Don’t Be a “Knockoff” Christian

 “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are YOU?” – Acts 19:15

You know what a knockoff is, right? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is “a copy that sells for less than the original; a copy or imitation of someone or something popular.” Whenever there’s a clothing or food brand that is hugely popular, there are always people looking to make a fast buck by making cheap knockoffs. Here are a few actual examples. For all you coffee lovers, have you ever saved a few bucks sipping on good ol’ “Sunbucks” Coffee? Or maybe you’ve brushed your teeth with “Crust” toothpaste. And this might be my favorite knockoff of all: Who on earth would knowingly drink “Peepi” Cola?

Well, in the Apostle Paul’s day, he established a pretty big name during the three years he spent ministering in Ephesus. In Acts 19:11-12, we read that the Holy Spirit worked “extraordinary miracles” through Paul as people were healed of illness and cured of demonic possession simply by holding aprons and handkerchiefs Paul had touched. Yes, the miracles and exorcisms God was working through Paul were “extraordinary.” And what do wannabes do when they discover something extraordinary? Posers who are just out to make a fast buck quickly come up with a knockoff. In First Century Ephesus, there wasn’t a Starducks Coffee, Crust Toothpaste or Peepi Cola, but there were a bunch of wannabes running around trying to knock off the healings and exorcisms they saw Paul doing. And it came back to bite them. 

In Paul’s day Ephesus was steeped in paganism and the occult, and medical professionals had only a basic understanding of disease and mental illness. So, most people believed the root of most illnesses was spiritual. Instead of going to a doctor, many people would just go to their friendly neighborhood exorcist to get the illness demon cast out. The chief priest in Ephesus, Sceva, had seven sons who made a living performing exorcism house calls. At some point these seven brothers must have witnessed the “extraordinary miracles” that God was working through Paul. So, they tried to cash in. Even though they didn’t believe in Jesus, they decided to invoke the name of Jesus. And even though they didn’t support or follow the Apostle Paul, they decided to invoke the name of the Apostle Paul. Things were going great … until the day these seven brothers encountered an actual demon.

When the seven sons arrived at the home of the demon-possessed man, they whipped out their new favorite exorcism line: “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, we command you to come out!!” Well, the demon wasn’t impressed. But in my opinion, the demon DID have a pretty good sense of humor. It responded: “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who [on earth] are you?” (v. 15). Then the possessed man pounced on all seven brothers: “He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (v. 16).

But even through the demon’s actions, God was working all things together for good. We read in verse 17: “When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.” In other words, a lot of wannabe exorcists were put on notice. And Jesus’ name was lifted higher than it had ever been lifted in that town, which led to more unbelievers getting saved and more Christians repenting of their sin and growing in their faith.

Here are two insights to consider:

Insight #1: As long as God’s Spirit is moving powerfully in and through Christians and churches, there will be cheap knockoffs. So, be on guard.  Jesus and His apostles performed miracles for three reasons: 1) to show loving compassion to hurting people; 2) to teach spiritual truths; and 3) to confirm their authority as apostles of Jesus Christ. Sadly, there are some Christian leaders today whose motives for performing miracles are much different than Jesus’ motives. They save their most compassionate acts for times when they themselves are in the spotlight and the camera is rolling. Some Christian leaders use miracles to play with people’s emotions instead of using them to teach spiritual truths. Some try to manipulate a move of God for their own glory, instead of allowing Christ to get the glory. So, be on guard, Christians.

Insight #2: Today most people believe the root of all illness is physical and never spiritual, but don’t count out the healing power of prayer and the Word of God. In First Century Ephesus, most people saw a demon behind every headache and sniffle. In Twenty-First Century America, most people see a virus or disease behind every headache and sniffle. Both viewpoints are wrong. That’s not to say that your congestive heart failure or your sister’s asthma are the result of sin. But many of our illnesses and diseases ARE the result of sin.

And Christians can play a pivotal role in physical healing. Our prayers, at times, make sick people well. And when sinners repent and realign their lifestyles with the Word of God, they can actually experience healing. Make no mistake: At Impact Christian Church, we are pro-doctor and pro-medication when that medication is physically necessary for good health. But we are also pro-prayer, pro-repentance and pro-obedience-to-God’s-Word, because these things are ALSO critical for good health.

It’s too easy to be a knockoff Christian. We come to church and listen to some great music, hear an inspiring message and eat a donut on the way out the door. But don’t forget one of the most important reasons for a worship service: to get right with God. So, don’t fake it hoping to make it. Be the “real deal.” Be a man or woman of prayer and the Word of God.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person at 9 a.m., or online at 10 a.m. on YouTube or Facebook Live. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Compassion Isn’t Just for Pigs

“Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.” – Luke  8:37

One day an antique collector was walking through a strip mall parking lot. In front of one of the stores, he saw a mangy, skinny cat lapping milk from a saucer. When he got a little closer, his face lit up. You see, he was an antique expert, and he had a strong hunch that that saucer was very old and worth at least a thousand dollars. So, he decided he was going to play it cool and get himself a great deal on that saucer. He casually walked into the store and asked the owner if he could buy the cat for $5. The store owner replied, “I’m sorry, but the cat isn’t for sale.” The collector said, “Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. Tell you what…I’ll pay you $50.” The owner said, “Sold!”

As the collector headed for the door, he turned and said, “Hey, since I paid you $50, I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat’s used to it and it’ll save me having to buy a new one.” The owner replied, “Sorry, buddy, but that’s my lucky saucer. So far this week it’s help me sell 17 stray cats.”

It’s kind of sad when someone has more interest in a profitable saucer than compassion for a suffering animal. But it’s a full-on tragedy when people have more compassion for pigs than for people. And Luke 8 shows a sad example of a whole town that told Jesus to take a hike, because their priorities were all out of whack.

In Luke 8:27, Jesus’ disciples had just survived a terrifying storm as they crossed the Sea of Galilee with their Lord. And as soon as their boat reached dry land, a crazy, naked man came running up the beach toward Jesus, screaming and carrying on. The disciples must have thought, “Out of the frying pan, into the fire!” Luke tells us in verses 27-29 that the man hadn’t worn clothes for a long time. In all likelihood, he had been running around naked for years. The man hadn’t lived in a house for a long time. Instead he lived in the tombs, surrounded by decaying corpses. The demon had seized this man many times and driven him into solitary places. And at times, he would have superhuman strength and break the chains that the townspeople had put on his hands and feet to restrain him.

But at the sight of Jesus, this wildman flung himself at Jesus’ feet, begging not to be tortured. Jesus knew he was dealing with a demon-possessed man, and as it turned out, many demons lived in him (v. 30). The demons “begged [Jesus] repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (v. 31). The Abyss is just a taste of the eternal Lake of Fire described in Revelation 20, and even Satan’s demons didn’t want to go there. If you have any doubts that Hell isn’t a nice place, that should convince you.

The demons asked to go into a herd of pigs nearby, knowing that even living inside a pig’s brain was much better than living in the Abyss. So, Jesus gave them permission to enter the pigs, and they left the man and entered the swine. For the first time in years, the man was freed from his suffering! The pigs, meanwhile, rushed into the Sea of Galilee and drowned. And for the people of the town, THAT was the big headline—NOT the amazing salvation of the demon-possessed man, whom they found “sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind” (v. 35). Instead, they were afraid of Jesus’ power … and upset about the waste of a herd of livestock. And verse 37 is one of the saddest verses in the Book of Luke: “Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So [Jesus] got into the boat and left.”

Think about it: The people in the town loved their pigs more than they valued the soul of a man. Money was more important to them than mercy. And, most tragically, they’d rather have Jesus leave than stay. Some might excuse them for their actions, because—after all—they were really, really scared. But that’s no excuse for being really, really stupid. Being scared is no excuse for having no compassion. It’s no excuse for grieving for your pigs more than you grieve for a man who’s experiencing hell on earth. And being scared is no excuse for rejecting Jesus Christ.

But there is a silver lining. The healed man was now a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. He asked to go with Jesus, but instead, Jesus told him to do something very important: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you” (v. 39). So, Jesus’ work wasn’t over when he sailed away from Gerasenes. This new follower of Jesus Christ with his amazing testimony returned home and shared the good news of salvation. It’s likely that hundreds of people were introduced to Jesus through this one man whose life had been radically transformed by Christ.

When Jesus’ disciples first saw the demon-possessed wildman, they probably wondered if there had even been any point in surviving the storm they’d come through to get there. The same is true of us today. We may not be able to see what awaits us on the other side of our present storm. But if we trust in Jesus, we can be confident that what he does next is going to be amazing. So, hang in there, Christian. And walk by faith.

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information, visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com  and join us for worship Sundays at 10 a.m.

4 Pillars of Christian Ministry

“All the people were amazed and said to each other, “’What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!’” - Luke 4:24

After leaving his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus never established a new home address. That’s why Jesus would later say that he “has no place to lay his head.” But Capernaum—the hometown of Peter, Andrew, James and John—was where Jesus spent more time than anywhere else. After speaking at a synagogue in Nazareth and nearly getting pushed off a cliff, he went to Capernaum, where he again spoke at a synagogue on the Sabbath. This time, he got a much warmer reception, and the results of his ministry were nothing short of amazing.

During this visit to Capernaum, Jesus modeled what we could call “The Four Pillars of Christian Ministry”: 1) Teach truth; 2) Confront evil; 3) Show compassion; and 4) Spend time alone with God. I’d like to take a quick look at each of these, starting with Jesus’ visit to the synagogue.

1) Teach truth. When Jesus was given the opportunity of teach God’s word, he taught. And in Luke 4:32, we see that “They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” What does that mean? It means that Jesus didn’t teach the way all the other rabbis taught. When other rabbis gave an exposition on a passage of scripture, they would quote another rabbi, then give the opinion of other rabbis who disagreed with him. In other words, the rabbis leaned on other rabbis’ authority when teaching a passage of scripture. They couldn’t lean on their own authority, because they didn’t have much. Even the great prophets of the Old Testament wouldn’t lean on their own authority; they would routinely say, “Thus saith the Lord” when sharing a truth of scripture.

But Jesus was different. He didn’t quote Rabbi So-and-So. He didn’t say, “Thus saith the Lord.” Jesus would just say it as if it was God saying it. And that fact blew the sandals off those who were listening as Jesus taught in the Capernaum synagogue.

2) Confront evil. In verse 33, while Jesus was still in the synagogue, he encountered a man who was “possessed by a demon, an evil spirit.” This demon called out the Son of God in plain view of the people Jesus had been winning over: “Hah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (verse 34). The demon knew full well that he was no match for Jesus in a head-to-head matchup. But he must have figured that if he was loud enough and gutsy enough to call Jesus out by name, Jesus would back down. But instead, Jesus told him sternly, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And with that, the demon threw the man down and came out without injuring him (verse 35).

When the demon threw the man down on the floor of the temple, the onlookers must have thought that the demon had seriously injured him. But Jesus wasn’t about to let that happen. Jesus made sure that the man was not harmed by the demon. As theologian Matthew Henry wrote: “Whom Satan cannot destroy, he will do all that he can to; but … he can harm them no further than Christ permits; nay, he shall not do them any real harm.” You see, everything that God allows to come our way has to pass through the filter of His love for us. Therefore, whenever Satan harms us, it’s not “real” harm. It’s really only temporary and brings a blessing at the end of it.

3) Show compassion. In Luke 38-40, Jesus went to the home of Peter’s mother-in-law and destroyed the miserable fever that caused her to suffer. Then, one by one, people brought their miserably sick relatives and friends to Jesus, and Jesus healed every one of them. As William Barclay points out in his commentary, “Always Jesus was ready to help; his followers must be the same. Jesus did not need a crowd to work a miracle. Many a man will put out an effort in a crowd that he will not make among his own private circle.” But not Jesus. Whether he was in the synagogue, in a crowd, or behind closed doors in Peter’s home, he was the same compassionate Jesus.

Remember, it’s not just so-called “faith healers” who do their best work when the spotlights are on and the cameras are rolling. You and I so often can let down our guard when we’re at home behind closed doors. You and I should be the same compassionate Christians at home as we are at church, at school and at work.

4) Spend time alone with God. Luke tells us in verse 43, “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.” Mark records this as well, but Mark clarifies the purpose of Jesus going off by himself: He did it to pray. When we focus on Jesus’ powerful ministry, we tend to gravitate to his miracles, signs and wonders. He opened the eyes of the blind and cleansed the lepers and raised the dead and calmed the storm and walked on water. We love these parts of Jesus’ ministry … and well we should. The miracles were certainly a pillar of Jesus’ ministries. But so was Jesus’ prayer life—the hours and hours that Jesus spent alone in prayer with the father. They were vital to his life and ministry. And they will be vital to yours as well.

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information,

visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com and join us for church tomorrow at 10 a.m.