Previously, prior to his encounter with Jesus...he was not in his ‘right mind’. And everyone in the region knew who he was or had heard about him. 

 He was a ‘streaker’ long before ‘streaking was a thing’. He was also a ‘cutter’. For those who don’t know, he, like many people today, used some sharp device to inflict painful wounds upon himself ...using stones to cut his flesh. That really is a ‘thing’ among many people today. I’m not sure why it is; but I know the source behind it. 

 He also seemed to possess great strength because there had been attempts to bind him with shackles or chains; and he always seemed to break free of them. Oh, and if all this has you wondering what in the world was wrong with this person, I should tell you that he also hung out in cemeteries. Not being in one’s right mind will do that to you...keep you around places where there is no life. You can read about this tormented character in Mark 5:1-5. 

 But all that changed for him...one day...after he had an encounter with Jesus. (It did not require years of therapy either.) You see, he was possessed; he was demonized or influenced or under the control of some power of darkness. I don’t care what term you want to use to explain this influence but this man was not under the Lordship of Jesus. He was serving another master. He was a ‘slave’ to another force. And are you ready for this piece of news? That...would describe the condition of ALL of us...prior to having a personal encounter with Jesus – the One who came to set captives free. 

 1 John 5:19 tells us that this ‘whole world’ is under the influence or power of the ‘wicked one’. 

 Eph. 2:1-3 tells us exactly how he operates ‘IN’ us, working through our sinful, fleshly passions and desires. ( Can you see now why the first thing the Spirit begins to do when we turn to Jesus is to lead us to put all those things to death? Rom. 8:13). Oh, and according to Gal. 5:24, who are the ones who truly ‘belong to Christ’? (yeah...go look that one up now) Maybe that is why Paul asked the question he does there in Romans 6:2..."How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"

 All of us, were the ones who dwelt in darkness before the true Light came in to the world. (Matt. 4:16; Luke 1:79; John 1:5). 

 Jesus taught that those who are in darkness don’t know where they are going either. (John 12:35). However, He also mentions that while light did come into the world, there were plenty of people who would not come to this light because they loved the darkness more along with their evil deeds. (John 3:19-20) 

 It is also important to note that it is the ‘god of this age’ who ‘blinds the ________ (what?) of those who are perishing? (2 Cor. 4:3-4). Yeah...go look that up now and fill in that blank if you would please. In many versions, they use the expression of it being ‘veiled’ or covered. But here’s some good news...when a person ‘turns to the Lord...the veil is taken away’. (2 Cor. 3:16) 

 I hope you are taking this nice and slow because we have some very important ‘dots to connect’’ here. 

 I also should emphasize that this idea of ‘turning to the Lord’ implies we do that with a whole heart, or ‘all our heart’. Coming ‘half way’ is not an option nor is it effective in removing the veil. And unless we do turn, or ‘repent’, we will all perish. Jesus said that in Luke 13:1-5. He actually repeated Himself twice there. 

 Oh, and that passage in 2 Cor. 4...What was it the ‘god of this age’ was trying to prevent us from seeing? It was the ‘light of this gospel’. (5). And we are not just talking about ‘any gospel’ out there which I should remind you are in no short supply. (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-9). We are talking about the gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus came preaching. (Matt. 9:35; 24:14). Please make note of that. 

 And it was ‘this gospel’ that Paul was commissioned to take to us ‘Gentiles...to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18). 

 Who are the ones who receive this ‘inheritance’? Those who are _______ (what?). I don’t know who needs to hear this but simply saying you believe in Jesus does nothing to ‘sanctify’ you. (Matt. 7:21) 

 Whew...that was a collection of significant ‘dots to connect’. You might take a moment to review those and let them sink in. 

 So just how does this spiritual enemy that the John referred to as the ‘wicked one’ exert all this influence on the world? (1 John 5:19). I believe Revelation 12:9 gives us a clue. We are told there that this ‘serpent of old...deceives the whole world’. One more time: “He deceives the whole world.” 

 What does that mean, to ‘deceive’ someone? This is not rocket science. It means we end up ‘believing a lie’; a falsehood, something that is the opposite of truth. And let’s just cut to the chase here and state clearly that God’s word is truth. (John 17:17). So anything that would be the opposite of what God says, is a lie. Lies are used to ‘deceive’ people. You probably know as well that this ‘serpent’ has been doing this for a very long time. In fact, the reason we have so much suffering and sickness and death and misery in this world today...is because this serpent (a.k.a. the devil) has been sowing bad seeds of deception for quite a long time. 

 We only have to go back to the early pages of our bibles (that most of us claim to be God’ word) and read in Genesis 2:17 where God made it quite clear...”IF you eat off this one tree, you will surely die.” 

 The serpent shows up....and casts doubt on that word of truth asking...”Did God really say this?” (Gen. 3:1). Once he got a ‘foot in the door’ of Eve’s thinking process, he had ‘set the hook’ and then took her down another path of deception eventually telling her just the opposite: “You shall surely not die.” (Gen. 3:4). The rest, they say...is history. 

 So when you come across other passages in your bible, statements of truth written out nicely for you on those pages...statements like “You shall be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48) or “whoever abides in Him ought to walk just as He (Jesus) walked” (1 John 2:6) or that other passage: “Whoever abides in Him no longer sins”, (1 John 3:6,9); ...then, when someone comes along and says “You can’t be perfect...or sinless...nobody can do that!”, what are they hearing? Another gospel, perhaps? A ‘lie’ maybe? IF we have been conditioned to reject the truth, as in lay aside the word of God and believe what other men teach us (Mark 7:6-13), do you think it is possible we may fall prey to that deceiving influence or lie that God was going to send in the last days because people did not have a love for the truth? (2 Thess. 2:9-12). Notice the use of the word of those who ‘perish’; where did we see that word used earlier? 

 Bet you thought I forgot about our tormented man back in Mark 5. I didn’t. ;-) We often refer to him as the ‘demoniac of the Gadarenes’. We learn in Mark’s gospel that he was possessed by a ‘legion’ of demons. Most agree we are talking upwards to thousands of them. This pour soul was one conflicted human being and we are given no insight as to how he ended up like this. I will say you would be jumping to conclusions to suggest he was any ‘worse of a sinner’ than anyone else ‘out there’. (Luke 13:1-3) 

 But let’s get to the good part. Jesus shows up and we are told there in vs. 6 that “when he saw Jesus from afar; he ran and worshipped Him.” 

 This is very good news. Do you know why it’s good news? Because God wants us to know...that anyone and everyone...who is struggling...who is captive by something else...anyone who is not free...can be and there is not a demon in hell who can prevent you from running to Jesus with all your heart and surrendering to Him and His lordship.  READ. THAT. ONE. MORE. TIME!

 Do you know how we most often end up being taken ‘captive’? We believe a lie. A lie that was bad seed, sown in our thinking process, and we ignored the devil (instead of resisting him) and we did not do what the word said like ‘bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’. (2 Cor. 10:5). This works much easier when we are actually abiding in Him, I have learned.  Oh, how did Jesus respond to the devil when He was tested? (Luke 4)

 Our friend back in Mark 5...had an interesting conversation with Jesus, coming to a place where he was ready to follow Jesus wherever. That is usually the first sign of a heart that has totally surrendered to Jesus...a willingness and readiness to ‘forsake all’ and follow Him. But go back and underline this one verse in Mark 5...it’s the one where after his encounter and being set free of all those demons. All the locals came out to see what happened and we are told they “saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his...right mind.” (15). It also says they were ‘afraid’ which has me scratching my head wondering why. The dude was in his ‘right mind’. 

 Can I just tell you that when scripture tells us “above all else, guard your hearts for everything you do flows from it” (Prov 4:23- NIV) we should note that the way we protect or guard our heart...is by keeping watch what lands in our ‘thinking’(minds). All it takes is a little seed from a little bird, or fox even, (yesterday’s post) before you too are believing a lie that leads to your destruction. Today, many believers look to other tormented souls...who have obviously ‘believed a lie’ (Who told you that? Gen. 3:11)...people, for example, who were born with one gender and then all of a sudden believe they are another gender. (I wonder who told them that?)   We shake our heads in puzzlement over this lie that has deceived them yet....yet...yet...God looks down on us and hears us say...”We can’t really walk like Jesus and sin no more.”

I wonder who told us that?

If you are feeling compelled to speak out against all those who are 'blind, deceived, and mislead' as if they are a threat to us, then you are probably following another Jesus.  Because the Jesus in the bible looked on those as not in their 'right mind', praying God's  mercy on them..."Father, forgive them...they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)