April 24, 2023

TRUE AUTHORITY

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”

Mark 1:21-27 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

This passage is worth observation on several fronts. First, it is interesting that it happened in church. That is right, Jesus was in a place of worship teaching the people that had come. A man comes to the worship service that is demon possessed. Why would a man with a demonic spirit come to church? Scripture tells us Satan is a great deceiver. What greater deception than to send a person to church who has a demonic spirit? That person can confuse and disrupt the unity of the body through their presence. Don’t be misled into thinking that everyone who goes to church is full of the Holy Spirit. I have worked long enough with church people to know there are frequently people with a wrong spirit even in the church house. Some are controlled by spirits of jealously, pride, materialism, a lust for power, and other sinful spirits. My second observation is that Jesus did not have a conversation with the man, nor did He have to yell or have a deliverance ceremony. Jesus spoke simple words, “Be quiet! Come out of the man.” True authority does not have to yell or carry on a big display. True authority speaks words that have power. Jesus was so in line with Father God and the Spirit of God that He knew God’s will in this moment and spoke God’s will. By speaking God’s will over the demonic spirit there was authority behind those words. As Spirit-filled followers of Jesus we have the same authority as Jesus had. We can speak words that release life. God can use our mouths to release His will into our world. Last observation, the man controlled by the evil spirit spoke truth. He said, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” We often think that someone with a wrong spirit will speak lies, sometimes their words may be truth but the spirit behind the words is wrong. That is why we must have the gift of discernment to know the truth. The Holy Spirit within us can discern for us when something is not being said or done in the right motivation. It is motivation that makes something right or wrong.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit please help me to stay in alignment with You. Help me to listen to You to be able to discern right from wrong.

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