Author: Brian Burdett

“But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” – Acts 19:15-16

Seven foolish sons of a Jewish priest saw Paul casting out demons in the name of Jesus. Though these men didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, they tried casting out a demon in His name anyway. That was a terrible idea!!! They knew all the right words to say but they lacked the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. That only comes from being a follower of Jesus. So, they were powerless against the demon which beat them up, tore off their clothes, and sent them running out of the house buck naked.

This story is a wonderfully hilarious reminder of an important truth… Demons fully know who Jesus is and have no choice but to obey Him but people who don’t know Jesus should not get mixed up with evil spirits! Christians in the West often discount the supernatural realities of the universe but demons are real and they’re terrible. However, Jesus is more powerful than every demon ever created.

Every true follower of Jesus is sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Christ. We have tremendous power to win spiritual victories, even over demons. However, to win that victory we must fully believe in Jesus, believe in His prevailing power, and stand firm in the Lord by putting on God’s spiritual armor (see Ephesians 6). Are you prepared for whatever spiritual battles you face today? In Christ, you have all the power you need. #FollowJesus

“And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” – Acts 18:11

Paul was typically a rambling man, a rolling stone who gathered no moss. However, when Jesus told him to stay put in Corinth, he stayed put. Jesus appeared and promised Paul that there were many people in that pagan city that were going to believe in Him and be made new creations by God’s grace through faith in Him. For this reason, Paul was to stay in the city, no matter what!

So Paul stayed for 18 months, constantly preaching and teaching God’s Word to the ever-growing flock of new disciples in that city. Even as opposition heated up, Paul stayed where he was because that’s where Jesus told him to be. One of Paul’s best traits is that when Jesus told him to go, Paul went and when Jesus told Paul to stay, he patiently stayed.

We can learn a lot from Paul’s example. By his faithful obedience to Christ’s will, Paul had an incredible and eternal impact on the world. How about you? Do you go when Jesus tells you to go or do you hold back, make excuses, negotiate, or wait for confirmation after confirmation? Do you stay when Jesus tells you to stay or do you become anxious to move on to something either new and different or old and familiar? Your greatest Kingdom impact will always be when you’re walking precisely in step with the Holy Spirit just like Paul did in Corinth. Are you? #FollowJesus

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” – 1 Kings 19:11b-12

We often want to hear from God in clear, dramatic, obvious ways. That’s seldom how God speaks to us! Most often, He speaks is in that low whisper, His still, small voice. Are you listening for that?

Are you listening for the whisper of God’s voice as you read His Word each day and ask Him to help you understand and apply it to yourself? Are you listening for the whisper of God’s voice as you still your mind and quiet your soul before Him in times of prayer in which you don’t say anything? Are you listening for the whisper of God’s voice in the wisdom of your most trustworthy and godly friends, mentors, and spiritual leaders?

In this age of constant amusement, outrage, entertainment, distraction, information, and social media we often ruin our ability to hear God’s still small voice. How much blessing do we miss out on by not stopping to listen? How much joy? How much opportunity? How much fellowship with our Creator?

If you haven’t been listening, don’t lament the past. Simply begin listening. Put down your phone. Turn off your TV. Cultivate silence. Draw near to God. He WILL draw near to you! #FollowJesus

“And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.'” – Acts 17:6

The message of Jesus literally turns the world upside down! The last become first and the first last. The humble are exalted and the exalted are humbled. Leaders serve and servants lead. Success on earth bears no relationship to eternal blessing and success. The values of God’s Kingdom are opposed to the values of earthly kingdoms.

The early Christians became known as people who “turned the world upside down”. How? By preaching the gospel of grace, peace, and reconciliation. We are saved only by God’s grace through faith in His Son Jesus and cannot save ourselves so we have nothing to brag about. Through faith in Jesus, we are at peace with, reconciled to, and adopted by God with the spiritual power needed to reconcile with others. And we do.

How about you? Are you turning the world upside down? You believe the same Gospel the early Christians did. You receive the same Holy Spirit when you trust in Jesus as Lord. You have the same truth of God written down for you in the Bible. You have EVERYTHING you need to turn the world upside down!

It doesn’t have to start with anything big and dramatic. It can begin with turning your household, your workplace, your classroom, or your neighborhood upside down. How? By loving God completely and loving your neighbors outrageously. By visibly living out Kingdom values like meekness, patience, gentleness, humility, kindness, holiness, peacemaking, and self-control. By telling people how Jesus has transformed you and actually being transformed.

If you do that, you’ll turn plenty of things upside down! If enough Christians do it with you, we’ll once again turn the world upside down and that will be a truly beautiful thing! #FollowJesus

“And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.” – Acts 16:23

Sometimes, the most miserable things we endure produce the most beautiful and eternal results! Most of us would struggle to imagine something more miserable than being beaten by a mob, beaten by the police, and thrown in jail for being Christians who cast out a demon. That’s exactly what happened to Paul and Silas in this verse. And yet…

What the crowd and the authorities did to hurt them, God used for a wonderful, eternal purpose. Paul and Silas didn’t know what was next but were confident in God’s good and loving presence with them even amidst suffering and injustice. Rather than sitting in their pain and feeling sorry for themselves, they worshiped and praised God from within their jail cell. God used that extraordinary faithfulness to bring their jailer and his entire household to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

The suffering of Paul and Silas was unjustified and unjust. Their pain was very real and intense. However, God used it for a glorious, redemptive purpose. An entire household gained eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Who knows how many of the following generations of that household also became Kingdom citizens! Would Paul and Silas have said their temporary pain was worth it because of the eternal gain for other people? Absolutely!!!

This story is a beautiful reminder that while we feel each moment of time intensely, God sees all moments equally well. When we can’t comprehend the suffering and injustice we experience, God can still redeem it for the blessing of many and for His glory. When times are hardest, that’s when we most need to trust God’s plan, presence, and providence, praising Him amidst tears and testifying to His goodness in the face of human evil. #FollowJesus