BBD 10.18.11 Bad to the Bone

#1 · October 18, 2011, 7:25 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on October 18, 2011, 7:25 pm
Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net
www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 13 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 18,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you love to send and receive inspirational emails then the Burning Bush Inspirational Group is for you. To join send an email to bbinspire-join@welovegod.org

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

Forwarding of this email is encouraged and appreciated!!

There is new translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top right hand corner of all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 7627 new subscribers since January 1, 2011!!
There were 4010 new subscribers during 2010!!

10.18.11

Bad to the Bone

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. - Mark 5:1-6.

Toni Silvey has a few problems, including charges of stalking her ex-boyfriend. Stalking is perhaps too mild of a word for the actions of this woman toward her ex, Peter Main. Over a three month period, Toni attempted 1,001 phone calls to Peter, sent him 700 emails, egged his house, andcrashed her car into his vehicle. Many of her stalking activities are documented in her blog. When police questioned her about the stalking, she responded with, Read my blog. Which they did. After police officers warned her against any further stalking activities, she immediately began behaving like any normal human being would. Peter Main can only wish that were true! Later on the same day, after police warned her, Toni went to Peters property witheggs, and proceeded to egg things. (Houston Chronicle 10.11.11)

As with most situations, there are probably two sides to this story. However, Tonis actions do appear to be a little over the top. I once had a woman tell me that she took a hammer, and used it on her ex-boyfriends new pickup truck. Having seen the woman, if I was her ex-boyfriend, I might have considered moving to another state, and assuming a new identity. Sadly, we know that many relational problems end in even more tragic ways. But what is it that make some go far, far beyond the acceptable norms of society in seeking revenge, and others in just their way of living life?

I believe there is a spiritual component, to the bad actions that we so frequently see. In the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark chapter five, we are told about a man that is completely out of control. If you want to talk about bad, this man was bad, he was uncontrollable; and the people had tried to control him, tried to stop his bad behavior. Concerned citizens had wrapped this man in chains, but he broke the chains, pulling them apart. The shackles they put on his arms and legs; he broke into pieces. He was always in the mountains crying out and cutting himself. Everyone that knew him had long ago written him off. There was no way this person could ever change. There was no way that anyone could ever help this person. There was no hope. You could say that he was just bad to the bone.

Everyone who wrote off the uncontrollable, bad to the bone man of Mark chapter five, were wrong! Enter Jesus to the scene. Jesus does what? Jesus made the thousands of demons who inhabited the man to leave. Then, this man who had been bad to the bone was sitting and clothed and in his right mind.

Is everyone who acts badly demon possessed? Not necessarily, but we would be wrong to dismiss the possibility. Some people are not necessarily demon possessed like the man in Mark chapter five, but are being influenced demonically. We are told in Ephesians 6:16, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The apostle Paul is not writing to lost people in this verse. He is writing to believers who know Jesus as their personal Savior.

Christians must be on guard against demonic influences, i.e. fiery darts being sent into their lives. We have our fleshly desires, but many also have compelling thoughts suggesting that they should do things like: abuse alcohol and drugs; look at p_rn, or indulge other s_xual addictions; gamble; cut themselves, like the man in Mark chapter five; and, many other things which are wrong for Christians to do. Let us Put on the whole armor of God, that (we) you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

Copyright © 2011. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

For information about how to hear my testimony in your church visit this link: www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=22160

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.). Please pray for our grandson, Mason Wrather, as he recovers from surgery. Please pray for a member of our church who is battling cancer, Connie Bryan.

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: connect.tangle.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST www.kkbifm.com/
Several videos of Clarks sermons can be found at his church website: www.fbcbrokenbow.com

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

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To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net
http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 13 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 18,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you love to send and receive inspirational emails then the Burning Bush Inspirational Group is for you. To join send an email to bbinspire-join@welovegod.org

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

Forwarding of this email is encouraged and appreciated!!

There is new translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top right hand corner of all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 7627 new subscribers since January 1, 2011!!
There were 4010 new subscribers during 2010!!

10.18.11

Bad to the Bone

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. - Mark 5:1-6.

Toni Silvey has a few problems, including charges of stalking her ex-boyfriend. Stalking is perhaps too mild of a word for the actions of this woman toward her ex, Peter Main. Over a three month period, Toni attempted 1,001 phone calls to Peter, sent him 700 emails, egged his house, andcrashed her car into his vehicle. Many of her stalking activities are documented in her blog. When police questioned her about the stalking, she responded with, Read my blog. Which they did. After police officers warned her against any further stalking activities, she immediately began behaving like any normal human being would. Peter Main can only wish that were true! Later on the same day, after police warned her, Toni went to Peters property witheggs, and proceeded to egg things. (Houston Chronicle 10.11.11)

As with most situations, there are probably two sides to this story. However, Tonis actions do appear to be a little over the top. I once had a woman tell me that she took a hammer, and used it on her ex-boyfriends new pickup truck. Having seen the woman, if I was her ex-boyfriend, I might have considered moving to another state, and assuming a new identity. Sadly, we know that many relational problems end in even more tragic ways. But what is it that make some go far, far beyond the acceptable norms of society in seeking revenge, and others in just their way of living life?

I believe there is a spiritual component, to the bad actions that we so frequently see. In the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark chapter five, we are told about a man that is completely out of control. If you want to talk about bad, this man was bad, he was uncontrollable; and the people had tried to control him, tried to stop his bad behavior. Concerned citizens had wrapped this man in chains, but he broke the chains, pulling them apart. The shackles they put on his arms and legs; he broke into pieces. He was always in the mountains crying out and cutting himself. Everyone that knew him had long ago written him off. There was no way this person could ever change. There was no way that anyone could ever help this person. There was no hope. You could say that he was just bad to the bone.

Everyone who wrote off the uncontrollable, bad to the bone man of Mark chapter five, were wrong! Enter Jesus to the scene. Jesus does what? Jesus made the thousands of demons who inhabited the man to leave. Then, this man who had been bad to the bone was sitting and clothed and in his right mind.

Is everyone who acts badly demon possessed? Not necessarily, but we would be wrong to dismiss the possibility. Some people are not necessarily demon possessed like the man in Mark chapter five, but are being influenced demonically. We are told in Ephesians 6:16, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The apostle Paul is not writing to lost people in this verse. He is writing to believers who know Jesus as their personal Savior.

Christians must be on guard against demonic influences, i.e. fiery darts being sent into their lives. We have our fleshly desires, but many also have compelling thoughts suggesting that they should do things like: abuse alcohol and drugs; look at p_rn, or indulge other s_xual addictions; gamble; cut themselves, like the man in Mark chapter five; and, many other things which are wrong for Christians to do. Let us Put on the whole armor of God, that (we) you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

Copyright © 2011. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

For information about how to hear my testimony in your church visit this link: http://www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=22160

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.). Please pray for our grandson, Mason Wrather, as he recovers from surgery. Please pray for a member of our church who is battling cancer, Connie Bryan.

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: connect.tangle.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST http://www.kkbifm.com/
Several videos of Clarks sermons can be found at his church website: http://www.fbcbrokenbow.com

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org