Good Monday April thirteenth as we come before the altar of grace to learn His word.
No match alone-
Paul working the seven till nine workday has spent some two years pouring into the church in Ephesus. Many had come to hear him as he taught using the school of Tyrannus to teach, since he was no longer able to teach in the synagogue. As well, many who co-labored with Paul had heard him teach from the sewing lines, still getting his work done and using the time not to talk about politics, rather the gospel. Romans 6:13 “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” Paul did! Let’s read together from Acts 19:15-20 “and the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” A lot of people fake their way into positions, but many learn when the heat turns up and they do not know what to do, many get taken out, and here these seven sons of Sceva acting as the ghost busters speak the name of Jesus in name only without the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. “And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Make sure you understand the importance here of the words Luke shares. The demon in the man speaks out and says Jesus I know, and Paul I know but you I do not. Paul received Jesus into His life, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and the demon identified he was a person who had authority over him. Without this, then one is just a poser and alone, and demons will over power mankind and they do. The demon in this man then beats down, I mean a back in the ally beat down, of the seven men, we see demons are powerful beings. 1 John 4:4 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Jesus has all authority over demonic forces and Satan. When we receive the Lord and are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we then have authority by Jesus’ name and we do not need to fear but take authority over them in Jesus name. This region was a center for black magic but upon hearing about what happened, merchandise and books of black magic were burned and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver, which was a year’s wage for some 150 people burned, then the people sought the Lord in spirit not just name.
Revelation 20:10 “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? Remnant
