Since the Fullness of His Love Shone In - King’s Heralds Twenty-third Psalm - King’s Heralds Let Us Break Bread - Del Delker and Bob Seamount Just One Touch - King’s Heralds

Since the Fullness of His Love Shone In - King’s Heralds Twenty-third Psalm - King’s Heralds Let Us Break Bread - Del Delker and Bob Seamount Just One Touch - King’s Heralds

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Voice Of Prophecy

H.M.S. Richards

The Man With the Broken Chain

00:01 (music by King&rsquo;s Heralds)
03:25 (opening prayer; Near to the Heart of God- King&rsquo;s Heralds)
04:58 (Twenty-third Psalm &ndash; King&rsquo;s Heralds)
08:00 (There&rsquo;s a Beautiful Land on High &ndash; Del Delker
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (H.M.S. Richards, the Man with the Broken Chain)
11:06 News report tell of a Detroit psychiatrist who himself was in need of mental and spiritual reconditioning. At a night club one evening he asked a porter to find him a killer. This porter instead went to the police and the police themselves appointed a man to act the part of a gun man. He was to appear at the office of the psychiatrist and do the criminal deed. He received 50 dollars advance payment and was to receive 450 more when the job was done. Of course, the police covered the place of the meeting with concealed cameras. But when all arrangements had been made the doctor changed his mind. He decided that he did not want to die after all and refused to make the fatal office call. Strange to say, he may now be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and face a five year prison term. The psychiatrist later confessed, I was despondent when I arranged the plot. I felt that I had nothing to live for but I changed my mind and kept away from my office. Psychiatrists are suppose to know about all there is to know concerning the human mind and its actions but it seems that life is so complex today that even some psychiatrists find it too much for them. Men of this important profession, as well as others, need the salvation that is in Jesus Christ. They need to respond to the Gospel invitation, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. Specialists in the workings in the troubles of the human mind find that they themselves need spiritual rejuvenation. Jesus who died for our sins and rose again according to the Scriptures can give and does give rest; rest of the soul because He grants forgiveness of sins to all those who believe, Acts 10:43. He also tells us that we are not to let our hearts be troubled and not to worry because we believe in God, and in Jesus as our Redeemer, in another fuller life after this, and in the final rehabilitation of this world at Christ&rsquo;s second coming. Jesus tells us the cure for despondency. He says men ought always to pray, and not to faint, Luke 18:1. The Bible says that we are to be over anxious or worried over nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, &nbsp;Philippians 4:6. In the Holy Scriptures there is a story of a man with a broken chain, a man who illustrates the wonderful power of deliverance that comes through faith in Jesus. This story is told three times in the Bible: in Matthew 8, Mark 5, Luke 8. Each writer gives details not mentioned by the others. Mark&rsquo;s is the most graphic. The day preceding the experience related Jesus had delivered the sermon by the sea. On the night which followed, He stilled the storm. He and the disciples went to the eastern less-inhabited shore of the Sea of Galilee for a rest and as soon as their boat had grated on the gravelly shore. Immediately, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bind him, no not with chains. This maniac had often been bound with handcuffs on his wrists, fetters on his feet but he had torn them to pieces. We can imagine him with these broken chains dangling from his wrists and always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones. What a picture here of a man demented. The Scripture says he was possessed with devils. In fact, Mark says with many, for when Jesus asked his name, the name of the demon power, the reply was my name is Legion for we are many. Matthew says that the man was possessed, completely under the power of evil. The spirit was an unclean spirit, just how we're not told. But we know that according to the Jewish Levitical Law a corpse was unclean. That's Leviticus 21. This uncleanness, of course, would attach also to the place of burial And this man and his companion, for there were two of them, lived in the desolate tombs. Many of these tombs are still visible along this part of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. No one could bind him. There was no human help for him. No one could pass that way, we're told. The road along the eastern side of the sea, evidently, was unusable because of the fierceness of these possessed men. No doubt they saw the boat approaching, they saw Jesus and the disciples land, probably with the intention of attacking him, they rushed toward him screaming wildly. We seem to see the scene and hear their cries echoing from the nearby cliffs back of which the swine herders were looking on as they took care of their charges but when they approached Jesus they fall before Him and worship Him crying with a loud voice, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. What right have you to interfere with me?&ndash;was the meaning of this challenge to Jesus. But the Savior had already said, come out of the man thou unclean spirit. Jesus then demands the name of the spirit. The reply is, Legion. A Roman legion or army division at full strength was about six thousand footmen with seven hundred horsemen although the legion was not always at full strength. We do not know exactly how many the name Legion here includes. Certainly must be understood that the expression in a general sense meant there were many demons and now one of the defiant demons takes the attitude of a suppliant. He pleads that they not be sent out of the country or into the deep but rather that they may go into the swine, feeding on the mountains nearby. Christ gives them leave and down the mountainside over the precipice rushed the herd of swine to destruction in the sea. We do not know whether the owners of the swine were Jews or Gentiles. We know, however, that the use of swine as food was forbidden to the people of Israel. Satan's purpose may have been to turn the people against Jesus and His work through the destruction of their property. But as it turned out it had the opposite effect. The miracle was made known to multitudes who otherwise never would have heard of Him. The keepers of the herd raced off to the town to tell the story, spread the news, and the people came out to see what was going on. Everyone knew about these dangerous men. They were the fear of the countryside. Now, what do they see? They come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. This man with a broken chain now was free, delivered, healed; before he had broken the chains of iron or brass, now his demon possession was broken. Broken by the power of Jesus, a free man he sat at Jesus' feet; we're told in Doctor Luke&rsquo;s account and that's a good place for all of us. That's where Mary Magdalene and others sat to hear the blessed words of Christ, to listen to the teacher from Heaven. Sitting at the feet of Jesus, oh, what words I hear him say. Happy place, so near, so precious, may it find me there each day. Notice also the Bible says, he was clothed, in his right mind. Where did he get those clothes? Must be the disciples either offered or were invited to share their clothing with him. Before this he was naked and bruised for day and night he raced about the mountains cutting himself with sharp stones. He must have been covered with wounds and scars. Now he's a different man. The Gospel of Christ is first of all practical. Those who work for others must be willing to help them not only spiritually but physically. True Christianity helps to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, heal the sick. What's the true basis of Christian help for others? It's this: he's a human being and he's in need. And Jesus gave him his right mind. What a blessing that gone were the demon trespassers, the possessors of the possessed. Christ wants all men free. Free to choose the right to follow Him. Free to live as God has always intended us to live. But think of it: those who were in the hog business at Gergesa wanted Jesus to leave the country at once. They thought hogs were worth more than men. So Jesus went away but before he went these men, who had been delivered, wanted to go with Him. No doubt they were afraid that when Jesus left the evil spirits would return. Then too they love the Savior they wanted to be with Him but notice the Bible record says, Jesus suffered him not but saith unto him, go home to thy friends and tell them the great things the Lord's done for you. And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him and all men did marvel. The man became a missionary. The man with a broken chain went home and told his family and others what Christ had done for him. It was Christmas Evans the great Welch preacher who in his inimitable way described the return of this cured demoniac to his home. Father was a fearful name in that household whenever he approached disabled with glaring eye, shrieking out his imprecations, body covered with wounds, his nakedness the shame of the community. The children would run into the house and scream, Fathers coming! Fathers coming! They'd hide under the bed and in the closet. Mother would shut the door and lock it. Pull down the curtains then stand there trembling as he demanded entrance. Now, again they see him coming but he looks different. He's clothed. He walks with a confident step; still it&rsquo;s Father. Get into the house, the mother cries, Father is coming. She closes the door, shuts the windows. The children hide away. Then they hear a gentle knock, Mary, Mary, let me in. I'm changed now. It's all over, Mary, I'm a different man. I won&rsquo;t hurt you, Mary&ndash;seems too good to be true&ndash;his voice sounds just as it did in the old days, just as it did when he first told her that he loved her, just as it did when he spoke kindly to her at the birth of their first baby. Mary dear, Mary, let me in. I'm different now. I've been to Jesus for His cleansing power. I'm washed in the blood of the Lamb. With trembling finger she opens the door. He comes closer to her. The children begin to peek out from under the bed. They open the closet door and start out. Yes, something&rsquo;s different. They creep closer and closer. Soon Mary's in her husband's arms and there standing about them are the children with their little arms around father and mother, too. The Holy Word doesn't tell us just what he said. Only that he told them how great things Jesus had done for him. Why not friend, come to Christ yourself for the power of deliverance? Do you have a chain that ought to be broken? You may not be able to break it yourself but Jesus can. You too may be the man with a broken chain.
21:53 (Just One Touch - &nbsp;King&rsquo;s Heralds)
25:02 Until we meet again let us keep looking up and going forward in faith and now with a final word for you is H.M.S. Richards, a Seventh Day Adventist minister.
25:15 Have faith in God to blot the darkest stain. Have faith in God for liberty again. Have faith in God to break the strongest chain. Have faith, dear friend, in God. We hope that this program of ours has served to give you spiritual strength for the coming week and we invite you to join with us again next week at this same time for another broadcast brought to you by The Voice of Prophecy. And now, we say to one and all, the Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. Amen.
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The Man With the Broken Chain

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