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Possession and Rejection - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he began to say to them,
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  Speaker 1: This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Luke
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  Speaker 1: 4.21 Dear Lord, thank you that as you build my life,
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  Speaker 1: I will not be driven by reputation, but will be
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  Speaker 1: driven by purpose. I thank you that as my life
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  Speaker 1: begins to take form, and the ministry that you called
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  Speaker 1: me to live takes shape, I praise you that I
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  Speaker 1: will be able to preach with authority. I'll be able
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  Speaker 1: to heal the brokenhearted with compassion. And I'll be able
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  Speaker 1: to cast out evil mindsets and spirits with power and authority.
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  Speaker 1: If you did it, Jesus, I know that I can
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  Speaker 1: do it. Because the same power that flowed through you
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  Speaker 1: is flowing through me. I will only do what I
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  Speaker 1: see you doing. I will only speak what you tell
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  Speaker 1: me to speak. I declare that your Spirit is upon me.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that your authority is on me. Therefore, I
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  Speaker 1: will stand in the power of your Holy Spirit and
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  Speaker 1: remember who you've called me to be, even when others
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  Speaker 1: don't believe it. I know who I am in the
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  Speaker 1: Lord and nothing We'll change that. I am called and
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  Speaker 1: I am chosen. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for
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  Speaker 1: making prayer a priority in your day. To learn more
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  Speaker 1: about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story. Brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: You know your principles, priorities, and practical health care needs
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  Speaker 2: better than anyone else. That's why Christian Healthcare Ministries empowers
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  Speaker 3: POSSESSION AND REJECTION In our last story, Jesus revealed himself
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  Speaker 3: to be the Messiah towards an outcast. She had spent
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  Speaker 3: most of her life ridiculed and rejected, but in Jesus
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  Speaker 3: she found hope. This woman was the adulteress from Samaria.
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  Speaker 3: When she discovered Jesus was the Messiah, she ran to
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  Speaker 3: go and tell everyone she knew. Now we see the
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  Speaker 3: beginnings of Jesus' ministry. He heals a man's son with
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  Speaker 3: just a word. He releases a man from demon possession
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  Speaker 3: with a command. And he ignites a crowd of friends
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  Speaker 3: against him with his preaching. Jesus' words are beginning to heal,
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  Speaker 3: set free, and divide. It is the beginning of a
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  Speaker 3: revival inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with another episode of
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  Speaker 4: the Bible in a Year podcast. In our last time together,
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  Speaker 4: in our story of Jesus, we learned how Jesus showed
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  Speaker 4: himself as Messiah to a Samaritan woman, a very lost woman.
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  Speaker 4: But his words made faith come alive in her heart
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  Speaker 4: and changed her forever. She received living water. And as
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  Speaker 4: a result, she brought many others to meet Jesus, and
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  Speaker 4: they also believed in him. Today, we'll hear as Jesus
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  Speaker 4: begins to travel about healing different people in different ways.
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  Speaker 4: from healing physical maladies to casting out demons. Jesus is
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  Speaker 4: showing the world that he has the power of God
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  Speaker 4: because he is God. His deeds and his words bring
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  Speaker 4: many to himself. Yet for others, the wonders and the
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  Speaker 4: words of Jesus incite anger, hatred, and rejection. Far from
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  Speaker 4: being universally accepted, Jesus will be opposed by many. So,
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  Speaker 4: let's listen now to today's word.
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  Speaker 3: Word of Jesus' presence spread like wildfire. Stories of his
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  Speaker 3: teaching had brought many to his side. Rumors of his
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  Speaker 3: whips in the temples created speculation and intrigue. Yet Jesus
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  Speaker 3: was not a man driven by reputation. He had a
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  Speaker 3: purpose— to fulfill the will of the Father. Each act was deliberate.
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  Speaker 3: He did nothing on a whim or out of laziness.
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  Speaker 3: People began to notice that Jesus walked with a different
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  Speaker 3: type of authority than just some other teacher. they were
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  Speaker 3: beginning to believe the words proclaimed by John the Baptist.
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  Speaker 3: Perhaps this was the Messiah. Jesus was walking the streets
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  Speaker 3: of Cana in Galilee, where he had turned water into wine.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus navigated the marketplace with his followers, looking for food
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  Speaker 3: to cook for dinner. As Jesus was enjoying the marketplace,
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  Speaker 3: he heard a desperate voice cry out from a distance, Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: please help me! Jesus looked and saw an official from
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  Speaker 3: Capernaum running towards him. He was clearly a wealthy man,
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  Speaker 3: judging by his robes. However, he did not walk or
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  Speaker 3: speak like a man of power. Instead, he desperately ran
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  Speaker 3: towards Jesus and fell at his feet. Panting, the man
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  Speaker 3: gasped for words. Jesus, my son is sick. Towards the
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  Speaker 3: point of death, I am out of options. Are you
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  Speaker 3: able to heal him? Jesus looked at the man and
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  Speaker 3: noticed that many people were observing them. They were waiting
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  Speaker 3: for some sort of miraculous sign or spectacle. Jesus would
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  Speaker 3: not give it to them. He touched the man's shoulder
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  Speaker 3: and helped him to his feet.' Go, your son will live,'
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  Speaker 3: Jesus said with a smile. The man wiped away some
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  Speaker 3: of his tears. Although he had no physical proof yet
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  Speaker 3: that what Jesus said was true, he believed him and
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  Speaker 3: left to be with his son. As he was on
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  Speaker 3: his way, his servants found him and brought a report
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  Speaker 3: that his son had been healed. So he and his
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  Speaker 3: entire household believed in Jesus. Jesus dwelled in Galilee for
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  Speaker 3: a while. There he would meet with people that were
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  Speaker 3: ill and preach in the synagogues. When the Sabbath had come,
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  Speaker 3: Jesus was preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Hundreds of
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  Speaker 3: people piled into the room to hear from Jesus. All
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  Speaker 3: were silent as he spoke. His words flowed with the
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  Speaker 3: strength and grace of the Jordan River. People marveled at
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  Speaker 3: his teaching. Many teachers of the day relied on eloquent
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  Speaker 3: speech or jarring rhetoric, but not Jesus. His words possessed authority.
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  Speaker 3: Every sentence presented new and fresh truths, yet not all
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  Speaker 3: in attendance were enjoying his servant. There was a man
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  Speaker 3: in the back of the room shaking where he stood.
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  Speaker 3: His eyes glared at Jesus, and he rammed his fist
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  Speaker 3: against the wall. As Jesus was speaking, a deep laughter
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  Speaker 3: echoed from the back of the synagogue. Everyone's heads turned
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  Speaker 3: as the man walked towards the front. His eyes were bloodshot,
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  Speaker 3: and his entire body twitched and shook as he marched.
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  Speaker 3: His laugh was disturbing and sent chills down the spines
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  Speaker 3: of the disciples.
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  Speaker 1: Ha!
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  Speaker 3: He yelled as he pointed towards Jesus. Why have you
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  Speaker 3: come to us, Jesus of Nazareth? the man spat. His
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  Speaker 3: neck flexed backwards and his face turned red. Jesus knew
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  Speaker 3: who this man was. Rather, he knew who possessed him.
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  Speaker 3: Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are.
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  Speaker 3: You are the Holy One, the Son of God. You are...
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  Speaker 3: Be silent, Jesus rebuked. He stepped down from the front
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  Speaker 3: of the stage and made his way towards the demon-possessed man.
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  Speaker 3: The man writhed as he saw Jesus approaching, still seeping
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  Speaker 3: with disturbing laughter. The man fell on his back and
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  Speaker 3: Jesus knelt down and touched his chest. Be silent and
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  Speaker 3: come out of him. As he said this, the man's
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  Speaker 3: twitching body began to find control again. His mind cleared
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  Speaker 3: like fog being broken up by the sun. The demon
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  Speaker 3: had left, and the man was saved from further torment.
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  Speaker 3: The entire room was silent. They had seen many people
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  Speaker 3: possessed by demons. However, they had never seen someone possess
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  Speaker 3: so much authority over them. After a few weeks of healing, preaching,
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  Speaker 3: and relieving people of demons, Jesus made his way back
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  Speaker 3: to Nazareth, his hometown. He walked the city streets, greeting
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  Speaker 3: loved ones and distant relatives. Jesus' fame had grown in Judea,
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  Speaker 3: but in Nazareth, he was just Jesus the carpenter. As
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  Speaker 3: was Jesus' habit, he went into the local synagogues to preach.
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  Speaker 3: Many of his friends and family were in attendance and
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  Speaker 3: watched Jesus open up the scroll of Isaiah. Jesus read
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  Speaker 3: the words of the prophet, The Spirit of the Lord
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  Speaker 3: is with me because he has chosen and anointed me
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  Speaker 3: to preach good news to the poor. He has sent
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  Speaker 3: me to bring liberty to the captives and sight to
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  Speaker 3: the blind. He has sent me to bring liberty to
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  Speaker 3: all those who are oppressed. Jesus paused for a moment
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  Speaker 3: and looked out at the crowd. He gave the scroll
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  Speaker 3: back to the attendant. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: The silence was so thick it could be cut with
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  Speaker 3: a knife. Today, Jesus began. Today this word has been fulfilled.
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  Speaker 3: As Jesus spoke these words, people began to mumble and complain.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus had just claimed to be the promised Messiah prophesied
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  Speaker 3: by Isaiah. Some of them scoffed at him and began
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  Speaker 3: to leave the synagogue. Isn't this Joseph's son, the carpenter?
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  Speaker 4: They asked.
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  Speaker 3: We heard you did some elaborate healings in Galilee. Why
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  Speaker 3: don't you do some of those here? Then we will
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  Speaker 3: believe you. Jesus sighed. He was heartbroken over his old friends.
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  Speaker 3: Truly a prophet is not welcomed in his hometown, Jesus said.
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  Speaker 3: When the prophets proclaimed repentance before the time of captivity,
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  Speaker 3: they were rejected and killed. When the people heard him
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  Speaker 3: say these things, they were furious. They mobbed towards Jesus
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  Speaker 3: and drove him out of the town towards the ledge
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  Speaker 3: of a hill. They were ready to throw him off
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  Speaker 3: of the hill for blasphemy. They could not stand the
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  Speaker 3: idea of one of their own being so righteous. As
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  Speaker 3: the mob lunged toward him, Jesus slipped through the crowd
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  Speaker 3: and escaped like a thief in the night.
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  Speaker 4: As we begin today's story of Jesus, our Lord's name
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  Speaker 4: is becoming well known in the region. He's traveling throughout
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  Speaker 4: Galilee and was well received. Many trusted him and followed
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  Speaker 4: him and believed on him. They gathered in large multitudes
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  Speaker 4: to hear him and to see the signs and the wonders,
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  Speaker 4: the miracles. These were gracious and beautiful displays of his
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  Speaker 4: power and of his presence and compassion. And while the
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  Speaker 4: heart of Jesus was intent on healing, he is much
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  Speaker 4: more than a miracle worker. So as he is walking
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  Speaker 4: one day, an official approached him, begging for his son,
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  Speaker 4: who was at home, sick, to be healed. Rather than
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  Speaker 4: go with him as the man asked, Jesus simply told
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  Speaker 4: him to go back to his home to find his
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  Speaker 4: son healed. There was no public miracle. He just said,
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  Speaker 4: the child is well. It was just a word. But
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  Speaker 4: then again, it wasn't just a word. It was the
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  Speaker 4: word of God, the word of Jesus. And his words
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  Speaker 4: have power to heal everything imaginable. The official, we are told,
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  Speaker 4: took Jesus at his word. That is, he believed and
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  Speaker 4: trusted in the words. of the Lord Jesus. My prayer
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  Speaker 4: is that many people today would do just that. That
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  Speaker 4: people would take the Lord at His word and believe
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  Speaker 4: in Him and trust Him. Because the greatest miracle of
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  Speaker 4: all is not a miracle of physical healing, but the
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  Speaker 4: spiritual healing that only Jesus can give. What we really
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  Speaker 4: need to do is to take God at His word
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  Speaker 4: today and to trust Him always. This is what this
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  Speaker 4: noble man did. and his faith allowed his son to
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  Speaker 4: be healed while he was still walking home. The man
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  Speaker 4: and his entire household believed in the Lord that day.
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  Speaker 4: They trusted in Jesus. Salvation came to that household through
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  Speaker 4: faith in God's grace through Jesus Christ. Next, we hear
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  Speaker 4: how Jesus was preaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
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  Speaker 4: People crowded in to hang on his every word. Jesus
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  Speaker 4: could compel and captivate a crowd like no one else.
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  Speaker 4: The wisdom and the truth of his words were irresistible
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  Speaker 4: to those who heard. And yet as he spoke, a
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  Speaker 4: voice arose from the back of the room and a
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  Speaker 4: deranged cackle. This was not a man in his right mind,
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  Speaker 4: and Jesus knew it. The demonic presence, demon spirit, spoke
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  Speaker 4: through the man, asking Jesus why he was there. You see,
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  Speaker 4: Satan and his armies, they know Jesus, and they are terrified.
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  Speaker 4: Just as Jesus had faced down Satan in the wilderness,
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  Speaker 4: he walked to this man and commanded the demon to
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  Speaker 4: stop speaking and leave. For all their evil power, demonic forces,
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  Speaker 4: are no equal to Jesus. And all who were there
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  Speaker 4: saw the man released from the spirit that had tormented him.
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  Speaker 4: And in Mark 1, 27 and 28, we read this.
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  Speaker 4: The people were all amazed that they asked each other,
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  Speaker 4: what is this? A new teaching and with authority. He
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  Speaker 4: even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.
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  Speaker 4: News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
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  Speaker 4: So many were finding faith and salvation and healing and
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  Speaker 4: deliverance because of Jesus. But not everyone believed, and as
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  Speaker 4: we heard in today's reading, in his own town of Nazareth,
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  Speaker 4: people rejected him. He was in the synagogue one Sabbath,
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  Speaker 4: and the scroll was handed to him, and he read
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  Speaker 4: from the prophet Isaiah that said, The Spirit of the
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  Speaker 4: Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
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  Speaker 4: proclaim good news to the poor. This was a prophecy
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  Speaker 4: regarding the Messiah, and all who heard this would know
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  Speaker 4: this very well. And so when Jesus said to them, Today,
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  Speaker 4: this scripture, this promise has been fulfilled, they understood exactly
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  Speaker 4: what he was saying. Jesus was claiming to be the
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  Speaker 4: very Messiah for whom they waited for so long. They
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  Speaker 4: were skeptical. They even scoffed. Some became angry, not believing Jesus.
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  Speaker 4: And this rejection deeply saddened the Lord, but he was
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  Speaker 4: not surprised. He knew that he would be rejected by
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  Speaker 4: his own. And as he went to leave, the crowd
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  Speaker 4: began to get angrier and angrier. And they decided they
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  Speaker 4: needed to kill this man they considered mad, throwing him
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  Speaker 4: from a cliff. Jesus simply walked through the crowd, and
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  Speaker 4: he left behind his hometown and those who rejected him.
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  Speaker 4: In John 1, verse 12, the Bible says, He came
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  Speaker 4: unto his own, but his own received him not. But
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  Speaker 4: as many as received him, Jesus, to them gave he
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  Speaker 4: the power to become the sons of God. Rejection would
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  Speaker 4: begin to mark the life of Jesus. And ultimately, it
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  Speaker 4: would lead to his crucifixion. They tried to cancel him.
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  Speaker 4: But he came to die. And to be rejected of men...
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  Speaker 4: so that he might be received by you and me.
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  Speaker 4: I want to encourage you today. Never reject Jesus. Don't
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  Speaker 4: turn away from Jesus, but trust in Jesus by turning
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  Speaker 4: from your sin and receiving him as your Savior and Lord.
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  Speaker 4: As many as received him, to them gave he the
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  Speaker 4: right to be called the children of God. Lord, we
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  Speaker 4: thank you for this promise that we can become your children,
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  Speaker 4: that because of what you have done for us in
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  Speaker 4: living and dying and rising again, that we can have
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  Speaker 4: eternal life. May we receive this promise now and forever.
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  Speaker 4: In your name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 4: to today's Bible in a Year. I'm Pastor Jack Graham
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  Speaker 4: from Dallas, Texas. You can download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 4: make Bible study and prayer the priority of your life.
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  Speaker 4: And if you appreciate this podcast, please share it with
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  Speaker 4: someone else. I also want to encourage you to go
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  Speaker 4: to jackgraham.org. That's jackgraham.org for we have resources that are
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  Speaker 4: free and available for you so that you may know
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  Speaker 4: Christ and grow in him. God bless you.