TEXT: Mark 5:8-20
For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. [9] And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. [10] And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. [11] Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. [12] And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. [13] And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. [14] And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. [15] And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. [16] And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. [17] And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. [18] And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. [19] Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. [20] And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

 

The Cross of Christ is man's only protection against the powers of darkness that seek to KILL, to STEAL and to DESTROY. In this powerful story of the demoniac at Gadara, told by three of the four Gospel writers - Matthew, Mark and Luke - we see a man hopelessly bound and possessed by the powers of darkness, yet a man who was aroused by the pull of the Holy Ghost Who drove him to worship a living Christ who would set Him free.  When the Holy Spirit wrote through Mark that Jesus "came over to the other side of the sea," He was referring to the place called Gadara in the land of the Gadarenes, three miles from the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. In doing so, the Holy Spirit also painted a picture of the trip Christ made from heaven to earth to set ALL captives free and deliver mankind from Satan's awful power of sin, darkness and death.

Even before Christ stepped out of the boat, this maniac, demon possessed by a LEGION of unclean and evil spirits, was touched by the presence of God. Neighbor, that is America's only hope - the presence and power of Almighty God. Preachers, you can keep pushing God out of your church if you like but you're going to get what you are asking for soon! "Men are dying, souls are crying, won't we lead them to the Cross?" as the song goes! If we don't have the presence and power of God in our church, then there is no hope for the demon possessed, the demon oppressed, the one bound by the powers of darkness, the chains and the one bound by the shackles of sin!

The way we assure that God's presence rests upon what we do is two-fold; one, we must preach the CROSS of CHRIST and the CROSS alone as man's hope for redemption and salvation. It's not the Cross "and" ten thousand other things. What do I mean by that? I mean it's not the Cross "and" go enroll yourself in a 12-step program. It's not the Cross, and check yourself into Crystal Lake for 2 months in hopes the drug addiction destroying you, your family and your soul will go away. (It won't by the way) We can't cling to the Cross and humanistic psychology at the same time and expect men to be changed and cleansed by the power of God!  We insult God the Holy Spirit when we do such, literally trampling under foot the BLOOD OF JESUS, by placing our faith in humanistic efforts and methods instead of placing it in the Cross! The writer of Hebrews likened such practice using the phrase, "doing in spite of the Spirit of Grace," meaning literally we "insult," the Holy Ghost! Having faith in ANYTHING other than the Cross is what the Holy Spirit terms, "spiritual adultery," which we will not delve into in this journal, but mention it here to underscore what was needed to free this demoniac from the powers of darkness THEN and what is desperately needed to set captives free today!

Hebrews 10:28-29 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  Hebrews Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
 

Christ getting out of the ship spoke of the great mission for which Christ came into the world - to save lost sinners and set captives free! And neighbor, that is the Church's mission today! It's not building buildings, holding rock concerts, playing bingo games on Wednesday night, conducting leadership seminars or any other stupidity that seeks to pass itself off as the true gospel today. Jesus Christ came to save sinners and as Paul said, thank God He did, for I am chief!

1 Tim. 1:15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
 

Thank God He came 2,000 years ago to shed His blood on a bloody Cross and deliver man from the powers of darkness and break the chains and the shackles of sin! Christ came to SEEK AND TO SAVE that which was LOST and give His life a ransom for many!

Matthew 20:28 - Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many

Mark 2:17 - They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost

No matter how much a man is possessed and controlled by evil; no matter the bondage; no matter the addiction; no matter the hurt; no matter what has been lost; no matter how deep the darkness one finds themselves in - JESUS CHRIST CAN STILL SET CAPTIVES FREE! HIS BLOOD, which shook the gates of hell, sent eternal aftershocks through all eternity, brought Satan's power to an end in those who believe in CHRIST, REACHES to the highest mountain! His BLOOD flows to the lowest valley, the BLOOD that gives me STRENGTH from day to day; it will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER LOSE it's power! Oh, Praise God, I feel the anointing of the Holy Ghost on those words! I feel the presence of Almighty God empowering these frail fingers writing these powerful words! I hope Satan is listening; I hope backslidden saints are listening; I hope a church losing it's way with God because it's forsaking the Blood of Jesus for new age humanism is listening; I hope the haters and mockers and blasphemers are listening - THE BLOOD will never lose it's power! Liberal, backslidden blasphemers, tear the pages out of your song books containing reference to the blood of Jesus, but the BLOOD STILL SETS MEN FREE and will ETERNALLY be why we praise the Lamb of God! It's the BLOOD!

No matter how deep in sin you are mister, Jesus Christ can set you free. No matter how much drug addiction you find yourself in, Jesus Christ can set you free. No matter how much of an alcoholic, a child abuser, a wife beater, an adulterer, a liar, a fornicator, a thief, a dishonest person you may be- JESUS CHRIST CAN BREAK THE CHAINS AND THE SHACKLES AND THE BONDAGES OF SIN and DEATH! For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death!

Romans 8:2-  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

I'm trying to write this journal late at night and it's hard right now to keep going for the presence of God in this office. I just want to praise God right now in this journal. I want to lift up on high the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, the SON OF THE LIVING GOD, the FIRST AND THE LAST, the securer of eternal salvation, the baptizer in the HOLY GHOST, the Healing, Leper-Cleansing Man of Galilee, JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED, NOW GLORIFIED, KING OF ALL KINGS and LORD OF ALL LORDS. I'm not ashamed to put in writing today that I have my faith Anchored in HIS BLOOD and HIS BLOOD alone for my salvation! I'm not ashamed to say to a lost and dying world it's JESUS CHRIST and Him Crucified you need to be saved today! IT'S JESUS and HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD that can break the powers of darkness and the chains and shackles of sin!

Mister, you can be free today! Drug addict, you can be free today. Backslider, you can come back to Christ today and be set free to serve and worship Him again! Sinner man, there is HOPE today found in the blood stained hands, nailed to a Cross as a result of the heart pounding LOVE of the Lord Jesus Christ. For God SO LOVED the World that He Gave His only BEGOTTEN Son! That Son is not "ALLAH," or "BUDDHA," or the "DALI LAMA," or some new age guru no matter how religious they may sound or grinning on Sunday morning wooing millions to sleep into hell itself with jokes and feel good sermons. THAT SON IS JESUS CHRIST THE LORD OF LORDS, THE KING OF KINGS, THE FAIREST OF TEN THOUSAND, THE ROSE OF SHARON, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA.

Mark 4:34-37
But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. [35] And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. [36] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. [37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

Mark 5:1-3
And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. [2] And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, [3] Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Mark's gospel records it was a stormy pitch dark black night Jesus met this Gadarene maniac. The disciples and Christ had just come through a terrible storm, yet as the boats pulled up on shore right in the midst of a seashore graveyard, immediately the very purpose of Christ coming to this earth would be played out through the great deliverance and redemption of a wild acting man who came running out from among the tombs.

We have laid a foundation and discussed in the first two journals the power of sin and man's inability to save himself from those powers. In this journal/message we want to take a look at three persons that show us a picture of the human condition today, the spiritual warfare all face against the powers of darkness, the power of Jesus in dealing with these powers and our call to publish that which Christ has done for those He has redeemed and saved. Simply, we want to look at the devils, the Christ and the Evangelist, who pictures what a demon-crazed maniac can become if he comes to Christ!

The Devils

Mark 5:8-9
For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. [9] And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

We see in this passage above Christ asking the man, but in reality, addressing the demon spirits, "what is thy name?," proclaiming these demons as personalities. The Jewish Rabbis taught that these spirits were the spirits of evil men who were dead, with their spirits now entering into others. However, there is no Scriptural reference to such. Actually, the Scripture teaches that the moment evil men die, their souls AND spirits immediately go to hell. (Luke 16:23-25)

Luke 16:23-25
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. [25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receives thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
 

Some scholars feel that demon spirits originated with the a pre-Adamic creation, who actually threw in with Lucifer in his original rebellion against God. It is believed that this was an intelligent creation of some nature, originally created by God as holy and true, and occupied this earth before Genesis 1:2 but became disembodied after the judgments upon the earth as recorded in Jeremiah 4:23-24 and Isaiah 14:14-22; this is the attitude and view shared by this writer/minister as well as good majority of Bible teachers. Others feel that demon spirits are fallen angels, yet no Angel, fallen or otherwise, is disembodied. This we do know, God did not originally create these spirits in this evil manner. They became that way after rebellion against Him of some nature, which probably falls into the category of the pre-Adamic creation, as we have stated.

Although Believers can definitely be influenced and even oppressed by demon spirits, which can definitely even cause physical problems, we do not believe, in any shape form or fashion, that believers can be demon possessed. The body of the believer in Jesus is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and as such, cannot be at the same time, a temple of demon spirits! As I heard an old evangelist friend of mine say who is now with Jesus, "Jesus does not share duplexes with the devil!" When Jesus comes into a heart and life, the DEVIL (the strongman) is KICKED OUT! Praise God.

1 Cor. 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
 

When it comes to the unsaved the issue becomes quite a different matter. Demon spirits greatly influence every unbeliever and probably have far more control than is realized, with probably many more being demon possessed than most care to or will admit. The situation we saw played out in our nation a few weeks ago now on the campus of Virginia Tech University was the results of demon spirits. A 23-year old Asian man, possessed by demon spirits, took two 33mm handguns, killed his girlfriend in a jealous rage, waited two hours, entered another dorm and shot 31 others to death, then himself, unloading a minimum of 5 shots into each victim. The autopsy reports showed this demon-crazed individual shot an estimated 800 rounds of ammunition into those whose life ended at his hand.

As one doctor put it "he was very cruel to his victims." The news media spent the next week with expert after expert trying to explain "why" this killer did what he did without one single so-called expert coming close. Man's problem is not psychological or mental. This poor pitiful individual  did what he did because he was controlled by demon spirits and the powers of darkness, which had attached themselves to the fallen nature of ADAM, which was not just part of this young man, but is within every single human being reading this article right now, including this writer. We are born with a fallen nature that came as a result of the FALL in the Garden of Eden and as a result all of Adam's "sons," who are born in his like nature (i.e. the flesh) is born fallen, pure and simple.  We were "shapen in iniquity," and in sin did we become conceived in this world. If not for the grace of God and the power of the HOLY GHOST, none would be able to guarantee we would not do the same as this troubled soul who now spends eternity in hell realizing his rage had consequences not just in this life, but in the life to come.

I ask you a serious question neighbor, not to sound callous and cold, but I ask it to stir your hearts and get you to think. How many churches do you think this young man maybe attended before he did this and never felt one tug of Holy Ghost conviction upon his heart? How many churches do you think this killer went into bound by these same powers and walked outside with the same powers of darkness binding him?! How many of the students who died that day as lost as him, yet had been in church after church never feeling the tug of Holy Ghost conviction unto salvation once? Some did, don't get me wrong. Some did sit under true gospel preaching, felt the Holy Spirit draw them, and they rejected His loving call to repent, don't make any mistake. There were some among the dead that it has become known WERE saved, praise God and they have entered into the joys of heaven for all eternity.

Yet those who died lost on that fateful Monday all went to the same place as this killer! Some say, "no, no no, just the horrible killer went there; the innocent students who died with no fault of their own went to heaven." That is what most believe! That is what some preachers even believe! That is what most church goers probably felt in their heart as they watched events unfold in this nation's single day worst shooting ever!

We got a blistering email from such an individual over the prophetic word we felt the Lord spoke to our heart the Tuesday morning following the shootings, accusing us of not showing compassion at a time of loss and heartache. Our hearts broke in two as all of yours did I'm sure but I ask you a serious question. Did those kids who survived the shootings and attended the prayer service the next day receive compassion under the false preaching about ALLAH? Did they receive compassion from the one preaching about the goodness and wisdom of the Dali Lama? Did they receive true compassion and love from the Lutheran Lady who quoted new age jargon and never one time mentioned Jesus Christ in all her words as these students only hope?

Ironically, it was a politician, Virginia Governor Tim Kane (D-VA0, who made the only mention of Christ during the entire ordeal. These kids needed the gospel preached to under Holy Ghost conviction and anointing in hopes some would run to an altar and repent before it's eternally too late and they wind up in hell as all do who are lost! Is it compassion to preach a false gospel and promise of hope when outside Jesus Christ there is no hope!? We show the compassion of Christ to a lost world when we preach the gospel of HIS CROSS and preach it under the convicting power of the HOLY GHOST!

Make no mistake. Due to the power of the spirit world, be it holy or unholy, everyone is greatly influenced by either the Spirit of God OR demon spirits, or devils. Knowing there are only a few who are truly led by the Holy Spirit, this means that the far greater majority of the human population, INCLUDING MANY PROFESSING Christians and church-goers, are totally controlled by demon spirits, hence the war, pain, sickness, suffering, poverty, heartache and all other things that accompanies SIN!

Just from the discourse we read in Mark 5, we can pull four all important facts about the devil and his angels (messengers, demons, evil spirits) that should always be kept in mind by every single believing child of God engaged in this great fight of faith!

1. They believe there is One God and they tremble (James 2:19).
2. They have nothing to do with Jesus; that is, their nature is entirely different from the clean spirit of Jesus. Evil and evil spirits are diametrically opposed to the purity and holiness of Jesus.
3. The Son of God has come to destroy the works of the devil. All evil and evil spirits are to be destroyed (1 John 3:8; cp. Hebrews 2:14-15).
4. They are doomed to everlasting torment (Matthew 25:41).

All four of these facts were involved in the behavior of the demon-possessed man. The evil spirit was trembling before the Son of God. He cried out, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of...God?” He was stricken with the purity and the holiness of Jesus. He was forced to bow in reverence and to beg Jesus not to doom him—not yet at least, and KNEW that Jesus had come to destroy evil. The devils inside this man know their doom in the presence of Jesus but the modern church world does not! I want to say that again. The devils KNEW Jesus was going to cast them out and free the man, despite the man’s utter, hopeless depravity, and utter hopeless capacity to save or deliver himself. How marvelous the love and power of Jesus, that He frees even the most defiled!

The only power on earth which can successfully oppose and destroy these powers and spirits of darkness, is Spirit-filled believers, who know how to use the name of Jesus, for in using the name of Jesus, we are in essence declaring our faith in what Jesus has done for us at the Cross! We are in essence declaring Christ Crucified, victorious over death, hell and the grave and holder of the keys of Satan's domain!

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Rev. 1:17-18 - And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: [18] I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Mark 16:17
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
 

One day, even as this illustration in Mark 5 and Luke 8 portrays, the entirety of the world and mankind will be free of demon spirits. Actually they will be locked away with their master, Satan, in the lake of fire!

Rev. 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
 

Let me say this before I go on! Neighbor, the lake of fire is a REAL PLACE; hell right now is filling up daily by the second by millions of lost individuals, many who don't believe in a literal place of torment. One day the inhabitants of hell along with all those who have died lost without God will stand at the Great White Throne Judgment and be cast into the lake of fire along with Satan and all demon spirits and powers. There is only one thing and one thing alone standing between man and the lake of fire- the CROSS OF CHRIST and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God does not care how religious or how important you are at your local church. He cares where your faith rests and whether one has truly believed in the Finished Work of Christ for their salvation and spiritual cleansing! God cares whether we have repented and by doing so, taken up our cross daily and followed after Christ! God does not respond to man's circumstances or excuses; God responds to man's faith!

Millions are lost this very moment because their faith is anchored in some denomination or church and not Christ. Millions confess to a priest thinking that priest has the power to save, and Protestants don't scream "amen" to that because we are just as guilty, if not more guilty as the Catholics. In the Protestant church our loyalty is not required to be unto a "priest," but unto "pastors," or a cell group leader as if doing so will grant us righteousness and salvation. There is nothing more damnable than this government of 12 scenario that claims the way to produce holiness and righteousness in Christians is through submission to 12 men who sit over others in some type of so-called spiritual hierarchy that has to have even the Pope blushing.

I believe in submission don't mistake what I'm saying here for the advocating of rebellion or lone-rangerism. But if submitting ourselves to another human being could have wrought man's salvation, don't you think God would have called the government of 12 founders up before He sent Christ to the Cross and had His Son suffer a horrible, bloody crucifixion, pouring out His life's blood for the souls of men??? It's blasphemous at worst, ignorance at best and arrogance in its rawest form for church movements to embrace such! If you notice that all the latest fads going around the Body of Christ today such as the Purpose Driven Life, the Maxwell leadership principles, and other things have a strong call to "submission" within a local body. The problem with that is simple yet it is complex. If the church we're attending is preaching the Cross, allowing the Holy Ghost to move in freedom, preaching the mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, preaching Jesus saves, preaching Jesus heals, preaching Jesus is coming again and coming soon, preaching repentance through faith in Christ and Christ alone -then I say to you "SUBMIT!" That type of submission will not damn your soul to hell for those churches are not demanding submission to them but encouraging submission to CHRIST and CHRIST ALONE! They are conduits of God's Spirit which will always "testify of CHRIST" and point the believer to the CROSS for salvation, sanctification, and glorification!

What will damn your soul is placing yourself under some "covering," of man thinking that by doing so you have obtained salvation and righteousness in the sight of God. You have not! This "fight" of faith is fought in it's most perilous form when men seek to water down and change the Word of God and stop preaching the true Gospel of Christ that alone can set captives free! Millions have submitted themselves to some form of church government but they are still bound by the powers of darkness and chains of hell.

I'm going to make some folk mad at what I'm about to say next, but as the old saying goes, get mad or get glad. There is a tiny "x" at the top right for those who read what I'm about to write next and get offended. For those who want to stay, stick around, this narrative in Mark gets GOOD shortly!

ALL OF THE FADS BEING PROMOTED TODAY BY THOSE IN LEADERSHIP IN THE BODY OF CHRIST, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THEY MAY LOOK OR SOUND ON THE SURFACE ARE BEING PROMOTED BY THE SAME DEMON SPIRITS THAT CONTROLLED THIS DEMONIAC FROM GADARA!!!

It is not a mistake that Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life book is embraced by the masses. Any gospel that does not require repentance or true faith in Christ will always appeal to a selfish, egotistical, arrogant, self-righteous church world that seeks to remove the Blood of Jesus from its preaching, its singing, its witnessing, its programs, its life! Think about it friend and think hard about what I'm about to say. How long has it been since you heard a true Holy-Ghost filled sermon from your pulpit where you attend where the man of God hung sinners over hell with a broken stick and Holy Ghost conviction was so powerful men started weeping profusely under the power of God while others just ran to the altar, fell on their knees and wept under God's chastening, loving embrace, that causes men to seek God or ask to die! We had such a service last Sunday at a new church Lisa and I are attending, New Life Family Worship Center, in Loudon, Tn. Pastor Jeff Schrimsher got up to speak and got about 3 words out when the Holy Ghost just FELL and men started weeping so hard they could not even stand under what the Spirit of God was doing. The Associate Pastor of the church was trembling so hard he fell on his face and just crawled to the altar, broken, weeping, crying out for more of God.

This was not some side-show or glorified pep-rally most churches conduct on Sunday morning. It would behoove us as preachers of the gospel to stop this self-promotion and arrogant bragging to the people we minister to about how great our church is or how great we are. People are not stupid and know better; but even if the people don't know better and are being duped, GOD DOES KNOW preacher, and He is going to hold you accountable for hindering the move of His Spirit in your church because of your arrogance, braggart heart and self-righteous, pious mentality. If what is being promoted is not POINTING MEN TO CHRIST JESUS and HIM CRUCIFIED IT IS OF SATAN! Let me state it again for those who may not understand what I'm saying. If what is being preached and promoted in your church is not promoting CHRIST and CHRIST ALONE instead of our "church," or "movement," it is of the devil, birthed by demon spirits and forces of darkness!! It's not the HOLY SPIRIT doing such, but "another spirit!"

The phrase, "and He said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him," means this man was possessed by about 6,000 demon powers! Think about that for a minute friend. The fact that six thousand (6,000) demons infested one human being is startling to say the least, but it speaks to us of the power of the evil part of the spirit realm. Demon spirits are real and outside the realm and scope of the power of Christ and His shed blood which opens the door for the working and power of the Holy Spirit, mankind is doomed to be at the will and deception of the devil!

Demon spirits, which are notorious liars, as their master Satan still is and always has been, always look for humans to inhabit. The Holy Spirit empowered Christ to deliver this demoniac and friend that same HOLY GHOST has been sent to the church for us be filled with in order that HIS WORKING THROUGH US we can deliver those today bound by the powers of darkness! One may ask, "what causes demon spirits to enter into a person?"

The occasions are probably varied and many to say the least. ANYONE and I mean ANYONE who does not know Jesus as his Personal Saviour is subject to demon possession. Having no Divine protection, all such individuals, as stated, are definitely influenced, even more or less CONTROLLED.  All those who are truly demon possessed will always tend to have insane tendencies to one degree or another. While many may not be insane enough to be institutionalized, still, traces of insanity, will, surface at one time or the other. There may be some disagreement on that and that is fine. I'm just sharing an opinion but I feel both medical case studies and God's word will bear up what I say. These 6,000 demon spirits made this man literally "cut himself with stones," and "abide alone,"  run wildly "with no clothes," at all times during the day and "cry" loudly during the night. This shows us the insanity that results from the ultimate goal of Satan, not just in this demoniac's life, but in the lives of all on a world wide basis- to  "steal, to kill and to destroy!"

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In Luke's narrative of this same story, we see that Satan drove this man into the wilderness of Gadara;

Luke 8:29
(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

Gadara was, as we've already pointed out, a wilderness of loneliness, despair, depravity, heartache and disappointment. The world of the demon possessed is a world without God and such is the state of all mankind who does not know God! Paul said in Romans that because men chose NOT to know God and keep God in their minds they were turned over as reprobates, which in reality is what happened to national Israel, which rejected Christ as the inhabitants of Gadara did following this great miracle as we will deal with briefly later in this journal. It's either Jesus Christ or its "devils," and "legion!" It's either repent and believe the gospel or be possessed by 6,000 unclean spirits seeking to destroy you, your family, your job, your life, your soul neighbor! There is no gray area here - it's Jesus or the devils! This is not spiritual tidily wink "church" or "feel good Christianity." It's a war to the death for every single soul living on Planet Earth at this present time. The devil's purpose is to DESTROY all he can through deception, deceit and sin!

Praise God however, that just as Jesus invaded this demoniac's wilderness, Jesus Christ, 2,000 years ago has come to invade man's wilderness today! He has come but for one purpose, and that is to deliver humanity and restore what Satan has taken and stolen. Matthew used the parable of a someone breaking into one's house and binding the strongman of the house to take his goods. Jesus, through His shed blood, is now able to enter the strongman's house, and because He (and He ALONE) is stronger than Satan, "spoiled Satan's goods," and actually "spoiled the entirety of his house."  Yes, the devils were strong, but CHRIST is STRONGER and through HIM we have victory over the powers of Darkness!

Matthew 12:29
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

The Christ

As bad and as demon possessed as this man was, this same man was miraculously cleansed by the authority of Jesus and friend you too, can be cleansed today by this same power!

Mark 5:10-13
And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. [11] Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. [12] And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. [13] And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

Look with me briefly at three things Jesus did as He gloriously set this captive free:

1. Jesus spoke the word of power as He commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man.

Neighbor, the church world today needs to be SPEAKING THE WORD OF POWER, i.e. the GOSPEL of the Lord Jesus Christ and the message of the Cross. Demon spirits don't bow and come out because our churches have money and 10,000 coming on Sunday. Demon powers do not bow because we have degrees beside our names and big titles on our resumes! The church world needs to be endued with power from on high and begin again to declare the word of the Lord to a lost and BOUND generation in these final precious few hours before Jesus comes.

2. Jesus revealed the man’s great need, how utterly possessed by evil he was and led the evil spirit to identify himself. His name was Legion, referring to the Roman military legion that included over six thousand men.

The church world needs to identity man's problem as SIN and not as something linked to man's mental condition or the state of mind one may be in! The homosexual is not bound by the spirit of perversion because he don't "think" right. He is bound by the powers of darkness because of demon powers have lied to that individual and attached themselves to the fallen nature within an unrepentant sinner. By the way, if by the time you're reading this the government has declared we can't say homosexuality is a sin any more, please get my cell ready. HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN; it is an abomination before the Lord, (not the person, but the practice) and those who continue in its practice without repentance are going to die and wind up in hell as ALL sinners who refuse God's mercy and reject His saving Grace before they die! Homosexual, you can be free today IF YOU WANT to be free today! The truth is MOST don't want to cease from embracing this horrific perversion of what God intended men and women to be and desire! God's grace is available to the repentant, but darkness, death and destruction to those who refuse that grace by stubbornly refusing to admit their sin and forsake it through Bible-based repentance!

The demoniac was as desperate as a man could be, but Jesus’ power was more sufficient, eternally so! Neighbor, if you are bound by ANY power of darkness today, HIS POWER IS MORE SUFFICIENT, ETERNALLY SO! He is definitely the Son of God and as such He can cast a legion of evil spirits out of any man!!! To be frank He can cast 10,000 "legions" out of any man! He has that type of power! He's GOD!

If Christ was a mere mortal then we may have a problem, but friend because of not only His spotless, perfect, humanity in identifying with Adam's fallen race, but His DEITY, we have an assurance today that Jesus Christ can set sinners free! Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus Christ came to remove the scales off the eyes of those in darkness. Jesus Christ came to deliver mankind from the ravages and shackles of Satan and if man will but believe and look to the Cross, repent and turn from his evil ways through the power and help of the Holy Ghost, man will live and not die and spend eternity separated from God in a devil's hell. AIDS victim, dying right now, if you're reading this journal, I have good news today - LOOK TO THE CROSS OF CHRIST and you will live! Plead the BLOOD of Jesus and embrace the living CHRIST today and He will give you REST for your soul and healing from the ravages of sin and death!

3. Jesus revealed the nature of evil spirits and used this occasion to teach and warn men of evil spirits.

There are degrees of control by Satan just as there are degrees of control by God.
 

Note first, that the evil spirit was subject only to Jesus. No man could bind this demoniac yet no evil could stand up to THE CHRIST! The evil spirit asked to remain in his present country which tells us that apparently the country and its lifestyle were more evil and more subject to evil than other countries. That brings us to the question of "territorial," spirits and generational curses which I want to address briefly.  Demon spirits can certainly incorporate themselves in families, passing down from generation to generation!

In addition, there is certainly an argument to be made that demon spirits operate in some places more so than others because of the climate and spiritual atmosphere. As well, it should be obvious that Satan operates his kingdom of Darkness in a very prescribed manner (Daniel 10:12-13)

Daniel 10:12-13
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. [13] But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
 

However, none of this has bearing on the true Child of God. One may ask "why not?" Simply put, whatever ranks or designations Satan has for his Kingdom of Darkness is of little consequence to the born again believer who is full of the Holy Ghost because ALL demon powers are subject to the name of Jesus, IRRESPECTIVE of the territor, family history, or area. The same could be said of generational curses. Jesus Christ defeated the powers of darkness, ALL of them without exception, at the Cross 2,000 years ago! The Holy Spirit through Paul even states that not only were these powers defeated but Christ made an "open show" of them meaning He mocked their defeat!

Col. 2:14-16
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
 

Listen to this writer for I know there are tons of ministries out there who "specialize" in casting out generational curses off folks, including many who profess they are born again. Demon spirits can certainly incorporate themselves in families passing down from generation to generation. We have no argument with that theory or principle. Man's problem though is not because of daddy "Steve," or "Mark" or "Joe," or anyone else we call by name as our earthly father! The problem with man and what allows demon spirits to operate in bringing death and destruction is daddy "ADAM," of whom we ALL must look as to why man's nature is so evil and wicked!

Romans 5:17-21
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. [19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: [21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The MOMENT a person comes to Christ, every demon spirit is defeated, with every hold broken. While it certainly may be true that some Christians may have problems with demon spirits at a later time, even allowing them to seize control in their lives, still, this does not negate the fact that all spirits of darkness were broken at conversion, which they definitely were!

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

Now, this is where the rubber hits the road and people get fighting mad when we address the issue of "casting" out spirits in Christians which is to be brutally frank, FOOLISHNESS. Most ministries who specialize in such "non-sense"  NEVER POINT PEOPLE TO THE CROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! They promise these folks if they will just come down and have someone blow on them or lay hands on them or shout some incantation over them or do a million other things they will somehow be free. If the person the ministry is praying for gets "slain" in the Spirit (and don't go postal on me - I believe in one being slain in the Spirit, speaking in tongues, miracles, prophecy and the like) that individual will be free from those spirits attacking him. Sadly, the poor individual gets up with this idea in their head the struggle is over and it's not. They then go out come under the same attack, this time it's probably 7 times worse, and then disillusionment sets in with these folks who then start questioning God Himself over whether God wants to deliver them or even can deliver them! HEAR THIS WRITER AND HEAR HIM GOOD. THE PROBLEM IS NOT WITH GOD!

The problem is with these cabbage for brain preachers and so called prophetesses who don't know or understand that the real struggle of humanity is rooted in the SIN NATURE to which ALL DEMON powers attach themselves to begin with. SIN is the legal arena and foot hold that gives Satan ANY right to operate in ANY life - PERIOD. Because we try to preach the Holy Spirit however, without preaching and understanding the Cross as our foundation, we wind up with such foolishness and craziness. Paul said that the gospel of Christ "IS the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth!" What is the gospel of Christ? It is simply the preaching of the Cross, which Paul said, IT IS THE "power of God!"

Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. [17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

1 Cor. 1:16-18
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. [17] For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  [18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Neighbor, no matter the utter utmost stupidity and spiritual ignorance of those who may even be well-meaning in their approach in deliverance, one must understand that TRUE SPIRITUAL freedom from demon spirits - be them territorial spirits OR generational spirits comes from the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST - i.e. Christ Crucified and the power through which the Holy Spirit works!

The Holy Spirit will not work outside any other parameter than the Finished Work of Christ! We can lay hands on people and pour enough oil on them to solve the gasoline crisis here in America but it won't work! We can scream at demons, shake people, do all sorts of other crazy things that I have seen through the years and even in recent Charismatic meetings I've attended and make all the grand promises to those we're ministering to if we like - but it won't work! This is one of the reasons I have come to respect and deeply appreciate our new pastor Rev. Jeff Schrimsher from Loudon, Tn. Jeff operates in the supernatural anointings and gifts of the Holy Ghost but he also preaches the Word of God unto salvation. I've watched first hand what takes place as signs and wonders "follow" the Word i.e. the message of the Cross!

The preaching of the cross is STILL the POWER OF GOD unto Salvation. It is STILL man's only hope for victory, deliverance and to be set free from the chains and the shackles of sin. It is STILL the believer's ANCHOR and place where ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO GODLINESS and SPIRITUAL GROWTH can be found. We can't move "beyond the cross" as some preachers ignorantly and stupidly proclaim and expect true spiritual results. I don't mean to sound unkind but the pastor's heart inside me cries for the horrible condition millions of sheep who sit week in and week out under hirelings instead of shepherds! These hirelings are dressed up in pastor's clothing and many are even educated beyond anything this writer could dare to achieve in his lifetime; as educated men, they should be the FIRST to understand the Cross and what it truly stands for, but in MOST cases, them same educated men know little if NOTHING about the Cross and the true ministry of the Holy Ghost! If they did then the sheep would not be led to the slaughter of new age humanism, psychology through the denominational world and false formulas and mystical predictions by the Charismatic communities. I am as Pentecostal as they come neighbor but I don't care a whole lot about what many spiritual pimps have done to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Wolves in sheep clothing who do nothing but manipulate the crowds they minister to in order to grab a buck from a hurting soul send people to every source for deliverance except THE source - the Lord Jesus Christ!  God help us!

One of the titles of the Holy Spirit is the "helper," or "Paraclete," and HELP the New Testament believer He certainly does and wants to do! However, some erroneously think He is called along side to just help us speak in tongues and see miracles or prophesy. Some churches use the Holy Spirit as part of their denominatioal statements and nothing more claiming they understand who He is yet deny everything HE does on behalf of the church and the believer! Fundamentalists make me laugh so hard sometime claiming they believe the Bible from cover to cover then deny about 3/4ths of it once people start mentioning the supernatural aspects of the Holy Spirit's ministry! That's not a fundamentalist, that's a "mentalist!"

Others think He is called to help us find ways to get rich and increase ourselves with goods. Some think the Holy Spirit's help has to do with a myriad of other issues that, while may be somewhat important to a degree, really do not pertain to ETERNAL matters, which is the REAL work of the Holy Spirit! He is getting the believer ready for reigning and ruling in ETERNITY with Christ!

Some use the Holy Spirit as some gadget to draw attention to themselves so people will think them to be some spiritual guru or giant. I was in a meeting not too long ago where a lady minister was bragging she had prayed generational curses off another lady and that her ministry was dedicated to doing that for everyone who would support it and come to her meetings. Not one single mention was made of the victory CHRIST secured over these demon spirits nor any glory given to JESUS for what happened!! You ask, "well was not the lady healed and delivered?" The minister said she was but friend let's just shuck the corn down to the root question - are we ever really sure any one is delivered?? The way we CAN be sure is if that individual's faith is anchored in CHRIST and the CROSS and not some "mystical" formula or experience we claim to have released on them for deliverance. This same ministry is big on bringing people up front and having them fall out in the Spirit which is great, grand and glorious. I'm all for that if the Spirit of God is really in it. However, many of those same people who fall out bound by addiction and sin, get up bound by addiction and lust, but with a false promise from a ignorant leader that somehow since they fell down on the floor God did something for them! That's not deliverance friend. That would not have delivered this Gadarian demoniac and it won't deliver the demoniacs of today!

Again, not to be unkind, but deliverance for this maniac at Gadara came when he met CHRIST and came into the PRESENCE of the Son of God - NOT when the disciples laid hands on him and started casting out generational curses!

I know that offends some folks. I know that ruffles some feathers of well meaning people who think they are doing people good in doing the things they do. Friend, if what we're doing is not pointing people to the Cross, then what we're doing is flat WRONG and WORTHLESS no matter how well meaning we may be!!!! Some reading that get angry when we say things but let the reader be clear about the motive of this man of God's heart and this website.

We've never cared whether we make the top ten lists of the Church's "most popular," or "most well-liked" sites! I get concerned to be frank when we get too many pats on the back because when we do I wonder if we're really preaching anything. It's when the hate mail comes that I say "Lord maybe we're finally on the right path to speaking what You want us to speak and not man!"

We're hear to speak the truth of the Word of God in love to a lost and dying world and to Christians struggling in their faith yet possibly holding on to fantasies and not the TRUTH which can set them free! Let me state it this way. The apostasy foretold by Paul and John is no longer coming, it is HERE. The modern church of the 21rst century, especially here in America, has succumbed to following another Jesus, listening to another gospel and following another spirit. What many claim is the Holy Spirit are really "spirits!" ANY gospel that does not have the CROSS at its foundation and Jesus Christ as its subject - not some formula, church movement or person - but JESUS CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED - is a false gospel and is being birthed by demon spirits! Any CHRIST that is preached that is not a CRUCIFIED CHRIST calling men to repent and believe in HIM, taking up their cross daily and following HIM, is another JESUS and not the JESUS of the Bible.

2 Cor. 11:4
For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The Holy Spirit's help is given to us to do three things:

• Form the nature of Jesus in us

• Lead us into all truth

• Make the reality of the Cross and what Christ accomplished there a reality in our lives (i.e. to complete the "finished" work of redemption in us through the work of sanctification)

When Christ is FORMED inside us - no power of hell - be it territorial or generational - will control us. It does not mean that demon spirits don't oppress the believer nor does it mean we're not in spiritual warfare against such! However, spiritual warfare neighbor is not some game of cowboys and Indians! We don't stand on one side and shoot our guns over the hills and the demons shoot theirs as some have made warfare out to be. Have you noticed that those who specialize in such come up with so many things people need to "do" to be free that it takes an entire encyclopedia sometimes? Let me bottom line you the problem and get to the root. PEOPLE NEED TO GET SAVED AND COME TO KNOW CHRIST! If Christ is inside us, then Satan cannot control us! If Christ be FOR US, then the powers of darkness will NOT come in victory against us. They will come against us don't get me wrong, but when they come, we won't be the ones doing the fighting - the fighting has already been done! It was done 2,000 years ago at the Cross of Christ when Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on a bloody hill called Golgotha, hung between heaven and earth and cried "IT IS FINISHED!"

Gal 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. 18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

The only way for Christ to be formed in us is by the power of the Holy Spirit! That is what He has been given to the believer for in the sense of helping. No other source can produce Christ who defeated the powers of darkness at the Cross in us but the Holy Spirit. Paul said he "stood in doubt of you," which indicates that these people were not lost, but were individuals who were born again, yet struggling with their salvation. The Lord Jesus was resident in their hearts. But there was little of His beauty in their lives and truth be told were in the same struggles as some of you reading this journal. Some of you understand this war more so than most. While I'm on that subject let me interject this one quick point. If someone tells you they are not experiencing any problems in their Christian walk and experience then tell them they are either "very lucky," or they just plain out don't pose one single threat to Satan. Satan don't fight those who are not a threat to his kingdom! If you're a child of God however, the very fact you name the name of Jesus puts a bulls eye on your back from hell itself! Never forget that friend!

The word "again," tells us that at one time the Holy Spirit  was clearly and abundantly evident in the experiences of these Galatians, however He had ceased to be seen in their lives as He should have been. When the Holy Spirit ceases to be evident in one's life, demon powers will assail!  The reason is found in the fact the Judaizers in placing the believing Galatians under Law, or rather getting them to revert to Law, had caused them to substitute self effort in an attempt to obey a newly-imposed Law, for their previous dependence upon the Holy Spirit for the production of a Christ like life in and through them. In fact, this is tremendous problem in the heart and lives of many, if not most Christians presently.

The phrase "Until Christ be formed in you?" presents the work which only the Holy Spirit can do within the parameters of our faith in the Cross, not our self-effort or any Charismatic gadget or gimmick. If we resort to anything other than allowing the Holy Spirit to form Christ in our lives we fall from Grace and put ourselves in an arena where demon powers will attack in such ways we will literally think we ARE possessed, when in fact we are just oppressed and affected by the kingdom of Darkness.

Law cannot justify man at salvation and Law cannot keep man saved. If we resort to Law, whether the Mosaic Law which the Galatians were doing, or laws of our own making, which are generally is the case in many modern circles, Christ will definitely NOT be formed in us. This can only be done by the HOLY SPIRIT, and again He will only do such within the confines of our Faith in the legal requirements of the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. In other words, it is our Faith in what Christ did at the Cross, and even on a daily basis, which guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit, which is always successful.

Paul was MOST concerned about Christ being formed in the Galatians. This is something that cannot be repeated too much. His concern for them was not spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues or even being Pentecostal. He was actually talking to a Spirit-filled church which did all these things (SORRY BAPTISTS I'M SURE YOU WERE GETTING HAPPY thinking I was going to say speaking in tongues were wrong - NOT! If anything these churches who reject and resist such have long been given over to humanistic psychology which is nothing but a pit of darkness in itself). Galatia was a church where the gifts of the Spirit operated. Miracles took place it seem on a fairly regular basis. Yet there was little of the nature of Jesus in them, and thus, the church has descended into witchcraft, control and manipulation. ANY CHURCH that does not make the Lordship of Christ it's main goal and purpose always does the same. What should be the greatest concern in modern church today is the least concern. What the major emphasis of our teaching, preaching and worship should be is always the least. We have fallen from Grace friend, and the apostasy has set in without measure in many parts of the Body. Truth is crying in the street to return to our foundation and first love. Truth is crying to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church in these last days.

Galatians 3:1-3
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? [2] This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [3] Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Victory over the flesh, the world and the Devil is found in the formation of Christ and His character in our hearts by the Holy Spirit; this is the TRUE arena of spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is NOT cowboys and Indians! To repeat something I said earlier that bears repeating, it is not a game where we get in front of someone and lay our hands on them, screaming at the devil. Friend, the devil is not impressed with our shouting or screaming or drama we tend to attach to warfare in the church world today. It's embarrassing to see the side-show sometimes we exhibit when people are battling the powers of darkness in our midst. The greater horror is that the poor soul needing deliverance often looks at the side-show and thinks because someone screamed at the devil that the devil is going to "buke." That's not what makes Satan "BUKE!"

This is the "battle" we face, but in reality, it's a battle already won by Christ through His finished work at Calvary. Most Christians fight sin in their lives never realizing the Sacrifice of Christ at the cross is the core of all faith - even after we get saved. Faith in the atonement of Christ not only deals with our PAST salvation experience but also has just as much to do with our everyday walk before God. When we get our faith right, the HOLY SPIRIT then "HELPS" form Christ within us and then "come along side to help," in this spiritual war we are in against demon powers of spirits of darkness. The HOLY SPIRIT always guarantees victory. This is not a formula, it's the TRUTH of the word of God that can set some reading this journal free. We need the TRUTH far more than we need a touch. We love the touch and I'm not telling you it's wrong to get a touch, but when it comes to cases and the rubber hits the road about our eternal soul, friend you'll need more than just a weekly 'buzz' to get you through this walk of Christian faith.

Many believe the lie of darkness we can sin a little bit everyday and it's ok in the sight of God. No, I'm not saying we will ever be sinless or perfect, but maturity in Christ is a process where sin no longer has dominion over us. John didn't say "when" we sin, but "if" we sin. There's a BIG difference. A true child of God does not want to sin against His Lord or do anything to bring reproach to the Body of Christ. A true child of God weeps when he fails the Lord. He hurts deeply when he realizes he has unconfessed sin in his life. To be frank, the most miserable person in the world is a believer with unconfessed sin in his/her life. Believe me - I've wrote a few chapters in that book over the years God has given me here on this earth. The true child of God sees sin as God sees it - HORRIBLE, WRETCHED and DARK  - in our own lives! The true child of God doesn't look at everyone else's life - they see their own utter hopelessness without Christ and need for HIS GRACE upon their own life!

Our sin natures are rendered powerless by the work of Christ on the Cross. Paul himself declared the answer such when he asked the question, "shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" when he screamed: "God forbid."

Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Most Christians always want to tie their struggles to demon spirits and try to find someone to cast a demon out of them. Let me state it again as to be clear:  No believer can be demon possessed. To be sure however, demon powers oppress the Christian and every Christian has faced these powers of darkness in this manner many times and will continue to do so. However, if one believes correctly and acts upon his FAITH, there is no problem with demon spirits. Again, it does not mean demon spirits are going to leave the Christian alone for they will not. But when one's faith is anchored in the right place - the CROSS - and not some man-made mystical gimmick or gadget - the conflict with these spirits will cease! To be frank - there IS NO conflict because within the Finished Work of Christ, ALL the powers of darkness - were destroyed.

Any other gospel or teaching that declares anything else is nothing but "philosophy," "vain deceit," and "the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, AND NOT AFTER CHRIST!" If you notice Paul then states the verse we quoted earlier at the end of this passage as it pertains to Christ's total victory over the powers of darkness.

Col. 2:8-15
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: [11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: [12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. [13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

What does this mean you may ask? It's good news friend! It means, Homosexual, you can be free today! It means, Drug Addict, you can be free today. It means, alcoholic, you can be free today! It means liar, dishonest person, you can be free today. It means whoremonger, adulterer, fornicator, you can be free today. It means you who are bound by pornography and other lustful perversion you can be free today through the power of the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST! Yes agreement in prayer with others is powerful and necessary in our Christian walk but our faith must not be in the one agreeing with us - our faith must be IN CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED!

The thinking by many is if we can get the right preacher to lay hands on us we will thereby experience a touch from God such as "falling out in the Spirit," or "spirit-directed laughter," or a myriad of other things,  and this will surely solve our problem.  Friend all the laughter in the world and all the falling out in the world and all the screaming and shouting at demo spirits can NEVER deliver man from the sinful nature that reigns in many lives and is the ROOT whereby all demon powers attach themselves!

MILLIONS of Christians struggle and struggle and fight and fight and succumb to the sin nature. When this takes place,  the church's answer to the fallen is either psychology, gimmicks, formulas, or judgment. NONE OF THESE will set men free, but there IS FREEDOM and that freedom is found through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The only answer is the cross. Every need and fight against the powers of darkness we may ever have or encounter was addressed at Calvary; that not only means our initial salvation, but our sanctification and continued victory. The Holy Spirit's work of forming Christ in us is the reality of this work of Calvary. There are not ten, four, two, three or thirty ways to victory or having Christ formed in us - it's just ONE - the HOLY SPIRIT and the Holy Spirit only works when we place our faith in the Cross of Christ.

There are many believers who from all outward appearances seem to not have any difficulty whatsoever in this capacity, but yet are secretly fighting something that is threatening their destruction. If one is fighting and winning, after a while the struggle will become so intense that one will fight and ultimately lose. That's really what the church's answer to all the struggle is - "fight it," "don't give in to it," "be strong," "you can beat this." The truth is that YOU CAN'T BEAT IT. The answer is not fighting but BELIEVING in what Christ did at the Cross, which allows the HOLY SPIRIT on the scene and bring the victory that Jesus already won at Calvary 2,000 years ago!  The answer is simply trusting in what He has already done.

Send Us To The Swine

Mark 5:12-13
And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. [13] And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
 

The evil spirits desired a body to indwell and influence and asked to enter the bodies of a herd of swine. Note the plural, “devils,” and the fact that there were about two thousand swine. This again stresses the enormous evil within the man, his desperate, hopeless plight as being controlled by malicious and violent evil spirits; these legion of devils were destroyers and friend when Satan controls a life - ALL is destroyed!

They could not enter these hogs without the express permission of Christ, so how much less could they or can they enter the "sheep" of His pasture? Ask yourself that today the next time someone claims you have a demon inside of you child of God. Jesus gave them permission to leave the man and go into the swine, a picture of the basest nature of all men controlled by the powers of darkness. Satan may make that drug sir look appealing but your destination is the pig pit! That affair madam may look appealing and inviting but the end result will be the pig pit. Demon spirits always seek out the mud slope of this world and no matter how refined one may be that is what all demon controlled life becomes. A well known Hollywood "starlet" worth billions got arrested the other day for drunk driving and has been sentenced to 45 days in jail. She claims her sentence is "unfair" and that she is "above" jail and all the like. She asked her fans to "pardon her 'mistake' because she provides beauty and excitement to "(most of) people's otherwise mundane lives." That is a direct quote. Friend, this young lady is about to get a lesson of what sin will do to a person and the nature of the pig pit! The demon powers who control her have made her believe she don't have to obey the laws of the land which protect people. She could have killed someone driving while drunk but she has been so pampered in life and by her parents she does not even read her mail.

Her first brush with accountability may truly be a reality check for this young lady but regardless, she needs JESUS and her parents need JESUS! If she keeps going down this path the time will come when someone will either be in the car she's driving and get killed or she will hit someone with the car and kill them.  These demon powers destroyed the herd of swine and as such all evil spirits will DESTROY the individual they control and master! Let that sink in friend. America needs preaching that is stating these things but because we've stopped preaching the gospel men continue in their sinful ways without conscience and realization that demon powers DESTROY lives through sin! The young man at Virginia Tech last week was demon possessed and DESTROYED 33 lives including his own. Satan is a destroyer, never never never forget that.

It's Christ Or The Swine

Mark 5:14-17
And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. [15] And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. [16] And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. [17] And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
 

Jesus heals the demoniac and sends the demon spirits into the swine causing them to run off a cleft and die. The multitudes saw everything, the discharge of the demons from the Maniac, and their entrance into the swine. As well as fearful at the loss of their charge, they were probably terrified at this exhibition of power by Christ. What a sight to see the demoniac who was once bound with fetters, chains, running around naked, cutting himself with stones, not SITTING, CLOTHED, and IN HIS RIGHT MIND. The Bible says, "they were afraid."

The church world today I'm saddened to say is "afraid," of the true power of God. We'd rather have our safe services with all our human machinery instead of seeing true move of the HOLY GHOST in our midst. Let me be clear - God is not one who does not make a "mess" of things to bring things into order! People quote the verse in 1 Corinthians a lot "let everything be done decently and in order," not realizing God's order is a lot different than man's order. God will turn things upside down and all around if He has to in order to get order out of chaos! What would have taken men months and years to do, and in fact CANNOT do, God can do in one moment. (DAKE QUOTE)

The inhabitants of Gadara were afraid of Christ, yet they were ok with seeing this demoniac run wild and unfettered for months without doing anything to reach out to him in compassion. How horrible and sick religion can be sometime. How wicked and ungodly have we become in the modern church world today as we do the same? They knew that the man had been, and, as stated, had probably tried to restrain him themselves. They knew how hopelessly insane he was, cutting himself with stones. They had heard the screams in the night and knew everything, at least that a human being could know, about this man's terrible condition. And yet, they now observe him totally delivered and "IN HIS RIGHT MIND!"

The multitude then goes to the owners of the hogs and give a blow-by-blow account of what took place. What took place records one of the saddest episodes of the gospel as they felt they could not keep both the Saviour of Israel and their swine and of the two they preferred their swine! The Gadarenes took no interest in the Salvation of a fellow-creature from Satan's power, but they viewed the loss of their property with deep concern. Regrettably, they have many successors today in the modern arena we call the professing church. The same could be said of our nation America as well.

It seems the deliverance of people from the power of alcohol and drugs, or whatever for that matter, excites LITTLE interest even among most Christians, while other things cause great excitement.  The spirituality of the modern church is at a dangerous all time low for we have lost any interest in the single most important thing in all humanity - the salvation of a soul! The world has no interest of course in these things which is to be expected, but for God's people to share the same callousness it becomes the most saddest foot note on a church gone astray from the Cross in these modern times.

The Jews at Gadara were so close to Eternal Life, even with the evidence sitting before them in the form of this man being totally delivered, but yet they missed it. So close, but yet so far. This fear they had SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THEM TO THE LORD because of the great power He showed, but yet it drove them away and as a result they responded in an opposite manner! They are not alone in this response. How many have I seen come into meetings where the Spirit of God was moving and for the first time in their lives feel true Holy Ghost conviction, and instead of it causing them to turn to the Lord, which it is designed to do, instead they ran away from it out of fear? most people, even those who attend Church, have never sensed the Presence of God in any form, and because the Lord is not present in their Church, whatever it may be. Consequently, when they DO feel the Spirit of God, it brings a certain amount of fear, which it is supposed to do to be frank, but it's a holy fear to bring men to a loving God who wants to cleanse, forgive and show His great mercy by setting captives free.

Why does this happen one may ask? Quite simply, as these Jews of old, they prefer their sin to the Saviour. Consequently, millions prefer to attend a Church, where, as stated, the Lord is not present in any matter, shape or form, ad which conviction of sin is not a factor! We don't want to be "uncomfortable," in our user-friendly settings. When these men told Jesus to leave, He left!

Luke 8:37
Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Where He is not wanted, He does not stay! Hear me preacher! Hear me Sunday School teacher! Hear me deacons! Hear me mossy back, Pharisaical, self-righteous saints! You can push out the HOLY GHOST if you like and He will gladly acquiesce to your request! He will gladly leave if you don't want Him there! We say "Oh, we want the Holy Spirit," but the first time the Holy Ghost shows up and people start getting saved, baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of tongues, miracles start taking place, people being set free, bondages broken, marriages restored and things start getting messy we ask Jesus to leave!

At the end of the message to the seven churches of Revelation, we see Jesus standing "in the midst," off six of those churches except one - Laodicea, a type of the end time church, where Christ is OUTSIDE the door, knocking waiting to get in. The Lord stands OUTSIDE in these last days yet we still go on in the church as if nothing is wrong. We continue our programs, sing our songs, preach our poems, read out self-help books, hold our food bazaars, play our ball games, go to our movies, and not one time pause and realize He is gone! 

The opportunity, as far as the Gadarenes district was concerned was gone forever.  Within 40 years this district was the scene of one of the terrible calamities of the Roman War. The result was ruin! It is said that back in the 1800's that very district which preferred its hogs to Christ was, in fact, infested with wild, fierce hogs. As a result, the land was plowed up by these wild hogs in search of roots on which they live. What a sorry trade! Gadara wanted the hogs and they got the hogs! Yet, it is a trade most of the world makes today and the apostate church makes as well. Think of what the people missed: every sick person in the entirety of their midst would have been gloriously healed. Everyone bound by demon spirits would have been delivered. As well, Salvation, the most important and glorious gift of all, would have been given to ALL who would have believed. It would have changed their lives for a time and eternity, and for a thousand times the better. But they said, "we want the pigs," instead.

It was in type of what Israel did as a nation a few months later after this miracle and it is picture of America today. We are bordering on blaspheming the Spirit and pushing God out to the point He won't come back if we're not careful and repent quickly!

In this atmosphere of apostasy the church world teeters close to getting the same! How it grieves the Holy Ghost to witness our exchange for that which is Godly, Spiritual and Holy for those things tawdry and earthly and wicked. When the ministry of the Holy Ghost is replaced for 12-step programs, the purpose driven life and all sorts of humanistic psychology efforts we are doing the same thing! We don't want people speaking in tongues in our church because it offends the religious, yet we will allow a so-called Christian rock band to come in and shoot up their smoke, blast their loud guitars and perform no differently than the world does and call that "Christian entertainment." We are exchanging the things of God for the swine and neighbor as a result, wild, fierce hogs our over running our young people!

The Evangelist

Mark 5:18-20
And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. [19] Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. [20] And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

As we close this journal series I want to take a look at the maniac at Gadara who literally became the "evangelist," from Decapolis. His attitude towards Christ was direct opposite than that of his fellow countryman, which is quickly noted by the Holy Ghost. It is no wonder that this man desired to be with Jesus, His life was a veritable hell on earth before this moment, and now, miracle of miracles, he is gloriously free, and above all, free forever! The demon spirits would never return. The King of Glory demanded they leave which also constituted a demand that they would never return! The deliverance was complete!  His reaction, as all, at least those who truly KNOW JESUS, is to be constantly with Christ. Only those who did not know Him, did not want to be with Him. How so much this spirit continues unto this very hour.

Due to Calvary, and the Resurrection, and Jesus presently being Glorified, through the person and Agency of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is now with every believer constantly, at least as much as they will allow Him to be! This is one of the great benefits of the New Covenant, a benefit we might quickly add, that is beyond the pale of our comprehension! Jesus sending the man away was not so much a denial of the man's company but a MISSION to perform! A mission, we may quickly add, that he carried out with great distribution!

The commission to "tell them how great things the Lord has done for thee," was not just for this former demon possessed maniac, but for ALL who have come to Christ! As the old song goes, "It was a GREAT thing, that He did for me; it was a great thing, that He set me free; Jesus died on Calvary, that the world wide world may see; it was a great thing that He did for me!" To be sure, ANYTHING done by the Lord for anyone is a "great thing," but there are times when the Lord brings such deliverance that it beggars description.

Right before we sat down to write this journal, we got a call from a new evangelist friend of ours Rev. Bobby Shutt, who told us of a 14-year old girl who was in his meeting just this past Monday who was deaf and in the middle of the service was gloriously healed by the power of God! She had never heard a day in her life since she was born but is now set free by the power of God! Jesus Christ has done the same for millions!

When this demoniac turned evangelist returned to his city he began to "publish," how great things Jesus had done for him and "all men did marvel." The day before this man was a demon-crazed maniac, possessed by at least 6,000 demons, and totally insane. Twenty four hours later or less, he is now an Evangelist for the Lord Jesus Christ, preaching and proclaiming up and down every street, and to all who will listen, what Jesus has done for him! Only the Miracle-Working power of God could carry out such a notable and instant change!. And yet, MUST of the Church has traded that power toady for the mindless drivel of humanistic psychology and a myriad of other self-help fallacies it embraces today that it stupidly thinks will do men good and set them free from the bondages of sin and powers of darkness.

The personal testimony, which actually constituted this man's preaching, sis the greatest witness of all. There is no testimony like that which Jesus has done for an individual! It is proof that is undeniable, and in this case a miracle. We can only surmise the ministry this man had over time but one day we will see him in glory and be able to ask him! Friend, that is true Bible-based witnessing - telling others what Jesus has done for us. It's not going door to door asking people to come to our church. It's not having to teach people how to witness. if we're having to teach them to witness a better question would be to asks them if they are saved to begin with!!!! We can't give away JESUS to others if we don't have Jesus living inside our hearts first. Many can't tell others about HIM because all they know about is "their church," their denomination, or some book they've read, etc. God help us. We need to know JESUS so a lost and dying world full of other demoniacs may know Him as well.

As I close today, I ask you a question. Are you saved? Are you walking free from the ravages and powers of darkness? Or are you like this demoniac, bound with fetters, chains, cutting yourself with stones, crying in the wee hours of the night, alone, away from family, hurting, dying, running wild and violent with no hope? Jesus Christ loves you today friend and has shed His precious blood for your sins! To the child of God I ask you, are you doing everything for the gospel's sake today? Are you putting your money in ministries that are preaching the cross and the cross alone or are you financing false enterprises preaching a false gospel promoting a false Jesus driven by false spirits? Our little family ministry is small potatoes compared to other ministries and if that is how the Lord wills it to be so we're ok with whatever He does. Our purpose in this website is to preach JESUS CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED in these last days to be a light to the wandering demoniacs who may come across this site at the drawing of the Holy Ghost! Your help is always needed to assisting this ministry both prayerfully and financially. We don't beg for money for we know we're preaching the gospel on this site and that will never be compromised no matter how big we get or how small we remain. We pray you know this Christ today. It's getting late neighbor, the time is short, and it's harvest time. Praise God.

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