But the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging and praying that he might accompany Him and be with Him, but [Jesus] sent him away, saying, Return to your home, and recount [the story] of how many and great things God has done for you. And [the man] departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
Luke 8:38-39
It has been a HOT MINUTE since I’ve written a post… and I have so many things to share, there is no way I can get through it all in one blog. I have some amazing updates to share with you about what God is doing through Kainos Global in Kenya, thanks to our amazing partners, and news about more exciting podcasts on the way. But for today, I want to share with you something that has been on my heart for some time now.
I was studying and meditating on the story of the two demon-possessed men being set free by Jesus (see Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8) when I discovered something very interesting. First, why don’t you flip to Luke 8 and read verses 26-39 right now, before I go on?
Okay, I will assume you have read Luke 8:26-39 just now and it is fresh in your mind… or at least you are familiar with this story in general. So, did you notice how this man (Matthew points out there were two men) was an absolute mess? First, this guy was totally naked and was living in tombs (Luke 8:27). He was not quite ready for a dinner party… this dude was not a pretty sight. But the picture gets crazier when he opens his mouth: he runs up to Jesus (the disciples probably thought he was going to attack them all) and falls on his face before Him, crying out in a loud voice that Jesus would not torment him. Weird. But then Jesus saves this poor guy by sending the legion (a Roman military term denoting around 6,800 soldiers + cavalry at that time in history) of disembodied spirits (demons) out of the poor man, resulting in his complete and utter deliverance.
As a side note, have you every witnessed this kind of delivering power? I have seen people fully possessed with demons set completely free both in the U.S. and in other countries around the globe; and the result is always the same: the person goes from being totally dominated by an evil spirit (or group of spirits) to being totally and completely set free by the power of God. It is truly an indescribable experience to see someone who is so deeply bound up and literally controlled by evil spirits to being so wonderfully and joyfully set free; oh, their face changes! Their whole body changes! They just start praising and thanking God. It’s awesome.
Seeing people set free from demonic possession is part of our job description, friend. Jesus said that this is one accompanying sign that would follow those that truly believe on Jesus: that “these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (See Mark 16:17-18)
What a powerful and life-changing truth! But what I want to focus on for today is what happened next. I think it is interesting how, after witnissing such an undeniable deliverance (for everyone in the region surely knew about this man; see Matthew 8:28), the local populace wanted nothing to do with Jesus. “And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned.” (Luke 8:37)
Jesus honored their request and left. Although these people knew without a doubt that Jesus had worked a great, saving miracle in their midst, they were “gripped with a great fear” (I invite you to think about where that fear may have come from in light of the last few verses) and wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
So my question is, “what do you do when an entire people group rejects Jesus, even when they are fully aware of His saving and healing power?” I think that is a very relevant question for today. Guess what Jesus did? Jesus didn’t wave a magic wand or force people to believe on Him, even though that was exactly what God desired.
God’s strategy for a world who rejects Jesus, even when they know He is the Savior, is to send a person whose life has been changed to be a witness to them.
This is clear from the story; Jesus knew He was not welcome, but He knew the power of a changed life. This man, whom the entire city (actually, a group of ten cities called Decapolis) knew to be previously an absolute wretch, had a touch from Jesus and was now on fire for Him. Jesus knew that just one person who has had a life-changing encounter with Him would be enough to change the world around him. That was Jesus’ strategy back then, and I believe that is His strategy today.
Have you had a life-changing encounter with Jesus? Have you been touched, healed, delivered, or set free by the Savior of the world? Have you been healed in your body by the power of Jesus? Have you been miraculously plucked out of a life of addiction and destruction? If you have met this Jesus… you know what I am talking about. There is absolutely nothing in the world that can compare with the life-changing power of coming in contact with the Savior of the world.
So what now? Will you open up your heart to Him? If you haven’t made Him your Savior, why wait? I have a prayer written out for you right here. There is no reason to wait any longer. You know you cannot earn your way to God; that is the whole point! You need Jesus. I need Jesus. He made a way to God so that we don’t have to be perfect and holy and religious. Through Jesus you can have a perfect and right relationship with God. Yep, it really is true.
If you have already made Jesus your Savior, then why don’t you open your heart up to Him for a fresh encounter right now? You don’t have to do anything special, just position your heart to receive a fresh dose of the Holy Spirit’s power and revelation. Let Him stoke the fire of your heart until you become a white-hot, burning flame that will be a powerful, living witness to the love, beauty, and power of Jesus Himself.
My prayer is that you burn bright, hot, and absolutely unstoppable with the fire that only Jesus can baptize you with–that you are so completely changed by Who He is that you cannot help but share His message with a cold, rejecting world. Think you are too small to make a difference? Think again. This is God’s way of doing it, even when Jesus Himself was not welcome in the people’s hearts.
With all my love, blessing, and fire to see every nation, tongue, and person changed by the living and delivering power of Jesus,
JesusPS: More updates from Kainos Global to follow in future blog posts. For now, we invite you to check us out at KainosGlobal.org. Please join us in prayer and with your finances. You can take part in what God is doing in Kenya by joining us. We have no shortage of vision, mission, and opportunity!