“Burning The Books”

       “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹²so 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. ¹³Then 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.” ¹⁴Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. ¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” ¹⁶Then 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. ¹⁷This 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. ¹⁸And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed (Acts 19:11-20).”

The Word of God brings change. At the demonstration of God’s power and the preaching of the Word in Ephesus, those who had been active in the occult burned their books. The current US value of these: $2,752.38 (as of 6-17-04).

          When we begin seriously studying the Word of God and it begins to prick the heart and convict by its intrinsic power, there are things that we cannot help but let go of or put out of our lives.

          Are there “books” in your life that need to be “burned?” James 1:21 says that if we lay aside filthiness and excess wickedness and receive the “implanted” Word with meekness, it can save our souls.

          When we lay aside the sin in our lives, God can effect great change in us. Are you willing to “burn the books” in your life today?