For He Said – Part One

Never discount the power of the spoken word.

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Mark 5:6 & 8 – But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him . . . For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

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At this writing, I am 71-years old.  I grew up in a Christian home, have always attended church, and cannot tell you how often I have heard the story of the demoniac of Gadara used for a text for a sermon.  Something about all those hearings saddens me.  In all those years, in all those sermons, I have only heard two ministers make the point set forth in the first five words of Mark 5:8.  It is in our Text for Today.  Take a close look at it and put it into perspective, and place it in its proper position in the story.  Those first five words are, “For He (Jesus) said unto him (the demon spirit possessing the man)….”  Please note that the parenthetical insertions are mine, simply for clear identification. 

When you have the opportunity, ask different people who know this story, including ministers, “Why did the demoniac of Gadara run to Jesus and worship Him?”  I believe you will be surprised at the answers.  I also believe the answer you will hear most frequently is that it was because Jesus was the Son of God.  While that is certainly true, that is not the central truth of this encounter.  Jesus was still the Son of God in the Garden of Gethsemane, while being tortured by the Roman soldiers, and while being crucified.  None of them rushed to worship Him.  So, what was the difference?  The answer is simple.  At Gadara, Jesus spoke His authority, but in the scenes of His passion, He opened not His mouth to exhibit His authority.

Now look very closely at our Text for Today once again.  Note closely the order of events in Mark 5:1-20.  Jesus and His disciples had arrived in Gadara.  The demoniac headed in their direction while they were yet “afar off.”  But before he fell at Jesus’s feet and worshipped Jesus, while he was still “afar off,” Jesus said to the demon in the man, “Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.”  There it is!  Do you see it?  What caused this demon possessed man to fall at the feet of Jesus and worship Him was that JESUS SPOKE A FAITH COMMAND TO THE DEMON!  While the man was still “afar off,” before he had ever gotten close enough to do or say anything to Jesus, Jesus spoke.  And when the Word of God goes forth, it will not return void.  Nothing has changed in that regard.  The Word is still the same today.  When YOU speak the Word of God in faith, it is clearly heard throughout the realm of the spirit.  Men may not hear, but heaven does, and so does hell and its minions.  Don’t wait until the enemy in in your face.  Deal with him ”afar off.”

Manna for Today – Mark 5:1-20; Mark 11:22-24; Matthew 12:34-37; Joshua 1:6-9; Isaiah 55:11;        Mark 16:15-20

Location, Location, Location

Sometimes it is a matter of real estate.

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Location, Location, Location

Mark 5:3 – Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

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Where do you live?  I’m really not referring to your geographic location.  Rather, I am talking about your spiritual location.  But using natural pictures will help us have deeper understanding.  Having traveled in many places of our world, I have seen the slums of some major cities in several nations.  Having been there and seen that, I think it reasonable to believe that if the people who live there could move to a better location, they would.  I know that there are people in other nations who would like to come and live in America.  Many of them do not have an accurate understanding of all that goes into such a decision, thinking all they need to do is get to America and things will be alright.  My friend, there are many people who live in America who can give personal testimony that such thinking is erroneous.

Take a moment to re-examine my opening query.  Where do you live (spiritually)?  Are there things in your spiritual neighborhood that make living there undesirable?  Would you like to be in a better spiritual community?  Please don’t take me wrong in my approach.  Regardless of the natural condition of your physical world, your spiritual community is different.  Your spiritual community is not based on the square footage of your house, the average annual income of your neighbors, or the size of the land plots on which you live.  It is based on the life that is present around you, the ready availability of prayer, the depth and accuracy of the Word of God that is planted and at work in your life, the community of praise and worship in which you live that dramatically impacts your spiritual attitude in all things, and the ongoing and developing community of fellowship that permeates your spiritual atmosphere.

All those things help determine your impact and effectiveness as a witness for your faith, the degree of the victory in which you walk, and the honor your life brings to the Lord and His kingdom.  In the case of our Text for Today, Jesus had come to Gadara, and the man who came down to meet Him did not come to worship Him, but to attack Him.  Keep in mind that while Jesus was physically in Gadara, He did not reside in Gadara.  Regardless of the geography, Jesus, in His earthly ministry, kept Himself full of and flowing with the Word of God, and regardless of where He was, having His disciples with Him helped Him preserve the security of the atmosphere that surrounded Him.  Though in Gadara, confronted by a demoniac, and literally a foreigner in the Gadarene economy, Jesus brought with Him the atmosphere of heaven.  That should be our constant aim.  We may find ourselves in a strange, or even horribly negative geographical location, but let us always be surrounded the atmosphere of heaven, full of faith, full of the Word, walking in love, pleasing Father, and ready for action, enveloped by divine location.

Manna for Today – Mark 5:1-20; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:11