The
Divine Deliverance
Part 1: Finding God’s
Forgiveness
“When
he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.”
–Mark 5:6
Coming From
Afar
On August 27, 2003, Mars nearly caught up
with the earth, passing within a mere 34,649,589
miles of our planet. That was Mar’s
closest approach ever in recorded history. The
red planet will not come that close again until
2287.
For several nights during that period, Mars
was the second brightest object in the night sky
(the moon being the first). That month, I spent
several nights on the porch with my family,
gazing at the clear heavens. I remember being
deeply impressed with the intensity of the
universe.
Our planet is so small-it is less than the
smallest grain of sand of the endless beach of
space. It would have been easy for God to snap
His fingers and obliterate this rebellious little
atom we call home.
Have you ever been reluctant to go to Jesus
because you felt you had so far to go? When you
look at the perfect, spotless life of Christ
contrasted with your own sinfulness, do you
become discouraged by the vastness of the gulf
that separates you from Him?
Like the shackled demoniac, you know that you are
firmly bound by the chains of bad habits and sins.
However, the Bible promises, “Draw near to
God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
In our study of the madman, Jesus and His
disciples “sailed to the country of the
Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee” (Luke
8:26). Galilee was the center of Jesus’
labors, so in going “opposite Galilee,”
He traveled a long way to meet the lunatic. That’s
a fact you do not want to miss in this story-because
in it you will see that Jesus came from His home
far off in heaven to this lowly, dark world. Our
planet is the antithesis of paradise.
It bears repeating: Jesus made a dangerous
journey across the stormy sea to save a man
completely captive to the enemy. He also crossed
the ocean of space to save this one lost world.
Like a shepherd searching for a lost lamb, He
walked the vast cosmos to save a doomed humanity.
“Come
to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28
Come As You
Are
During a war between France and England, a
French whaling vessel set sail on an extended
voyage. At some point during the long journey,
the crew ran out of drinking water. Unfortunately,
the only port they could reach before perishing
of thirst was one controlled by England.
Of course, they were afraid to approach because
they were sure the ship would be seized and they
would be taken captives. Eventually, however,
they raised a distress signal…and the answer
came that they could enter in peace because the
war was over. The sailors could hardly believe it;
they thought for sure it was a trick. However,
with death staring them in the face, they had no
better option. So, they limped into the port,
risking their freedom. When they docked, they
found that the report was true-peace had been
declared and they were in no danger.
One of the most sublime truths in the story of
the demoniac is that this helpless captive of
Satan came to Jesus just as he was. He could do
nothing to save himself.
A pastor’s work includes periodically
visiting with members of the congregation. Some
of the members offer all kinds of excuses as to
why the pastor should not visit them and their
families-at least not right now. “The house
is a mess!” “My hair is a mess.”
“I haven’t had a chance to clean up and
change my clothes.” “I don’t feel
very good today.” And the list goes on.
The demoniac had more reasons to declare himself
unprepared to meet Jesus than just about anyone
else. He could have argued that his yard-his
cemetery! -was a mess. He could have said his
clothes were a mess-or more accurately, that he
was naked and ashamed. He probably did not feel
very healthy either. However, he understood his
desperate need, so he approached Jesus just as he
was. And Jesus received him despite his
deplorable condition.
The world is full of people languishing somewhere
on the sea of life, facing eternal death because
they have no “water of life” aboard
their vessel. Instead of heading their ship
toward God’s harbor, they reason, “God
is a tyrant! We cannot trust Him. No, He will
destroy us.”
I want to shout a message over all the waters
that cover this earth: “Peace has been
declared! Come into the harbor, where you will
find the bread of life and living water to spare!”
Scripture tells us, the Holy Spirit says,”
‘Come!’…. And let him who thirsts
come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of
life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
“Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.” –Matthew 5:3
Running on
Empty
Dwight Moody used to tell the story of an artist
in nineteenth-century England who wanted to paint
a picture of the prodigal son. He searched
through the madhouses, the poorhouses, and the
prisons to find a man wretched enough to
represent the wayward prodigal, but he could not
find one.
Then one day the painter was walking down the
street and met a beggar fellow that he would pay
him if he came to his home and sit for a portrait.
The beggar agreed, and they chose a day for him
to come.
However, when the man appeared at the artist’s
home, the artist did not recognize him.
The beggar said, “You made an appointment
with me for a portrait today.”
The painter replied, “That’s not
possible; we’ve never met! It must have been
some other artist. Indeed, I was to see a poor
beggar at this very hour.”
“But I am he,” the man said.
“You! But what have you done to yourself?”
“Well, I thought I would dress myself up a
bit before I got painted.”
“I wanted you just as you were,”
replied the artist. “Now, you are no use to
me.”
Martin Luther said, “God creates from
nothing, so until we become nothing, He can make
nothing of us.” When the demoniac went to
Jesus, he went absolutely empty-handed. The only
possession he could offer Jesus were his
miserable soul, imprisoned heart, deranged mind,
and mangled chains. And much like the prodigal
son returning home, when we go to Jesus, we go
with dirty clothes, with empty hands and pockets-and
an empty tank of gas.
Let me explain: I hate running out of gas. Like
most people, I fill up long before the warning
light starts flashing. However, during my thirty
years of driving, sometimes I have managed to
come very close. On one occasion, I desperately
searched for a gas station in a strange town,
while driving as economically as I could. I
accelerated slowly and coasted whenever possible.
Finally, I found a service station, and I felt
great relief. And just as I pulled up to the pump,
my car began to sputter on its last few drops of
fuel. I was totally empty when I made it to the
station.
This is how we go to Jesus-sputtering and empty.
Peter, Andrew, James and John left their nets and
boats to follow Jesus. Matthew walked away from
his tax booth. They gave up all they had. However,
when Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell
everything he had and give the proceeds to the
poor, he refused. “He was sad…and went
away sorrowful, for he had great possessions”
(Mark 10:22). Unwilling to lose the security of
his earthly riches, he walked away from Jesus
with his pockets full and his heart empty.
Jesus asks each of us to cut our ties to every
earthy possession before he can be His disciples.
We must place on the altar anything and
everything that comes between our heart and Him.
“For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
In order to save us, God may allow us to endure
various trials so He can get our attention.
Sometimes He must place a burden on our backs to
get us to fall on our knees. This might come in
the form of an illness or a family or financial
crisis.
For instance, a man in his fifties who accepted
Christ at one of my evangelistic meetings tells
the story. He once had a good government job, a
nice home, a loving family, and money in the bank.
One weekend, he drove to Reno with some friends
to gamble in one of the casinos. Like most people,
he lost money at the poker table, the roulette
wheel, and the slot machines.
Naïve to the addictive pull of fast money, he
returned the next week with high hopes of winning
back what he had lost. Instead, however, he lost
more. He began neglecting his family and work
commitments as his desire to recoup the lost
money grew. However, he just kept losing. By the
time, I met him, he was facing a $60,000 credit
card debt-even after he had mortgaged his home,
emptied his bank account, and cashed in on his
retirement. What’s more, he was drinking
heavily and had lost his job, and his wife had
divorced him.
Spiritually and literally bankrupt, he came to
Jesus and found real riches. As the hymns say:
“Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.’”
“Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.”
“Beloved,
I beg you… abstain from fleshly lusts which
war against the soul.”
–1
Peter 2:11
Two Spirits
A teenager in Virginia was shocked to find a
two-headed turtle behind her home. She caught the
poor creature and watched as the two freakish
heads did a tug-of-war over a piece of food that
she gave them-or it!
According to scientists, two-headedness can occur
in all animals, but generally, such creatures do
not live long. Each head tends to work
independently of the other, controlling its own
side of the body, and therefore creating disunity,
confusion, and frustration. Unless one head takes
primary control, the other creature will soon die
from starvation and indecision.
A war is raging in the heart and mind of every
person on the planet-a war between the spirit and
the flesh. In one sense, it is really a war
between two spirits.
If you asked people, “Would you like to be
Spirit possessed?” most would probably fold
their arms and emphatically shake their heads.
“No, thank you!” We almost always
equate “possession” with evil spirits.
However, two contrasting spirits are seeking
residence in our hearts and minds: the Spirit of
God and the spirit of Satan (see 1 Corinthians 2:12).
The primary motive of one of these spirits is
love, and the other selfishness. At times, each
of feels these forces pulling us in opposite
directions.
God designed our minds to be the dwelling place
of the Holy Spirit. One good example of this is
the prophet Daniel, who was chosen “because
an excellent spirit was in him” (Daniel 6:3).
It was also true of the martyr Stephen, “a
man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts
6:5). And who could forget John the Baptist,
“filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his
mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15).
For these men and for us, the most important part
of the body is the two-pound electrochemical
computer called the brain. Your hands and feet do
the bidding of your brain, so that is the space
that God’s Spirit wants to inhabit. Of
course, the devil is constantly probing our
mental defenses for weak spots so that he can
break in and take complete control of our
thoughts.
However, Jesus knocks politely at the door of our
hearts and minds, tenderly calling our names and
gently requesting permission to enter and abide
in us (see Revelation 3:20). We should open the
door to Him, because He is perfectly filled with
the Spirit of God. “For God does not give
the Spirit by measure” (John 3:34).
Dwight Moody said, “God commands us to be
filled with the Spirit, and if we are not filled,
it is because we are living beneath our
privileges.” How can we receive this filling?
“Blessed
are the pure and heart, for they shall see God.”
–Matthew 5:8
Power in
Purity
One of the knights of King Author’s
round table was Sir Galahad, who was called the
“Maiden Knight” because of his pure
life. He was much more noble than the well-known
Sir Lancelot, who had an affair with Guinevere.
Alfred Tennyson, the English poet, reports Sir
Galahad as saying, “My strength is as the
strength of ten, because my heart is pure.”
We looked in depth at the devil’s deadly
devices in the last section. After seeing them,
you might be thinking we should live in fear of
his crafty power. However, the story of the
demoniac’s deliverance teaches the opposite.
When we are abiding in Christ, we need not fear
the enemy. “You are of God, little children,
and have overcome them, because He who is in you
is greater than he who is in the world” (1
John 4:4). We need to remember this crucial fact:
We do not become strong for God by virtue of our
own righteousness. Many professed Christians are
crippled in their service because their
unforsaken sins sap the vitality from their faith.
It was after the disciples had spent ten days
humbling themselves and putting aside their
differences that God poured out the power of His
Spirit (Acts 1:8). “Those who wait on the
Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not
be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah
40:31).
I once read about a rather rough, uncultured
bachelor who fell in love with a beautiful vase
in a shop window that he passed each day as he
walked to work. He eventually bought the vase and
placed it on the mantelpiece by his bedroom
window. It soon became a bold judgment on the
state of his room-the curtains were faded and
dirty, the old chair was oozing stuffing, and the
wallpaper was peeling. The bachelor decided that
he had to clean up the room to make it worthy of
the vase. Gradually, one project at a time, the
bedroom came alive. It was rejuvenated. The
beauty of one special object inspired the
transformation.
This story illustrates the transforming influence
that Jesus has when we receive Him into our
hearts.
Jesus will make our hearts purer, and when He
does, we will become better able to resist Satan’s
temptations. There is power in purity.
“The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord
has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the
poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
–Isaiah 61:1
Delivering the
Captives
A miner approached the famous preacher G.
Campbell Morgan and said he would do anything to
believe that God would forgive him of all of his
sins. “But,” the miner lamented, “I
cannot believe He will if I just turn to Him. It
is too cheap.”
Dr. Morgan responded with a question. “You
were working in the mine today. How did you get
out of the pit?”
He answered, “The way I usually do. I got
into the elevator cage and was pulled to the top.”
“How much did you pay to come out of the pit?”
the pastor asked.
“I didn’t pay anything.”
Morgan said, “Weren’t you afraid to
trust yourself to a cage? Was it not too cheap?”
The man replied, “Oh, no! It was cheap for
me, but it cost the company a lot of money.”
Suddenly the miner saw the light!
While our salvation comes to us freely by faith
and not by anything that we do, Jesus paid an
immense price for it. The gift that is free to us
cost God a great deal.
The most eloquent plea that the demoniac could
offer was his own desperate helplessness. However,
he came anyway, and Jesus heard the prayer of his
heart. “The Spirit also helps in our
weaknesses. For we do not know what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself
makes intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).
All it took was one word from Jesus-”Go!”
–and the man was free.
While the demoniac had once been a slave to demon
possession, he was now free. While he was once
wild and uncontrollable, he now sat quietly at
Jesus feet. While once he was an instrument of
Satan, he was a witness to Christ’s power.
Once naked, he was now clothed. Once a menace to
society, he was now a messenger with words of
deliverance and healing.
A young girl watched a plane write an
advertisement against the blue backdrop of the
sky. She became a little puzzled when the words
began to disappear. Then suddenly she piped up.
“Maybe Jesus has an eraser!” she said.
In a sense, she was right. Just as skywriting
disappears, Jesus wipes away all things for which
we have repented. No matter how much we mature as
Christians and try desperately to compensate for
our past misdeeds, memories of these failures can
rise up and haunt us. However, with God’s
forgiveness, they will fade away.
Jesus does have an eraser.
“Jesus
said unto him, ‘If you can believe, all
things are possible to him who believes.’”
– Mark 9:23
The Power of
Faith
A friend gave me a racquet worth two hundred
dollars when he heard how much I like playing
racquetball. (I think he had purchased it at 75
percent off.) I looked forward to playing with
this ultra light, powerful racquet. In fact, I
thought to myself, “Now I am going to win
for a change, because I have got this expensive,
high-tech racquet.”
Sure enough, the next time we played, I won all
three games. Afterward, as I was putting my
racquet away, I discovered that I had been
playing with my old racquet. Evidently, I had
pulled the old racquet out of my bag instead of
the new one without noticing what I was doing.
And since I though I was playing with t two-hundred-dollar
racquet, I played much better though the entire
time I was really was using the same old, crooked
thirty-nine-dollar racquet I had all along!
Faith is powerful! Aware of this truth, major
corporations pay motivational speakers thousands
of dollars a day to inspire their sales employees.
These speakers say that when people truly believe
in something, they have the “power of
positive thinking,” which can influence them
to do extraordinary things.
Even the twelve-step addiction-recovery programs
incorporate faith as one of the major keys to
success. Step 8 says: “I not only believe,
but ‘act as if’ my higher power is
guiding my life and situation. My life is one of
simple reliance on my Higher Power.”
The Bible also promises great things for those
who have faith. From the Old Testament to the New,
it has always been about having faith. Habakkuk 2:4
tell us, “The just shall live by faith.”
And in the New Testament, Paul wrote, “By
grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians
2:8).
After the disciples tried and failed to cast a
demon out of a boy, they called on Jesus, who
rebuked the demon and cured the child almost
instantly. The disciples asked Jesus,”
‘Why could we not cast it out?’ “Jesus
answered,” ‘Because of your unbelief,
for assuredly, I say unto you, if you have faith
as a mustard seed, you say to this mountain,
“Move from here to there,” and it will
move; and nothing will be impossible for you’”
(Matthew 17:18-20). And when Jesus faced the
demoniac, He believed He had the power to set the
poor soul free.
“Without faith it is impossible to please
Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). We will
not be able to break any of the chains that bind
us if we do not have faith.
Ask Christ to increase your faith today so that
He can do even greater things in your life. If
your faith is fragile, you can even pray like the
father of the demon-possessed boy, “Lord, I
believe, help my poor belief!” (Mark 9:24).
“Looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
–Hebrews 12:2
We Are Changed
by Beholding
A godly pastor was approached by a member of
his congregation-a physician who was concerned
about the pastor’s busy schedule. Handing
the minister some theater tickets, he said,
“You work too hard! You need some recreation,
so go to this movie and have a good time.”
His pastor looked at the tickets, knowing he
could not conscientiously attend. He replied
kindly, “Thank you, but I cannot take them.
I cannot go.”
“Why not!” asked the physician.
“Doctor, it is this way,” he answered.
You are a surgeon, and when you operate, you
scrub your hands meticulously until you are
especially clean. You would not dare operate with
dirty hands. Likewise, I am a servant of Christ.
I deal with precious souls. I would not dare do
my service with a dirty heart.”
Probably the most lethal influences eroding the
purity of modern Christians are the TV and VCR/DVD.
Many professed Christians who would never be
found guilty of engaging in the actual deeds of
murder, adultery, robbery, and lying still
participate vicariously in these sins every week
by willingly beholding them on television
programs and through videos.
King David promised, “I will set nothing
wicked before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3). Not
only does Scripture condemn those acts, but
judgment is pronounced against those who “have
pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:32,
KJV). In other words, those who revel in watching
others commit these sins are committing them in
their hearts.
There is a dainty butterfly with a wingspread of
less than an inch. It’s beautiful-bright
blue wings with jewel-like gold spots. However,
as lovely as it is to behold, it has a disgusting
diet. Instead of floating from flower to flower
and feeding on nectar, it descends to earth and
feeds on dung.
Millions of professed Christians act like these
butterflies. They go to church, but they feed on
filth at home, as they watch TV programs and
videos that profane God’s name and depict
violations of every commandment. If we ever hope
to be pure in heart, we must guard the avenues to
our souls. What we choose to watch, read, and
hear should measure up to the standard of Christ’s
approval.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove what is good and
acceptable and perfect will of God “ (Romans
12:1,2).
The demoniac’s deliverance is beautiful to
consider. As this poor, raging soul stood before
the Savior and beheld Him, he was transformed
into the image of his new Master.
Scripture often testifies to the principle that
we become like the person or thing we worship.
“We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in
a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2
Corinthians 3:18).
So, as we turn our eyes upon Jesus and gaze
everyday at His pure and spotless life, we find
ourselves longing for that same purity. However,
if we fill our minds with the wicked and
frivolous material that is so prevalent in movies,
magazines, and on television, we will find that
carnal craving constantly pollute our heart. They
will sear our conscience, and we will lose our
hunger and thirst for righteousness.
It is worthy to note that the animal-like
demoniac lived in a region peppered with idols.
Many were of gods that were part animal and part
man. Surrounded by these animalistic images, the
madman became like the idols he beheld. The Bible
says this will happen to anyone who falls into
the same trap.
“Those who make them are like them; so is
everyone who trusts in them”
(Psalm
135:18).
Those who worship and follow Jesus are gradually
transformed into His likeness. That is what makes
them Christian, “followers of Christ.”
Scripture notes this transformation in Jesus’
disciples: “When they saw the boldness of
Peter and John, and perceived that they were
uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And
they realized that they had been with Jesus”
(Acts 4:13).
“When he saw Jesus, he
cried out, and fell down before Him.” –
Luke 8:28
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