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Christ's Power Over Evil Spirits! Mark 1:23-26
Text: “And Jesus rebuked him (the unclean spirit) saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.”
Mark 1:25-26.
Good morning, cleansed Christian! Like the author, once you wallowed in the pits of sin and depravity of sin; lost, and with nowhere to go for Spiritual healing; dwelling on the ever-growing human-rubbish dump of sin-discarded souls, all on our way to a Christ-rejector’s Eternal Hell.
If this stark description depicts the state your soul was in prior to being redeemed by Christ’s sinless Blood – it most certainly describes mine! (See ‘About Kenny’ on www.ulsterchristians.org)
However, our gracious and Sovereign Lord God Almighty was not content to leave us abandoned and discarded on that heap of ruined and Hell-bound souls. Praise God no! He shone the light of His glorious Gospel of Salvation into our very hearts and minds, and called us to receive His everlasting love and forgiveness. Christ exercised His Divine power over all evil in our hearts and souls. Glory to the Lamb Who is worthy! Hallelujah! Amen.
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
J.C. Ryle Comments:
“We learn, in the first place, from these verses, the uselessness of a mere intellectual knowledge of religion. Twice we are specially told that the unclean spirits knew our Lord. In one place it says, “they knew Him.” In another, the devil cries out, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy one of God.” They knew Christ, when Scribes were ignorant of Him, and Pharisees would not acknowledge Him. And yet their knowledge was not unto salvation!
“The mere belief of the facts and doctrines of Christianity will never save our souls. Such belief is no better than the belief of devils. They all believe and know that Jesus is the Christ. They believe that He will one day judge the world, and cast them down to endless torment in hell. It is a solemn and sorrowful thought, that on these points some professing Christians have even less faith than the devil. There are some who doubt the reality of hell and the eternity of punishment. Such doubts as these find no place except in the hearts of self-willed men and women. There is no infidelity among devils. “They believe and tremble.” (James 2:19)
“Let us take heed that our faith be a faith of the heart as well as of the head. Let us see that our knowledge has a sanctifying influence on our affections and our lives. Let us not only know Christ but love Him, from a sense of actual benefit received from Him. Let us not only believe that He is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, but rejoice in Him, and cleave to Him with purpose of heart.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)
There is an old saying here in Ulster (Northern Ireland, UK) which goes: ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ Meaning, if it is a good, tasty, well-baked, pudding – it will be eaten up, enjoyed, and recognised as evidence of a ‘good, well-baked, pudding’.
Genuine Christian belief should be placed in one Person only – the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must first acknowledge Him as God the Son, and believe in His Holy attributes. We must repent of our sin, be Spiritually regenerated; then seek diligently and earnestly to emulate His life – in all we say, do, think, and believe.
There can be no power in a Christian profession, without the evidence of Christ in the person making the Christian profession.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’
In our selected Bible reading for today, we find a man suffering from demon-possession; “…a man with an unclean spirit…” Such a negative position to be found in. (V.23)
However, the Lord God Almighty is a gracious and merciful Lord God, and, in the Person of Christ Jesus, saw fit to exercise His Absolute and Sovereign power over the powers of Satan and evil. Christ commanded the evil demon to, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” (V.25)
It is indeed truly amazing that, today, in this increasingly apostate and ungodly 21st Century, demons from Hell immediately recognise and obey the Lord Jesus Christ, while unregenerate, disobedient humankind use His Holy Name as a swear word.
“…Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee Who Thou art, the Holy One of God.” (V.24)
Praise God, even the evil powers of Hell must obey the Word of the Living Lord God, in Christ Jesus: “And when the unclean spirit had torn him (the demon-possessed man), and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.” (V.26)
Amazement was the result within those that clearly witnessed this Divine deliverance from evil, for they saw with their own eyes Divine authority being commanded: “…with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him” (V.27) Hallelujah!
Thought: At the Name of Jesus every knee must bow! Let us bow now. (Phil. 2:9-11)
(c) Dr C.K. McClinton
Ulster Christians
www.ulsterchristians.org
BE AUTHENTIC
From Ron Hawks
"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you…Romans 12:3.”
Today, different cultures, pockets of information, and values are landing on our personal doorsteps all the time. All of this diversity can cause us to feel intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually overloaded. It can also drive us toward a type of internal segregation that is unhealthy. We are constantly tempted to compartmentalize our lives as a way of coping with the overload. We may be drawn to think and act one way in terms of politics and social issues, yet a very different way in terms of our workplace and work ethics. We may think and act one way in our spiritual community, but another in our private sphere.
When we are tempted to feel, think and act differently in different settings, we can begin to lose our sense of identity and deep relationships. Have you ever been at a party composed of people from your different spheres of life – neighborhood, family, work, church, school, etc. – and felt awkward? Some of this awkwardness is natural and good; different people know different aspects of you. The question is, however, are you consistently being honest with whom you are, or are you "playing to the crowd" and portraying yourself differently in different settings? Though it may at times seem expedient to segregate your internal life – to keep your different thoughts, feelings, and worldviews separate within you, you will pay a price over time. You may lose touch with yourself, and become untouchable to others.
I would like to suggest three components to help you grow/maintain personal wholeness and integration. First, it is important to BE SELF-AWARE. Take time to understand your feelings and thoughts – even when they are in conflict with each other. Learn to live and embrace some of these tensions. Pay attention to how others perceive you; don't always discount them, they may well be right. Invite, learn from, and make appropriate adjustments based on the insights of others. "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3) Neither is it valuable to think of yourself lowlier than you ought. Be aware of who you are and how others perceive you.
Second, BE PRESENT to yourself and to others. Don't be one of those people who is always looking around the room at others when talking to someone, give that one person your undivided attention. "In humility consider others better than yourself." (Philippians 2:3) At the same time, be present to what is going on in you when you are with others. This will help you integrate your thoughts and feelings.
Third, BE AUTHENTIC. Be consistent and congruent. Be who you really are in every setting. This will actually make your life simpler. You won't have to pick which one of you to present in different settings, you can simply be you. To be authentic means, to be honest with yourself, honest with God, and honest with others – what a wonderful way to live…Pastor Tom
Text: “And Jesus rebuked him (the unclean spirit) saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.”
Mark 1:25-26.
Good morning, cleansed Christian! Like the author, once you wallowed in the pits of sin and depravity of sin; lost, and with nowhere to go for Spiritual healing; dwelling on the ever-growing human-rubbish dump of sin-discarded souls, all on our way to a Christ-rejector’s Eternal Hell.
If this stark description depicts the state your soul was in prior to being redeemed by Christ’s sinless Blood – it most certainly describes mine! (See ‘About Kenny’ on www.ulsterchristians.org)
However, our gracious and Sovereign Lord God Almighty was not content to leave us abandoned and discarded on that heap of ruined and Hell-bound souls. Praise God no! He shone the light of His glorious Gospel of Salvation into our very hearts and minds, and called us to receive His everlasting love and forgiveness. Christ exercised His Divine power over all evil in our hearts and souls. Glory to the Lamb Who is worthy! Hallelujah! Amen.
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
J.C. Ryle Comments:
“We learn, in the first place, from these verses, the uselessness of a mere intellectual knowledge of religion. Twice we are specially told that the unclean spirits knew our Lord. In one place it says, “they knew Him.” In another, the devil cries out, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy one of God.” They knew Christ, when Scribes were ignorant of Him, and Pharisees would not acknowledge Him. And yet their knowledge was not unto salvation!
“The mere belief of the facts and doctrines of Christianity will never save our souls. Such belief is no better than the belief of devils. They all believe and know that Jesus is the Christ. They believe that He will one day judge the world, and cast them down to endless torment in hell. It is a solemn and sorrowful thought, that on these points some professing Christians have even less faith than the devil. There are some who doubt the reality of hell and the eternity of punishment. Such doubts as these find no place except in the hearts of self-willed men and women. There is no infidelity among devils. “They believe and tremble.” (James 2:19)
“Let us take heed that our faith be a faith of the heart as well as of the head. Let us see that our knowledge has a sanctifying influence on our affections and our lives. Let us not only know Christ but love Him, from a sense of actual benefit received from Him. Let us not only believe that He is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, but rejoice in Him, and cleave to Him with purpose of heart.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)
There is an old saying here in Ulster (Northern Ireland, UK) which goes: ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ Meaning, if it is a good, tasty, well-baked, pudding – it will be eaten up, enjoyed, and recognised as evidence of a ‘good, well-baked, pudding’.
Genuine Christian belief should be placed in one Person only – the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must first acknowledge Him as God the Son, and believe in His Holy attributes. We must repent of our sin, be Spiritually regenerated; then seek diligently and earnestly to emulate His life – in all we say, do, think, and believe.
There can be no power in a Christian profession, without the evidence of Christ in the person making the Christian profession.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’
In our selected Bible reading for today, we find a man suffering from demon-possession; “…a man with an unclean spirit…” Such a negative position to be found in. (V.23)
However, the Lord God Almighty is a gracious and merciful Lord God, and, in the Person of Christ Jesus, saw fit to exercise His Absolute and Sovereign power over the powers of Satan and evil. Christ commanded the evil demon to, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” (V.25)
It is indeed truly amazing that, today, in this increasingly apostate and ungodly 21st Century, demons from Hell immediately recognise and obey the Lord Jesus Christ, while unregenerate, disobedient humankind use His Holy Name as a swear word.
“…Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee Who Thou art, the Holy One of God.” (V.24)
Praise God, even the evil powers of Hell must obey the Word of the Living Lord God, in Christ Jesus: “And when the unclean spirit had torn him (the demon-possessed man), and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.” (V.26)
Amazement was the result within those that clearly witnessed this Divine deliverance from evil, for they saw with their own eyes Divine authority being commanded: “…with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him” (V.27) Hallelujah!
Thought: At the Name of Jesus every knee must bow! Let us bow now. (Phil. 2:9-11)
(c) Dr C.K. McClinton
Ulster Christians
www.ulsterchristians.org
BE AUTHENTIC
From Ron Hawks
"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you…Romans 12:3.”
Today, different cultures, pockets of information, and values are landing on our personal doorsteps all the time. All of this diversity can cause us to feel intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually overloaded. It can also drive us toward a type of internal segregation that is unhealthy. We are constantly tempted to compartmentalize our lives as a way of coping with the overload. We may be drawn to think and act one way in terms of politics and social issues, yet a very different way in terms of our workplace and work ethics. We may think and act one way in our spiritual community, but another in our private sphere.
When we are tempted to feel, think and act differently in different settings, we can begin to lose our sense of identity and deep relationships. Have you ever been at a party composed of people from your different spheres of life – neighborhood, family, work, church, school, etc. – and felt awkward? Some of this awkwardness is natural and good; different people know different aspects of you. The question is, however, are you consistently being honest with whom you are, or are you "playing to the crowd" and portraying yourself differently in different settings? Though it may at times seem expedient to segregate your internal life – to keep your different thoughts, feelings, and worldviews separate within you, you will pay a price over time. You may lose touch with yourself, and become untouchable to others.
I would like to suggest three components to help you grow/maintain personal wholeness and integration. First, it is important to BE SELF-AWARE. Take time to understand your feelings and thoughts – even when they are in conflict with each other. Learn to live and embrace some of these tensions. Pay attention to how others perceive you; don't always discount them, they may well be right. Invite, learn from, and make appropriate adjustments based on the insights of others. "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3) Neither is it valuable to think of yourself lowlier than you ought. Be aware of who you are and how others perceive you.
Second, BE PRESENT to yourself and to others. Don't be one of those people who is always looking around the room at others when talking to someone, give that one person your undivided attention. "In humility consider others better than yourself." (Philippians 2:3) At the same time, be present to what is going on in you when you are with others. This will help you integrate your thoughts and feelings.
Third, BE AUTHENTIC. Be consistent and congruent. Be who you really are in every setting. This will actually make your life simpler. You won't have to pick which one of you to present in different settings, you can simply be you. To be authentic means, to be honest with yourself, honest with God, and honest with others – what a wonderful way to live…Pastor Tom