"If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38

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"If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

MARK 8:38: If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Going Undercover | Mark 8:38

“A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.” (Mark 5:15–17 NLT)

 

In our previous two devotions, we looked at the story in Mark 5 of Jesus’ encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. The man terrified the people in the region until Jesus drove the demons out of him and into a nearby herd of pigs. The demon-possessed pigs, around two thousand in all, rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they drowned.

The Gospels record several different reactions to Jesus’ miraculous acts of healing and unmistakable displays of power. But the reaction of the Gerasenes stands apart. When the people saw the formerly demon-possessed man, “sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane . . . they were all afraid” (Mark 5:15 NLT). So, not much had really changed for them. Instead of being afraid of the demon-possessed man, they were now afraid of the One who had healed him. So afraid, in fact, that they began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone (see verse 17).

Mark doesn’t explain why the people reacted as they did. It may be that witnessing such supernatural power unnerved them. It may be that they were upset about the financial losses tied to the drowned pigs. Or it may be that Jesus’ presence made them realize that they preferred darkness to His light.

Whatever the case, their reasons for wanting to be rid of Jesus two thousand years ago are not nearly as relevant as the motives of people today who want nothing to do with Him. The reality is that anyone who doesn’t say, “Jesus, I want to be close to You,” is saying, “Jesus, go away. I don’t want You in my life.”

Some might protest and say, “Now, wait a second. I admit that I haven’t yet made a commitment to Christ. I’m simply saying I haven’t decided yet.” But if you don’t say yes to Jesus, you are essentially telling Him to go away. Jesus Himself said, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me” (Luke 11:23 NLT). Either you have faith and trust in Christ, or you have unbelief. There is no other option.

Though you may not have spoken the words, “Jesus, go away,” there’s a chance that you’ve communicated them indirectly. Maybe you’ve resisted God’s work in your heart. Maybe you don’t want to give up some things in your life that you know are wrong. Or maybe you’re just too busy—you have time for everything but Jesus.

It really boils down to this: What have you done with Jesus? Are you going to say, “Go away”? Or are you going to ask Him to become a part of your life?

 

Reflection question: What can you do to welcome Jesus into your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.&nbsp;Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.&nbsp;And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.&rdquo; (Mark 5:15&ndash;17 NLT)
&nbsp;
In our previous two devotions, we looked at the story in Mark 5 of Jesus&rsquo; encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. The man terrified the people in the region until Jesus drove the demons out of him and into a nearby herd of pigs. The demon-possessed pigs, around two thousand in all, rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they drowned.
The Gospels record several different reactions to Jesus&rsquo; miraculous acts of healing and unmistakable displays of power. But the reaction of the Gerasenes stands apart. When the people saw the formerly demon-possessed man, &ldquo;sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane . . . they were all afraid&rdquo; (Mark 5:15 NLT). So, not much had really changed for them. Instead of being afraid of the demon-possessed man, they were now afraid of the One who had healed him. So afraid, in fact, that they began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone (see verse 17).
Mark doesn&rsquo;t explain why the people reacted as they did. It may be that witnessing such supernatural power unnerved them. It may be that they were upset about the financial losses tied to the drowned pigs. Or it may be that Jesus&rsquo; presence made them realize that they preferred darkness to His light.
Whatever the case, their reasons for wanting to be rid of Jesus two thousand years ago are not nearly as relevant as the motives of people today who want nothing to do with Him. The reality is that anyone who doesn&rsquo;t say, &ldquo;Jesus, I want to be close to You,&rdquo; is saying, &ldquo;Jesus, go away. I don&rsquo;t want You in my life.&rdquo;
Some might protest and say, &ldquo;Now, wait a second. I admit that I haven&rsquo;t yet made a commitment to Christ. I&rsquo;m simply saying I haven&rsquo;t decided yet.&rdquo; But if you don&rsquo;t say yes to Jesus, you are essentially telling Him to go away. Jesus Himself said, &ldquo;Anyone who isn&rsquo;t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn&rsquo;t working with me is actually working against me&rdquo; (Luke 11:23 NLT). Either you have faith and trust in Christ, or you have unbelief. There is no other option.
Though you may not have spoken the words, &ldquo;Jesus, go away,&rdquo; there&rsquo;s a chance that you&rsquo;ve communicated them indirectly. Maybe you&rsquo;ve resisted God&rsquo;s work in your heart. Maybe you don&rsquo;t want to give up some things in your life that you know are wrong. Or maybe you&rsquo;re just too busy&mdash;you have time for everything but Jesus.
It really boils down to this: What have you done with Jesus? Are you going to say, &ldquo;Go away&rdquo;? Or are you going to ask Him to become a part of your life?
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What can you do to welcome Jesus into your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Anyone who doesn’t accept Jesus rejects Him.

Go Away? | Mark 5:15–17

“This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.” (Mark 5:3–4 NLT)

 

Mark 5 tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. In our last devotion, we looked at the spirit of fear the man inspired. Today we’re going to talk about the problem he presented and, specifically, what to do when a problem is bigger than our ability to solve.

Obviously, the demon-possessed man was a pressing problem for the people in the region of the Gerasenes. He was society’s problem back in the day. And if you read between the lines of Mark 5:3–4, you get a glimpse of how society handled the problem. “He was put into chains and shackles” (verse 4 NLT). Society’s solution was to limit his freedom, to incapacitate him so that he wouldn’t be a menace to others. The snapped chains and smashed shackles tell us how well society’s solution worked.

Obviously, community intervention can be a valuable resource for people who are struggling. But in this case, the man’s struggle was spiritual. The community could do nothing to help him because the problem exceeded their resources.

Isn’t it interesting that with all our wonderful achievements today, society still cannot deal with problems caused by Satan and sin? We cannot overcome Satan in our own power. We don’t know what to do. Society doesn’t have the answers. Like the demon-possessed man, we need a Savior to help us.

Look at what happened when the Savior came into the man’s life. Jesus went to the spooky little graveyard where the man lived. Jesus looked past the man’s horrific physical appearance and saw the hurting, tortured soul within. And Jesus offered what was His exclusively to give: hope.

What society could not do to release the man from Satan and sin, Jesus did with one simple command. “Come out of the man, you evil spirit” (Mark 5:8 NLT). Immediately, the demons came out of the man, as commanded. Jesus transformed the man’s life by setting him free. That’s what He does. In John 8:36, He says, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (NLT).

Jesus does what no one else can. He reaches those no one else can. If this story of the demon-possessed man teaches us anything, it’s that no one is ever too far gone for the Lord. No one is ever a lost cause. There is always reason for hope.

Jesus Christ can transform your life and make you free, too. God’s people know that’s true, because He has already done it for us. Come to Him; let Him make you free. Let Him be your Savior.

 

Reflection question: What does it mean to you that no one is ever too far gone, as far as the Lord is concerned? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles&mdash;as he often was&mdash;he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.&rdquo; (Mark 5:3&ndash;4 NLT)
&nbsp;
Mark 5 tells the story of Jesus&rsquo; encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. In our last devotion, we looked at the spirit of fear the man inspired. Today we&rsquo;re going to talk about the problem he presented and, specifically, what to do when a problem is bigger than our ability to solve.
Obviously, the demon-possessed man was a pressing problem for the people in the region of the Gerasenes. He was society&rsquo;s problem back in the day. And if you read between the lines of Mark 5:3&ndash;4, you get a glimpse of how society handled the problem. &ldquo;He was put into chains and shackles&rdquo; (verse 4 NLT). Society&rsquo;s solution was to limit his freedom, to incapacitate him so that he wouldn&rsquo;t be a menace to others. The snapped chains and smashed shackles tell us how well society&rsquo;s solution worked.
Obviously, community intervention can be a valuable resource for people who are struggling. But in this case, the man&rsquo;s struggle was spiritual. The community could do nothing to help him because the problem exceeded their resources.
Isn&rsquo;t it interesting that with all our wonderful achievements today, society still cannot deal with problems caused by Satan and sin? We cannot overcome Satan in our own power. We don&rsquo;t know what to do. Society doesn&rsquo;t have the answers. Like the demon-possessed man, we need a Savior to help us.
Look at what happened when the Savior came into the man&rsquo;s life. Jesus went to the spooky little graveyard where the man lived. Jesus looked past the man&rsquo;s horrific physical appearance and saw the hurting, tortured soul within. And Jesus offered what was His exclusively to give: hope.
What society could not do to release the man from Satan and sin, Jesus did with one simple command. &ldquo;Come out of the man, you evil spirit&rdquo; (Mark 5:8 NLT). Immediately, the demons came out of the man, as commanded. Jesus transformed the man&rsquo;s life by setting him free. That&rsquo;s what He does. In John 8:36, He says, &ldquo;So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free&rdquo; (NLT).
Jesus does what no one else can. He reaches those no one else can. If this story of the demon-possessed man teaches us anything, it&rsquo;s that no one is ever too far gone for the Lord. No one is ever a lost cause. There is always reason for hope.
Jesus Christ can transform your life and make you free, too. God&rsquo;s people know that&rsquo;s true, because He has already done it for us. Come to Him; let Him make you free. Let Him be your Savior.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What does it mean to you that no one is ever too far gone, as far as the Lord is concerned?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Jesus’ resources to help far exceed any problem.

Only So Much We Can Do | Mark 5:3–4

“When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him.” (Mark 5:2 NLT)

 

One of the most memorable stories in the Gospel of Mark is Jesus’ encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. Over the next few days, we’re going to look at this encounter from different perspectives. Today, we’re going to focus on the fear the man inspired.

The description of the man in Mark 5 reads like something out of a horror novel. “This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones” (verses 3–5 NLT).

The people of the region were understandably frightened of the man. Jesus, on the other hand, was not. Jesus could see that, underneath the horrendous exterior, lay a tortured soul. He could see Satan at work in the man’s life, trying to destroy him.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (NLT). God has a wonderful plan for people because He loves us.

The devil, on the other hand, has horrible plans for people’s lives because he hates us. In John 12:31, Jesus refers to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (NLT). But he’s a lame duck. He’s already been defeated. His judgment is certain. And his reign will end when Jesus returns. Until that time, though, he will do everything in his power to interfere with God’s plans for His people. Because he hates us.

And one of the tactics he uses is fear. The people of the region of the Gerasenes were limited in what they could do about—and for—the demon-possessed man because they were afraid of him. Jesus, because He had no fear of the man, could see the situation from a clear-eyed perspective.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). David wrote, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 NLT). Fear need not be an obstacle for God’s people.

Whether the potential frightener is a person, a diagnosis, job insecurity, a financial hardship, a relationship problem, or some other circumstance beyond our control, believers can claim God’s power and remove fear from the equation. Just as Jesus approached the demon-possessed man, we can approach the havoc our enemy creates in our lives from a godly, clear-eyed perspective.

 

Reflection question: How can you remove the spirit of fear from a situation you’re facing right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him.&rdquo; (Mark 5:2 NLT)
&nbsp;
One of the most memorable stories in the Gospel of Mark is Jesus&rsquo; encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. Over the next few days, we&rsquo;re going to look at this encounter from different perspectives. Today, we&rsquo;re going to focus on the fear the man inspired.
The description of the man in Mark 5 reads like something out of a horror novel. &ldquo;This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles&mdash;as he often was&mdash;he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones&rdquo; (verses 3&ndash;5 NLT).
The people of the region were understandably frightened of the man. Jesus, on the other hand, was not. Jesus could see that, underneath the horrendous exterior, lay a tortured soul. He could see Satan at work in the man&rsquo;s life, trying to destroy him.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, &ldquo;&lsquo;For I know the plans I have for you,&rsquo; says the Lord. &lsquo;They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT). God has a wonderful plan for people because He loves us.
The devil, on the other hand, has horrible plans for people&rsquo;s lives because he hates us. In John 12:31, Jesus refers to Satan as &ldquo;the ruler of this world&rdquo; (NLT). But he&rsquo;s a lame duck. He&rsquo;s already been defeated. His judgment is certain. And his reign will end when Jesus returns. Until that time, though, he will do everything in his power to interfere with God&rsquo;s plans for His people. Because he hates us.
And one of the tactics he uses is fear. The people of the region of the Gerasenes were limited in what they could do about&mdash;and for&mdash;the demon-possessed man because they were afraid of him. Jesus, because He had no fear of the man, could see the situation from a clear-eyed perspective.
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline&rdquo; (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). David wrote, &ldquo;Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me&rdquo; (Psalm 23:4 NLT). Fear need not be an obstacle for God&rsquo;s people.
Whether the potential frightener is a person, a diagnosis, job insecurity, a financial hardship, a relationship problem, or some other circumstance beyond our control, believers can claim God&rsquo;s power and remove fear from the equation. Just as Jesus approached the demon-possessed man, we can approach the havoc our enemy creates in our lives from a godly, clear-eyed perspective.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you remove the spirit of fear from a situation you&rsquo;re facing right now?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Fear need not be an obstacle for God’s people.

Going Undercover | Mark 8:38

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