Breaking Free

Wendy Sykes-Jones

Description

The restoration of Legion is one of the most profound healing encounters in all of scripture. It demonstrates Jesus' supreme power over seas and souls.
"Breaking Free: From Demons to Discipleship" is an approach to the study of good and evil through the eyes of a madman known as
"Legion". While Legion may have lived long ago, the reign of evil in the human heart rages on, even to this day. With Jesus, there is healing--and because of that one fact alone--we have been given every reason in this world to have hope. To pray, and know that we are heard; to turn and feel the warm embrace of our Savior. The One
who loves us beyond all reason.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Legión
• Legion

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 17 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664298798
• Langue: English

Extrait

Breaking Free
 
From Demons to Discipleship
 
 
 
 
 
 
WENDY SYKES-JONES
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 Wendy Sykes-Jones.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9878-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9877-4 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9879-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023908140
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 05/16/2023
 
 
 
Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
 
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.
DEDICA TION
I lovingly and gratefully dedicate this book to the memory of my father,
Dr. Lewis Howard Williams.
It was his immense love and affection,
his complete acceptance and forgiveness,
his expert provision and protection
as my earthly father,
that clearly paved the way to my understanding of the
love, affection, acceptance, forgiveness,
provision and protection
of my heavenly Father.
Thanks, Dad.
“Bootsie”
Contents
Suggested Uses
Introduction
The Scripture Story
Chapter 1Solitary Confinement
Chapter 2The Journey From Panic To Praise
Chapter 3The Naked Truth
Chapter 4“Designer” Clothing
Chapter 5Fear Factor
Chapter 6The Long Goodbye
Conclusion
All Dressed Up and Somewhere to Go (The Original Writing)
Suggested Uses

The genesis of this book began quite differently from its eventual outcome. Originally, I had anticipated it being a fairly brief chapter to be included in another book altogether. But then God had other plans.
For many reasons, this project lay dormant for a number of years. Eventually, God’s continued nudging led me back to the work I had once begun. This time, however, I strongly sensed his re-direction of my earlier writings, urging me to expand this particular chapter into a book of its own. It is my fond desire this will be used for whatever purpose best suits your need: perhaps a small-group study, short-term Sunday school lesson, or simply for your personal spiritual growth.
If you are participating in a group study, you will find discussion questions as well as a related Psalm and Hymn included within each chapter. Everyone should receive their copy in advance to enable them to read the introduction and first chapter before meeting for the first time. In the same way, you’ll want to pair the final chapter with the conclusion before your last mee ting.
Suggested outline for gatherings (the facilitator may ask for volunteers for readings)
1. Opening prayers: joys and concerns
2. Reading of the chosen psalm
3. General discussion, questions, and insights of the chapter at hand
4. Sifting through author’s provided questions
5. Singing or reciting of the chosen hymn
6. Closing prayer (author provided or your own)
This book is by no means intended to compete with the vast array of rich theological commentary available on the subject. It is simply a collection of devotional reflections meant to stimulate thinking about this particular passage of Scripture, and hopefully, to encourage a deeper reflection of all Scripture reading. Apologies for my lack of either literary or theological degrees, save for that from above. These writings are more closely related to the Lectio Divina approach to interpreting Scripture: what is the passage trying to say to me on a personal level, and what implications might that realization hold for my life today?
The point is that these are God’s words, not mine. He speaks, I listen; He talks, I type. Apart from him, this book would not exist. May God continue to nurture abundant growth from a tiny, precious seed he planted in my heart many years ago.
Grace,
Wendy
Introduction

This book is about breaking free. It’s about breaking free from Satan’s grip upon our lives. Satan’s power is very real. It exists—yet it is counterfeit. In much the same way, we know that counterfeit money exists, but is not authentic. The moment counterfeit money becomes exposed, it is rendered powerless. So too, when Satan’s lies are confronted with the truth of Christ, the great deception is exposed as mere illusion, and in the process, Satan is rendered utterly powerless. The Temptation of Christ in the wilderness is a glowing example of this indisputable truth.
Satan is very good at what he does, and with good reason. Evangelist, Major Ian Thomas, has correctly pointed out that the world’s greatest fundamentalist of the Bible is Satan. He knows that every single word from Genesis to Revelation is true—why do you think he tries so hard to make us doubt it? Make no mistake—the source of darkness and death is well acquainted with the light of God’s living Word.
While Satan may accomplish many things, there is clearly a limit to evil’s power. Evil may dominate some things, but it cannot dominate all things. This restriction in ability poses the greatest threat to demonic attempts to devour. Satan wants nothing short of absolute destruction for as many souls as he can possibly reach. However, try as he may to destroy, he cannot defeat; he may bend, but he cannot break. Therefore, his power is not absolute.
By contrast, the power of Christ is complete. It exists independently—free of imposed limitation of any kind. Satan’s power, however, can only be derived through the absence of the power of Christ. There is no authority higher than his own to whom Christ must submit. Therefore, Christ possesses absolute power, as we read in Matthew: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).
Since the power of Christ reigns supreme, then naturally it must follow that all must submit to His ultimate authority— all— including Satan! This will be an important spiritual principle to keep before us as we move through this study.
The New Testament Gospels fully reveal the dominion of Jesus’s power in four essential areas: over nature, evil spirits, death and disease. Primarily, this book illustrates the power of Jesus Christ over evil spirits, as evidenced from a Gerasene man cured of multiple demons. I have included an illustration of Christ’s power over nature as we examine the passage of Scripture leading up to this holy, healing moment.
However awesome the demonstration of this particular healing may be, it is a mere comma on the page of a much larger Story. Yet it successfully demonstrates a critically important truth, the overarching theme of the entire Bible: God’s desire and determination to set his people free from the bondage of sin and death. This is precisely why Jesus came—to set the captives free.
Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
The first public words ever uttered from our Savior’s lips echoed those of the ancient prophets. It was He who was anointed to bring good news, to release the captives, and to free the oppressed. With the unrolling of a scroll, he forever changed the course of history and forever altered our collective future.
From Israel’s Promised Land, to the promise of Paradise, the Bible makes clear the dignity of freedom that God, through his Son, Jesus Christ, seeks to bestow upon his people. As creator and defender of our liberty, God passionately lays claim to rightful ownership of all who belong to Him, in order that he may share the riches of His inheritance. God is the sole proprietor of true freedom—the only one from whom we can obtain it. God’s righteousness and sovereignty prevail in granting us