a palpable sense of relief
17 Mar 2025 In our church in Agbonou, we are in the process of preaching from the book of Mark every Sunday. Just one passage each week until the whole book is preached through. Today was Mark 5....The Lord Jesus sets a demon-possessed man free.
Over the years here in Togo I have noticed that the reality of the occult, of being in the grip of evil spirits and realising their power, is still present, albeit below the surface, but no less it is a real fear. Many people have seen the power of evil with their own eyes, or have been in contact with it through family members who may still be living fully in this animism. So the preaching of Mark chapter 5 is very relevant here in the Togolese context!
What a blessing then to be able to reflect together from this passage on the power of Christ....He is stronger than all these spirits put together. He is the risen, living Lord of the whole world. True, Spirit-worked faith in Him, then, is truly the only deliverance for anyone living in fear of the occult! Therefore, during the sermon, we were completely focused on Him by our preacher. And when he finally asked the burning question, "Can those who believe in the Lord Jesus still be possessed by evil spirits? The clear, powerful and obvious answer was NO! And the relief was palpable.
Of course, this conclusion came with the urgent warning that everyone should examine him or herself and make sure that the Lord Jesus is not only their Saviour, but also their Lord in daily life!
Many churches in Togo focus on deliverance services... the church across the street from us regularly holds such a service and then, with a lot of energy and conviction, a lot of raising of voices, people spend hours praying and begging for the deliverance of a church member. Our elders used to attend such deliverance meetings. But it is the conviction that, in the end, it is NOT these deliverance services that should be the focus, but the Gospel of Jesus and His power to truly deliver. It is the clear proclamation of the Gospel that works faith and is an effective weapon against demonic possession. ....
There is more to write on this subject... but I will leave it at that.
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