Goodbook messages arrive every Tuesday and Friday with a Scripture
reading and ideas for how to apply the reading in our lives. We are reading
through the book of Acts. For additional Scripture reading, you can follow the
Advanced Track.Reading: Acts 19:17-20
17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Application:
The event was stunning enough. The sons of Sceva came running out of a house, naked and bleeding. They had tried to cast out demons. Before giving them a serious whooping, the demons replied, “We know Jesus. We know Paul. But who are you?”
The response to this event was even more stunning. Many who had been dabbling in witchcraft came forward to confess what they’d done and burn their sorcery scrolls. The author mentions the value of the scrolls, which equals about 136 years of wages!
Apparently, there was an awakening. People realized they had been trusting in the wrong things. People realized they had been funneling a major portion of their resources toward the wrong ends. So strong was their conviction that they burned their scrolls so they could place their trust and their resources in the mighty hands of Jesus.
Are there any scrolls that we need to burn? Have we placed our trust in something or someone other than Jesus? Are we looking for power, security, identity, purpose, joy, truth, or love in something or someone other than Jesus? Have we spent far too much money trying to buy what only Jesus can give? If so, we are wasting our time and our resources. Jesus is the true source of power, security, identity, purpose, joy, truth, and love!
What might you need to get rid of in order to place your trust and your resources in the mighty hands of Jesus? If it’s a possession, you may need to burn it. Or maybe a better approach could be to donate it or sell it and give the money to support God’s work in the church or in the world. If it’s a relationship, you may need to end it or redefine it. If it’s a habit, you may need to remove the things that are feeding that habit and get help to stop. What is it that is getting in the way of your faith in Jesus or getting in the way of you following Jesus?
1) Burn the scrolls
Share your comments and application ideas…
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