PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 8:28-34
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“They pleaded with him to leave.” (Matthew 8:34)
The deceiver does whatever he can to keep us from knowing the truth about Jesus.
If he can get us to believe in his lies, he will enslave us and ruin our lives.
He specializes in fear and deception to frighten or confuse us.
Like he did with these townspeople – who believed that Jesus was a threat.
Like he did with Adam and Eve, and these demon-possessed men, and with us too.
Jesus brought love, life, healing, hope, mercy, grace… yet they rejected Him.
The deceiver succeeded in poisoning their minds to Jesus through the pig-herders.
Like the pig-herders, we need to let people know about Jesus.
But our message needs to be positive, not negative…
Sadly many people today reject Jesus because of His followers, the church.
They see a judgmental, demanding Jesus, not a gracious healing Jesus.
We’ve got to fight the deceiver in this, we’ve got to let people see the real Jesus.
We need to offer love, life, healing, hope, mercy, grace, blessing, in Jesus’ Name.
So that the people will not plead for Jesus to leave, but to come into hearts and lives.
PRAYER
Lord, may my life, and my words, reflect positively on You. May the truth of You be louder in me than the lies of Satan. May we all experience the blessing that these two men experienced.
I wonder, but not too long, because I think its true, that the real reason behind the persecution of Christians – is fear – that Satan still lashes out – striking the ‘heal’. Jesus prevails – the persecutors end story is like that of the pigs – no wonder when I was told that Pakistani Christians praying inside the church as their persecutors have them surrounded – threatening them – they are praying for the salvation of their tormentors first – and their safety second. So we too, need to help people not to be fearful of us – but help us to help them to see Jesus for who is – the rescuer – freeing people from evil that possesses them.
The people were occupied by the Romans – a destructive force – as well as these two men. Jesus drove out the destructive force from these two men and yet upon seeing this, the people wanted Jesus to leave. No destructive force can keep anyone from the peace and safety in Christ Jesus – to those who seek His help.
And yet they wanted Jesus to leave because – they did not their new found freedom, but stay in their enslaved ways. Jesus was ready and willing to free them from the bonds but their ways kept them from the love of God.
Help me daily Lord to be unbound and walk freely in the joy of the Lord so nothing keeps me from Your presence in my life.
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship our spirit finds
Is like to that above.
2
Before our Father’s throne,
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one—
Our comforts and our cares.
3
We share our mutual woes;
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.
4
When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.
5
From sorrow, toil, and pain,
And sin we shall be free;
And perfect love and oneness reign
Through all eternity.