INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
"VERS. 1-20. Into the country of the Gadarenes."
"THE POWER OF EVIL SPIRITS." "Their field is the world." "CHRIST'S POWER OVER EVIL SPIRITS. 1. Feared by them... 2. Hated of them... 3. Absolute over them - 'Come out of him, thou unclean spirit.'" "Christ only can deliver us from the power of Satan." "THE GREAT POWER OF THE INHABITANTS OF DARKNESS OVER THE EVIL HEART." "THE UTTER IMPOTENCY OF MAN TO DELIVER THE POSSESSED FROM THE POWER OF THE INHABITANTS OF DARKNESS." "THE WEAKNESS OF THE POWERS OF DARKNESS IN CONFLICT WITH CHRIST. A legion of demons expelled by a word!" "Beware of tampering with evil." "Be thankful to be saved from the physical tyranny of the devil. He would make us all howling demoniacs if he could: but he is restrained by the power & interference of Jesus Christ." "HUMAN EFFORTS EXERTED." "Notice modern human restraints. Law, prisons, reformatories, policemen, & punishments. Besides these there are public opinion, fashion, custom. These are often used to keep the unruly in check." "HUMAN EFFORTS FRUSTRATED. No restraints could be found that were strong enough." "Observe how futile are human efforts in restraining sin." "HUMAN EFFORTS SUPERSEDED. Jesus did not rebuke those who had done their best, but He did something better. He exorcised the evil spirit." "Hopeless until some one stronger than the devils should come - then deliverance" "Satan's work is a work of destruction." "Ver. 6. But when he saw Jesus afar off." "Immeasurable is the distance between God & a sinner; it is wide as the gulf between sin & holiness, death & life, hell & heaven. (C.H. Spurgeon.)" "...is the sinner's wisest course to run to Jesus; for - 1. He is the Son of the Most High God. 2. He is the great Enemy of our enemy, the devil. 3. He is abundantly able to drive out a legion of devils. 4. He can cause us to be clothed in our right mind. 5. He permits us, even now, to draw near & worship Him." "Ver. 7. What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the most high God?" "THE DEVIL CRIES OUT AGAINST THE INTRUSION OF CHRIST." "MEN UNDER THE DEVIL'S INFLUENCE CRY OUT AGAINST THE INCOMING OF CHRIST BY THE GOSPEL." "The gospel is a great disturber of sinful peace." "IN THIS REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL YOU INCUR TERRIBLE GUILT." "Ver. 9. My name is Legion." "Truly the name of sin is Legion." "Like a foul demon, it has poisoned & polluted, blighted & cursed everything it has touched." "Vers. 11-14. Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them." "Men must part with their sins, if they want to have their Saviour. The swine will be driven out of our hearts, if Christ enters them." "Vers. 15, 16. Sitting, & clothed, & in his right mind. - The joy of freedom from satanic tyranny" "Ver. 17. To depart out of their coasts." "They have the opportunity of reformation & rejuvenation; life, & immortality, & glory, are within their reach; but there are the swine. In order that they may sit at the feet of Christ, they must lose their herds of unclean beasts, they must lose their unjust profits & wicked pleasures; but, rather than lose these, they will sacrifice the Saviour." "Vers. 18, 20. Prayed Him that he might be with Him." "Every man who is conscious that his character has been brought under the power of the Spirit of God, is bound to let men know that the life which is flowing out from him now is not his own natural life, but one which proceeds from the Spirit of God." "...THE PATH OF DUTY WHICH CHRIST HAS MARKED OUT FOR US MAY BE THE OPPOSITE OF THAT WHICH WE NATURALLY THINK & ARDENTLY DESIRE." "The mission of the saved: - Men saved from Satan - 1. Beg to sit at Jesus' feet, clothed, & in their right mind. 2. Ask to be with Him always, & never to cease from personal attendance upon Him. 3. Go at His bidding, & publish abroad what great things He has done for them. 4. Henceforth have nothing to do but to live for Jesus & for Him alone. (C.H. Spurgeon.)" "Go to the sphere in which providence has placed you, & into that sphere bring the glorious riches with which grace has enriched you." "...the devils acknowledge the power of Christ over them" "THEY SAW THE POOR WRETCH DISPOSSESSED, & INSTEAD OF BRINGING ALL THEIR SICK TO BE HEALED BESOUGHT JESUS TO DEPART. How dreadful was this prayer!" "Vers. 21, 23, 35, 43. Jairus by name." "Distress is a great schoolmaster. It teaches men many things; among the rest the greatest of all attainments - the power to pray. (R. Glover.)" "Mark the extreme tenderness of Jesus, 'Fear not, only believe.' Be not afraid convicted sinner. My blood is sufficient, My grace & love are sufficient. (J. H. Evans, M.A.)" "Jesus stronger than death: - And just remember, that when Jesus allows death to knock at your door, & to come in, it is not because death is stronger than He." "CHRIST'S RESTORATIVE POWER TRANSCENDS THE ORDINARY EXPECTATIONS OF MANKIND." "CHRIST'S RESTORATIVE POWER IS EXERTED ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS." "CHRIST'S RESTORATIVE POWER ACCOMPLISHES ITS OBJECT WITH THE GREATEST EASE." "CHRIST'S RESTORATIVE POWER CONFOUNDS THE SCOFFING SCEPTIC WITH ITS RESULT." "Life is indestructible by death." "Vers. 24, 34. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood 12 years." "HOW A CURE CAN BE WROUGHT. I must press to get near Him. I must touch. The least of Christ will save. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "The disease of humanity incurable except by Christ: - The disease of fallen humanity is wholly incurable except by the hand of Omnipotence." "...the slightest connection with Jesus will bless us. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "She felt in her body that she was healed.'" "Oh, therefore, thou that feelest thy soul diseased with sin, make haste unto Christ to be cured by this Divine healing virtue that is in Him" "Do this therefore, & do it speedily, without delay." "A weak faith may lay hold on a strong Christ" "We, too, have a need of Christ. He alone can (1) pardon our sins; (2) renew our nature; (3) strengthen us to wage the spiritual conflict with success." "He is more ready to give than we to receive." "The farmer does not show his faith by lying in his bed & waiting for God to plough & harrow his field & sow his seed. He ploughs, & harrows, & sows, & shows his faith in then waiting for God to give the increase." "Instead of the survival of the fittest, we have a law requiring the strong to help the weak, the healthy to improve their health for the sake of the diseased, & even those who are hopelessly stricken, & for ever invalided from the battle of life, are cast on us as a peculiar care" "Those who do not touch Christ by faith, their sorrows are but sorrows, their disappointments bring no outweighing joy, their troubles are not trials, only calamities." "...touch is pollution (Haggai 2:12, 13)" "...touch is consecration (Exodus 3:26, 29)" "...touch is strength (Daniel 10:10, 16, 18)" "...touch is wisdom (Jeremiah 1:9)" "...touch is purity (Isaiah 6:7)" "Imputed righteousness is really transferred righteousness; the purity of the Saviour becomes ours." "Lessons: 1. Trouble comes to all. 2. Trouble should drive us to Christ. 3. Trouble should bind us more closely in sympathy & love with our brethren. 4. Trouble should endear to us the more the hope of heaven. (W. Forsyth, M.A.)" "Ver. 36. Be not afraid, only believe." "Be not afraid that the day of grace is past." "Be not afraid that your sins are too many." "'Only believe.' ...Simply, trust to Me." "Believe that He is able to save thee." "Believe that He is willing to save you." "Believe that He is ready to save you." "Believe that He will save you. This you must do." "A man at the feet of Jesus need not indulge in tormenting fear, for there is no evil he is in danger of but he may be saved from - no blessing he needs but he may secure." "With men 'seeing is believing' but with the believer 'believing is seeing.'" "Ver. 43. Something should be given her to eat." "Whatever knowledge, or grace, or peace, or comfort, God has given you, He says, 'Feed, with this, one of My lambs.'" The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 189 - 224.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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