Walking the Walk or Talking the Talk?

Acts 19:11-20

Sometimes it’s very hard to understand why God allows someone to go on in their sin when those around them are so aware of it. Weather it friends, family, ministry or church, we all know someone who is way off track and seems to be “getting away with it”.

For the Christians of Paul’s day, it may have seemed as if Sceva and his sons were getting away with using the name of Jesus to promote themselves and their own cause which, in fact, they did for a season. But God will not be mocked and those who walk around spouting scripture for personnel gain will someday pay the price. That’s exactly what happened to Sceva’s 7 sons.

In Acts 19:15, God took His hand of protection away and the demons these men had been “flirting” with were let loose. It’s the same in the lives of those who think that they can walk around looking good and sounding good when in fact, the motives of their hearts are not pure. The demon tore them apart and sent them fleeing literally exposed for the frauds they were.

Now here’s some real encouragement. When the story got out about what had occurred, people began confessing their sins openly and had a righteous fear of the Lord. People who had been practicing witchcraft & sorcery (sin) came and burned their scrolls. Scripture says the total dollar value of those scrolls was 50,000 drachmas, a drachma being a silver coin worth about a days wage. That computes to 137 years worth of earnings for one man! That’s an incredible amount of evil literature destroyed. (Think of that in terms of today’s wages and drugs, alcohol or pornography being destroyed) How awesome would that be!

“In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

Just because we don’t see or understand why God is letting someone “get away” with their sin, doesn’t mean He will let it go on forever or that He won’t use it to bring about repentance and conversion to many. And lest we forget, the first place we need to look for this sin is in our own hearts and lives lunless we should have our lives torn apart and our sin exposed.

I would love to be part of a major reformation and conversion of the lost—but not in the way Scevas sons were used.  How about you?

Lord, forgive my impatience with those around me and the sins I so easily see in their live. Help me to take that as a warning and look more closely into my heart.

In Jesus name. – Steve Schmidt is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy, serves full-time at America’s Keswick and is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Joshua 9-11

Think About This: No man who is full of himself can ever truly preach the Christ who emptied himself. —J. Sidlow Baxter

Verses to Memorize: “But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18