May 28th, 2025
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Transformed
See Mark 5:1-20
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (or Gaderenes). What a night Jesus and his disciples had already had. Jesus had stilled the storm with the command of his voice demonstrating that he had power over the forces of nature. He was now about to be challenged again to demonstrate his domination.
2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
MY NAME IS LEGION
“Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd;
There’s one of us that’s humble, and one of us that’s proud.
There’s one that’s broken-hearted for his sins,
There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins.
There’s one that loves his neighbor as himself,
And one that cares for naught but fame and self.
From much corroding care I should be free,
If I could once determine which is me!"
--Edward Sanford Martin
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis (the ten cities) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Jesus transformed this man’s life right on the spot. He had been Satan’s victim. Now he was Christ’s victor.
Many people today are struggling with their own legions of demons. What they need is to be transformed by Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote…
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
That word transformed comes from the same Greek word that science gets its word, metamorphosis.
What creatures go through metamorphosis?
Tadpoles transformed into bullfrogs.
Ugly limited caterpillars are transformed into beautiful flying butterflies.
And God can transform sinners into saints; lost souls into found followers of Christ; dead souls into live ones.
In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes:
There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully.
Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the bully than it is to learn how to defeat him.
But Jesus wants to whip that bully for them. All any of us has to do is submit to Christ’s power and give him the job to take out those demons that beat us up every day.
Doctors of old times tested the sanity of a mental patients with the following test: The patient was placed in a room with a sink. The faucet was turned on and a stopper was put in the drain until the sink overflowed. The patient was then handed a mop and the door was closed.
If the patient had enough sense to shut off the water, pull the plug, and then mop up the water, he was considered capable of going home. But on the other hand, if the patient mopped like crazy and never bothered to shut off the water and/or pull the plug, he was considered still insane and needed to be detained a little longer in the mental institution.
There are people in this world that are mopping like crazy...and they’re not in mental institutions. They’re people who we’d consider quite sane (pause). BUT they are plagued by their own personal demons, and they haven’t figured out how to stop the flooding in their lives.
They know there’s a problem they just haven’t figured out where to go to solve it. They’re like people who came and found the demoniac clothed and in his right mind. They see what Jesus can do in a person’s life - but then they send Him away.
Christ wants to make you new! He wants to transform you daily. If you will lay those demons that strive to possess your life.
What demons are holding you? Will you turn them over to Jesus and let him cast them into the swine of life?
This Sunday, we will continue our series, Holy Stories, with a message titled, Righteous or Self Righteous based on Luke 18:9-14 I hope you will join us for an exciting look at our inner selves.
Transforming with you,
Jon
Transformed
See Mark 5:1-20
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (or Gaderenes). What a night Jesus and his disciples had already had. Jesus had stilled the storm with the command of his voice demonstrating that he had power over the forces of nature. He was now about to be challenged again to demonstrate his domination.
2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
MY NAME IS LEGION
“Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd;
There’s one of us that’s humble, and one of us that’s proud.
There’s one that’s broken-hearted for his sins,
There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins.
There’s one that loves his neighbor as himself,
And one that cares for naught but fame and self.
From much corroding care I should be free,
If I could once determine which is me!"
--Edward Sanford Martin
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis (the ten cities) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Jesus transformed this man’s life right on the spot. He had been Satan’s victim. Now he was Christ’s victor.
Many people today are struggling with their own legions of demons. What they need is to be transformed by Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote…
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
That word transformed comes from the same Greek word that science gets its word, metamorphosis.
What creatures go through metamorphosis?
Tadpoles transformed into bullfrogs.
Ugly limited caterpillars are transformed into beautiful flying butterflies.
And God can transform sinners into saints; lost souls into found followers of Christ; dead souls into live ones.
In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes:
There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully.
Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the bully than it is to learn how to defeat him.
But Jesus wants to whip that bully for them. All any of us has to do is submit to Christ’s power and give him the job to take out those demons that beat us up every day.
Doctors of old times tested the sanity of a mental patients with the following test: The patient was placed in a room with a sink. The faucet was turned on and a stopper was put in the drain until the sink overflowed. The patient was then handed a mop and the door was closed.
If the patient had enough sense to shut off the water, pull the plug, and then mop up the water, he was considered capable of going home. But on the other hand, if the patient mopped like crazy and never bothered to shut off the water and/or pull the plug, he was considered still insane and needed to be detained a little longer in the mental institution.
There are people in this world that are mopping like crazy...and they’re not in mental institutions. They’re people who we’d consider quite sane (pause). BUT they are plagued by their own personal demons, and they haven’t figured out how to stop the flooding in their lives.
They know there’s a problem they just haven’t figured out where to go to solve it. They’re like people who came and found the demoniac clothed and in his right mind. They see what Jesus can do in a person’s life - but then they send Him away.
Christ wants to make you new! He wants to transform you daily. If you will lay those demons that strive to possess your life.
What demons are holding you? Will you turn them over to Jesus and let him cast them into the swine of life?
This Sunday, we will continue our series, Holy Stories, with a message titled, Righteous or Self Righteous based on Luke 18:9-14 I hope you will join us for an exciting look at our inner selves.
Transforming with you,
Jon
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