But because of his great love for us,"); document.writeln("God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in"); document.writeln("transgressions\'”it is by grace you have been saved.1
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He"); document.writeln("lived among the graves in the cemetery. He spent his days crying out and his"); document.writeln("nights cutting himself with stones. His life was filled with fear and"); document.writeln("desperation\'”and then one day, hope walked by. Mark chapter 5 begins with the"); document.writeln("story of the man possessed by a \'Legion\' of demons. When he saw Jesus in the"); document.writeln("distance, he recognized him immediately. He ran to Him and even in his bondage,"); document.writeln("he fell on his knees before the Lord acknowledging Jesus as the \'Son of the"); document.writeln("Most High God\' (v. 7) knowing that it was only through Jesus that he could be"); document.writeln("saved from the misery in which he found himself. As Jesus looked upon the"); document.writeln("possessed man, He commanded the demons to leave him. Recognizing the Son of"); document.writeln("God, the demons obeyed. He had been a dead man walking and was brought back to"); document.writeln("life. The man who had long been tormented by this host of evil was finally free"); document.writeln("of his heavy chains. But, it didn\'t end there. The man who had been possessed"); document.writeln("now had the desire to follow Jesus, to be with Jesus, but instead Jesus urged"); document.writeln("him to go tell others what the Lord had done for him! (v.19). God took this man\'s"); document.writeln("life and transformed it. People no longer recognized the man he had become"); document.writeln("because God\'s light, that now shined through him, overpowered any darkness"); document.writeln("manifested by the devil.
"); document.writeln("I"); document.writeln("can imagine the man\'s overwhelming joy and singing:
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\'The enemy thought he had me, but"); document.writeln("Jesus said, \'You are mine!\'
"); document.writeln("No"); document.writeln("longer I who live, but Christ in me;
"); document.writeln("For"); document.writeln("I\'ve been born again, my heart is free
"); document.writeln("The"); document.writeln("hope of Heaven before me, the grave behind
"); document.writeln("Hallelujah,"); document.writeln("You brought me back to life\'2
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There are no chains too heavy, no bondage"); document.writeln("too great, and no night too dark that Jesus can\'t save you from. Run to Him"); document.writeln("today, just as you are, with your load of sin and feelings of desperation."); document.writeln("Jesus is waiting to give you new life!
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Suggested"); document.writeln("prayer: Dear Lord, \'How can"); document.writeln("I begin to thank You For all that You\'ve done for me? Jesus, to fully praise You It will"); document.writeln("take all eternity Just"); document.writeln("like Lazarus Oh, You brought me back to life\'. Amen.
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1. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV).
"); document.writeln("2. Back to Life, song by Bethel Music and Zahriya Zachary. 2021.
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Today\'s Encounter was written by: Veronica"); document.writeln("B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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