“And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” Mark 5:34 NKJV
RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
Do you want to know truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was once a hot mess of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. But I was lost and when I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choses. When I found Jesus, and truth – I found peace and deliverance from those things.
If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and God will reveal truth to you. It becomes the two way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth, because he is our only way to the Father.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen
BIBLE READING:
Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Today’s reading is the Book of Mark chapter 5 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).
A Demon-Possessed Man Healed
5 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the [a]Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind [b]him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore[c] You by God that You do not torment me.”
8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”
And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And [d]at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in [e]Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the [f]affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw [g]a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
Footnotes
- Mark 5:1 NU Gerasenes
- Mark 5:3 NU adds anymore
- Mark 5:7 adjure
- Mark 5:13 NU He gave
- Mark 5:20 Lit. Ten Cities
- Mark 5:29 suffering
- Mark 5:38 an uproar
MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:
Isaiah 41:10- “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:
When we think of “signs and wonders” we think of demons being cast out, people being healed from incurable illnesses and raising the dead. In this one chapter, Mark gives us all three – and they are three of the most often covered and known miracles / acts of Jesus. It is right up there with the death and resurrection. These are clean and complete stories, so it is easy to relay to an audience and Jesus doing the impossible is spectacular in our limited minds.
Remember when I said Jesus often spoke in three (more or less) parables to make one point – and how it was a style of teaching and writing from the time period? In today’s reading we have three actions: Demons being cast out, healing and raising the dead. And true to the style of writing and teaching at the time these three action are put together to show one point – Jesus is capable of the impossible. Mark was writing this all down as a teaching – teaching the gospel to Gentiles.
First we read about the scariest nightmare for the disciples: they land next to a cemetery, and the dead are unclean to a Jew, next a demoniac rushes them (covered in physical filth, dripping blood from cutting himself and living among dead so he is also spiritually unclean)! And off to the other side of them were pigs – also unclean!! The came here by sea – do you remember why? They were so pressed by people, they needed a break a moment to stretch and rest. But instead they are up all night afraid for their lives at a storm that tried to kill them and now, more exhausted than before they land here – in the middle of a nightmare – with lots to fear.
You and I live in a man-made nightmare of a sort. Protected by God, I sometimes look out into the greater world and I learn anger is overflowing – people are exhausted by fear – they are hit on ever side! All the more the Church must be their shelter in a storm – but many churches in America are still closed. “As things open back up” is still a saying, and I wonder how long we will cling to it because of the fear of our freedoms being taken away again, not noticing some of our freedoms are gone forever. The fact that our nightmarish world was a politically created cluster chaos mess up – doesn’t make the fear and spiritual uncleanness any less real. Our world is co messed up in such a complicated way – there is NO WAY a man can untangle it – except Jesus.
Jesus, let the dead rest, by removing the demonic man. Jesus freed the demonic man and made him an evangelist – go into your land and tell. Everyone else was told to stay quiet – not him. But the demons did go into their pigs and they all died. It crippled the economy of that region. These are Jews, what were they doing with pigs to begin with? Maybe Jesus did not cripple the economy, but whipped it and the uncleanness away. I am sure God provided for them in a new way.
In our impossible situations we need Jesus. We see the church leadership (and it will be throughout the whole church) all false teachers and leaders being exposed – Jesus is cleaning out, like he cleaned out the legion of demons. Inflation and economic crisis and impending food and supply shortages – maybe Jesus is cleaning out our economy as well. Jesus is famous for doing the impossible – cleaning out the unclean.
So Jesus and the 12 get back in the boat to return to the crowds.
Pressed again on every side – everyone trying to get His attention and receive a miracle. Our church altars should be packed with the same. And with hundreds of hands reaching out and grabbing Him – one hand pulled the anointing out of Him. It says the lady was scared because she knew it was her – but I bet everyone who touched him was also scared, was it me?!
It was her faith, He said. She being weak and scared – was determined and fought for her blessing, her healing, everything God had for her – He pushed through, even as she was unclean and made others unclean by pushing through – she broke all the rules focused only on Jesus and Jesus alone. We have heard it said before – but have you taken the time to fight in the spirit and pray it through. She had to break through the crowds and we have to break through in prayers as well. We are part of our breakthrough. We cannot sit here and wait for it to happen. We must reach through the fight, through the crowds, through our struggles – we must reach out and touch Jesus.
Oh you say your prayer time is distracted and Jesus seems so far off – and if he wants me to have it he will come to me… well, dear friend, in this story in Mark, he was going to raise a dead child. In our current world, He might be tending to the wounds of a soldier or changing the hearts of a leader. He has a lot to take care of. Now hold up, I am NOT saying Jesus is too busy for you – He knows ALL your needs and wants before you do! What I am saying is we are not children anymore, and He is our Lord, not our servant. Stop waiting around for Him to jump through your hoops and GO, SEEK HIM OUT, AND REACH THROUGH IT ALL – AND TOUCH HIM! Yes, let Him do what He is famous for in in the process, grab yours. Pray it through. Stay in prayer until you have it. Fast and pray – so some determination! Act like you want it! Because Jesus is famous for doing the impossible – and growing determined, unstoppable faith inside you in the process.
Finally – to the ill child. Oh wait, she is dead. I am not up for a theological debate on if the child is actually dead or sleeping (or if Jesus raised the dead here or just healed an almost dead child). So through the Greek lexicon and determine for yourself. Because neither thought on it changes the point – Jesus does the impossible. Neither belief changes who Jesus is, because we saw him raise the dead in other passages. Neither changes the ability of that same power (that can raises the dead AND heals the incurable) to be able to come to you, take you by the hand and help you up out of the grip of death. Did you hear me? Nothing changes the ability of that same power to be able to come to you, take you by the hand and help you up out of the grip of death!
Two of my favorite parts of this are: first that the parent, the intercessor, comes to Jesus and Jesus is like – ok let’s go do this. Jesus is willing to heal. God knew of this child, but someone still needed to intercede. And so seldom do we think about that. We can intercede on behalf of so many people. It is easy and effective. And as you intercede and think Jesus isn’t moving – remember this. He is. He may have stopped to heal the lady with Blood, but he is still coming for your child and/or whoever you praying for.
The second is that Jesus removes the negative people from the girl before healing her. Sometimes we need to remove these people from our lives and sometimes God removes them. But if they are not speaking life into our lives, Jesus will remove them. Those kinds of people do not get to be there for the miracles and the good times.
Today we have Jesus go to the demoniac (who rushed to Him), and then a woman comes to him, and then he goes to a child (after someone came to him on her behalf). Who comes and goes to whom is not as important as the fact that in all cases someone came to Jesus needing the impossible and Jesus did the impossible.
Jesus still does the possible too – so ask for those as well! But press in for those impossible – he wants you to have a break through and want to meet you in the process and bless you exceedingly abundant! Today is a day for the impossible to become: in Jesus nothing is impossible. (Phil. 4:13)
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Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
If Not For Grace 