#1 – The Mystery and The Spirits
Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit (Mark 1:21-26)
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
Jesus performed many miracles.
Gave sight to the blind.
Hearing to the death.
Speech to the mute.
The lame could walk.
He cured those with Leprosy.
He calmed the wind and the sea.
He fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and fish.
He fed another 4,000 people the same way.
He also cast out demons and evil spirits.
Where did these demons, these evil spirits that Jesus cast out, come from?
Deuteronomy 32:17-18 (Part of Moses’ Song When He Was Passing the Leadership Over To Joshua)
They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God—
gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared,
gods your ancestors did not fear. 18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
Psalm 106:36-37 (Similar to Deuteronomy)
36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods.
Matthew 8: 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits.
Matthew 12:43-45
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man (Mark 5:1-17)
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
We Wrestle (Ephesians 6:12)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Mark 7:24-30
A Gentile woman comes to Jesus begging Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus admired her persistence and her faith. He told her to go, her daughter was healed. She went and found it to be so.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy (Luke 9:37-43)
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
John 21:25
25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Ouija Board
William Fuld and the Kennard Novelty Company
The first company to produce Ouija boards commercially. Fuld was an American inventor and businessman from Baltimore, Maryland who manufactured Ouija boards from the 1890s to the 1920s. Fuld is often called the “father of the Ouija board”.
Parker BrothersAfter the Fuld family sold Ouija to Parker Brothers in 1966, Parker Brothers produced Ouija boards alongside other popular games like Monopoly, Risk, and Clue.
HasbroAfter acquiring Parker Brothers in 1991, Hasbro became the current manufacturer of Ouija boards.
William Fuld originally intended them simply as a board game. However, we know that Satan doesn’t play games.
Apostles and Followers of Jesus Who Cast Out Demons and Spirits
Acts 8
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many.
Acts 16
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.