Written by Joel E. Kim |
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Some believers become preoccupied with spiritual dimensions, angels and demons, and powers of darkness, finding the work of demons in every event. It certainly does not help that all of us are catechized daily by social media and popular culture from astrology to zombies. Our approach should begin with and be bounded by the teachings of Scripture.

Some biblical accounts are difficult to forget. In Acts 19, Luke recounts the powerful ministry of Paul as he healed the sick and exorcised demons in the city of Ephesus. Seeing his success, some itinerant Jewish exorcists evidently decided to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus as a part of their own exorcism on a man who had an evil spirit. The possessed man replied unforgettably, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (v. 15). Then he proceeded to overpower the exorcists, who had to flee “naked and wounded” (v. 16). When the residents of the area heard the news, many, including believers, came forward, confessing their continued acceptance of “magic arts,” and burned their books publicly (v. 19). Luke records the surprising value of the books: “fifty thousand pieces of silver” (v. 19), or more than 135 years’ worth of daily wages. Though Luke’s intention in including this episode is to display the power and the expansion of the church through the Word of the Lord, it is instructive in understanding the biblical teaching on spiritual realms and powers.
The Spiritual Realm is Real
Luke, Paul, and the Apostles ministered among people who believed in the spiritual realm and were conscious of the presence of spirits. People in the first century agreed that the supernatural and spiritual realm exercised control over everyday life and ultimately determined eternal destiny. Magic, divination, astrology, and the like were employed to influence and manipulate spirits so that good things were received and any harm was thwarted.
The New Testament not only recognizes this spiritual reality but portrays the ministry of Jesus and the Apostles as opposed to and overcoming the spiritual powers. The authority and power of Jesus over “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) are seen in the Gospels by the way that Jesus overcame the temptations by Satan, exorcised demon-possessed people, and healed the sick and the lame. Luke records the activities of the Apostles in defeating the power of darkness by exposing the futility and powerlessness of pagan idolatry with all its associated activities. Paul was no different. Paul often mentions principalities (Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10; 2:15), powers (1 Cor. 15:24; Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10; 2:15), dominions (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16), elemental spirits (Gal. 4:3, 9; Col. 2:8, 20) to acknowledge the reality of spiritual powers that oppose God and His people. Moreover, Paul did not hesitate to inform his flock of the powerful presence of the evil one, referring to him as Satan, the devil, the evil one, prince, spirit, Belial, the enemy, the serpent, the tempter, and the god of this world.
It is hard to deny or ignore the existence of the spiritual realm. Some have attempted to “demythologize” the Bible by erasing any elements of supernaturalism. Others have ignored the reality of the spiritual realm and spirits by conducting life as though such powers and spirits did not matter, often leading to spirituality without belief or a life of faith that exudes self-reliance and not prayerful dependence.
Read More
Related Posts:

Care for our parents and grandparents is a fundamental life responsibility. Part of our worship of God is also to sacrificially care for widows in our close family. It should be a well-known fact around the globe that Christian families care for their own. This pleases Christ.

1 Timothy 5:3-16 is packed with implications for local churches and especially older saints but is rarely discussed. Economic prosperity often buries this rich and very practical passage. It may be that many churches that have not taken this passage seriously because of prosperity will soon do so.
I encourage you to take the time to read these verses carefully before continuing: 1 Timothy 5:3-16.[1]
As we take the time to understand this text and consider its implications, we find that it is relevant for every cultural context. We might also might find ourselves surprised that we have overlooked such valuable instruction.
Paul taught Timothy about how local churches are supposed to function. In doing this, he included a lengthy passage on the support of widows. In it Paul teaches us about the role of widows, how to support them, and also gives us principles that are applicable to all of God’s senior saints. We will spend the next several articles meditating on this passage together.  You might want to read the intro article to this series as well: https://rootedthinking.com/2022/12/20/still-fruitful-the-value-of-senior-saints/.
A continual need through the centuries.
Financial support for needy widows is something followers of God have taken seriously since the beginning. The Bible teaches us that those who are genuinely righteous protect and help care for the poor, particularly widows and orphans.[2] Local churches are responsible to financially assist impoverished widows and orphans within its membership.[3] Just after Pentecost, the church in Jerusalem was zealous in this regard.[4] There were political and cultural reasons why Jerusalem had so many widows at that time, so the Jerusalem church needed immediate guidelines about it (Acts 6).
Churches throughout history have supported widows, often as a part of their church budget. Though deacons were originally elected to oversee this kind of ministry in Jerusalem, churches have generally given this responsibility to certain women in the church.
In 1 Timothy 5, Paul answers this question in detail: How and when are local churches to financially support widows?
What it means to be a widow in much of the world.
Paul’s instructions to Timothy begin with the definition of a “true widow,” the kind of widow that local churches are responsible to help. Paul then shows us how to prioritize funds for this purpose.
Becoming a widow was a tragic event in New Testament times, a reality that is just as tragic for women in much of our world today. For many, to be widowed meant at least relative poverty, maybe even abject poverty. To survive, provide for their children, and avoid shame, women usually remarried as soon as possible. Jobs providing enough income to avoid poverty were unknown. Some cultures have not even allowed women to earn wages. Imagine being in this situation! But it is often worse than this.
Read More
Related Posts:

Written by Jonathan W. Arnold |
Saturday, May 25, 2024
We are incapable of “opening our hands” to receive what God has promised to give for fear that we might lose what we think we have grasped. And so we pray with Jeremy Taylor that God would “open our hands for us. And [that he would] not only open [our] hand, but also open [our] mouth. And not only [our] mouth, but [our] heart also.” We are dependent upon divine action.

Prayer for Open Hands
You have called me to open my hand so that You can fill it. But I would not open my hand. I held the world tightly and kept my hand shut. I would not let it go. But, please God, open my hand for me. And do not only open my hand, but also open my mouth. And not only my mouth, but my heart also.
Grant that I may know nothing but You, that I may count everything as loss compared to You, and that I may strive to be conformed to You.—Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)
The Allure of Temptation
This seventeenth century prayer captures the struggles of the Christian life in an incredibly personal manner. Believers of every era grapple with God’s command to give up everything for his sake, even while they strive to understand the corresponding promise of greater rewards. Jesus himself reminds his disciples, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). But if we are honest, that command remains a challenge. After all, even as followers of Christ, we live in a fallen world, surrounded by temptations that vie for our attention. We regularly attempt to wrest control of our circumstances and to take as much from this world as we possibly can.
The author of this prayer, Jeremy Taylor, knew both the best and worst this world had to offer as he moved from a preferred student at Cambridge and Oxford to a high profile position in the Stuart church that included access to King Charles I. Later, he suffered the ignominy of defeat as his king lost his fight with Parliament, and Taylor was imprisoned for his royal connections. After the Restoration, he once again found himself in a preferential position, serving as a bishop in Ireland until his death.
Most of us have not experienced the extreme highs and lows of Taylor’s life, but we can all relate to the vivid example of the temptation to hold too tightly to the trivial things of this world.
Read More
Related Posts: