The apostles Paul and Silas are staying with the family of Lydia while ministering in Thyatira. To travel from her home to where they would be ministering they had to walk through the city. Their daily walk provides a wonderful teaching moment that falls under the heading of “all that glitters is not gold.” Speaking of “gold,” I recently saw and heard a globally known “minister of the Lord” tell his vast audience that he would send them some ministry works for a “love gift” of $5000.00. “Love gift” means he does not have to pay taxes on the $. When the Lord told us to “count the cost” I’m sure this was not what he had in mind.

Verses sixteen through eighteen: As Paul and Silas walked through the city each day a girl with a spirit of divination (python) began following them. Python was a mythical snake that was known for its ability to foretell the future. Perhaps the world’s most famous “prophet” of all time wrote that she received her ability to foretell the future from a huge python that, when she was a young girl, had wound around her while she slept. When she awoke the snake was gazing into her eyes, giving her the ability to predict what would take place in the future. The girl that routinely followed Paul and Silas, having that same power, was controlled by some local men who were making money from her ability to predict the future. Note that if she had not been successful in predicting the future, word would have soon spread and she would have been rejected. If something does not work, people will not buy it. She had to have been good at what she did. We must understand this about the occult world–IT IS REAL AND IT WORKS. I have dealt with it face-to-face.

Each day the demonic girl followed the apostles while shouting out: “These are the servants of the most high God who (the apostles) show us the way to salvation.” Note that every word she said was true. SATAN’S PEOPLE CAN TELL THE TRUTH AND PERFORM MIRACLES. The girl followed the apostles for many days, shouting out her message as they walked. One day Paul reached the end of his patience. Turning to HER, he said TO THE SPIRIT, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And the demon came out immediately.

It is important that the true God-seeker not be deceived into believing that by completing the salvation rituals of professing Christendom he/she is then immune to the power of Satan and his demons. Not even Jesus was immune to the devil. Recall that during the Temptation, Satan offered Him the entire world if He would bow down to him. Note that Jesus did not tell him that the world was not his to give–IT WAS, he had won it from Adam. An indication of Satan’s power is this: he has convinced over 2,000,000,000 people living today that they are saved, born again and on their way to heaven when they die. NEVER DOUBT THE EXISTENCE OR POWER OF SATAN. Billions have doe so to their peril. L.J.