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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Sunday, June 9, 2019
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Paul in Ephesus—The Sons of Sceva Bible Verse :Acts 19:13-20 "Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." Message:
The colorful lesson today illustrates the triumph of religion over superstition and the victory of the Holy Spirit over all the unnatural creatures of the world. The Spirit will not allow Jesus’ name to be used as some sort of magic talisman by the equivalent of witch doctors, posing as priests. Belief in the word of spiritualists is a perversion of our natural instinct to find God.
Although both Christ and Paul healed many sick people, their message was not that God had come to perfect our lives in the flesh. Paul healed, not as a promise that those who found Christ would never become sick or die. Rather, Paul healed as a sign, that through Christ death would be conquered.
The sons of Sceva learn that the power of magic and superstition is illusory, and they learn it the hard way. Selling Jesus as a magic potion backfires on them. It is a great moment for the people of Ephesus, because the lesson is not lost on them. Great numbers of phony magicians and spiritual healers abandon their wrongful ways, confess their lies, and burn their “magic” books.
Notice in the painting of Paul Preaching at Ephesus, below, the pile of books being burned in the foreground, and the great Temple of Artemis to the right.
Meditation : Prayer : Let the word of Christ richly dwell within me all this day; and whatever I do in word or deed, may I do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father......Amen |
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