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Jesus Casts out the Legion of Demons

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[Mark 5:8-9]

For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."

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Among the provinces of Judah, there was a place called Gerasenes.
In Gerasenes, there was one person who was demon possessed.

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This demon possessed man was very strong and tough.
He would run all over the place shouting and making people’s lives miserable.

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So people chained up his hands but the demon possessed man easily tore them apart.

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Then they tried chaining his whole body.
But it was useless.
He tore those chains also.

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He ran around the tombs and mountains shouting and screaming.
He would even cut himself with stones.

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The people living in this town always worried because they didn’t know when this man would appear.
Because no one could stand him, they watched over him with anxious hearts.

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During that time Jesus came passing by this province.
Together with the disciples, Jesus came to Gerasenes by boat.

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Just as Jesus got out of the boat, the demon possessed man ran to Jesus.
Jesus shouted at him in a loud voice, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit.”

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After hearing the words of Jesus, the evil spirit inside the man fell on his knees in front of Jesus. He shouted,  “Jesus the Son of the most High God, what are you going to do with me? Please don’t torture me.”
The evil spirit inside him already knew who Jesus was.

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Jesus asked the evil spirit inside that man, “What is your name?”
The spirit replied, “My name is Legion, because we are many in number.”

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The evil spirit continued talking to Jesus, “Please, I beg you. Don’t send us out of this province. If you are going to send us out of this man, please allow us to go into those pigs.”

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At that time, there was a herd of pigs feeding on the hillside.

Jesus allowed the evil spirits to come out from the man and go into the pigs.

So the evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs.

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The pigs that the evil spirits went in started to rush down the mountain.

The pigs rushed down the steep mountain, into the lake and all of them were drowned.

The herd of pigs numbered as many as two thousand.

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The man, whom the Legion evil spirit had been inside, became right-minded.

And he was dressed properly, sitting in front of Jesus, listening to the words which Jesus was preaching.

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When Jesus was getting into the boat to leave that province, the man who had been demon- possessed spoke to Jesus, “Jesus, I will also follow you. Please take me with you.”

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But Jesus didn’t allow him and said, “Return to your family members and friends and tell them much grace I have given and what I have done for you.”
Jesus told this man to become a person who preached about Jesus.

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There are no evil spirits in this world which can overcome the power of Jesus.
Jesus whom we believe in is the strongest in this world.
All the evil spirits in this world will fall down before him.
Therefore we should fully believe in Jesus and have hearts of faith which will follow Jesus until the very end.