Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 29th, 2013 JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL

Today’s Passage – Luke 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read –  Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)

Scripture Memorization for August – Revival Verses

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Five Ways To Become a Missions Minded Family“

Read the “1029 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Return To Thine Own House“

CASTING OUT DEVILS

“And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.” (Luke 8:27-33)

Ahh. A new born baby is brought home. It’s totally dependent on it’s parents for everything. As the baby gets a little older, he or she starts testing the waters of independence, aka ‘the terrible twos’. Now a child is forming their personality. Before we know it they are teens, graduating High School and going out on their own.

Today as I was reading the verses above, I thought of the young people of today are not much different then the man who was possessed. Lets take a closer look.

“Ware no clothes” – We don’t have to look to hard to see that today’s styles are showing more skin then ever. My Dad had a saying “What happened to the rest of the dress you almost have on? As soon as the weather gets warm, the clothes come off. No need to go on here.

Next, “neither abode in any house, but in the tombs”. People are consumed with the living dead. Many new TV shows are about zombies. The world is celebrating Halloween and they decorate with graveyards in the front of their houses. There is nothing fun about graveyards. Oh, just a little side note about Halloween, it is Satan’s high day. If you do some searching, you’ll find more kidnapping is done around this time of year.

“When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not”. The lost world does not VigRX want anything to do with Jesus, except to use His name as a curse word. They avoid the Bible and church. For them to even think they would have to stay on the straight and narrow would be torture. Satan has them believing a lie. They are entangled in the sin satan has laid out for them. They have fallen into a ditch and cannot climb out on their own.

And last, “Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked”. If unchanged, the lost individual will be tormented for life and one day wake up in hell.

“And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:20-31)

What a joy it is to find a lost person and share the Gospel of salvation with them. It is a greater joy to lead someone to Christ; to be used of God to change a person from death to life; to watch God change them into His image.

“Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.” (Luke 8:35)

I know I blog about soulwinning often, but it’s something I believe that is close to God’s heart. Jesus didn’t ask to pray for souls to be saved, but for labors to find them.

Will you join me this week and find someone to talk to? Can you think of someone you can invite to church? Would you be willing to past out one Gospel tract? I’ll pray for you and you pray for me as we labor for souls.

Thank You

l John 5:13