Eliminating Self-Importance

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 14:

 Now at Lystra a man sat who was unable to use his feet, for he was crippled from birth and had never walked.

9   This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, and Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed,

10   and said with a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet.” And he jumped up and began to walk.

11   And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done, raised their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

12   They began calling Barnabas, Zeus [chief of the Greek gods], and Paul, Hermes [messenger of the Greek gods], since he took the lead in speaking.

13  The priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds.

14   But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

15   “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are only men of the same nature as you, bringing the good news to you, so that you turn from these useless and meaningless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them.

16  In generations past He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;

17   yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself], in that He kept constantly doing good things and showing you kindness, and giving you rains from heaven and productive seasons, filling your hearts with food and happiness.”

18   Even saying these words, with difficulty they prevented the people from offering sacrifices to them.  AMPL

Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, and does not seek its own.  Paul’s anointing gave him the opportunity to gain notoriety among the people at Lystra but he no longer had an interest in gaining a reputation for himself.  He ministered with the revelation of unconditional Love and knew that FATHER’S power was the sole reason for his success.  However, the people of Lystra were quick to exalt him to the level of a god.

Today there are countless individuals exalting useless and meaningless things which have no power to change anyone or anything.  Deep inside each person is a need to connect with the spiritual and this need has created many idols of various types yet there is only one living GOD who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them.  The mature Sons and Daughters will expose the deceptions promoted by idol worship and will expose the blindness of the multitudes.

Paul simply preached the pure Word of GOD and as the cripple man heard the Gospel, his faith was activated to the point where Paul could see his level of faith.  At that point, Paul commanded the man to stand up thus confirming the Living Word to those in attendance.  This event should not be the exception in a meeting but instead it should become the norm.  We must not allow men to exalt the “messenger” as they attempted to do in Lystra, but we must direct their focus to Our Heavenly Father and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as did Paul and Barnabas.  The ego of the old man must not be allowed to resurface and detract from the pure message from Heaven.  The remnant fully understands this and will be used in a mighty way.

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