CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR OCTOBER 23, 2021 : TOPIC - TEST EVERY SPIRIT
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LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, October 23, 2021.
TEST EVERY SPIRIT
Read: Acts 16:16-24
Acts 16:16-24 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar
By advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.
After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
MEMORISE:
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1).
EXPOSITION
The Spirit of God carries about the person, power, authority, and all that God is. He has all that God has because He is equal with God. He represents the Trinity. That is, wherever He is, God the Father and the Son is present with Him. The Spirit of God is of truth, righteousness, and holiness. He bears witness in conformity with the Word of God, and can never be against the Truth.
Every spirit must be tested by the Word of God, and proven by the undiluted Truth of Christ. Many spirits are in operation in this end time, and every believer must be spiritually sensitive to discern rightly whether they are of God or not, lest we fall victim of the effect of falsehood in the world. However about these Mark 5v1-9; Acts 16v16-19?
The Spirit of the devil is manifesting in the life of false prophets and teachers. Little wonders they deceive many and populate the kingdom of darkness through their deceitful devices (cf.Jn.8v44). They disguise as apostles of Christ, cunningly entering into many lives for destruction and death in hell (cf.2 Tim.3v5ff). Should we be surprised? No! Even Satan disguises as an angel of light. So, we shouldn't wonder that his servant do same and even worse. In the end however, they will get the due punishment for their wicked deed like their father, the devil did and would ultimately be condemned in hell.
Anyone who claims He is speaking according to the Spirit of God must acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the body. He must believe in His virgin birth, atoning death, resurrection, ascension and unstoppleable return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have the convincing Spirit in you Who testifies that you are a child of God (Rom.8v14-16)? Check your spirit, and test every spirit to know which is true.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord Jesus, give me grace to know You and discern Your Spirit.
2. Father, help me to keep Your Word in my heart for guidance, every moment of my life.
3. Father, punitively expose the Spirit of falsehood and it's proponents pervading churches today, in Jesus name.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Isaiah 54:12 - 58:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:10 - 5:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:1 - 1:2
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