by Barry Newton

Had the ancient city of Ephesus ever seen a fire quite like this one? The year was probably about 52 A.D. Neither the intense heat nor the rising column of smoke would have been unusual.

What may have been a novelty was the Ephesian desire for this fire to burn at great personal loss. The calculated value of what that fire consumed exceeded what a common laborer could earn if he worked 365 days for 136 years! Why had one fellow and then another willingly carried to this great fire their personal items which had been so dear to their hearts? What could have caused such a reversal of their values?

Perhaps we will be surprised to realize that a handful of Jewish exorcists achieved in a single hour what neither years of Paul's preaching nor the extraordinary miracles God had worked through Paul had done. These exorcists had made the mistake of simply invoking the authority of Jesus' name like another lucky charm in their bag of spiritual tools. What happened next was both unexpected and revealed the greatness of Christ.

The evil spirit had acknowledged knowing Jesus and Paul but then a question of disdain emerged, "who are you?" The authority of Jesus was not a power they could subdue and wield for their own bidding; Jesus was far greater and more powerful than them or any of the tricks they had been using. The exorcists were standing before raw evil alone and unprepared for this encounter. The result was not pretty. Wounded, bleeding, and naked men had fled from that evil presence out into the streets.

Because both Jews and Gentiles clearly understood what this meant about Jesus, they became afraid. What followed next represents what happens whenever people come to fully realize the greatness of God and His Son. They confessed their evil deeds and burned what they understood to stand contrary to Christ.

When Paul later wrote the letter of Ephesians, in essence he insisted that Christians visit the bonfire. They are to cast off everything which is incompatible with serving Christ. What are some of those items which belong on the bonfire?

Using unwholesome locker room talk

Sticky fingers that shoplift

Being bitter and set against certain people

Putting down others

Sexual immorality

Being driven to simply acquire more and more

Jokes at another’s expense

Have you been to the bonfire? Are you in need of visiting it?

by Stan Mitchell

"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11).

The tall man stepped to the platform of the train, and looked at the crowd arrayed before him. His angular features reflected the gravity of the moment. He understood the importance of what he was about to say. The site was the place where thousands of men had fallen in battle, the critical moment in a bitter, heart-breaking civil war. The time had come to speak the words that would begin the healing. Conversely, the wrong words might tear the nation apart again. He had to find the right words.

He began slowly, haltingly, then began to pick up steam. The crowd listened -- it was hard to tell how they were taking it. These were relatives of the men who were killed, colleagues, the wounds still fresh and painful.

The speech ended, and the crowd sat in silence. The speaker sat down heavily, convinced he had failed. But he was wrong. The crowd had been stunned by the breadth of the dream, silenced by the eloquence of its simplicity. They were so moved they could not respond.

You know the speech. It began, oddly, with an account of how many years had passed: "Four score and seven years" earlier, their leaders had given birth to a dream. Abraham Lincoln wanted that dream to be revived. And his Gettysburg Address went a long way in accomplishing that aim.

The nation survived, and grew, and prospered. You never know the good you will do if you say the thing you need to say. "I’m sorry." "I believe in you." "Thank you." "I forgive you." You may not see immediate results, but they may occur anyway.

Think it through. Be brave. Then say what needs to be said.