Unveil the Evil Around Us.

Continuing with Acts 19--

The other day we studied how Paul's handkerchiefs and aprons were being used by people to cast out their evil spirits.  The power of the Holy Spirit rested upon Paul and it was through this that people were healed. They had faith. The woman that touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed, was healed because of her faith.

Mar 5:25  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 

Mar 5:26  And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 

Mar 5:27  When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 

Mar 5:28  For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 

Mar 5:29  And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 

Mar 5:30  And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 

Mar 5:31  And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 

Mar 5:32  And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 

Mar 5:33  But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 

Mar 5:34  And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. 

She told herself that if she could just touch the hem of his garment she'd be healed. She didn't need to speak with Him, she didn't need Him to pay her any attention, she knew He was filled with the power of God to heal and just touching His clothing would heal her. She was right. She touched Jesus' garment and immediately she was healed, she felt it instantly.  Jesus knew too. He felt the power go out from Himself. Jesus stopped in the middle of the crowd of people around about Him and He wanted to know who touched Him- though He already knew, He just needed to see her, to talk with her.  The woman saw Him look at her and she was fearful, shaking. She fell down before Him and told Him what she'd done and He responded by telling her that her FAITH made her whole, she was to leave in peace, healed.   Just like that woman, others with Paul's handkerchiefs and aprons knew through faith if they could just touch those items they would be healed, and they were right.  Healing of evil spirits… it was noted what was being done and OTHERS wanted to have this power to heal others of evil spirits.

Act 19:13  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

Vagabond Jews- exorcists.  These men knew what Paul was doing and they- being exorcists wanted the same fame. They went to where there were those filled with evil spirits and this time they used the name of Jesus, the Jesus Paul preached hoping it would cause the evil spirits to leave.

Act 19:14  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 

Act 19:15  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 

The evil spirit ANSWERED. The evil spirit told them it knew Jesus and Paul, but not them.  The evil spirit knew that Jesus and Paul could rebuke it, that they had power, power given to them by the Father God. These men weren't known in that way, they weren't known to have the power of God, the Holy Spirit wasn't working in these men- not even the sons of the chief of the priests, Sceva.

Act 19:16  And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 

The man filled with the evil spirit attacked them and they ran out of the house naked and injured.  They had no power over the evil spirits, none. If they thought using Jesus' name or Paul's name would work for them they were very wrong. FAITH is the power. TRUE BELIEF is the power.  You cannot fake truth, you cannot fake belief. God knows our hearts and He knows our truth, we may fool others, but God cannot be fooled, not ever!

Act 19:17  And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 

Act 19:18  And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 

Act 19:19  Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 

Act 19:20  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. 

The evil spirits had power over even the sons of the chief of the priests of the Jews.  This knowledge made people realize the truth that Paul preached about Jesus. They believed, they confessed, they let their deeds be brought to light.  Not only that… MANY who used curious arts - EVIL- brought those books and burned them before everyone. They burned these books filled with evil knowledge at the price of fifty thousand pieces of silver!  Today that would be several MILLION dollars' worth of books! Several million dollars of evil knowledge destroyed by those who finally realized the evil it was as they turned their lives over to Christ, to follow Him, to love Him.

Truly the word of God is powerful!  The truth prevailed!

This wasn't some horror movie, this was reality, this was TRUTH.  So why today do we make light of evil, with the majority of people regulating it to nonsense, and foolishness, powerless.  Today the world is filled with a lot of evil works of curious arts and yet they are deemed impotent. The evil spirits have learned through time to be extremely subtle and as such their evil is NOW called good.

Please LORD, please help us to comprehend Your truth!  We can't let ourselves be blind, seeking blindness rather than light because we love our darkness, our dark things, our dark arts. No matter how good we believe them to be today in our modern world, we have to realize they are as evil now as they were in the days of Jesus. Please bring to light in us all that is evil around us hiding under the guise of goodness, of harmlessness. Please LORD, help us! SAVE US FROM OURSELVES!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, and ever! Please!