This is the way Jesus Christ was born. Mary, his mother, was promised to Joseph to be his wife. But before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby. It was by the Holy Spirit.

While he was thinking about this, he had a dream. An angel of the Lord came to him. He said, `Joseph, David's son, do not fear to take Mary to be your wife. Her baby is by the Holy Spirit.

`I baptise you with water when you stop your wrong ways. But another person is coming after me. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to take off his shoes. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

After Jesus was baptised, he came up out of the water right away. The sky opened. He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.

Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. The devil tried to make Jesus do wrong.

The people in all the country of Syria heard about him. They brought all who were sick in any way, or had bad spirits in them, and those who could not walk or use their hands. Jesus healed them.

Many people will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not drive bad spirits out of people in your name? Did we not do big works in your name?"

That evening, many people who had bad spirits were brought to Jesus. He spoke to the bad spirits and drove them out. And he healed all the people who were sick.

Jesus came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarene people. There were graves in that place. Two men came from among the graves to meet him. They had bad spirits in them. They were so bad and strong that people feared to pass that way.

The bad spirits begged Jesus, `If you drive us out of these men, let us go into the pigs.'

Jesus said, `Go!' The spirits came out of the men and went into the pigs. All the pigs ran fast down the steep hill into the sea. They died in the water.

The men who cared for the pigs ran to the town. They told everything and what had happened to the men who had the bad spirits.

As they were leaving, people brought a man to Jesus. This man could not talk He had a bad spirit in him.

Jesus drove the bad spirit out of the man. Then he could talk. The people were very much surprised. They said, `Nothing like this has ever been seen in the country of Israel.'

But the Pharisees said, `He drives bad spirits out of people by the power of the chief of bad spirits.'

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him. He gave them power over bad spirits so they could drive them out of people. He gave them power to heal people who were sick or weak in any way.

Heal sick people. Bring dead people to life. Heal people who have leprosy. Drive bad spirits out of people You got it free, so give it free to others

It is not you who speak. But it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you.

Do not fear people who can kill the body. They cannot kill the spirit. But fear the one who can destroy both spirit and body in hell.

John came. He does not eat or drink much. People say, "He has a bad spirit in him!"

He said, `This is my servant. I have chosen him. I love him. I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him. He will judge the people who are not Jews.

Then the people brought a man to Jesus. The man had a bad spirit in him. He was blind and could not talk. Jesus healed him. Then the man could talk and see.

The Pharisees heard about it. They said, `This man drives out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub, the chief of bad spirits.'

If I drive out bad spirits by Beelzebub, how do your own people drive them out? Let them judge you.

But if I drive out bad spirits by God's Spirit, then God's kingdom is here with you now.