The Faith of the Sons of Skeva

„Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” Acts 19:13-17 (NKJV)

Why is it so important to lament and rant about the faith and misconduct of some Jewish exorcists who messed up? What is my damage? Am I feeling a little bit xenophobic or antisemitic towards them? No, I just want to show off that there is no difference between what the Sons of Skeva did, and what the Christians do in their churches, with the implication that we claim to have the Sermon of the Mount, but in real it should be accounted like the Israelites had the Ark of the Covenant in 1Sam 4:1-11 They got it all-right and then they lost it to the philistines because of the screwing around of the sons of Eli in the office of God while Eli never schooled them to repent from that! For how can you claim to have something, what you never use. Do you have salt, then its locked up in a jar inside your shelf and when you never take it out to flavor your dishes? So how can be proclaiming to have the Sermon of the Mount be of any difference to that, when you never live according to that? Tell me about it!

Lets go back to our actual passage – the Sons of Skeva, who's father was the chief priest – the Estonian version calls him “Arch-priest” so something like a bishop instead of a reverend – must have been very notorious, for its not very like Jewish tradition to state a persons name and not write more about their genealogy. I mean that bishop was referred through his sons, who messed up and not the other way around – there is no passage of who was his father and mother or what linage he is off. I mean, the same author, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, also wrote the book of Acts and in Luke 2:36 the writer can tell that the Prophetess, who saw Jesus and his parents, was namely the daughter of Phanuel; from the tribe of Asher and so on positive regards about her. I mean she was a woman – those get less regarded by Yews and sometimes even by Christians for men must come first – and not God (ironic sarcasm) But no such inquiry about the bishop. I guess, just as with Eli, there was nothing positive about to say and the writer avoided any contact of possible gossiping against fellow Jews when he wanted to write about the Gospel to Teophilos (Acts 1.1) a wealthy Roman contributor who wanted to know more about this new and obscure faith called “Christianity”

So the Sons of Skeva there exorcists by profession – which suggests that til that moment, the passage is referring to, they there successful. First they there successful in exorcising demons with probably the Torah or some other means, and then started to use the name of “Jesus Christ who Paul preaches” for they did not want the demons to get confused which Jesus they meant. I mean that name is as common in Israel as John Smith or Jack Lee today in America. And at first it really worked, for why else would the narrator commend them for being exorcists and attempting to use that formula? But then came the day when a demon asked for license and registration to verify that those guys are really somehow connected to This Jesus, who is proclaimed by Paul. And the Sons of Skeva could not deliver, for they didn't got any!! No personal relationship with Jesus, no knowledge and recollection of the Sermon of the Mount. I mean, being the sons of a bishop they must have heard everything what it was to hear about Jesus til Calvary and what happened afterwards with the remaining disciples. They had no excuse in saying: “Oh, gosh, we didn't know about that!!” And still they would go like that, for they thought that Christianity is as good as Judaism and its just jet another way of viewing the Torah and all the other ways are ok too, so no need to repent or change your life according to the teachings of Jesus Christ (Mat 5-7)

And it failed so miserably… I'm not saying this to prag against Jews and bully them around for not having Jesus. It's a quiet reminder that we don't got Jesus too. This could be us there – the Sons of Skeva, so respectable; so successful; so loved and adored; so envied and hoped to go to Heaven one day… I mean who else would go to Heaven except an exorcist? Tell me about it! (Luke 14:7-11; 15-24; 15:11-32; 16:19-31; 17:11-19; 18:1-17; 19:1-40) and that demon didn't buy their act anymore and got a hold of them so bad, that was able to strip them from their clothing tearing it apart from them, letting them run away naked. I mean it's the worst thing to Jews and Muslims to be seen naked on the street. Once king David even started a war because of that, how his ambassadors there treated, and they lost only they beards and the cloths underneath – but in here the sons of Skeva had to make a run for it completely naked – nothing to cover it up!! Like the daughter of David, when she was raped by her own brother, tore up her clothes to show out her shame that she was spiritually dead now and had to live for the rest of her life in her older brothers house like a widow, while never even being married. That older brother, who later killed that rapist brother and had a coup against the father and was killed hanging on a tree because he was too proud about his beautiful hair and got stuck!! I mean, doesn't it look like so us, that we also get stuck with our lives like we're Abshalom and too proud about our hair (ego; teachings etc.) We just fail to cut them to size to be like Lord Jesus Christ, because that doesn't sound and look so awesome. I mean, I can totally understand the sons of Skeva doing this. They wanted to be important and hip; avant garde and on the wave, but the wave came crashing on top of them and took their board away, they there surfing and cruising on… Doesn't it look like us Christians, in the church, when we speak about Lord Jesus Christ? Don't we also have the faith of the brothers of Skeva who saw something working and thought they could copy-paste it into their ministry, while never understanding what the point was?

The point is not, that demons could obey you, and leave, but that your name is in the book of Life (Luke 10:20) Why is your name in the Book of Life? Because Jesus told you so AFTER you worshiped Him for real and did some REAL obedience not before as credit due! I mean if you're not able to extinguish match-sticks you should not attempt to fight super fire type of forest fires. I mean no fire fighter brigade hires arsonists!! They get fired immediately they're detected and unfortunately, some peoples lives, who are trying to play Big Christian are like an arsonist trying to be a fire fighter… And that's not even a joke, for if it there, I'm not laughing on it… maybe its a yoke instead… a steeled yoke, like the one Hananiah, the son of Azur made, when he was cheer leading to king Zedekiah of Judah Jer 28:1-17 and that prophet died according to the say of prophet Jeremiah, who's say he despised for being uncool and not patriotic enough. Aren't we in danger of the same judgment as Hananiah or the sons of Skeva for doing our cheer leading sermons what can't help anybody, unless they produce real Mat 5-7 worship in our lives and not on Mars there we're catching some Elephants from Neptune and eating a Snickers bar and tying our laces on our Nike shoes and wearing a white shirt what says “Born again” – and the credentials of our church or denomination… for it is so god damn hard? Tell me about it! No Sermon of the Mount – No life!

Before you start fighting off demons for you're born again and want to show to the rest of the world how awesome you are and how awesome is Jesus who you love and know that “Jesus saves” then know this. When the devil was tempting Jesus, to jump off the roof of the temple, for God will surely cast his angles out to save him from death, lest to let Him even hurt his little toe. And Jesus said: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God!” Luke 4:9-12 Don't try to act in contempt like you're Louis Lane and Jesus is Superman who has to come to the rescue whenever the bad guys toss you out of the window like queen Jezebel or do you want to die like the real queen Jezebel died!

(2 Kings 9) – the dogs ate her corps and there was nothing to bury of her, just like told by the prophet who spoke against her, and so will be you, when you live in iniquity and contempt, believing that God cannot go back on His word once He has saved you… Of course he can! Every boss can fire his contractor who doesn't fulfill his contract!! What's so hard in that? You see him doing what you didn't ask him to do; you talk to him personally and tell him to do something; still he wont do it; you send other more adept workers to talk to him and if he still dost not get it, you fire him – how hard is that? And it's happening all the fucking time… Halleluyah!

Before you exorcise demons, exorcise yourself in the teachings of Jesus Christ as told in Mat 5-7. I mean how can you ask a demon to leave a body if you cannot even ask yourself to stop being mad at your family and friends for petty things or say “NO” to even the tiniest vice or weakness in your life. Can a corrupt cop rebuke a corrupt official in the government? No he can't, for the corrupt official has more chances to prove the corrupt cop wrong before that manages to even prove the corruption of the official of a government and thus stopping it. Please don't do that, you will die there. First go into your prayer room and ask Lord Jesus Christ for permission to do what you intend by laying the case in front of his feet and ask His guidance whether or not this is even your deal – for it is not the You who should get credited for the copyright of your faith is not on you but on Lord Jesus Christ, so you need His permission and not your own assumptions of the scripture! The problem is not, that Jesus cannot save or the scripture is wrong. The problem is that mostly we are living corrupt lives and don't fast in our spirit enough. I mean even the disciples of Jesus Christ had problems with it, so why not you? Mark 9:14-29 Don't do it for yourself so you would be credited for your awesomeness, but do your life and every breath you take to Lord Jesus Christ! Or are you the kind of fire fighter who makes a selfie in front of a burning house what he is gonna help out to put it up on his Youtube; Twitter and Facebook account figuring how to spell words like “Steadfast”; “Resolve”; “Vigilance” etc. to use them sparingly in your reference so you wont waste peoples time with a too long passage, at the same consecutive time as a woman is screaming at a window with her kids and the other fire fighters are hating your guts while doing the real job! I mean, don't you dare saying now that its the fault of Facebook; Twitter; Youtube etc. that your are such a fool and can't handle those mediums in the right way. What does it matter, if you can edit a video and peace it together, then you cannot edit Mat 5-7 into your life and live according to it? I mean you are already wasting the time of Lord Jesus Christ your Savior, who is about to cut you down!! Why are you even doing this?? Mat 5:30; Luke 13:6-9 We are Gods limbs and he can cut us down like he said to us! Amen! Halleluyah! I watch Youtube and the topic “Exorcism” and how Christians highlight they awesomeness… Really? So very Christian! Lord Jesus Christ got credited with it when somebody showed a demon-possessed woman talking to the pastor and the congregation? Does the FBI show off how they fight Crime bosses; or does the CIA rant about their doings like James Bond does in the movies? And you still don't see the problem with it?? But I just have a problem with those so called Christians who haven't yet met the demon of the sons of Skeva, for I really wish they would do that, and stop they meddling with the real Lord Jesus Christ and his work in this world. Less fabulous gossip and white noise, more Mat 5-7 or else!! I mean, don't listen to me, who am I, to tell you about it, read the passages what I produced and listen to that!! Be the back-ground so that Lord Jesus Christ could be the star of the show; the main event – don't go up stealing the show of Lord Jesus Christ; don't be the show-stopper – for it's not about YOU – it's about Lord Jesus Christ!! No Sermon of the Mount – No life!! Amen Halleluyah!!

For if you live according to the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ, demons will leave themselves like real criminals run, then they hear real sirens of police, but not on children, running on the street and crossing their door step and shouting “Freeze – You have the right to remain silent!” Think about that. Tell me about it, if I am wrong with it. What's it gonna be Faith of the sons of Skeva or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ according to Mat 5-7? No Sermon of the Mount – No life!

PS This sermon was written while listening to:

https://youtu.be/fYWQ9MZq1TQ

https://youtu.be/7YJLPeIK8yQ

https://youtu.be/m4oZZhpMXP4

Have a nice day and Godspeed