PT-2 “The Destructive Power of Demons” (Luke 8:26-28, 20b)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/26/2026 10:19 AM

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-2 “The Destructive Power of Demons”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                        Reference:  Luke 8:26-28, 20b

            Message of the verses:  “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.  Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me.”…For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.”

            We are in the middle of a paragraph that has many verse references in it that I began to copy and paste in last night’s SD, and so I will continue to do so this morning.

“Demon possession is a supernatural phenomenon, not explicable in psychological or physical terms (Though there can be physical symptoms associated with it; cf. [8:]27; Matt. 9:32; 12:22: 17:14-15; Mark 1:26; 5:5 [Luke] 9:42).”

([8:]27; Matt. 9:32; 12:22: 17:14-15; Mark 1:26; 5:5 [Luke] 9:42)

“27  When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.”

“32  As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him.”

“22 ¶  Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.”

“14 ¶  And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15  said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.”

“26  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.”

“5  Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.”

“42  While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.”

“It should be noted too that on no occasion when Jesus delivered Jesus delivered an individual from demon possession was there a reference for forgiveness of sins.  Nor did all those delivered repent and believe.  The demon-possessed individuals whom Jesus delivered were not necessarily any more wicked than other sinners.  The emphasis is on Jesus’ power over the demons, not on the individuals being delivered.  But after Jesus and the apostles passed from the scene, the only way to be delivered from demons is through saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“The second phrase translates the verb daimonizomai, which appears thirteen times in the New Testament ([8:] 36; Matt. 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33, 9:32; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32; 5:15, 16, 18; John 10:21), and is translated, ‘demon-possessed,’ or ‘demoniaics.’”

([8:] 36; Matt. 4:24; 8:16. 28, 33, 9:32; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32; 5:15, 16, 18; John 10:21)

“36  And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.”

“24  So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.”

“16  That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.”

“28 ¶  And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.”

“33  The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.”

“32  As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him.”

“22 ¶  Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.’
‘22  And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”

“32  That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.”

“15  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.”

“16  And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.”

“18  As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.”

“21  Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

“Like the first phrase, it refers to someone indwelt and controlled by a demon or demons to the point they he cannot successfully resist, not to the general influence demons have in promoting false doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1), false worship (1 Cor. 10:21-22), immorality (1 Tim. 4:1-3), and attitudes of jealousy, divisiveness, and pride (James 3:13-16).”

(1 Tim. 4:1)

“1 ¶  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”

(1 Cor. 10:21-22)

“21  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22  Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”

“1 ¶  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2  through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3  who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

“13 ¶  Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

“Third, the Bible speaks of those with an ‘unclean’ spirit (Mark 1:23; 5:2) or having one (Mark 7:25).  Those phrases also indicate that demons indwell their victims.”

(Mark 1:23; 5:2)

“23 ¶  And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,”

“2  And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.”

(Mark 7:25)

“25  But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.”

“Finally, Acts 5:16 speaks of those ‘afflicted with unclean spirits,’ emphasizing the torment demon-possessed people suffer. (Luke 1-5, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2009], 283).

(Acts 5:16)

“16  The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  I am thankful that I am a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, and one of the reasons is that there is no way that I could ever be demon-possessed because the Spirit of God is living in me.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trying very hard to trust the Lord to deal with this high blood pressure which came upon me after the death of my wife, and soon after that the horrible motorcycle accident that my grandson got into loosing an arm and a leg.  Pray for me.

9/26/2026 11:05 AM

 

 

 

 

 

PT-1 “The Destructive Power of Demons” (Luke 8:26-28, 20b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/25/2026 10:57 PM

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-1 “The Destructive Power of Demons”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                        Reference:  Luke 8:26-28, 20b

            Message of the verses:  “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.  Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me.”…For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.”

            This evening we begin a kind of long section looking at the verses above.  This amazing demonstration of Jesus’ divine power immediately follows another astonishing miracle.  As the Lord and His disciples sailed across the northern part of the Sea of Galilee, a massive storm had arisen.  They were fearing for their lives, (not Jesus, but the disciples), and so they awakened Jesus, who had instantly calmed the wind and also the waves (this can be seen on what was written from Luke 8:22-25 which is in the last section or chapter from MacArthur’s commentary on Luke.  Now the powerful storm had undoubtedly blown them off course, and as a result it was probably daybreak by the time they made it to shore.  Luke (along with Mark [5:1]) calls their destination the country of the Gerasenes, which was opposite Galilee on the eastern shore, while Matthew refers to it as “the country of the Gadarenes” (Matt. 8:28). MacArthur writes Mark and Luke evidently referred to a small village (Gerasa; modern Kersa) near the shore of the Sea of Galilee, while Matthew referred to the larger town, Gadara, which gave its name to the region (and may have been it capital).

            “After Jesus and the disciples came out of the boats onto the land, they were met ty the shocking sight of a man from the city who was possessed with demons.  Matthew noted that there were two demon-possessed men (Matt. 8:28), while Luke and Mark, focused on the one whom Jesus delivered.  What happened to the other man is not recorded (although the use of the plural ‘demoniacs’ in Matt. 8:33 suggests that he too was delivered).  The demon-possessed man in Luke’s account was literally a maniac, exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild, uncontrollable behavior.

            “As I wrote in the first volume of this commentary on Luke, Scripture uses four terms or phrases to describe demon possession:

“First, sixteen times such people are said to have a demon or evil spirit (4:33; 7:33; [8:27]; 13:11; Matt. 11:18; Mark 3:22, 30; 9:17; John 7:20; 8:48, 49, 52; 10:20; Acts 8:7; 16:16), indicating that a demon-possessed individual was indwelt, controlled, and tormented by the demon.”

(4:33; 7:33; [8:27]; 13:11; Matt. 11:18; Mark 3:22, 30; 9:17; John 7:20; 8:48, 49, 52; 10:20; Acts 8:7; 16:16)

“33  And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,”

“33  For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’”

“27  When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.’

“11  And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.”

“18  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’”

“22 ¶  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”

“30  for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

“17  And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute.”

“20  The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?”

“48  The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

“49  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.”

“52  The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’”

“20  Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?”

“7  For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.”

“16 ¶  As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.”

“The repeated phrase ‘entered him’ ([8:30]), ‘cast out’ (Matt. 8:16; 9:33; 12:24; 28; Mark 1:34), ‘came out’ (Matt. 8:32), ‘come out’ (Mark 5:8), and ‘coming out’ (Mark 5:13) also indicate that demons indwell their victims.”

‘entered him’ ([8:30]),

“30  Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him.”

‘cast out’ (Matt. 8:16; 9:33; 12:24; 28; Mark 1:34)

“16  That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.”

“33  And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying,, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”

“24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

“28  But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

“34  And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”

‘came out’ (Matt. 8:32)

“32  And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.”

‘come out’ (Mark 5:8)

“8  For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

coming out’ (Mark 5:13)

13  So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.”

            As you may see, this is going to take a long time because of all of the verses that I want to quote.

9/25/2026 11:43 PM

 

 

 

 

 

PT-3“The Maniac Who Became a Missionary” (Luke 8:26-39)

 SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/25/2026 9:38 AM

My Worship Time                                Focus:  PT-3“The Maniac Who Became a Missionary”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:26-39

            Message of the verses:  “²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me." ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. ³² Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. ³⁶ Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. ³⁷ And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, ³⁹ "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

            John MacArthur writes:  The rarity of overt demonic manifestation does not mean that the forces of hell are not always active.  Those ‘deceitful spirits’ (1 Tim. 4:1) prefer to remain anonymous working behind the scenes disguised as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:14-15).”

(1 Tim. 4:1)

“1 ¶  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”

(2 Cor. 11:14-15)

“14  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15  So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

“But so great was their terror in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ that they could not help revealing themselves.  Earlier in Luke’s account Jesus entered a synagogue in Capernaum and a demon-possessed man was there.  Unable to control his fear, the demon blurted out, ‘Let us along!  What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have You come to destroy us?  I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ (Luke 4:34).  Paul stated that the Lord Jesus Christ is ‘far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [angels]’ (Eph. 1:21).

            As God incarnate, Jesus Christ displayed the power to vanquish Satan that only God possesses.  To the Jewish religious authorities, who blasphemously tried to explain away that power by claiming He was in league with the devil.  Jesus replied

I I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.  But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. (Luke 11:20-22)

“As the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus defeated Satan and delivered His people from their bondage to him (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:19).”

(Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:19)

“1 ¶  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

“13  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”

“19  We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

“The Lord demonstrated His power over the devil throughout His earthly ministry.  The incident in this passage, presented by all three Synoptic Gospel writers, is the most dramatic and extreme encounter between Jesus and the forces of hell recorded in the Gospels.  It tells the miraculous story of Christ’s deliverance of a demon-plagued manic, who became a most unlikely missionary.  As the account unfolds, three forces are revealed:  the destructive power of demons, the delivering power of Jesus, and the damming power of sin.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  I am thankful for learning about the awesome power of the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that He has power over everything, for He is God incarnate.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trusting that the Lord will continue to see me through the great trials that I am facing since my wife passed away on the 29^th of July.

9/25/2026 9:57 AM

 

    

PT-2“The Maniac Who Became a Missionary” (Luke 8:26-39)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/24/2026 8:51 PM

My Worship Time                                    Focus:  PT-2“The Maniac Who Became a Missionary”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:26-39

            Message of the verses:  “²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me." ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. ³² Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. ³⁶ Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. ³⁷ And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, ³⁹ "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

            “Christ’s coming to earth to ‘save His people from their sins’ (Matt. 1:21) and to ‘destroy the works of the devil’ (1 John 3:8; cf. Gen. 3:15; John 12:31; 16:11; Rom. 16:20; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14) touched off a frenzied outburst of demonic activity unlike anything that had come before.”

(1 John 3:8; cf. Gen. 3:15; John 12:31; 16:11; Rom. 16:20; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14)

“8  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

“15  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

“31 ¶  When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”

“11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

20  The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

“15  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

“14 ¶  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”

“It should be noted, however, that the demons were not attacking Jesus; He was attacking them.  There is only one recorded instance of demonic activity in the Old Testament (along with a few allusions to demons; e. g., Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37), Genesis 6:1-4, where demon-posed men cohabitated with women (cf. 2 Peter 2:4-5; Jude 6).

(Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37)

“7  So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”

“17  They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.”

“37  They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;”

(Genesis 6:1-4)

“1 ¶  When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2  the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.  3 ¶  Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."  4 ¶  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”

(cf. 2 Peter 2:4-5; Jude 6)

“4  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5  if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;”

“6  And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day”

“Outside of the gospels and Acts, there are no references to demon possession in the New Testament.  Only during the future time of the great tribulation will global, open demonic activity exceed that of the time of Christ’s earthly ministry.”

9/24/2026 9:52 PM

 

 

PT-1“The Maniac Who Became a Missionary” (Luke 8:26-39)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/24/2026 9:47 AM

My Worship Time                                    Focus:  PT-1“The Maniac Who Became a Missionary”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:26-39

            Message of the verses:  “²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me." ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. ³² Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. ³⁶ Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. ³⁷ And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, ³⁹ "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

            This morning I begin what is a familiar part of Scripture, and as I usually do I will quote from John MacArthur’s introduction to his commentary.

            “A saying attributed to G. K. Chesterton, whose apologetic writings were instrumental in C.S. Lewis’s conversion to Christianity, is that when people cease to believe in God they do not believe in nothing; they believe in anything.  Having rejected the only true God, people today are fascinated with transcendent, alternative realities, science fiction, the legends of pagan mythology, or fictional beings with superhuman powers.

            “On a more sinister note, many are obsessed with the occult.  Witchcraft, seances, Ouija boards, astrology, spiritism, fortune telling, palm reading, seers who allegedly predict the future, and even open worship of the devil are increasingly popular.  The rise of interest in alternative realities, the paranormal, and the occult coincide with the declining influence of biblical Christianity in Western culture, as Os Guinness notes”

Early hunters on safari in Africa used to build their fires high at night in order to keep away the animals in the bush.  But when the fires burned low in the early hours of the morning, they would see all around them the approaching outlined shapes of animals and a ring of encircling eyes in the darkness.  When the fire was high they were far off, but when the fire was low they approached again.

As we have witnessed the erosion of breakdown of the Christian culture of the West, so we have seen the vacuum filled by an upsurge of ideas that would have been unthinkable when the fires of the Christian culture were high. (The Dust of Death [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1973], 277)

            “People are inevitably drawn to the power and mystery that is just beyond their comprehension.  But the fallen human race, compelled by demons, will never arrive at an accurate understanding of the supernatural realm.  People on their own cannot get outside the space-time continuum and can only fantasize about it, while demons will only add their hellish deceptions to those fantasies.  The Bible is the only source of accurate knowledge about the supernatural realm, and it is foolish and futile to seek such knowledge elsewhere.

When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God?  Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?  To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (Isa. 8:19-20)

“The Bible features insights into the character, purposes, and plan of God.  It reveals His supernatural power to create and His purpose eventually to destroy the universe.  But the primary supernatural event in Scripture is not God’s creation or destruction of everything, as stupendous as that is.  The central supernatural event in the Bible is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, the one who perfectly reveals God to man (John 1:18; 14:9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).”

(John 1:18; 14:9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3)

“18  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

“9  Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

“15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

“3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

            Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  I believe that this section shows that it is not good to mess with the occult because it can really mess your spiritual walk with the Lord up.  Only Jesus could do this in the proper way.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to get help with my high BP, which to me is caused by a broken heart over the death of my wife, and also the terrible motorcycle wreck of my grandson.  I pray that the doctor’s appointment today will be what will help me get the help I need to lower my BP.

9/24/2026 10:31 AM

 

 

 

 

“Epilogue: The Storm After the Calm” (Luke 8:25b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/23/2026 8:55 PM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  “Epilogue: The Storm After the Calm”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 8:25b

            Message of the verse:  “They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

            I will copy this section from John MacArthur’s commentary, but will also quote the verses that he uses to help explain it.

            “Having witnessed an astonishing, unparalleled display of super-natural divine power, the disciples understandably were fearful and amazed.  The only thing they found more terrifying than the storm outside their boat was having the Creator and controller of the storm in it. The trauma of realizing that only God could do such a miracle caused them to say to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”  (cf. 8:37, 47, 56).”

(cf. 8:37, 47, 56)

“37  Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.”

“47  And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.”

“56  And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.’

“The obvious and only answer to that rhetorical question is the one they gave later after Jesus stilled another storm on the Sea of Galilee: “Those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’ (Matt. 14:33). By then they had a firm answer to their question here.

            “In response to Christ’s earlier miracle on the lake, Peter had exclaimed, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ (Luke 5:8)—a response that is typical of those who experience God’s presence.  Abraham described himself as ‘dust and ashes’ (Gen. 18:27; Job humbly said, ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 42:5-6); after encountering the preincarnate Christ in the person of the Angel of the Lord, Samson’s father ‘Manoah said to his wife, ‘We will surely die, for we have seen God’’ (Judges13:22); exposed to God’s presence on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites ‘trembled and stood at a distance.  Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die’’(Ex. 20:18-19); overwhelmed by a vision of God in His heavenly temple, Isaiah cried, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts’ (Isa. 6:5); Ezekiel fell on his face when he saw a vision of God (Ezek. 1:28); after seeing the glorified, exalted Christ the apostle John ‘fell at his feet lie a dead man’ (Rev. 1:17).

            “This brief vignette of Christ’s life reveals Him in His divine glory as the One who controls all of the natural forces of the universe.  But not only does it reveal His power, but also His compassionate care for those who are His.  This storm, as do all of life’s storms for believers, served to increase the disciples’ faith in His willingness and ability to deliver them from any situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem.  Having experienced God’s gracious care for him throughout his long and difficult ministry, the apostle Paul could say confidently as his life drew to a close, ‘The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever.  Amen’ (2 Tim. 4:18).”

9/23/2026 9:22 PM

 

“The Calm After the Storm” (Luke 24b-25a)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/23/2026 2:03 PM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  “The Calm After the Storm”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                              Reference:  Luke 8:24b-25a

            Message of the verses:  “And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

            I wrote this SD earlier and did not save it in the right way and so I want to write it again, and I will use John MacArthur’s commentary where I will quote from it.

            “Awakened by the disciples’ desperate pleas, Jesus go up and rebuke the wind and the surging waves.  His exact words according to Mark 4:39 were ‘Hush, be still.’  Instantly obeying the voice of the Creator, the wind and the waves stopped, and it became calm.  Skeptics, determined,  to deny the miraculous at all costs, have pointed out that storms on the Sea of Galilee often stop as rapidly as they start. But while the wind might have died down almost at once, it would have taken much longer for the waves to subside.  When Jesus commanded the wind and waves to stop, both did so instantly, and it became absolutely calm (both Matthew and Mark use the adjective megas [‘great’] to describe the glass calm).

            “Having calmed the storm, Jesus used the incident to teach His shocked and astonished disciples the lesson He wanted them to learn.  As they sat in their boats on the now perfectly still surface of the lake, He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’  (cf. 12:28; Matt. 6:30; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20).  They had seen Him perform countless miracles, so their lack of faith on this occasion was distressing and inexcusable.  On the other hand, this was the first time that one of the Lord’s miracles had directly involved them, and beyond that reality their lives were at stake.  That made it far more difficult for them to remain detached and objectively analyze the situation.  Paul, in contrast, was able to remain calm throughout the two-week-long storm that ended in shipwreck (Acts 27:14-44).  But he had already faced persecution and death many times before and been delivered by the Lord (cf. 2 Cor. 11:11-33).”

(cf. 2 Cor. 11:11-33)

“22 ¶  Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23  Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24  Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26  on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27  in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28  And, apart from other things, there is the daily, pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29  Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31  The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32  At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33  but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.”

            “The lesson for the disciples was clear: they were to trust the Lord even in the most severe and threatening circumstances.  They were, as Peter would later write, to cast all their anxiety on Him, knowing that He cared for them (1 Peter 5:7).  Paul expressed his confident trust in the Lord’s care when he wrote triumphantly, ‘For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom 8:38-39). Summing up the lesson Jesus wants all believers to take from this incident, David Gooding writes,

“We live in a universe that is lethally hostile to human life:  only the miracle of creation and divine maintenance preserves our planet and its wonderful adaptations and provisions for the propagation of human life.  Within our earth itself wind, wave, lightning, storm, flood, drought, avalanche, earthquake, fire, heat, cold, germ, virus, epidemic, all from time to time threaten and destroy life.  Sooner or later one of them may destroy us.  The story of the stiling of the storms is not, of course, meant to tell us that “Christ will never allow any believer to perish by drowning, or by any other natural disaster.  Many believers have so perished.  It does demonstrate that he is Lord of the physical forces in the universe, that for him nothing happens by accident, and that no force in all creation can destroy his plan for our eternal salvation or separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Rom. 8:38-39).  (According to Luke [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1987], 143)

            “Sometimes the Lord will bring a storm into believers’ lives for chastening; other times to increase their faith.  Jonah ended up in a storm because of his disobedience, while in this incident the disciples’ obedience put them into the storm.  In both cases God was there to deliver them.”

            Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  God has brought this section that I am studying today to help me in the storm that I find myself in at this time.  I have mentioned that I had to go to the ER two times because of high blood pressure, and this was caused because of the death of my wife in July and the terrible motorcycle wreck my grandson had where he lost an arm and a leg.  The only other real issue that I went through before the death of my wife was when my son had to have surgery to put a patch in his heart and open of a valve when he was 18 months old.  Oh yes my wife had great emotional issues that I had to deal with long hospital stays.  But what I am going through now is the very worst issues I have ever faced, and I am trying to trust the Lord to get me through it and get the meds to get my bp down.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to guide me through what is going on in my life so it will bring glory to His name.

9/23/2026 2:49 PM