She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. – Acts 16:17-18
The salvation industry in which we work as salvation practitioners is full of challenges. Paul said, the door for winning souls is opened wide but you would have to fight battles to get the job done. “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries”- 1Corinthians 16:9.
Who are those adversaries and how do they operate. “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds” – Philippians 1:15-16.
This category of preachers were not preaching Christ to win genuine souls for Christ. Rather, they preached to show to others that Paul was wrong in his messages so to make Paul insecure. You could also suffer the same fate.
Paul went to Philippi for mission. He cast out soothe saying demon in a girl that brought great gain to her masters. The masters of the girl got offended and reacted by arresting Paul and Silas. “And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers” – Acts 16:19.
Paul and his team were later beaten and imprisoned for casting out demons. “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely” – Acts 16:23.
When Paul wanted to visit the Thessalonians for instance, Satan blocked him. “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us” – 1Thessalonians 2:18.
Despite all these mission challenges, Paul won a lot of souls to the Lord. Instead of grumbling at the challenges he rather turned them into opportunities for winning more souls. Paul was not a superhuman. He only knew that God was with him on the mission field. Rise up then with the same confidence.
LET’S PRAY
May the Lord God give you grace enough to know that, what makes you victorious in any battle is God’s presence with you in the glorious name of Jesus Christ. Amen Amen Amen.
Fountain to your life.
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