FAKE COPYCATS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”

Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Acts 19:13-16

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“Accept no substitutes.”

It’s a phrase that has been around for a long time, mostly used in advertising circles. Of course, the idea here is that there is no better product than the one being touted and so one should “accept no substitutes”.

In our world today, just as in biblical times, there are plenty of suitors for one’s belief system. There is a broad misperception out there that there are a lot of atheists in the world but the truth is that almost everyone believes in something at a spiritual level. It’s just that there is only one legitimate place to place one’s faith and trust - the Lord God Almighty and His Son Jesus our Savior - and one should accept no substitute.

Or as Jesus put it, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

As we turn to our scripture passage today from our continued look at Acts 19, we find some Jews trying to mimic the legitimate work that Paul was doing in the name of the Lord and finding out the hard way that no one can replicate what the Lord does through those who dedicate themselves to Him.

For the scriptures tell us that the copycat Jews, identified as seven sons of the Jewish chief priest Sceva, were going around Ephesus “driving out evil spirits” from the demon-possessed while proclaiming they were doing so in “the name of the Lord Jesus”. We read their specific words as they would say:

"In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”

It sounded legitimate on the surface but the proof would be found in the outcome. And as we see what happens next, the fake copycats were quickly exposed.

For one day while they were attempting to drive out demons, one evil spirit within a possessed man had this to say:

“Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”

Now, anyone who was truly coming forward in the name of Jesus would be known by the evil forces as legitimate, not because of the power they held but the power of the Lord they represented. Demonic forces feared the mere sound of Jesus’ name. But the seven sons of Sceva had no association with Jesus or Paul. They were merely pretenders and impersonators, and so they got what they had coming to them.  

For lacking any genuine connection to Jesus, the men were powerless against the evil spirit that overpowered and gave them a severe beating. We read where they “ran out of the house” where the possessed man lived, “naked and bleeding”. They learned there were consequences in store for counterfeit Christians.

Friends, today there are still a lot of fake copycats out there, religions who claim to speak in the name of Jesus but couldn’t be further from Him within their illegitimate belief system. Like the seven sons of Sceva, they too will one day experience the wrath of the Lord and suffer the penalty for their sinful actions.

So how can you avoid those who seem bona fide on the surface but are phony at their core?

First, know the Word of the God. You can always validate anyone who claims to come in the name of Jesus by applying the scriptures to them and what they profess.

You also need to allow the Holy Spirit to take the lead in assessing legitimacy. For the Holy Spirit will always expose anyone who is disingenuous in representing Christ.

Allow the Lord to advise and counsel you through His Word and Spirit, and you will always be assured to identify fake Christians whenever you encounter them.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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