Live Free with Josh Howerton - Jesus Makes the Darkness Tremble | Ep. 423 | Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

In any confrontation between darkness and light, the light always emerges triumphant. It compels darkness to retreat in its presence. Jesus embodies this victorious light! Human nature tends to be drawn to light once its warmth is experienced. Remember, you don't have to wait until you're at a low point to turn towards Jesus; embrace His guiding light today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our Church Online live weekend services on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the Daily Drive. My name is Bro, and we are in the middle of a story found in the New Testament of the Bible in the book of Mark chapter 5. And man, the setting is dark.

Honestly, it's a little creepy. And the principal character of this story is even creepier. But Jesus, the light of the world, shows up on the scene, and things are about to change. You know, I love that worship song that we sometimes sing in churches. Jesus, Jesus, you make the darkness tremble. We learned that everyone in this region is terrified of this man who lived in the tombs. But the evil ones living inside of him, they're terrified of Jesus. And in trembling fear, the demons cry out to Jesus, please, please, don't torture us.

Let's pick it back up in verse number nine. Then Jesus demanded, what is your name? Speaking to the demons. And he replied, my name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man. Then the evil spirits begged him again and again, not to send them to some distant place. Now, Legion referred to a regiment of Roman soldiers that was 6,000 strong. So you talk about a stronghold? This man is riddled with demons.

This man is emotionally and spiritually chained, and death and darkness are his only friends. One of my favorite descriptions of Jesus is found in John, chapter 1, verse 3 through 5, when John writes about him, through him all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it, and it never will. It doesn't get much darker than meeting a demon-possessed man,

who breaks through iron chains in a graveyard at midnight, bleeding, naked, and screaming. But even that level of darkness, can't compete with Jesus. Light chases away darkness. Light always wins. Think about that. When light shows up, darkness has no other choice but to leave.

Listen to me, I don't know what level of darkness you've lived in or are currently living in. I just know that Jesus isn't frightened by it because he's stronger than it is. He is the light of the world. He is life. And I don't know what has you bound up right now

or what haunts you at night or keeps you friends with the darkness? I just know that Jesus can flood your soul with light. He really can set you free and break those chains. I mean, I just prayed this morning that you would see the light and you would walk toward it. The problem is many of us see the light, but we won't move until we feel the heat. When everything around us starts to crash. I hear people say all the time, well, you know, you have to hit rock bottom. Let me lovingly say,

No, you don't. No, you don't. Now, in regard to humility, and acknowledging your chains and admitting you need help, I believe that kind of rock bottom is absolutely true. But you don't have to wait until there's all kinds of destruction lying in your wake.

I have a friend who's fond of saying, when you're on the elevator, you don't have to ride it all the way to the basement. You can get off on the third floor. Don't wait until you feel the heat. See the light today and walk toward Jesus. So let's just hit pause on the story today. And let me lead us in just a brief time of prayer.

Jesus, right now, I just thank you that you are the light of the world. I thank you that you are a chain breaker. And I pray for anyone right now, God, that is bound up in all kinds of strongholds, that they would find you to be that person, that miracle worker that meets them right where they are. He's not afraid of the dark. In fact, he chases it away. I thank you for that truth. And I pray someone listening today would experience that.

maybe for the first time in their life. And I pray all this in your strong name. Amen. I hope you guys have a great day. I'll see you back here tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services

on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about all the digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint. compt.com slash daily drive. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out.