“And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.” Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!””
Acts 19:23-28 NKJV
Idols in disrepute
The Gospel has a power that can transform the human heart far better and far faster than anything in the world. It has been known to change a sinner overnight into a saint. Many are the stories of lost wretches, having surrendered to the Holy Spirit, who have given up all manner of sinful lifestyle.
Evan Roberts (1878-1951) had come to the Lord and began to pray for the revival of his city. He prayed for thirteen years, that the Lord would move in a mighty way. After a powerful experience with the Lord, he set about preaching and the great Welsh revival was alit. Over time the bars, the dance halls and all manner of institution closed down. Over the course of the revival, news of which spread word of mouth, seventy thousand people came to Christ. One hundred thousand during its duration.
When the Lord moves, He puts people out of business. I can tell you the truth that many purveyors of vice lost me as a devoted customer when I came to know the Lord.
Reading Acts nineteen this morning, I was reminded of the power of the Gospel to transform the world around us. The Gospel had captivated the mission field of Paul, and was transforming lives. Where the Gospel went, it left in its wake the rubble of bankrupt business, and ruined purveyors of sin.
All the customers they had come to rely on had gone over to the light, and no longer had the desire to dwell in darkness. Demetrius the Silversmith, maker of silver gods, saw his fortunes on the wane, for now people were going after this invisible God who had real power, and leaving the ones made by human hands behind.
We are living in a world full of idols, as the world guides the willing toward worship of many things, whether they be money, celebrities, sex, or drugs, or any other god the degenerate mind can conjure. Trillions of dollars are spent in the worship of these gods.
Brothers and sisters, there is coming a great harvest, a season when the Gospel will spread like wildfire and many of the idols present in this current age will topple. The result will be that many will attack those who being this souls saving Gospel.
Soon, we may see one of the first of these idols begin to teeter, as there is strong likelihood that abortion will outlawed in many states. Abortion is big business, and requires the constant sacrifice of babies. There will be great backlash, as even now those who are its proponents are promising a “Summer of Rage.”
But, my people, we know how the story ends, so let us be bold and press on through the struggle and continue bringing the message of Jesus. There is coming a day when those who have been freed from the bondage of sin will take their idols, now in disrepute, and burn them.
“And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, 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. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”
Acts 19:18-20 NKJV
In due time, all the evil things of this world will be destroyed, and those who provide them will done away with and judged.
Pray that you be one who presents the Good News, that Jesus died on the cross, was buried and on the third day rose again. Go forth and tell your story, testifying of how the Lord freed you from man made idols, of how you burned them all down, and count up the loss, and now know that it is eternal gain.
Have a Fabulous Friday! Stay safe. Tell someone you love them.
#prayforUvalde
#praythathegospelgothroughouttheworld
Welsh revival info: https://www.samstorms.org/enjoying-god-blog/post/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-welsh-revival-of-1904-06
Musings from an idle mind 
And may the Lord use these idols to destroy the lives of the shippers, is it has done in our lives… So they return to Christ and be saved?
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