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Friends, in today’s Gospel, we hear that <b><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)">Jesus came to Capernaum and entered the
synagogue on a Sabbath, where he began to teach.</span></b> Then it says <b><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)">that the
“people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one
having authority and not as the scribes.” </span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">The ordinary teachers would
have appealed to their own teachers and authorities, and finally to
Moses and the Torah, which were unassailable.</span></b><br>Now, what would
prevent people from saying that he was just crazy? Well, watch <b><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)">what
happens next. Into the synagogue there rushes a man with “an unclean
spirit.” And he knows who Jesus is: “I know who you
are—the Holy One of God!”</span></b><br><b><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)">But then Jesus demonstrates his
authority: “‘Quiet! Come out of him!’ The unclean spirit convulsed him
and with a loud cry came out of him.” </span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">The claim to God’s own authority
is now ratified by showing power over <span style="background-color:rgb(255,217,102)">the spiritual realm.</span></span></b><br><div><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">And
now </span></b>they—and <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>we</b></span><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">—have to <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">make a decision</span>.</span></b> <b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">Are we with him</span></b> <b><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">or are we
against <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">him</span>?<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"> </span></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">If he is who he says he is and who he demonstrates himself
to be, then <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">we </span>have to give our lives to him.</span><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><br></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br><table style="border-top:1px solid #d3d4de"><tr><td style="width:55px;padding-top:13px"><a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail" target="_blank"><img src="https://s-install.avcdn.net/ipm/preview/icons/icon-envelope-tick-green-avg-v1.png" alt="" width="46" height="29" style="width: 46px; height: 29px;"></a></td><td style="width:470px;padding-top:12px;color:#41424e;font-size:13px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:18px">Vírusmentes.<a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail" target="_blank" style="color:#4453ea">www.avg.com</a></td></tr></table><a href="#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2" width="1" height="1"></a></div>