Before the sermon, two ex-witchdoctors who had recently got converted, gave their testimonies of how they have experienced the power of Jesus breaking the chains of the divination craft.
Acts 16
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.
Paul was angered by the demonic spirit of divination which shouted out of the girl “these men are servants of the Most High, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation”. Even though this was true Paul did not need demons to shout it out. He commanded the spirit to leave the girl. The power of Jesus was displayed when the demons left. Her masters, who had profited much, were furious, and had Paul and Silas stripped and beaten. But this did not beat God’s servants for Jesus is victorious over demonic power. They sang the praises of God in the cruel jail and stocks, till heaven could not remain silent and the earth shook with God’s power.
This is the power of the Gospel which changes you from head to toe, inside and outside. The Bible warns us of those who will have the “form of godliness but deny the power thereof”. The Gospel changes a life completely and liberates us from all bondages.
That same night the jail keeper came to the Lord, he and his house. He rejoiced greatly. What does your life look like? Remember the joy of your first love. Is it still the same and has it grown? If not, then there’s only one explanation – sin has entered. Repent as at first!
Sin must be dealt with thoroughly. Don’t keep it as a secret just to yourself. Otherwise you will be the laughingstock of the devil, like the sons of Sceva. We read of them attempting to cast out demons in the “name of Jesus whom Paul preaches”. But the demon possessed man attacked and wounded them saying: “Jesus we know, Paul we know, but who are you?”
Fear fell upon all at Ephesus and the Christians, as we read in Acts 19: 18 – 20, came confessing their sins and brought to light their deeds of darkness. Their occult paraphernalia was burnt “in the sight of all”.
That is why, since revival started 40 years ago, we have often had fire services. Converts are not compelled by us to burn their occult fetishes but are convicted by the Holy Spirit.
At this point the congregation went outside the auditorium where a bonfire was ready to burn the collection of things brought to Kwasizabantu to be burnt. Rev Stegen and others held up some of the articles and explained their meaning. These things included: occult fetishes (love potions, divination bones, snake skins, concoctions for good luck etc), home made weapons, pornography, movies and CD games which were not glorifying to the Lord, drugs, stolen articles which couldn’t be returned to their owners, and piles of stuff bought on the black market. At least 5 pickup loads of stuff was burnt in the bonfire