Burnt Manuals

2/12/2016

Acts 19.17-20 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. – St. Luke

My friend Mat says, God likes to blow things up. We men make a habit of constructing things and claiming the glory of what we’ve constructed; and then God loves to come alongside us in all our doings and blow them up. At least He does so to those who seem to be making a big deal out of seeking Him, and building things for Him: churches, ministries, schools, programs, yada, yada, yada saying, look at who we are and what we’ve done for God.

God has nothing against constructs, except those constructs which are built by seemingly well-meant, and well intentioned persons, that forgot to honor God in all they’ve built and constructed. Is the church really just about me, or is it about something else? Is religion really just a cash cow? Will we stand before the Almighty and proclaim: “Lord, look at all we’ve been able to do for You, in Your Name!”?

Not everything that’s built for God, is as wonderful as we oft think it to be. When God is around, we better get used to the idea that God loves to blow things up: Let’s do this My way. In the passage above we learn God was blowing up some notions simply by showing up – “Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices…” (v.18) True revival changes people’s hearts, attitudes, and actions… When God shows up, nothing is sacred.

Think about this nation, the good old U S of A. We started well (perhaps) and ever since there has been one issue after another. There’s been war and conflict and victory and defeat. Our money is embossed with our trust for Him, but our actions speak otherwise. I keep hearing the populace is angry; but with a spoiled-rotten populace and a self-serving and deceptive government class, who really cares? We’ll see.

The things we do are to be done with honor and respect for God. However, society has been so sanitized of God, it’s no wonder that all we hold dear is becoming increasingly drear. Who do we trust? God? And everything these days seems to be so volatile. I’m not saying everyone has to believe in God (although I think everyone ought) but it’s plain to see that life and living and government and society are woefully incomplete without Him; and moving pell-mell away from Him.

God, because He loves us, has His thumb on the detonator. Perhaps it’s time, like the ancient Ephesians, to confess our practices and burn our manuals… maybe we’ll see how futile and empty our lives are by depending on our own cleverness, and the government, not the God whom Paul preached. The unshakable power of the Gospel.

Father, as long as I’ve breath on this earth, may I preach the gospel with my actions and my words. May I help those whose lives are fraught with emptiness and futility to see the God who loves them and wants to save them from their own devices. Lord, I pray in these dark days for another great awakening where people trust You, live wisely, and invest in love, goodness; and You. Amen