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What a sight greeted Jesus Christ, and His disciples, in Matthew Chapter 8 and at verse 28. No wonder there was a storm on the Lake. When storms arise it can be helpful to ask why. Why is this happening at this time? What is the reason for this? There is usually an answer.

The enemy of Jesus had an agenda and he has been trying to put this agenda into operation since Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, when there was that appalling slaughter.

Two men came to Him, and they are naked and controlled by evil spirits, or demonised. Luke writes about one man, but there is no problem there. If two men came to see me I could recount the story by saying that a man came to see me today about something. What we have to remember is that the Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

We are greeted with this picture of wild restlessness and almost uncontrollable danger. They had practically ceased to be human. They perhaps feared the people as much as the people feared the demonised men. But, they knew who Jesus was.

Demons want to make a man what they are like.

When this tragedy of mankind saw Jesus Christ they began to cry and yell and roar, "What do you want with us, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"

What would the Pharisees have thought if they had heard these madmen confessing Jesus Christ, to be the Son of God?

We read of Jesus dealing with that storm on the waves.

Now, Jesus deals with the storms in men’s lives. Might that apply to someone reading this piece?

These men are wild and filthy. Evil spirits compel and control. They are intense and persistent. They distract people. Something keeps recurring, and normal Christian discipline will not deal with it. It needs to be cast out.

They dominate or manipulate or intimidate. These are characteristic marks of evil spirits.

Sometimes we do not know where they come from. A mosquito bites, and later you contract malaria, and you cannot remember being bitten.

It can be like that in spiritual warfare. Jesus Christ saw sin in all its forms as an intruder. Everywhere Jesus met disease and suffering He dealt with it and sought to destroy it. Sin was not part of God’s plan. Sin is not native to God’s Kingdom. Sin is alien. Jesus never turned suffering away.

They recognise who Jesus is. They know who Jesus is, but they struggle and fight and rebel and argue with JESUS. They know that He is the Son of God, but they are unable to serve and worship.

Immediately, there is a negative reaction to Jesus. The behaviour here is pitiful and irrational. There was no reason for the men to behave in this way, and not even Jesus could reason with them.

Now, there are some people you cannot reason with.

Some people fight and struggle and rebel and argue and you wonder, why are they reacting like this? It is irrational!

Society could do nothing with these needy men, and could do nothing for them.

Perhaps, they thought no-one could ever do anything for them. When Jesus Christ comes on the scene there is never a totally hopeless case.

Yet, they come to Jesus. They have been rejected by everyone - family and friends. They are lost and lonely and isolated and fearful.

In Luke Chapter 8 at verse30, Jesus asks that man his name, and the answer comes, "Legion". His mind was like a regiment of Roman soldiers marching and marching - such was his trouble and burden and restlessness. A Roman Legion could be 3,000 men.

Jesus Christ casts the evil spirits out of the men and into a herd of pigs.

All that is needed from Jesus Christ is one word of authority, and they have to go.

The pigs ran down the hillside and were drowned in the Lake.

Jesus Christ has no mercy on evil. Jesus showed no kindness to evil.

He treated evil firmly, and with power and authority.

When evil confronts Jesus Christ it is warfare, and Jesus conquers it. He deals with it, and casts it out.

When we are confronted with evil we are to cast it out, and get it over with.

Jesus does not say that these men need six weeks counselling. He doesn't pray about it. He exercises the authority which He had received. And, Jesus does not deal with any other manifestations of evil in that area.

He only deals with the evil which confronts Him, and He deals with it in public.

When those who fed the pigs - when they saw what had happened - they ran into the town and all over the place, reporting what they had witnessed.

And the people went out to see - they were curious - "What is all this about?" There was not a pig in sight.

They saw the dear men sitting delivered and released and set free and at peace, and, they were afraid. What were they afraid of? Were they afraid of salvation! Is our nation not afraid of salvation today?

When they realised what had happened they told Jesus to go and take His Ministry elsewhere. Jesus had only just arrived, but instead of rejoicing, they ask Jesus to depart. The locals could live with demented men, but NOT with Jesus Christ!

It is as if they preferred their madmen and pigs to Jesus. It is as if they cared for the pigs more than people. They cared more for animals, than people in need.

Jesus is prepared to sacrifice a herd of pigs to reclaim men. Jesus is prepared to sacrifice them to see people receive peace. To Jesus the welfare of men is important.

This why within the fellowship of the Church of Jesus Christ, no-one is excluded.

If we ever draw a circle that excludes someone, Jesus comes and draws a larger wider circle which will include that person.

Jesus knows when He is not wanted, and He leaves that area.

In Luke’s account, the healed man wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus says "NO!" Sometimes Jesus says "NO", and there is normally a reason. "Go home and testify - go home and tell what God has done for you - share you experience!" And He obeys Jesus Christ the Son of God. Now, that is another miracle.

What a testimony that must have been - just to see him walking along the road - healed - in control - filled with peace - so changed - transformed - a new man - a totally different person. He was not embarrassed nor ashamed at what he had been.

Some people want Jesus to go - one man is wanting to go with Jesus.

What lessons these disciples must have learned that day and what training they received unknowingly - in the boat - and on the shore.

In every experience, learn and grow, and let His Word guide. Some will be sent back home to serve and work and witness there. Others Jesus will take in the boat to travel with Him to some other area. The important thing is to serve where He wants us to serve, knowing that His Promise is to be with us at all times, and Jesus never breaks His Promise.

There are things which have to be cast out, and there is no use trying to crucify them. And there are works of the flesh, which have to be crucified, and there is no point in trying to cast them out. You cannot crucify an evil spirit.

Here we see the King at work in His Kingdom. The enemy was out to destroy. He is in the destruction business. He is in the death business.

Jesus comes to rescue and restore and give life and peace. Jesus saw the world in the terms of the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.

To minister like this, we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do you think there is anything wrong with the pilot who has just flown from London to Inverness, and who asks to be filled up and refuelled before he sets off back to London? No. He has been emptied and drained. If you cannot have your aircraft filled with fuel at the airport where can it be filled?

If you cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit when you come to worship and pray and read and study the Word of God, where can you be filled?

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

A Blessing. Being Blessed