The Sceva Phenomenom

“I hesitate to call on His name...” 

Why?

 “I feel so unworthy, I know I have been such a sinful person. I have not been very serious in following Jesus”. 

So what are you afraid of? You think God won’t hear you?

 “Worse than that: I fear being like the sons of Sceva.” 

Who?

Some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits. Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit said to them, "I know Jesus, and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. Act 19:13-16(ISV)

 Your case is not like that at all. Do not let Satan deceive you.

 “How do you mean. Does this kind of a thing not happen anymore or what?” 

It still happens; but to those who do not know Jesus. 

“I don’t think I really know Him either, and I don’t want evil spirits to trouble me.”

  See these guys were not repentant; they just wanted to use His name for their own ends: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved Rom 10:13(ISV). Have you forgotten the thief on the cross? If anyone felt unworthy he did. But the other criminal scolded him: "Don't you fear God at all? Our punishment is fair. We're getting what we deserve. But this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom." Lk 23:40-42(GW).  Hear what the Lord answered him: Jesus said to him, "I can guarantee this truth: Today you will be with me in paradise." Lk 23:43(GW).  That is the beauty of grace: we are not worthy, we can never be worthy, but He invites us to come to Him anyway to wash us clean, give us new lives and make us part of His kingdom. 

“Is that so?” 

Yes Peter said “Do you think we have some power of our own? Do you think we were able to make this man walk because we are so religious? He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching” Act 3:12, 16(CEV).  “So I should go ahead and call on Him?”

Go ahead my dear. Call on Him expecting Him to answer for He will. The Sceva phenomenon is for unrepentant people.

Then let us come near to the seat of grace without fear, so that mercy may be given to us, and we may get grace for our help in time of need Heb 4:16(BBE).

APPEARED IN THE CHURCH BULLETIN WEEK 25, 2009

Where is the power

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? 

“Yes of course; for some time now I have been enjoying Him.” 

How do you know you are filled?

 “Oh, I received tongues when hands were laid on me and have been speaking ever since hallelujah!” 

Was it tongues you were supposed to receive after the Holy Spirit?

 “Ah, everyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in other tongues.”

My expectation is a little different.

 “You mean you are one of those who don’t believe in tongues?” 

That’s not what I mean. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Act 1:8(ISV). 

“I know the verse...”

Wait; Jesus said we were to receive power - you talked about tongues. Where is the power we were to receive?

 “Ah, tongues are the manifestation of the power.”

 Is that right? If tongues are all you have I’d say there is something missing. “So how do you expect the manifestation of power?”

 Good question: power is defined as the rate of doing work. Within a given time the believers filled with the Spirit did a lot of work. He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in His name, didn't we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching!" Act 5:28(ISV) the disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit in a short time filled Jerusalem with the message. Have you filled your office and household with the gospel? Within the past 5 months what have you done?

“I don’t get what point you are making. Do you speak in tongues?”

Of course I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 1Cor 14:18(ISV)  

“So why are you against it?” 

I am not against it; I just want to draw attention to the real purpose of the Holy Spirit. We are to be witnesses to Jesus. Misuse of tongues can get in the way you know. Now if the whole church gathers in the same place and everyone is speaking in tongues, when uneducated people or unbelievers come in, they will say that you are out of your mind, won't they? But if everyone is prophesying, when an unbeliever or an uneducated person comes in he will be convicted by all and examined by all.  The secrets in his heart will become known, and so he will bow down to the ground and worship God, declaring, "God is truly among you!" 1Cor 14:23-25(ISV) I want to see this power of people being convicted in your meetings. When last did you tell someone about Jesus and His salvation? 

Why call the Blood of Jesus

“Why do you keep saying blood of Jesus, blood of Jesus? Are you a primitive man? Why not, “God save me” or something more decent?”

I mean no offense sir but the blood means a lot to me.

 “Sounds gory; what does it mean to you?” 

It is the blood that makes atonement for our sins. God is holy and sinful man cannot come near Him to be at peace with Him in fellowship because of sin. I have given this blood to you to make peace with me on the altar. Blood is needed to make peace with me. Lev 17:11(GW)  

“This place is not talking about Jesus, but an ancient ritual.” 

Oh! God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to Himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ's blood sacrificed on the cross. Col 1:20(GW) 

“But God is almighty! Can’t He exercise some executive powers and just pardon sin the way governors declare amnesty?” 

God is both just and loving. Justice demands sin has to be punished, and love yearns that sinful man is saved. God offered Him, so that by His blood He should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in Him. God did this in order to demonstrate that He is righteous. In this way God shows that He Himself is righteous and that He puts right everyone who believes in Jesus. Rm 3:25(GNB)  

“Is that so?”

Yes, when we sinned we became sold as slaves.

 “Slaves? How?” 

Haven’t you had the experience of agreeing something is bad, wanting to stop it and finding yourself struggling and failing?

 “Well yes.” 

Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin”. Jn 8:34 (GNB)  The blood of Jesus has become the price paid to set us free. Realize that you weren't set free from the worthless life handed down to you from your ancestors by a payment of silver or gold which can be destroyed. Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, the lamb with no defects or imperfections.1Pe 1:18,19(GW)    

It is the blood that washes the heart, removing the stain of sin. How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God? Heb 9:14(BBE) 

As you call on Jesus, expect His blood to do the same for you.

APPEARED IN THE CHURCH BULLETIN WEEK 21, 2009

Paying for sin

You are such a dedicated worker. I admire your commitment.

 “Thank you sir, you see I have to work very hard and help as many as possible. I hope it helps make up for my sins”. 

Is that it? Working hard isn’t going to be enough; the payment for sin is death.

“But God expects me to do good things, and by doing good I show God my commitment to Him. I depend on trying my best to obey the law”. Don’t do that.

 “Why?” 

Have you always kept all of the commandments without breaking any?

 “No one has ever achieved that.” 

So it won’t save you. Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!" Gal 3:10(GNB).  Doing good works is fine, but because we have all sinned it cannot be enough. Just one sin is enough to condemn you to hell.

 “But I was taught that when I die God would add up my good deeds and subtract my bad deeds; if the good where more I would go to heaven.” God never really intended salvation to come through our efforts. It comes through grace. Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires. Gal 2:16(GNB) 

 “Is doing good now bad?”

No, never. But do not rely on doing good to save you. For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it. Eph 2:8, 9(GNB)  

 “This is strange. I don’t understand. How can I be put right with God then? Why Jesus? Is it possible to be saved just like that?”

God offered Him, so that by His blood He should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in Him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In this way God shows that He Himself is righteous and that He puts right everyone who believes in Jesus. Rom 3:25(GNB).  As the songwriter says, “I owed a debt I couldn’t pay; and it was mounting every day, but Jesus paid it all for me!” This is God’s way: follow it.

APPEARED IN THE CHURCH BULLETIN IN WEEK 20, 2009

THE SUBSTITUTE

“What’s that?”

Oh it means a replacement. Your substitute stands in for you to do what you could not do. He takes your place and brings you the results; what your substitute does is regarded as what you did (2Co5:14). This is the difference between the gospel of Jesus and other faiths. Some teach that the law of retribution always comes on you or your family, some that you keep reincarnating and suffering for the sins of a past life; but Jesus is our substitute.

 “Don’t we all bear the consequences of our actions? Does God allow that?”

God allows it. In fact He instituted the law. Long ago in Egypt when the angel of death was to come into the whole land God asked Israel to kill a lamb for each household. Moses called for all the leaders of Israel and said to them, "Each of you is to choose a lamb or a young goat and kill it, so that your families can celebrate Passover. When the LORD goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the beams and the doorposts and will not let the Angel of Death enter your houses and kill you Ex 12:21, 23(GNB).

 “This is not talking about Jesus but Israel, how are they connected?”

This actually was a picture of what Jesus does. The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Jn 1:29(MKJV).

 “Why is it Jesus, why not any other person?”

A substitute for our sin must be sinless. Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie 1Pt 2:22(CEV).

“How does he do it?”

Christ carried our sins in His body on the cross so that freed from our sins, we could live a life that has God's approval 1Pt 2:24(GW).   Some people are inaccurate as to why Jesus Christ died. You may think He died because the Jews and Romans were so sinful; He actually died for our sins.

 “I don’t get the difference”.

If I take a knife and stab a man to death he dies because of my wickedness, Jesus on the other hand died the death we should have died for our sins. All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the LORD made the punishment fall on Him, the punishment all of us deserved Is 53:6(GNB). “Is that so?” Yes: The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord Rm 6:23(GW).

 “How am I sure his death applies to me?” God says so: He is Jesus, who is crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might experience death for everyone Heb 2:9(ISV).

APPEARED IN THE CHURCH BULLETIN WEEK 19, 2009 

Any hope in hell

“No sweat; I’ll just enjoy life and say my last prayers before I die to avoid hell. If I miss it by a little, folks will just pray me over to heaven; the bishop’s son does not go to hell!”

Perhaps you have not heard of the son of Abraham in hell Lk 16:19, 20(GW)  "There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him. There was also a beggar named Lazarus who was regularly brought to the gate of the rich man's house.

“It is but a parable, don’t interpret it literally.”  

I doubt it: Jesus didn’t mention names in other stories.  Here he mentions 2; including Abraham who we all know. Lk 16:22, 23, 25(MKJV) And it happened that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich one also died and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented.

 Jesus never tells lies; even in stories. Christ never committed any sin. He never spoke deceitfully.1Pe 2:22(GW)   

“ I don’t care if it’s a parable or not. What is wrong with being rich? Are you saying the rich all go to hell?” 

Of course not: Abraham was very rich and he is in paradise.  

“So what’s your point in this story?” 

And besides all this, there is a great chasm fixed between you and us; so that they desiring to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they pass over to us from there. Lk 16:26 (MKJV) Dead saints can’t help those in hell; indeed when a man is dead in hell there is no more hope for him. Acknowledging Abraham as father then (and Abraham calling him son) won’t change matters. His bid to help his brothers was denied; every prayer made in hell was turned down.

 “Hell can’t be forever. There must be an end sometime.” 

Jesus spoke of hell at least 16 times: this is how He describes it: It is better for you to enter into life maimed than to have two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. Mar 9:43, 44(MKJV)    

Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. Mat 25:41(MKJV) If you die unprepared you are forever lost. Forever!

APPEARED IN THE CHURCH BULLETIN WEEK 18, 2009

WHERE IS YOUR EVIDENCE

Don’t you remember Zacchaeus: The short man who climbed a tree to see Jesus? “Eh hehn? What about him?” 

His repentance… 

“You and this matter; what’s so special about his?

Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated." Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today you and your family have been saved …” Luk 19:8-9(CEV)  Jesus said nothing to him in the house about his money, but his repentance was shown in the way he sought to return stolen property; restitution we call it. If you genuinely repent you return stolen things.

“Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering. Then you will be forgiven for whatever you did that made you guilty." Lev 6:4-7(GW) 

“Are you suggesting we pay for our sins? I thought Christ died for our sins and we do not need to pay for them. We are not saved by works are we?”

If you were to pay for your sins you would be dead in hell right now (Rom 6:23). “But this Leviticus is an Old Testament teaching.” 

The New Testament demands evidence of repentance too: Act 26:20(GNB) I preached that they must repent of their sins and turn to God and do the things that would show they had repented. Returning stolen things really shows repentance. If you keep them you haven’t repented yet. Restitution is in Onesimus’ story: I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.  I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. Phm 1:12-13, 18(ISV)  Paul not only sent Onesimus back to his former master, he offered to pay back what Onesimus stole. The prodigal son offered to work for his father and Zacchaeus offered to return his stolen goods with interest! Where is your evidence?

“Are you suggesting we use Zacchaeus’ formula? Besides suppose we cannot find those we stole from? Does it mean no forgiveness for me?” Not at all! Give to the poor; God will accept it. Eph 4:28(EMTV)   Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working that which is good with his hands, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. 

APPERED ON THE CHURCH BULLETIN IN WEEK 17, 2009