What Is Your Name?

One of the most pathetic figures in all of Scripture is the Gerasene (or Gadarene) demoniac. I mean pathetic in the most sympathetic way. The story is found in Mark 5:1-20. Are you familiar with the story? It’s the one where Jesus allowed the demons who had possessed this man to go into a herd of swine who promptly demonstrated their intolerance for such foolishness by running headlong into the lake and drowning.

I called this man “pathetic.” Part of the definition of “pathetic” is “pitiable” or “evoking pity.” You cannot read about this man’s life without feeling sorry for him. How awful to live your life like this! I know he was possessed by demons, and we cannot be so possessed today, but I’m not talking about the cause of his condition. I want you to just consider the condition itself. This man lived in the tombs away from the townspeople because he was so violent. He could not be bound even with chains. He didn’t wear clothes and he was in such torment that “…constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones” (Mark 5:5). Isn’t that just horrible?

I have to tell you, my life doesn’t seem so bad. How about yours? You may very well have been in such agony (either in physical pain or in mental anguish) that you actually cried out. I have. Many people have. But how bad does your life have to be that you spend all night and day crying out and gashing yourself with stones? Why would a person do that? I have a theory. I suspect his mental anguish was so bad that the physical pain he was inflicting upon himself would have been a relief. Now that’s pathetic! That is worthy of our pity!!

I’m not completely sure whose idea it was for this man to approach Jesus. It could have been the demon’s idea, or it could have been a desperate attempt by the man himself to finally be free. Whoever had the idea, he found himself bowed before Immanuel (God with us). You may be the kind of person who, at the first sign of trouble, runs to God in prayer. That’s good and I commend your for it. Don’t stop doing that! However, you may be the kind of person who runs blindly in any direction at the first sign of trouble. Maybe you panic is your effort to find an answer to your problems. Sometimes even people who respond this way find themselves suddenly confronted with God and His Word. Regardless of your initial reaction to the threat, you have the opportunity to be free.

I really don’t mean this note to be about demon possession or specifically what to do when this problem or that assails you in life. I just wanted to offer a note of encouragement by looking at such a pitiable character as this man whose life was worse than I can even imagine and how he ended up. After the demons left and went into the swine, he was a different man. When the people from town came out, they “…observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind…” (Mark 5:15). After meeting Jesus, he was cured. He was free! His life was back to normal, well, on its way to normal, anyway. I’m sure he had a lot of convincing to do with some of his neighbors.

Your life and mine can seem pretty desperate sometimes, I know. Even with some preacher telling you (or writing you) that your life is not as bad as some guy who was possessed by a whole bunch of demons, your life may still seem pretty bad; your “demons” just as real. I will not try and argue with you and tell you that you’re not as bad off as you think. I WILL tell you that there is a place you can go for relief. That place is before Jesus on your knees. If you go there and humble yourself in His presence, give yourself completely to Him (obeying all His commands in faith) you will be as healed and freed of the things that afflict you in this life as this demoniac.

This story lifts me up and encourages me more than any other case of Jesus healing or feeding or working other miracles. I hope it encourages you. I want you to be free of whatever keeps you from being what God wants you to be. I want your mind to be at peace and God can give you that peace, if you will just take it on His terms. He offers peace because He loves you and I write this to you because I love you, too.

Donnie Bates

Courage Under Fire

With many of our loved ones in the military, it seemed appropriate to write something about courage this week. We appreciate so much those of our number who willingly face injury and death to protect our way of life. It takes courage to do that . Our national history is full of men and women who have courageously faced enemies on every side and unselfishly laid down their lives for their comrades, countrymen, and loved ones.  They are heroes to us all. We pray earnestly that war will be avoided, but know that if such proves necessary, courage will again accompany the brave into battle.

Courage is important to the Christian, too. It takes courage to be faithful. Perhaps you never thought of religion in those terms, but it’s true. Oh, we understand that it takes courage to go into a dangerous foreign land and preach the gospel. Of course it takes courage to continue to confess Jesus even when someone puts a gun in your face and dares you to. However, you may not have thought it takes much courage to live the Christian life you live. Well, it does! It takes courage to live your life faithfully, that is.

We give a ticker-tape parade to the battlefield hero and we are full of praise for brother Smith’s stand against false doctrine and sister Jones’ defense of the truth and those accolades are well deserved. I want you to think, though, of the courage it takes for you, the average, ordinary person to live a faithful life. Maybe you’re a soldier, a preacher, an elder in the church, or maybe you’re a homemaker, a teacher, or a truck driver; it really doesn’t matter. Suppose you’re all alone one day and you come face to face with temptation. It doesn’t matter what the temptation is; we all face it in one form or another. This particular temptation, however, is particularly effective because it tempts you to do something that is sinful, but that no one else will know about. You can do it and no one will know. You can even do it and repent and no one will know, making it even more tempting. What do you do? 

Let’s let our imaginations take over for just a moment and move us into the spiritual realm. Who’s that soldier standing to one side? Why, it’s you! And there’s your armor spread out all around you on the ground. What’s that sound? It sounds terrifying! That sound is the sound of your enemy, the dragon, that serpent of old, Satan himself, approaching. And he’s coming for you!

My description may be a little melodramatic, but this is exactly what is happening when you face temptation.  The fight is on and you’ve got to put on your armor and fight or you’re going to be devoured. Here’s what I really want you to notice, though. Over to one side of the dragon you can see someone else fighting. That’s old brother Smith. You remember. He’s the one you thought so highly of for standing against false doctrine. You thought he was a REAL soldier of the cross. And there, on the other side of the dragon. It’s sister Jones, whom you admired for so ably defending the truth. The point is, they’re fighting the good fight and so are you...if you’re fighting, that is. It takes no more courage for the preacher or the elder or anyone else in the congregation you admire and think of as more spiritual and spiritually able than yourself to fight the good fight than it does for you. And when you fight off that temptation that no one else will ever know about, you’ve struck home a blow right in the heart of that old dragon.

Hear the words of the Lord: “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24).  When you face those enemies (temptations or people) remember these words: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).  Good friends, in these days of uncertainty, keep the faith, be of good cheer and be strong and courageous.  If you do you can’t lose because God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates