Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Break the Chain: Finding Freedom from Addictions

Bible Reading: : St. Mark 5:1-20

Key verse:  20

And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him and everyone marveled.

DEVOTION

Imagine the scene. A howling man. Sharp rocks. Cold tombs. Iron chains snapped like twigs. He was the town’s nightmare, a soul utterly marooned in his own private hell.
This isn’t just a first-century horror story; it is the raw anatomy of addiction.
During a recent mission initiative to “The Upper Room,” a ministry serving our homeless friends in the Philadelphia region, we met many individuals from deeply disturbing backgrounds. They were bound, isolated, and chained by the harsh realities of life. Yet, in that space, they found a community that helped them break the shackles of their enslavement.
This modern struggle mirrors the Gerasene demoniac. He lived in a state of fractured shalom (peace)—the tragic anatomy of addiction.
However, the God of the universe didn't take a detour to avoid the mess; He steered straight into it. He didn't see a hopeless wreck; He saw a captive child who needed a Savior. With a single, authoritative word, Christ shatters the spiritual strongholds holding him hostage.
Our Reformed heritage reminds us of this profound truth: deliverance is driven entirely by sovereign, unmerited grace. We cannot break our own chains; Jesus must do it. Yet, our Eastern roots show us that Jesus does not just drop the chains; He heals the scars. He restores the defaced image of God within us. Salvation is internal and well as external. Look at the man a few hours later: sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. Quiet. At peace. Restored to communion.
Then comes the final touch. Jesus doesn't draft him into a monastery; He sends him home to his family to tell them of God's mercy.
He does the same for you. No habit is too dark, no pit too deep, no chain too thick for the Savior. Run to Him. He specializes in the hopeless cases.
Can we be the person, or can we create a space in our churches and neighborhoods  to offer freedom from the chains that shackles people? 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, free us from the bondages of the world that binds us and keep away from from the savior.
Wash us with your blood ,cleanse us and make us a new creation, 

Thought for the DAY

 True freedom begins when we bring our brokenness to the therapeutic grace of Christ. What chain must you surrender to the Healer today?

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Rev Abraham Kuruvilla 
Philadelphia youth Chaplain 

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