I saw this shared on Google+, and I liked it so much that I though I would post it here as well. Sadly, I think I am more often the type of Christian of whom the devil says gleefully, “Oh good, he’s up!”
Do you remember the story from the Book of Acts 19?
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Frankly, I want to be the type of Christian of whom the evil spirits say, “Jesus I know, and Fr. Orthoduck I know … .” Sadly, I say that I am not there. But, I am equally not where the seven sons of Sceva were. I have “seen” the devil flee.
I am minded of a couple of sayings from that great Christian, John Newton:
I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.
Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.
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