Author: Bill Hall

Mark 5:17
   Please notice that this was not in their best interest. Her they had Someone among them for the first time that had more power and authority than the spirits of evil that harassed their country. Beyond this, this Divine Person had the truth they needed to bring them out of darkness.
   But, the influence of the devil will always cause people to forsake their own mercy. Jesus would be back later, and then they would welcome him.

Numbers 25:1-26:65

1 John 4:2 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”

Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful day with my family! Your goodness in giving us friends and family is so nice. Thank you for also giving us kinship in Christ with other believers. That is worth even more. We can have double brothers double sisters double mothers and fathers in Christ. The family of faith is a comfort to our souls. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for several people who will be traveling this week. Pray for a woman with cancer.

Journal 15151

Mark 5:16
   Everybody heard about all of it. Isn’t that the way it always is? Only the story doesn’t get told right, and it gets all blown askew.

Numbers 22:1-24:25

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this wonderful day. Sometimes Lord, we’re so overwhelmed by your goodness! May we never forget that there are others in this world who are unaware that you are so wonderful. Help us to be witnesses to them. Help us to be a constant reminder of your glory and love. Help us bring honor to you with everything that we say and do, and think. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for several persons who are sick, or are just getting over being sick.

Journal 15150

Mark 5:15
   The superstitious have a tendency to be afraid about anything that they do not understand. The devil, and his minions, held great sway in this region because of the superstition that was there. These people were influenced by the circumstances of the demoniac before and after his deliverance by Christ. This was due to their ignorance, and superstitious nonsense, which was common there.

Numbers 19:1-21:35

1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Heavenly Father, thank you for your strength. Even when we have given up, you are still on the throne. Even when we think we can’t handle it, you always can. You can guide us to the next step. You can give us the wisdom to know what you would have us to do. You are always faithful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for a man who has kidney stones. Pray for a man’s workplace that is short on new orders.

Journal 15149

Mark 5:14
   Jesus was no stranger to trouble, and here the demons cause some. However, this was their doing, and not his. Those involved realized that Jesus could not be held responsible for what had happened to the swine, but that it had happened as a result of his deliverance of the demoniac.

Numbers 16:1-18:32

1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day to serve you. You have given us so many reasons to love you. Your Word shows us your goodness and your plans.We could never thank you enough. You are worthy of the praise. I praise you today with my whole heart! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman who is lost. Pray for a young man at camp this week.

15148

Mark 5:13
   There was very little that the demons could do to discredit Christ, and they knew it. So, their choice of the pigs and the drowning of them was their effort to make the most of it. Satanic schemes are often simply more than laughter during destruction. The devil himself knows he is going down, but he tries to make the most of it anyway. He attempts to win against God. But, all he can do is kill a bunch of pigs, and that only by permission.

Numbers 14:1-15:41

1 John 3:22 “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

Heavenly Father, your power is so magnificent! You are able to make differences in us that can only be explained by your grace. You can transform us from the inside out. Thank you for working in our lives to make us something different. We would rather not be pawns of the devil, and you give us the ability to escape his sad kingdom. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman getting treated for cancer. Pray for a young person with health issues.

Journal Entry #15147

Mark 5:12
   Must demonic hoards inhabit man or beast? Is there no other option for them? This and other questions like it are somewhat of a mystery to us. But, it seems that God has intentionally left details out when it comes to the operations of the powers of darkness. So, must we simply put these questions to rest and never ask them? No. But, we need to recognize the appropriate answers rather than jumping to our own conclusions for our own reasons.
   The powers of the devil and his minions will always be used to dishonor Almighty God. That is the pastime of these despicable spirits. These demons wanted to enter the pigs because they felt it the best way to accomplish their mission. Jesus did not hear their request to help them along, but to show that, despite their best efforts, God gets the glory in the end.

Numbers 11:1-13:33

1 John 3:21 “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

Heavenly Father, every day that we live should be to your honor and glory. All that we do should be in praise to you. You are worthy of our loyalty and faithfulness. In so many ways you care for us and our needs. We could never have a problem that you didn’t already know about. May we bring all to you in payer. You listen to us. Thank you! In the name of the loud Jesus Christ o pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man who is losing large amounts if weight. Pray for a man who is sick.

Journal 15146

Mark 5:11
   In order to understand this passage one must keep two things clearly in mind. First, it was not likely that any of the Jewish population of Gerasa were keeping pigs. Instead, these pigs were likely being kept by the large Gentile population, who raised them for sale in the Decapolis region. Secondly, the devil does have power in this world. Mankind has given him that. Thus, it is not required that Jesus, as that time, would completely remove this particular satanic influence from the world.
   These two points help us to understand why there was a herd of pigs present, and also to understand why the demons were allowed to request to be sent in to them.

Numbers 8:1-10:36

1John 3:20 “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”

Heavenly Father, help me to always keep my eyes upon you. You must be ever before my face. The goal of my life should be focusing upon you, and your will and plan for my life. You are our hope. The Lord Jesus Christ is the reason for all that we do. Thus, to worship you, to bring glory to You, is our most important focus. We must not lose sight of you. You are more than just someone important to us. You are our God, you are our master, you are our Lord. We will always give you the praise! You are worthy! Thank you for your great mercy, faithfulness, and love to us. Thank you for always being the same all the time. We know you’re always there and you’re always faithful. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for a man who is having surgery. Pray for a woman who has been recovering from surgery for quite some time now.

Journal 15145

Mark 5:10
   At this point the demons are doing some pathetic begging. That is all that they could do. They knew that Jesus was able to do whatever he pleased, he had that authority.
   The fact that they wanted to stay in that area shows the influence that they had achieved. The forces of darkness hold sway among those who are heathen, superstitious, or who have an empty religiosity. They had built up some notoriety there and wanted to keep it. After this episode, their influence in the region was diminished greatly do to Christ, and the ministry of the delivered demoniac.

Numbers 7:1-89

1John 3:19 “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”

Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful day that you’ve given us! Thank you for life, family, friends, and all the other wonderful blessings that you give us each and every day. You are our provider and you provide for every need. You are faithful and true to us at all times. May we faithfully serve you and show you that we love you with all of our hearts! You are worthy of all of our praise, and every moment of our life in service to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pray for several people traveling today and tomorrow. Pray for the lost.

Journal 15144

Mark 5:9
   Legion was a group of demons that had influence in that area. However, we must keep in mind the fact that names for demonic forces are not really what we might think. The demons don’t really need names, at least not for the same reasons we do. So, the name here given is likely just what the demons had chosen to call themselves.
   The question then is why Jesus inquired after their name. Well, Jesus obviously already knew what was going on here. He knew that there was a whole host of demons in that area, possessing this man and probably the other one mentioned in another gospel. But, by asking for the name he shows us what these demons hoards thought of themselves, and that yet he still has the authority to cast them out. In other words, it is like a wrestler always remembering the name of an opponent he beat to gain a title. The opponent’s name matters little, but it adds glory to the victory because it identifies the vanquished. Jesus shows us and all of those around him that day that he had authority over all demonic forces, regardless of their strength or pompousness.

Bible Reading: Numbers 5:1-6:27

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for making your abilities clear to us. It is a great comfort to know what you are capable of. We know we can trust you. You are the key to all that we need, and the answer for all that we want. May we live to depend upon you and serve you with all of our hearts. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two men with ear infections. Pray for a girl that is sick. Pray for several unspoken requests.

Journal Entry #15143