What’s going on in your life right now? How is your walk with God? I regularly find myself asking these questions to people I come in contact with throughout my week. It’s interesting to listen to people respond to them. More often than not, their answers are “Not much” and “Fine”, followed by the obligatory “What about with you?” More often than not, these cliche answers couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m coming up on 6 months of “Official” ministry (whatever that means!!), and I’ve already learned that people tend to skirt how they are truly feeling. An answer of “I’m doin ok” can sometimes be better translated as “I’ve got a lot going on in my life, but for whatever reason, I don’t feel like sharing, and saying ‘I’m doin ok’ is an easier way to answer.” Catch my drift? We’ve all been on both sides of this scenario.
Check out the first 20 verses of Mark 5 – Jesus’ healing of a demon-possessed man. It’s a story most of us “church folk” have heard plenty of times over the years. Lemme give you the quick run through: Jesus meets a man who’s possessed by an evil spirit. Jesus has a conversation with him/his spirits. Jesus casts them out of the man into a herd of pigs who run off a cliff. Jesus sends the grateful man on his way. A typical gospel healing account, but I don’t want you to miss out on how relevant this passage is to our lives. Now usually, I would dig really deep into this gospel narrative. I’d try and break down the passage the best I could to try and put a new spin on a familiar passage. But I don’t want you to miss out on the view of the forest because you are too close to the tree, so let’s talk about the application of this story!
I want you to think about this man. What was he feeling? What was going on in his life? The text says that his living conditions were less than desirable. He lived in tombs and cut himself, howling into the night. The picture that comes to my mind is vivid, grim, and barbaric. Here’s the crazy thing though – there are people like this man all around us and we as a global group of believers need to respond. I’ve had multiple instances this past week where God has used different situations and encounters to convict me that I’m not doing enough to reach out to people who society might not rush to help. If we are called to be the body of Christ, then it’s up to us to help free people of the demons they face on a daily basis. They may not be as easily recognized as the man in Mark 5, but the issues people face are still present. I want to tell you about three things that happened to me lately that have changed my perspective on how I encounter people on a daily basis.
Ocala Serve Week is coming up in a few weeks, and amidst the planning, logistics, phone calls, and marketing, I made a scouting trip to a job site. Me and Josh from the youth group headed out to Moss Bluff to check out “Turning Points”, a mentoring center in the middle of a grid of dirt roads. It wasn’t easy to find, and once we got there and met with Dave (the boss!), it was evident that God brought us there for a reason. What I experienced was rural poverty beyond my wildest imagination. People living in severely run-down, dirt floor trailers or in some cases, shacks. With no electricity. Pre-teen pregnancies. Hard drug use. It’s happening 25 minutes away from where we open our doors to worship God. And God used that visit to break my heart. I dropped Josh off and broke down crying in my car, all while thinking that God can/has/will use this as an opportunity to show His glory. It was easy to see the “demons” that surrounded the area out there on that gloomy Thursday evening.
The second thing that changed my perspective happened just last Thursday. I was invited be another youth pastor to be a part of a new Christian movie called “To Save a Life.” It comes out on January 22, and I’m not going to spoil the movie for you. I will tell you however that it’s probably the most true-to-life film about some of the struggles teenagers face. I was very impressed with how Newsong Pictures produced such a great film that was relevant, entertaining, and not canned or cheesy like some Christian movies in recent memory. The movie centers around reaching out to the “outcasts” of the high school. I’m going to include the link to watch the YouTube trailer for “To Save a Life” so that you can get a feel for what it’s about. The movie reminded me of something that we all know – there are hurting people whom we come across, and many times, we do nothing about it. We’re called to reconcile people to God (2 Cor. 5), and most of us ignore the very people we’re called to reach out to. The movie’s themes include some dark demons: depression, suicide, drug/alcohol abuse, cutting, and other disorders. Check out the trailer to see what I mean.
The last perspective-changing moment happened just a few hours ago at the Orange Avenue CYF this Sunday. It comes from a Casting Crowns song called “Set Me Free” that brings this blog back around to our text in Mark 5. It’s a video of a skit that’s set to this powerful song. I’ve included the lyrics below because the song is written from the perspective of the demon-possessed man, and it brings a great new outlook on the story:
“Set Me Free”
by Casting Crowns
It hasn’t always been this way
I remember brighter days
Before the dark ones came
Stole my mind
And wrapped my souls in chains
Now I live among the dead
Fighting voices in my head
Hoping someone hears me crying in the night
And carries me away
Set me free of these chains holding me
Is anybody out there hearing me?
Set me free
Morning breaks another day
Finds me crying in the rain
All alone with my demons I am
Who is this man that comes my way?
The dark ones shriek
They scream His name
Is this the One they say will set the captives free?
Jesus, rescue me
Set me free of these chains holding me
Is anybody out there hearing me?
Set me free
As the God man passes by
He looks straight through my eyes
The darkness cannot hide
Do you want to be free?
Lift your chains
He holds the key
All power Heav’n and earth belong to me
You are free
You are free
You are free
I hope you can now see how God’s broken my heart these past few weeks. I believe He gave me these opportunities not by chance or coincidence, but because He’s trying to get me to wake up and show His love to hurting people. I believe He’s calling all of us to do this. As disciples, we’re called to follow in the Master’s footsteps. I’m convinced that we’re going to have to respond to the call. There are too many demons in this world, and the power of Jesus is the only way we can impact this broken world. It’s the same power that dwells within us – God’s Holy Spirit.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…” - Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV)
I’m inviting you on a journey with me to live up to this challenge. I pray that God will use us to show His love to the broken. Maybe you’re reading this blog and you’re experiencing demons of your own. If that’s the case, please send me an email on the contact form below. May God be with you on whatever journey you’re on in life. May His love shower over you and remind you how special you are to Him. May you remember that He gave His Son so that we wouldn’t have to face the demons of this life. God bless.