FAITH CAPSULE: Are you itinerant Jewish exorcists of today?

Acts 19:1-20

Do you know Him or you know about Him?
With no exception, Matthew 7:21-23 speaks to all, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Itinerant Jewish exorcists wanted to demonstrate miracle after witnessing Paul the apostle’s demonstration of the miracle.
The Bible records, “Then 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.” (Acts 19: 13) Interestingly, the evil spirit could not identify the itinerant Jewish exorcists as ones in Jesus but identified Paul as one in Jesus.
The Itinerant Jewish exorcists do not know Jesus.
One that only knows about Jesus does not know Jesus.
One that only knows about Jesus, claiming to know Jesus will be positioning self for self-destruction.
The Itinerant Jewish exorcists wanted to take a position as one that knows God but failed. Bible records the reaction of the evil spirit to the Itinerant Jewish exorcists, “…Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then 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.” (Acts 19:15-16)
Who are you before God?
Are you one that does not know God?
One that knows about God but not knows God is an unbelieving believer.
The itinerant Jewish exorcists do not know God and not carry the power of God for a miracle. Just like the itinerant Jewish exorcists, are you attempting what you do not carry in the power of God?
By your action, are you answering to what you do not carry in the power of God?
As a believer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, what you carry will identify who you are in the Lord. Today, so many kinds of itinerant Jewish exorcists are not in the few but in the plenty numbers. 2 Timothy 3:5 talked about the itinerant Jewish exorcists of then and of today, “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
If you do not know God, come out of religion to know God and be living life for God not deceiving your world like the itinerant Jewish exorcists.
Galatians 6:7 warned against deception, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” How long do you want to be like itinerant Jewish exorcists? What is it that will identify you as a Christ follower?

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to fill you with the knowledge of His word to know Him.