“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,  and how he has had mercy on you". Mark 5:19

Mark 5: 1-20

Recurrent Thought

To share the Good News of Jesus Christ to others, is to share what he has done for me.

When a person calls upon the name of Jesus, they are saved from eternal damnation set against all who do not believe in Yahweh (Romans 10:13). Additionally, when a Person confesses Jesus as Lord, they are regenerated and their lives radically transformed (Rom. 10:9-10; Titus 3: 4-6). The status of the person who has had an encounter with Christ is usually, evident. However, the people who watch do not usually know the cause for such transformation and sometimes ascribe it to different reasons. It is therefore essential for those who have been redeemed to say so (Psalm 107:2-3)

In the Text we deal with today, we explore the transformation  Jesus set in a a person whose life was broken (Mark 5). In the previous Chapter, Jesus taught the whole day on various topics, when evening came, he informed his Disciples that they cross the lake and go to the other side. On the lake, they were assailed by a storm which he calmed until they landed at Gerasene. Jesus had come on an assignment to minister to only one person. This was a man who was terribly sick and mentally demented; who could not be controlled but lived in the tombs far away from the community of People. Jesus cast out demons from him and he was delivered and became whole. 

Mental Health Challenges

Does it mean all insanity is as result of being possessed by evil spirits? No, the causes are varied and many may not be connected to evil spirits. What of in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, does it mean all insanity is a punishment from God like in him (Daniel 4)? Not at all. Here the scriptures is very explicit that the insanity he suffered for seven years was due to his lack of repentance; when he did, God healed and restored him. We must recognize two things about Mental Health. First, it should be noticed that mental health is a spectrum of experience, ranging from excellent health at one end and severe incapacitating symptoms of mental illness at the other end. Second, there are lots of circumstances that trigger mental health breakdown. Some are spiritual, some are related to substance abuse, some are pure satanic attacks, some are hereditary reasons, and a lot of many other causes. Some are mental health concerns that begin as a contagion, especially issues that relate to peer pressure among teenagers. How do we handle Mental Health challenges? Bring the cases to the Lord at all times. However, do not neglect the care that may begin by caregivers. 

Notice two responses to the deliverance of the man from the Gerasenes. The people of the land feared Jesus and entreated him to live their region; While the healed person desired to follow him. Jesus left the region, for indeed his assignment was for the healing of this one person. Strangely Jesus did not take the healed Man with him, but gave a charge to go home. He said to him: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you

From this text we find three Reasons for being witnesses of Jesus

1. We witness to Others in Obedience to His Command
   • Jesus charged him to go home and tell others what happened to him. 
   • Similarly, for Christ devoted followers, they must obey the Great Commission Jesus gave to the Church (Mathew 28:19)
   • The Great Commission is a command to be obeyed and not to be analyzed. As others have said, the Great Commission is not the Great Suggestion
   • He commanded him to go home where he would find relatives that must be told about this goodness 
   • He commanded him to go home and tell Friends about the goodness of Jesus 
   • It is essential to witness Gods Goodness to those at home, friends. The longer you stay in Christ the more you are alienated from those from home (Relatives and Friends)
2. We witness to Others to Share the Reality of Our Transformed Life 
   • Jesus told him to go home tell others how much the Lord had done for him.
   • When we encounter Jesus we get transformed. He touches us in ways that are amazing worth to tell others 
   • If Jesus has touched You, then don’t hide it! Tell others about it!
   • In this particular instance he is talking about his miracle of Healing
   • He had a debilitating mental illness caused by heavy presence of evil spirits
   • To share the Good News of Christ to others, is to share what he has done for me. We cant tell the value of the good news when we have not experienced it
   • Could it be when we fail to tell others about Jesus, it is because we no longer remember how He transformed us. Could it be we have forgotten the Joy of Salvation (Psalms 51: 12-13).Could it be we stayed in the coffee shop for too long and we stopped smelling the aroma of coffee.
3. We witness to Others to Inform them How Merciful God is to Us
   • Jesus told him to go and inform people how God had mercy on him
   • In this third reason, We witness on the character of God whom we follow. We are declaring to people that God is merciful 
   • Mercy is the Forgiveness given to an offender despite my power and opportunity to punish them
   • As I witness to others, I inform them how God has been “merciful to me a sinner.” 
   • We also inform others how the Love of God has transformed a sinner into a saint. He made Jesus to be sin that we may be the righteousness of God.

Altar Time

• Restore the Joy of My Salvation; 
• Renew a willing Spirit (Psalm 51: 12)

Remember P40

ICA P40 Launched 24th March ending May 2nd

Plan 40 is a strategy of Win in which we intentionally, plan and casting Vision in how we win others to Christ. 

Part of the strategy is to prepare for the eventual teaching (life class) that we conduct to ensure all who are born again receive. 

The most basic activity under P40 is Praying for specific peoples for the salvation of their Souls. The Church has asked you to Pray for three names you should deliberately pray for.