Who Are You?
Again, this morning's Bible reading reveals one of those stories that leaves me wondering how I've missed hearing this before...and laughing a little.
I'm slowly (very slowly) making my way through the book of Acts (still)...and in chapter 19, verses 15 and 16, I read about this amusing, but painfully 'too-close-to-home' kind of situation.
Paul is in the middle of a missionary journey and he is moving and shaking and God is working miracles through him. So these seven sons of a certain Sceva (a Jewish high priest) decided to try casting a demon out of a man in the name of Jesus, "preached by Paul" (MSG). The evil spirit talks back to them, saying "I know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?" I'm sure they weren't expecting this reaction....after all, Paul made it look so easy. They probably stood there, dumb-founded, looking at each other, going, "I don't know...who are we??" Then the guy jumps on them and attacks them... sending them running for their lives, naked and bloody.
I had to read it one more time. Then I had to underline it.
I was reading this in my NIV study bible, so I immediately scanned the footnotes for some explanation or commentary...but there was NOTHING! Not one note on these two verses. I guess they don't need further explanation. It is what it is.
It's sort of amusing to me though, I'm not going to lie. The scene plays out in my mind like a black and white reel of the Three Stooges...only there were seven of them. But the cold hard truth that smacked me in the face is that this is what keeps me from being bold enough to share my faith with people, let alone casting out demons! I just know that Satan's sidekicks are snickering at me..."We know Jesus, and we've heard of Paul...but who are you?"
It's that little, but oh so loud voice, that rings in my ears and casts a shadow of doubt on everything I do that would take me one step closer to fulfilling the God-given role I was created for.
Who are YOU?
I've been beaten up and humiliated...and sometimes have to run away, naked and afraid. Maybe (hopefully) not literally...but in the spiritual realm, I've been exposed and ashamed, bloody and bruised.
I don't know what motivated those seven sons of the high priest. Maybe they thought that because their earthly father held a high position that somehow they should be able to cast out demons without having the power of Jesus to back it up. There is power in The Name for those who believe. Jeremiah 10:6 says, "No one is like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power." But for whatever reason, they were not rooted in it enough to accomplish an exorcism.
Maybe it was because their hearts were more concerned with their own image - being seen as great apostles like Paul - instead of a genuine love and concern for the man who was playing host to an evil spirit.
Maybe, just maybe, their hearts were in the right place, and maybe they would have had the power of Jesus to back it up, if only THEY had believed. Satan can question us just enough to turn us into our own worst enemy. He only needs to pose the question, and we do all his work from there.
Imagine if they had answered the "who are YOU?" question differently...
"Who am I? Let me tell you who I am! I am a child of the Most High GOD! Joint heirs with JESUS and I am REDEEMED!" I'm guessing that spirit would have shrieked and ran away at that point.
Why do we allow Satan to catch us off guard with that question...Who are you? Could it be that sometimes we forget...
We have to get it straight in our own heads first...we have to know who we are in CHRIST.
Who are you?
I know who I am. I am His.
Be blessed!
I'm slowly (very slowly) making my way through the book of Acts (still)...and in chapter 19, verses 15 and 16, I read about this amusing, but painfully 'too-close-to-home' kind of situation.
Paul is in the middle of a missionary journey and he is moving and shaking and God is working miracles through him. So these seven sons of a certain Sceva (a Jewish high priest) decided to try casting a demon out of a man in the name of Jesus, "preached by Paul" (MSG). The evil spirit talks back to them, saying "I know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?" I'm sure they weren't expecting this reaction....after all, Paul made it look so easy. They probably stood there, dumb-founded, looking at each other, going, "I don't know...who are we??" Then the guy jumps on them and attacks them... sending them running for their lives, naked and bloody.
I had to read it one more time. Then I had to underline it.
I was reading this in my NIV study bible, so I immediately scanned the footnotes for some explanation or commentary...but there was NOTHING! Not one note on these two verses. I guess they don't need further explanation. It is what it is.
It's sort of amusing to me though, I'm not going to lie. The scene plays out in my mind like a black and white reel of the Three Stooges...only there were seven of them. But the cold hard truth that smacked me in the face is that this is what keeps me from being bold enough to share my faith with people, let alone casting out demons! I just know that Satan's sidekicks are snickering at me..."We know Jesus, and we've heard of Paul...but who are you?"
It's that little, but oh so loud voice, that rings in my ears and casts a shadow of doubt on everything I do that would take me one step closer to fulfilling the God-given role I was created for.
Who are YOU?
I've been beaten up and humiliated...and sometimes have to run away, naked and afraid. Maybe (hopefully) not literally...but in the spiritual realm, I've been exposed and ashamed, bloody and bruised.
I don't know what motivated those seven sons of the high priest. Maybe they thought that because their earthly father held a high position that somehow they should be able to cast out demons without having the power of Jesus to back it up. There is power in The Name for those who believe. Jeremiah 10:6 says, "No one is like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power." But for whatever reason, they were not rooted in it enough to accomplish an exorcism.
Maybe it was because their hearts were more concerned with their own image - being seen as great apostles like Paul - instead of a genuine love and concern for the man who was playing host to an evil spirit.
Maybe, just maybe, their hearts were in the right place, and maybe they would have had the power of Jesus to back it up, if only THEY had believed. Satan can question us just enough to turn us into our own worst enemy. He only needs to pose the question, and we do all his work from there.
Imagine if they had answered the "who are YOU?" question differently...
"Who am I? Let me tell you who I am! I am a child of the Most High GOD! Joint heirs with JESUS and I am REDEEMED!" I'm guessing that spirit would have shrieked and ran away at that point.
Why do we allow Satan to catch us off guard with that question...Who are you? Could it be that sometimes we forget...
We have to get it straight in our own heads first...we have to know who we are in CHRIST.
Who are you?
I know who I am. I am His.
Be blessed!
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