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DELIVERANCE HE AFFORDS TO ALL ..... Part 3

Aug 19, 2009, 7:08 AM | Article By: Galandou Gorre-Ndiaye

As you flip through the pages of the New Testament you will be amazed at the number of times Jesus is called to come to the rescue of someone who is in trouble or the occasions He is rescuing someone from the clutches of the evil one. Someone somewhere has been bound and needs to be delivered desperately and Jesus, the Deliverer, would meet them at their point of need.
In the Gospel of Mark, in the very first chapter, Jesus drives out an evil spirit. Later Mark reports 'Jesus heals Mary', 'Jesus heals a paralytic,' 'the healing of the demon-possessed man,' 'the healing of  a deaf and mute man,' 'the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida,' 'the healing of a boy with an evil spirit.' All these people suffered from a common ailment - Satan had impeded their progress by denying them their full rights in Christ Jesus who had come ".to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)

Having been former agents in the heavenly realm, it was not difficult for the demons to recognise Jesus. One of them said to Him: "What do you want with me, Jesus Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" (Mark 5:7) This man had been possessed by a mob (many) of evil spirits. He lived in the graveyard and nobody could keep him chained. He would break the chains every time they had his hands and feet bound. "Every time he broke the chains and smashed the irons on his feet. He was too strong for anyone to control him. Day and night he wandered among the tombs and through the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones." (Mark 5:4-6) That was how bad his case was. But Jesus ordered him: "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" and the mob of demons obeyed. After the demon-possessed man was delivered, "the man who used to have the mob of demons in him was sitting.clothed and in his right mind." (Mark 5:15) He had gone through a rough ordeal and now Jesus had delivered him from it all.

Whatever ordeal you are going through Jesus would deliver you from it all. Seek his help, call upon his name. Nothing is impossible for him to do. "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:27) 

On one occasion a man brought his son that had been robbed of his speech, to be delivered but Jesus had gone up the mountaintop with Peter, James and John and the other disciples could not do anything about it. "I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." (Mark 9:18b) His condition had worsened and he needed help. Whenever the evil spirit seized him, "it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid." (Mark 9:17-18) But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit in these terms; "Deaf and dumb spirit, I order you to come out of the boy and never go into him again." (Mark 9:25) Mark recounts that "the spirit screamed, threw the boy into a bad fit, and came out. (Mark 9:26) It was such a violent operation that the boy was thought dead. But Jesus took him by his hand and brought him back up to his feet. He had been released and totally delivered.

Once, a Roman officer came to Jesus to request Him to heal his servant who was paralyzed and was suffering terribly. Without hesitating Jesus responded; "I will go and heal him." Note how Jesus was always available to crush the works of the evil one.

One day Jesus was in the synagogue teaching ".and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all." (Luke 13:11) Setting eyes on her, Jesus called her to come forward and said to her. "Woman, you are free from your illness." (Luke 13:12) She straightened up after Jesus had placed his hands on her.

Notice that with regard to the boy he commanded the spirit to quit. But in this case he declared the woman free. Each had to be delivered from what was responsible for their state, from what had stopped them from being themselves. It was not meant for us to be bound and anyone who is bound must seek release in our Lord Jesus. The father of the boy knew this and he sought help to save the life of his son. Many attribute sickness and disease to God but it is clear from these instances however that the problem is not divine, but that of the devil. Jesus wants us to live an abundant life (John 10:10), not one for which we are crippled, deaf and dumb, maimed, blind, weakened, deprived and oppressed by the evil one.

God has made a way out of our troubles for us. We need only call. "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." (Psalm 34:17) The name of our Lord Jesus is still very powerful over sin and sickness and over the handiworks of the devil. Nothing on this earth can resist it. At the powerful name of Jesus, every knee must bow. Every obstacle must give way. "The righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; (Psalm 34:19-20)

Remember after you have given your life to Jesus to ask for deliverance from the things you have been held unknowingly bound. Every innocent mind that has been invaded by an evil spirit has to seek assistance from those to whom Jesus said: "And these signs will accompany those who believe; in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mark 16:17-18)

 "I sought the Lord, and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)