Jesus Power over Demons
Jesus' Power Over Demons
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June 24,2007 — The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
“Jesus' Power Over Demons” — Pastor Lassman
Luke 8: 26-39
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My Fellow Redeemed in Christ,
Do you believe in a real Satan? Do you believe that there are demons? I’m sure you do, but if you don’t you should. Of course, such things might seem strange in our scientific and technical world and many people don’t believe in Satan or evil spirits. And, being spirits, we cannot see Satan or demons. But the Bible talks a great deal about them. I’ve never seen Satan or a demon, but I believe in them not only because the Bible talks about them, but especially because Jesus Christ himself speaks about Satan and demons. In the church we often talk about sin and death, and rightly so. But we should never forget about Satan and his evil forces. For they go together: Satan, sin, and death as Martin Luther says in his Small Catechism about Jesus: “who has redeemed me a lost a condemned person, purchased and won me from all sin, from death….and from the power of the devil.” The power of the devil. That brings us to our gospel lesson where we see “Jesus’ Power Over Demons.”
I. In Jesus Christ the kingdom of God has come to attack and destroy the kingdom of Satan. When he began his public ministry at his baptism Jesus said: “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”.
A. God, of course, had created a perfect world. This included what we would call the “good angels.” But some of those angels, led by their leader, Satan, were not happy with their position in God’s order: they wanted to be God. And in their evil rebellion against God they were transformed into demons who oppose God and all that he stands for. It was their leader, Satan, who showed up as a snake in the Garden of Eden to tempt Adam and Eve to also be like God. And so sin and death came into the world. Satan had invaded God’s world and trashed it. Demons are the source of the world’s superstitions and religions. Demons are the ones behind those who persecute and kill Christians. Demons are the ones behind all the false doctrines that divide the Christian church. With deception and lies they do all in their power to keep people from believing in Jesus Christ and to destroy the faith of those who already believe. Thus the Bible calls the devil our “enemy”. There is an underlying evil in the world that human beings are helpless to overcome. The demon possessed man in our text symbolizes all of this. But remember that every human being is born into this world under the influence of Satan and a member of his kingdom as the apostle John says in his first letter: ”the whole world is under the control of the Evil one.” When you and I were born in the world, we too were under the control of the evil one—enslaved to sin and death, under God’s wrath and damnation. Never forget that.
B. And that’s why Jesus came into the world: to attack and destroy the kingdom of Satan and save his people. He trashed the kingdom of Satan, defeating him and giving mankind victory over sin and death. You can hear the fear in the evil spirit’s voice: “what have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the most high God.” They are filled with terror because they know that Jesus is stronger than they are. They are afraid of Jesus: “I beg you do not torment me.” They know that on the judgment day Jesus Christ will cast them into the fires of hell as we read in revelation: “and the devil..was thrown into the lake of burning sulpher, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night.” And so the spirits begged Jesus not to send them “into the abyss.” The demon was afraid that that day had come. But it had not. So Jesus told them to leave the man and enter the pigs. And they had no choice but to do what he said. Now in our gospel Jesus only delivered one man from demon possession. But on the cross he delivered all of humanity, you and me, from Satan and his forces by dying for our sins. Because of Jesus Christ we never have to fear being possessed by a demon—for our bodies are the temple of God. Because of Jesus Christ we can resist the devil and his temptations—for in baptism we have been united to Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus Christ the devil cannot scare us with death or damnation—for all our sins are forgiven and we will be raised from the dead. Because of Jesus Christ the devil cannot deceive us with his lies because we know the truth. Paul says it all when he writes in Colossians: “for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col.1: 13) you and I have been rescued from Satan and his kingdom—he has no power over us.
II. But as always there are two responses to Jesus.
A. Regardless of the evidence, some people just won’t believe. We see this in our text. There were eyewitnesses to what had happened—the herdsmen who tended the pigs. And they went and told the city and the whole country-side what they had seen. Indeed, they created such a stir that many people went out to the spot where it happened to see for themselves. And there was Jesus- and the man sitting at his feet. And they saw with their own eyes the difference in him. He was no longer naked, but clothed; no longer out of his mind and violent, but calm and in his right mind. He was normal. Clearly, something profound and wonderful had happened. And now comes the strange response: “then all the people of the surrounding country…asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with fear.” What? ! Why did they say that? ! Couldn’t they see that Jesus had done something good, something kind, something merciful, something wonderful? Why did they ask him to leave? Did they care more about the pigs that were destroyed than they did for the well-being of this man? We are not told. But all through the gospels we hear of people who do not believe in Jesus even though they saw him doing miracles and wonderful acts of kindness. Perhaps we get a clue when just fourteen verses before our text Jesus says: “[these] are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the words from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved.” Many people prefer the kingdom of Satan. They like the darkness more than the light
B. But that wasn’t the response of the man from whom the demons left! He believed and was thankful for what Jesus had done for him. As a matter of fact, he was so grateful that he begged Jesus to go with him. But here’s another little surprise- Jesus said “no”. Instead he told him to return to his home and tell everyone what God had done for him. And that’s exactly what he did: he went home and told everyone what Jesus had done for him. I imagine that took a lot of faith. His emotions told him he wanted to be with Jesus. But he denied his emotions and instead did what Jesus told him to do. And so it is with us. We too are thankful for what Jesus has done for us. Every Sunday through the forgiveness of sins he gives us victory over sin and death and the power of Satan and the forces of evil. Such is the power of god’s forgiveness. We love coming here on Sunday mornings and being with Jesus and receiving his salvation. And yet as important as it is, we cannot sit in church all the time. Jesus wants us to return to our homes, our work, our schools—our communities and tell everyone what he has done.
Conclusion: when Jesus drove the demons out of that man Jesus attacked the kingdom of Satan. But when he died for the sins of the world Jesus destroyed Satan’s kingdom. And through faith in him we share in his victory. For Satan’s only weapons are lies, sin, and death. But in Jesus Christ we know the truth; in Jesus Christ our sin has been forgiven, and in Jesus Christ death has been defeated and we have life. Satan has no power over us. Indeed, we can resist him. And how do we know this is true? Well, we see Jesus casting out helpless demons who fear him and must obey him. But the main proof is the empty tomb. When Jesus was raised from the dead God’s hand was raised in victory over Satan and his kingdom. Everywhere the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and taught the kingdom of Satan is trashed. And one day Jesus will return and cast Satan and all demons into the abyss that they fear so much. Amen!
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Bible In Poetry: Gospel Of St. Mark (Chapter 0)
Introduction:
The shortest of the gospels all,
In Testament Anew Bible,
Of Jesus’ miracles, tells well.
Perhaps, the first ever written,
By Jesus’ disciple Mark when
Jesus preached about Heaven.
It starts with Baptist John’s forecast
Of Messiah’s advent (or Christ):
John baptizes the Son of Man,
In river Jordan in his span.
But Jesus came to baptize all
By Holy Spirit, by God’s call.
And Jesus Christ, the ‘Son of Man’,
Is tempted by himself Satan;
Though Jesus Christ is victorious,
Is crucified to death on cross!
‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near;
Repent; have faith; live without fear, ’
Through parables, Jesus teaches,
Of God’s kingdom, He thus preaches.
All afflicted, Jesus heals /cures;
And out from men, demons, He drives;
Makes fishermen, ‘Fishers of men’!
He shows the way for all, Heaven.
In A.D.70, it’s written.
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God Made A Prophecy Not To Adam But To Eve
God made a prophecy not to Adam and Eve
but to the woman Eve alone Jesus Christ
was born of a virgin woman promised seed
bruising the head of Satan the fallen serpent Genesis 3: 15.
Jesus Christ died to defeat sin the sacrifice himself
to destroy Satan the devil who had power over death
he bruises his head destroys his power his lordship
over mankind defeating the power of Satan for God
'To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness
to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me' Acts 26: 18.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Jesus Christ: A Philosophy Of Enlightenment
Jesus Of Nazareth lead no armies in conquest
slaughtered no enemies with blood red hands
conquered no border sovereign nations in wars
declared my kingdom is no part of this world
Jesus Christ raised the dead cast out demons
healed the blind preformed many miracles
awaited birth ministry death and resurrection
Who is this Jewish Yeshua the famous Jesus Christ?
Is Jesus Of Nazareth the promised Messiah of Israel?
Is Jesus Christ the Son of God as his disciples claimed?
Did the word become flesh incarnate die for our sins?
After approximately two thousand years still worshipped?
Was Jesus God willingly born manifest in human form?
How can one God be a Holy Trinity three unique persons?
Were multiple messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ?
If Jesus is God why would he willingly die a horrible death?
If Jesus died on a criminal cross then how was he resurrected?
Is Jesus the only king who will rule his kingdom for eternity?
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Satan Was Head Bruised At Calvary
Satan was head bruised at Calvary
Satan was defeated when Jesus
rose from the dead the final blow
will be defeat submission of Satan
when Jesus Christ returns in glory
Revelation 20: 1-15.
'And the God of peace will soon
crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.'
Romans 16: 20.
keep Christian faith under persecution
hope of salvation and sanctification
are promised to God's faithful people
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Wickedness Is Everywhere
His wicked spirit is everywhere, the prince and power of the air,
Born into a system led by him, Satan fills the world with evil sin.
God of the world, on this earth, inciting all born of natural birth,
On this earth, that God created, is a spirit by which He is hated.
God’s Kingdom is not of this world, is what Christ world herald,
Christ’s comes from God above, one filled with peace and love.
Men join His Kingdom from earth. Through Jesus and New Birth,
When in Christ we’re born again, we become to God, His friend.
That dragon is God’s enemy, who wants to destroy you and me,
Aware that he faces eternal fire, our destruction’s his only desire.
Satan’s power deceives the mind, making many spiritually blind,
This while he deceives the heart, wanting all, to from God depart.
God’s Kingdom soon will come, ruled on earth by Christ His Son,
With Satan cast into the abyss, upon earth will be Heaven’s Bliss.
Until then there’s a battle on, but, not against the weak or strong,
It’s against the evil principalities; the darker powers we can’t see.
Man was expelled from Paradise, into a world of darkened strife,
Where Satan sets out to deceive, men and women, just like Eve.
But accept as Savior Jesus Christ, and you’ll receive Eternal Life,
Delivered from this darkened night, into The Lord’s Eternal Light.
(Copyright ©04/2007)
Speaking Against ‘Da Vinci Code’ -2
So mean, some try demeaning Christ –
The Son of God, the Almighty;
They know His birth was one divine,
From Virgin Mary, by God’s word!
The Lamb of God was sacrificed
For sins of mankind, on the cross;
The Son of God became a man,
To just fulfill His Father’s wish.
Yes, Jesus knew the Scriptures well;
He had two natures – man and God,
Like two faces of any coin;
As man, he was fully a man!
‘The Son of God could forgive sins’
- The words of Jesus Christ Himself;
Like God, He loved the sinner who
Confessed his sins and made amends.
Christ chose twelve men as Apostles;
May be, some women heard his talks;
Christ won over satan’s designs,
When latter tempted him, at last.
The sinless man called Jesus Christ
Defeated satan, once for all;
And when He rose from death, third day,
He showed his pow’r divine to world.
To mar his name by saying that
Jesus was married, had a son –
Amounts to blasphemy and Lie:
A sin, His Father won’t forgive.
‘Beware you liars of God’s word! ’
Lord Jesus Christ will come again
In glory, as Judge of mankind:
Ask forgiveness, repent for sins!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-14-2008
poem by John Celes
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O Jesus
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one who was the Word of God…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came and was always in the Thoughts of God…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who was born of the Virgin Mary…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, and peace be upon his mother Mary…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one who the Holy Spirit of God was given…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one who in the name of God, casted out demons…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one they said slanderous things about…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one they tried to blot out…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came and was sinless…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came to the temple and became relentless…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came to the Israelites to teach them the Gospel…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came and did things that were impossible…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who is the Prophet and Christ…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who the Scriptures prophesised…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who Almighty God raised up…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who Almighty God will send back and amaze us.
poem by Russel Choudhury
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White Republican Male Jesus?
White Republican Male Jesus?
what about...
black Jesus, brown Jesus,
Asian Jesus, atheist Jesus,
female Jesus, poor Jesus,
jobless Jesus, prison Jesus,
homeless Jesus, illegal immigrant Jesus?
dog Jesus, cat Jesus,
baby in a dumpster Jesus,
addict Jesus, old Jesus?
gay Jesus, union Jesus,
hungry Jesus, foreign Jesus?
bumming a cup of coffee Jesus?
brother Jesus, sister Jesus?
just bombed Jesus,
food stamp Jesus?
how many bodies? how many crosses?
you tell me!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Stalking The Earth
Quietly as every Christian walks, that eternal enemy Satan stalks,
He’s Stalking the earth this very hour, seeking those he may devour.
Satan’s like a hungry lion friend, with destruction being his only end.
Satan my friend you know is wise, but he indeed is the father of lies.
He comes to you in a disguise, seeking friend your spiritual demise.
Rebuke him in the Name of Christ, Jesus who died to save your life.
He fills your day with frustration, to take your mind off your salvation,
And why God left you on the earth, and has given you spiritual birth.
Friend Satan wants nothing less, than to make your life an evil mess.
And to take your mind off of Christ, so he can then, destroy your life.
Today he roams earth to deceive, and attack those who do believe.
However, Satan shall not prevail, even though all his powers assail.
Friend, even his largest assault, against Christ will come to naught.
Satan’s in a hopeless situation, as he’s facing eternal condemnation.
And destruction is his only desire, knowing that he faces eternal fire.
But if you belong to Jesus Christ, He my friend will protect your life.
For on the cross He paid the price, as Satan was defeated by Christ,
And in the times that we are tried, in Christ Jesus Believers can abide.
For by Jesus it is said and done, Satan by Christ has been overcome.
And as Satan is destroyed by Christ, Believers will enter Eternal Life.
He will deceive the nations no more, when cast into Hell forevermore.
Cast down into the eternal pit, with the Beast and the False Prophet.
By Christ he will see his demise; forever from Hell his smoke will rise.
Friend, upon the cross of Calvary, Christ made the way to set us free,
Free from Satan, death and sin, to live up in Heaven forever with Him.
(Copyright ©06/2005)
Jesus Tempted
“The Tempter tempts the Creator –
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The Lord was just a man like us
But lived a sin-free life on earth.”
The Spirit then took Jesus Christ
Into the desert for some days;
For forty days and forty nights,
He fasted and fervently prayed.
And in that weary state of mind
And body when Christ Jesus lay,
The Tempter Satan came beside
To test the Lord and make Him prey!
Oh, what a time, the Tempter chose
To try to bait the Lord Jesus!
He didn’t spare ev’n the Son of God,
And chose His weakest moment too.
‘Oh, you must be so hungry now!
Why don’t you turn these stones to bread?
Oh, what a suggestion to make
Reminding Christ, His powers divine! ’
The wily Satan thought Jesus
Would succumb to his proposal;
But Jesus knew why Father sent
Him to be born as man on earth.
‘Man does not live by bread alone,
But by each word that God utters, ’
said Jesus to the Tempter and
Got over His first temptation.
Then Satan took Christ up the roof
Of Jerusalem temple high,
And urged Him to jump down at once,
For angels would prevent His hurt!
‘Don’t test thy Lord, ’ the Scripture says,
said Jesus Christ to Satan then.
Satan showed Him the wealth on earth,
Promised Him if He worshipped him.
But Jesus spoke sternly to Him –
‘Thou shalt worship thy Lord alone! ’ –
the scripture says, ‘Oh, don’t you know;
Begone then Satan, ’ and he left.
Then Jesus felt truly hungry;
Angels ministered unto Him.
The Tempter failed deceiving Christ,
And Jesus won full victory.
When Satan can tempt Christ Himself,
All mankind is his soft target;
Temptations come to every man;
Yet, we mustn’t fall a prey to them!
Our faith in God must remain strong;
We ought to stay alert all life;
The Holy Spirit within us
Will help to ward off every strife.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 3-1-2009
poem by John Celes
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His Righteousness Alone
I have no righteousness of my own but stand on faith in Christ alone,
Abraham's an example to all of us for he believed unto righteousness.
On my own, from God, I stand apart as I was born with a sinful heart,
But Jesus took upon the sin of us to cover us with His Righteousness.
God knew before man's fall that Christ would die for the sins of all,
Satan would strike Christ's heel but God followed with this appeal,
Christ would in turn crush his head and Satan will be eternally dead,
Sin's price of death is on my head but Jesus Christ died in my stead.
Though Jesus died He rose again for death could not hold Him friend,
Death may come to all my friend and apart from Christ it is your end.
If you accept His Righteousness in-lieu of death you'll be blessed,
Reject The Lord and your last breath will take you to eternal death.
Christ suffered death for a while so to God we could be reconciled,
From the grave Christ did rise and now He lives even though He died.
Christ bore our sins on the cross and for our sins He paid the cost.
In the grave He buried our sin so we could rise to new life with Him.
There's still hope you can be sure for Jesus is knocking at the door,
He's waiting for you to come in for the cross is your victory over sin.
For our sin Christ did atone and Salvation is in Him and Him alone,
The One knocking at the door can be your Righteousness forevermore.
(Copyright ©03/2004)
So You Believe
So you even believe
that Jesus died
on the Cross for you?
Even Satan Demons
believe Christ died
on the Cross for you
Satan Demons
evil manifest
were witnesses
to the crucifixion
could not believe
Jesus loved mortal
sinful prideful you
was mere flesh prepared
to suffer all our sins
as our sacrificial lamb
so that you may be
washed clean of all sins.
This life sufferings
is but a heart beat
but a moment in time
God gave his only begotten son
because God loved you so much
God prepared eternity salvation.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Do You Believe In: Jesus Christ Or The Cosmic Christ?
Easter is a time where we celebrate
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
who is God Himself who died for our sins,
where we celebrate His resurrection
from death, where we proclaim
that through no other name,
no other person, there is salvation
from the penalty of sin
which the Bible explicitly states as death,
but at this very time there is an attack
on the Godhood of Jesus Christ,
where Afrikaans and English churches
in South Africa, churches throughout
the entire world,
are starting to follow the teachings
that Jesus was but a mere human being.
Where it is argued that God the Father
is guilty of child abuse,
in sending His Son to pay the penalty
for our sins instead of letting us
pay the price for them,
where Jesus Christ who is God Himself,
came down to this earth
to sacrifice His own life for us.
Further it is argued that Jesus Christ
was not resurrected from the grave,
that His body was eaten by dogs,
and that His disciples and apostles
lied about Him appearing to them,
it is argued that Jesus Christ
did not ascend to His Father in heaven
and some of the things
clearly stated in the holy Bible
is being seen as only myth
and thus men are saying
that Jesus Christ was only a man.
This poem is no attack on any church,
but as a follower of Jesus Christ
I see it as my duty
to proclaim Him and a relationship
with Him as the only way to salvation.
Behind the scenes Jesus Christ
who is God and who is
the Son of God, is being debased
to only a son of the gods
and slowly but surely lowered
to the position of only a prophet,
while ecumenism is spreading
to take hands, to find
a universal compatible christ
for all religions world wide
(by uniting Christian
and non-Christian religions)
and the way is opened
for the cosmic christ to appear,
who his believers clearly state
to be another person from Jesus Christ.
According to the Holy Bible
there are only two forces
interacting in this world
and the one is from God
and the other is from Satan
and as a believer
in the holy Bible only
as the word of God,
I choose to follow Jesus Christ
and God leaves a free choice
for whomever you decide to believe in.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Work Abounds
Work does truly abound for us, who in Christ have placed our trust,
Working with our Savior friend, for His Kingdom, which has no end,
Among men who oppose His Word, to reach men who never heard,
God’s saving message of Salvation, to be shared with every nation.
A message that begins in those, who truly believe The Savior rose,
And that He rose to give New Life, to every believer in Jesus Christ.
New life to serve our Risen Lord, in a Kingdom that is forevermore.
To this Kingdom we point all men, from a world that is condemned.
The Lord Jesus set before our eyes, the world torn by Satan’s lies.
Although many Satan will deceive, Christ sent us so some believe,
By sending believers to every place, with a message of His Grace,
A message we are sent to herald, not to some, but to all the world.
Hence that is the task at hand, to share God’s love with every land.
Although at times we may hesitate, in a world that’s filled with hate,
Christ Himself was rejected by, the ones for whom He came to die.
But that did not stop God’s Son, from dying that day for everyone.
And so for Jesus I make my case, guided by God’s hand of Grace,
To finish the task God gave to me, pointing earthly men to Eternity.
This task given to me is rather small, knowing He is The Lord of all,
And so I submit all things to Him, Christ who saved me from my sin.
Temptations Pass You By
As I think about things in the darkness of night,
There is something that turns that darkness into light.
The darkest of night is presented by the things that happened and not planned,
And the Light is presented by what the Lord does for us and we try to understand.
So as we all walk and wander lost and go around,
We need to seek the LORD and ask him to help us get found.
This makes me want to make that I do everything for Christ and be fair,
Taking this time to develop the daily strength and discipline the bonding time and prayer.
It is also good for me to think of the positive things in life and put them in their place,
Living a life like this will keep Christ in your heart and showing of your face.
So as we think about the things that and go and tempt us from the start,
We should remember Do What Jesus Would Do in our heart.
By remember the Story of Jesus being tempted in the desert by Satan for 40 Days/Nights.
And how Jesus looked at him and then bent and prayed until He saw the True Light.
Satan asked Him if you are hungry and you are the Son of God then you can turn this stone to bread.
Jesus answered, and said I am the Son of God and man cannot live on bread alone, but on the words that come out of God's mouth instead.
As Satan took Christ up to the top of the Holy City, and He asked Christ if you the Son of God then throw yourself down and have the angles lift you up and prove me that you are the best.
Well Christ answered him that it is written not to put god to the test.
Finally Satan took Jesus up very high and showed him the kingdoms of the world and said this can be yours if you bend down and worship me.
Jesus looked at him and told to back away because it is written that I am here to worship my Father only.
But also think of the things that Christ would want us to do,
For God will help you and deliver you through.
poem by Frank Pulver
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Mark (Chapter 3)
Jesus entered the synagogue;
There stood a man with withered hand;
They waited to see if He cures
On Sabbath, so they could accuse.
Then Jesus asked the man be brought;
He asked them all, ‘which is lawful-
Doing evil or good that day?
To save life or to destroy it?
They could not answer His queries.
Then Jesus looked at them with rage,
Aggrieved by their hardness of heart:
He told the man, ‘stretch out your hand! ’
That moment, his hand got restored!
The Pharisees then went out fast,
And talked with Herodians there,
On how to put Jesus to death.
Then Jesus went towards the sea;
A lot of people followed Him
From Galilee and Judea,
Beyond Jordan, Idumea.
He asked a boat to be readied;
The crowds were surging onto Him;
When unclean spirits saw Him, then,
They fell before Him saying that,
‘You are the Son of God (aloud) .’
Jesus warned not to reveal Him.
And going up the mountain-side,
He chose his twelve apostles there,
To accompany Him and to preach
With pow’r to drive out demons too.
The twelve apostles that He chose
Were Simon, whom He named Peter;
The son of Zebedee called James;
His brother John, now Boanerges;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Simon from Cannan and Mathew;
Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus)
Judas Iscariot, Thaddeus.
When he returned, there stood a crowd,
So huge, they could not even eat;
The scribes from Jerusalem said,
‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! ’
He drives out demons by its prince.
Summoning them, then Jesus asked,
‘Does Satan drive out next Satan? ’
A kingdom divided can’t stand!
If Satan rises on himself,
Divided, that would spell his doom!
No one enters a strong man’s house,
But plunders only with some ties!
Then Jesus said, ‘Amen, I say,
All sins will be forgiven then.
But who blasphemes against one God
And Holy Spirit, shall ne’er be!
An Eternal sin, they commit.
His mother and brothers had come.
A crowd had gathered around Him;
They said, ‘your mother, brothers wait.’
But Jesus looked at all around
And said, ‘Here are my brothers and mother! ’
For, whoev’r does the will of God
Is my brother, sister, mother!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-19-2007
poem by John Celes
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Guard Your Heart
When times in life do get hard, our heart and mind we must guard,
For trials can and sometimes will, cause one’s heart to not be still,
Moved by what someone might say, we could lean the wrong way,
As the devil attempts to hinder us, from fully trusting Christ Jesus.
Satan does at times use another, Christian Sister and or a Brother,
With a thoughtless word or two, in his attempt to hurt me and you,
So we need to be ever on alert, as all Believers Satan tries to hurt,
To deter the very cause of Christ, in each and every Believer’s life.
The Word of God tells all of us, to guard our heart in Christ Jesus,
Paul’s admonition that we read, which as Believers, we must heed,
As thoughtless words will be said, we can be like our Lord instead,
In the very spirit of our Savior, responding with Christ like behavior.
Of Satan, we all must be aware, as he desires to see tempers flare,
Stirring our emotions deep within, Satan wants us to respond in sin,
And so we need to guard our hearts, against the enemy’s evil darts,
For even the purest heart can be, a target for God’s archest enemy.
Guarding our hearts is truly a must, while in God we place our trust.
Living a life, which truly pleases, God above, through Christ Jesus,
To truly live at peace with all men, when in Christ we are born again,
To be a witness to God’s Salvation, to every man and every nation.
(Copyright ©09/2010)
Salvation
how many Jesus's does it take?
rock n roll Jesus, civil rights Jesus,
sexual Jesus, Baptist Jesus,
Pentecostal snake Jesus...
heroin Jesus, small town family Jesus,
necklace Jesus, tattoo Jesus,
illegal immigrant Jesus...
Jesus on the cross in a drunk tank Jesus,
Marlboro Jesus, county fair Jesus,
pray for Armagadden Jesus...
or just a man,
living one day, one moment,
one bare naked dirty human need
at a time...
with open hands, open heart,
and open mind!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Advice In The Wilderness
I dreamt I saw Christ walking
Within the wilderness...
And with Him, Satan talking,
To curse and not to bless...
I watched the Devil laughing
At Jesus all alone,
And as the Lord was starving,
Advised, 'Make bread from stone...'
Lord Jesus quoted what He'd learnt,
That Man needs more than bread,
That comes to us from ovens burnt,
So that each one is fed...
Each word of God can feed the soul,
As if a child within,
So that it gains some self-control
And faith that won't give in...
Then Satan promised all the lands,
The kingdoms he possessed,
If Jesus merely raised His hands
In worship, He'd be blessed!
Lord Jesus knew His Father's will,
The Lamb of God was He!
The Saviour who would climb that hill
That men called Calvary!
The Devil merely cleared his throat,
As he continued on
And of the Scriptures he took note,
'One life, then it is gone...
If you fell from a mountain top,
God would protect His Son...'
But Jesus Christ refused to drop,
To test what could be done...
To Calvary, Christ went to die...
A crown of thorns to wear...
To suffer shame for you and I,
Man's shameful sins to bear...
God's great advice He listened to,
By faith, He bled and bled...
You see, He knew God's Word was true...
Enough to raise the dead!
poem by Denis Martindale
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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He Passed The Test!
When tempting the Lord Jesus Satan said
'Command all these stones to turn into bread.'
'Man shall not live by bread alone, ' Jesus said
'But by the words that come from God instead.'
Then he took Jesus to the temple height
saying 'Throw yourself down, you'll be alright.'
'For His angels will protect you from harm'
'So You have no cause for any alarm.'
Jesus answered him, for He knew what was best,
'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'
Then causing Jesus earths kingdoms to see
'I'll give you these if you bow down to me'
'Away from me Satan', Jesus then said,
'I will worship God and serve Him instead.'
Satan failed in what he attempted
to make Jesus sin when he was tempted.
The Lord withstood temptations greatest test.
Then angels ministered to help Him rest.
He was determined to complete God's plan
to bring eternal salvation to man.
Many doubts and fears come across our way
but with God's help we can still make headway.
By believing what it says in God's Word
and trusting the promises from the Lord.
For I am so often tempted to sin
and I am full of fears and doubts within.
But then back to the cross I can still go
and there God's forgiveness and cleansing know.