Dear loved of God,

   Hello everyone. Are you in the fight of your life? Either some physical malady or an emotional loss that continues to keep you in the dark or is it a spiritual battle yet to be won? We all want freedom to live and move in the abundance of what God tells us is ours.

   First, we need to need a change. Who can win who is satisfied living in the tombs? Jesus took time to visit a man who was totally in darkness. He couldn't be chained, controlled or passified. Even scraping at his body wouldn't rid him of the torment he was in. Have you ever felt like that?

   You can cry all you want, but there are strongholds that will not for the life of you let go their hold. Mark 5 has a story about such a man. But first, something happened while crossing the sea with His disciples. Jesus wanted to go "to the other side". Not for a rest from all His work but to visit one person. After a terrific, wild storm that Jesus calmed; He was on another mission to calm a storm.

   This encounter in verses 1-20 says, this man lived in the tombs under the power of an unclean spirit. No one could subdue him, not even with the strongest of chains. He walked around night and day shrieking and screaming, bruising and cutting himself with stones.

   Imagine the horror, the terror of that place. When Jesus saw him from a distance, the man asked Him, "What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"

   Where are the disciples? Hiding in the boat? What are they witnessing? I think I would be trembling! Well, Jesus commanded the unclean spirits to come out of the man. There were many, a legion.

   Okay, right here I want to ask...do you feel like you are stuck in a graveyard? Christians, I am talking to you. You might be able to pull off a pretty good bluff when you are with the church. But, what do you have when you go home? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Is there a heavy weight of chains around you so you can hardly lift your feet?

   Now back to the warfare. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we see Paul reminding us that our warfare is not in the flesh using human weapons, "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that set itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ."

   I have spent the last few nights refuting arguments, crazy anxiety and reasonings over the future. Where my imagination rises to make me miserable and hurting as soon as I laid down for sleep, I found the enemy lurking.

   I asked the Lord "Why?" My answer was to stand on the Word of Truth with the armor I have been given. Eventually, when I bring those troubling thoughts to rest at the throne of grace, I sleep.

   Speaking His matchless, powerful name, I no longer have the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 lulls me back to peace.

    When the night is dark without the light of the moon, everything becomes a different view, doesn't it? There are no shadows where there is no light. Only darkness you can almost hold in your hand.

   Jesus understands our struggle. Be encouraged believers, He is the Lord who calms every storm! He speaks "Peace, be still" to the place that we truly know He Is God! The storm is exhausted from power to beat our perfect peace.

   I have found the greatest battle to be within my own mind. Mostly about things I am not in control over. Stress becomes a cloak that is heavy and cumbersome. There are places that still need the sanctifying work of Christ.

   A Christian we may be, but the work of the Holy Spirit continues to deliver us from the tombs yet to be revealed. Control could be an issue. It must be God's control, not ours. Unresolved hurts, our petty hangups and bad habits all need the touch of the Master.

   Will you ask the Lord to show you what He sees? Are you wanting to be healed that much? I am. It is scary and yet, so is surgery. We can trust the Lord as we give our lives into His capable, loving hands. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 and here I will leave you.

   "And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

   "Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]."

   Praise the Lord brothers and sisters! We aren't left to ourselves to wallow around in the tombs any longer! That man was restored perfectly at the command of The Lord of All! We can be too! Rejoice in the Lord's goodness and unfailing Love for you! Bless you in His matchless name, now and forevermore. Amen.

Abundance is...freedom