smiles and tells us to go home and tell others what God has done for us, just like the man in the story.  Jesus goes on to prepare a place for us in Heaven that the Father will one day bring down to earth for The Kingdom of God where Jesus will reign as King of Kings and we, His Bride, will be beside Him forever.  We have a lot to look forward to!  In the meantime, we have a lot of work to do.  It is a privilege not a task. 

The healed man did just the right thing.  He went off to tell others what God had done for him.  The demons no longer had any power over him; and he had been granted the blessing of a life with God for eternity.   

It was the greatest gift the man could ever receive.  

Will you receive it too?  

Will you join the family and come into the Kingdom today?  I promise you, all demons will flee and your life will be changed forever.