Hurrah! Those disciples whom Jesus sent out to the towns He was going to visit were impressed that the evil spirits obey them when they used Jesus’ name. Jesus gave them power over the enemy. We see a similar occurrence of this in the book of Acts.
A group of Jews was traveling from
town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord
Jesus in their incantation, saying, "I command you in the name of Jesus,
whom Paul preaches, to come out!" Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest,
were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied,
"I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with
the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such
violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. Acts 19:13-16
People
must be careful in casting out evil spirits. Those spirits recognize Jesus—but they
don’t worship Him. The disciples had the power of Jesus when they used His name—but
those Jews who tried to use Jesus’ name in Ephesus didn’t have the authority.
It didn’t turn out so well for them.
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| Nothing even alligators...like snakes... won't injure you. Is your name written in the Book of Life? |
You have come to the assembly of
God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to
God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of
the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to
Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the
sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for
vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen
to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when
they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not
escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! Hebrews 12:23-25
It's
simple. Believe in Jesus as your Savior. He’s already done the work by being
sacrificed on the cross for your sins—for all of mankind’s sins. Those who
believe will have their names written in the Book of Life.
Nothing evil will be allowed to
enter (the New
Jerusalem), nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only
those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Revelation 21:27
Is your
name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If yes, then that is a good reason to
rejoice!
When
the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord,
even the demons obey us when we use your name!" "Yes," he told
them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you
authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and
scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don't rejoice because
evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in
heaven." Luke
10:17-20
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, thank you for the provision of Your Book of Life. I believe in
You as my Savior and trust that my name is inscribed in that Book. Glory be to
the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Meditate.
Read God’s word and consider what He is saying.
Verse
of Salvation ~ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by
believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by
confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us,
"Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile
are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to
all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will
be saved." Romans
10:9-13
Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
How do
you eat chia seeds? Last Friday we took a brief look at the nutritional value
of chia seeds. But just how do you use them?
Try mixing chia seeds with water,
juice or milk to make a drink or a pudding. Healthline.com
has an article about 35 ways to eat chia seeds. Wow! That is a lot of ways to
utilize these little power house nutritional seeds.
Personally, I mix them with oat
milk, walnuts, and cinnamon for an after-supper snack or dessert. They are also
great in smoothies, as a topping for yogurt, ice cream, or fruit. They can be
added to salads, salad dressing, or even used as an egg substitute. Great for
those who are allergic to eggs. Try baking them into breads, muffins, crackers,
cakes, cookies, tortillas, granola, or pancakes. I’ve read about, but not tried
yet, using chia seeds instead of pectin when making fruit jams. Chia seeds are
very versatile, add a significant amount of nutrition, and since they are high
in fiber you’ll feel full when eating them so they can help with weight loss. Give
them a try.
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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1 comment:
How many millions of pages are in that Book of Life? Lots of Rejoicing!
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