The story at the end of the lesson this week was an inspiration for this presentation in relation to last weeks comments on humility. January 23, 2021 bulletin, because in ones final decision to accepting Christ into our lives that component would seem necessary, other answers may be taken from the biblical examples at the end of this presentation, the compilation of this are my thoughts and taken from others on the internet, this song is an original from Norma Stephenson, a link is found below:
I believe in the old rugged cross,
I believe there my sins were all lost,
I believe Jesus lives,
I believe Jesus died,
I believe that He rose from the dead.
I believe He lives by His Father's side,
and His Spirit lives in me.
I believe from an old rugged cross
Comes a call to every heart
I believe Jesus died
I believe Jesus lives
I believe that He's coming again
I believe He lives by His Father's side
And His Spirit lives in me.
I believe on an old rugged cross
Jesus paid for my sin.
I believe He lives by His Father's side
and His Spirit lives in me.
Yes, His Spirit lives in me.
The story from Mark 5:1-20 relates how Jesus and the disciples go to
the town of Gerasenes and there encounter a man who is possessed by evil
spirits. This demoniac – a self-imposed outcast from society – lived at
the outskirts of town and ‘night and day among the tombs and in the
hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones’. The grossest part
of the story, however, isn’t the self-mutilation. It’s the demoniac’s
insane refusal to accept help. When Jesus approached him, the demoniac
threw himself to the ground and wailed: ‘What do you want with me?
…,don’t torture me!’ When you’re possessed by evil spirits, the worst
thing in the world is to be healed. The demoniac tells Jesus to leave
him and his sharp little stones in his comfortable corner of hell.
Being
demonic is more common than we might like to admit. One may hear the
drunkard or an addict say: leave me alone and let me ruin my life.
There are many ways to distract ourselves – movies and alcohol, tempers
and eating, Facebook and all the fixations and obsessions of modern
life. But at the end of the day, these are pitifully little comfort.
What does a demoniac feel:
FEAR. It’s fear. It is the sense of uneasiness that one has at the edge of a cliff, or climbing a ladder, or thinking about the prospects of a completely open future. It’s the feeling that we get when faced with possibility. It’s the unsettling feeling of freedom. Yes, freedom, that most precious of modern watchwords, is deeply unsettling.
These comments are long, so that is the reason for the link!! I am taking my freedom here as a bulletin editor because there are many aspects to our decisions which elude to topics in previous bulletin comments. Our appearances of addiction could be totally sane or normal and so how do we deal with it as an individual?!
Where was this demoniacs freedom? It was standing there beside him. An agnostic would question that. But somewhere there is Christianity inside the person that was there in the beginning, a part of us needs acceptance and freedom that is offered by Jesus who will loose our chains.
That freedom is being offered to you here, you who are reading, whether you are a believer or not, to believe in the change Christ can make in us/you/me, to integrate the belief into your soul and know why these people walked away from their possession and knowing that freedom . Each one of these people listed here knew what that was, they walked away happy, joyful, content and energetic as described in the verses.
The two restored demoniacs were the first missionaries whom Christ sent
to preach the gospel in the region of Decapolis. For a few moments only
these men had been privileged to hear the teachings of Christ. Not one
sermon from His lips had ever fallen upon their ears. They could not
instruct the people as the disciples who had been daily with Christ were
able to do. But they bore in their own persons the evidence that Jesus
was the Messiah.
EGWhite Writings
A remnant shall return……..a token of these people mentioned below
Cornelius - Peter came to him at his request because he already believed in Christ Acts 10:47-48
the Eunuch - believed in the word that was taught him and was baptized
People at Pentecost - believed Acts 2:38
John the Baptist- also baptized those who believed in Jesus for the burial of their sins
the Sorcerer Simon - converted and was baptized Acts 8:13
Christ, though without sin, but as an example was baptized as he would be a teacher to the sinful crowds around Him
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/130.432
Water (by immersion from biblical examples) Baptism is an act of obedience for the believer. It should be preceded by repentance, which simply means “change.” It is turning from our sin and selfishness to serve the Lord. It means placing our pride, our past and all of our possessions before the Lord.
By accepting this freedom, humility is welcomed, obedience is voluntary, and peace is felt and we have love to worship a Holy God.
But in heaven, service is not rendered in the spirit of legality. When Satan rebelled against the law of Jehovah, the thought that there was a law came to the angels almost as an awakening to something unthought of. In their ministry the angels are not as servants, but as sons. There is perfect unity between them and their Creator. Obedience is to them no drudgery. Love for God makes their service a joy. So in every soul wherein Christ, the hope of glory, dwells, His words are re-echoed, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Psalm 40:8. MB 109
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6. Isaiah Proclaimed God's Holiness
The prophet’s lofty vision of God’s holiness is a major reason this book is so unforgettable. Isaiah presents an exalted picture of the Lord of Hosts in a God-focused, God-centered, and God-honoring way.
In his vision, Isaiah viewed the heavenly seraphim: “And one called to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3) In the presence of these celestial angels and realizing the holiness of the Lord, Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:5) He was appalled by his own unholy state.
Like Isaiah, we need to hear the words of the One “who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy.” (Isaiah 57:15) God says, “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” The Holy God drew near to those who came to Him and humbly repented of sin. Today, Christians come to God through His Son, Immanuel: “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
I hope there is lots to enjoy here in these examples, Happy Sabbath to you all and God bless as you put it all together!!!
