LITN XI, Verses 14 - 36

14. Once Jesus was expelling a spirit that was mute from a man. When the spirit left, the man spoke, and the crowd was absolutely amazed.

15. But some of the cynics who were present said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies, that this charlatan exorcises spirits."

16. Others, unimpressed by this show of His authority, tested Him by asking for a sign from heaven.

17. Jesus saw right through them, knowing what they were thinking, and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

18. If Beelzebub is divided against himself, how can he maintain his domain over the flies of the dunghill? I say this because you claim that I drive out spirits by his authority.

19. Now, if I expel darkness by his authority, then how do your exorcists drive it out? So then, they will be your judges.

20. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out darkness, then the now-ness of the Kingdom of God has been revealed to you.

21. When a fully armed strong man guards his own house, his possessions are safe.

22. But when someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and divides the spoils.

23. Whoever is not in the flow with Me rejects the authority of My Kingdom. So if you're not helping to bring about Kingdom purposes, you're making things worse for everybody.

24. When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places…places that have not been watered by the water of the Word…seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I think I will return to the house I left.'

25. And when it arrives, it finds the house vacant and unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

26. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits even more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And so the final condition of that person is actually worse than the first."

27. As Jesus was saying these provocative words, a woman in the crowd became overcome with emotion and called out, "Blessed is the womb of the mother who gave birth to You...and blessed are her breasts that nursed You!"

28. Without missing a beat, He replied, "No...blessed are those who hear the Word of God and fully embrace it!"

29. As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is an immature and manipulative generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

30. For as Jonah in his day was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation in the now.

31. The Queen of the South will rise in judgment with this generation and sentence it; for she came from a faraway land to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

32. The people of Nineveh will stand up when this generation is judged and accuse it; for they had a paradigm shift at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

33. Look...no one lights a lamp and then puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under some kind of covering. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may be illuminated.

























34. In the same way, your perception is the lamp of your entire existence. When your perception is made right, your whole life will be enlightened. But when it is unhealthy, your life will be full of darkness.

35. So see to it that you do not allow the light within you to be darkened.

36. Therefore, if your whole life...your way of thinking and being...is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be totally and absolutely enlightened. Your life will be illuminated in the same way that a room is made bright by the lighting of a lamp"