Blinded By Darkness

June 19

(Acts 13:9-11 NIV) ““But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. {9} Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, {10} "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? {11} Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.””

(John 3:18-21 NIV) “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. {19} This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. {20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. {21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

(Matthew 15:14 NIV) “Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Not only are there prophets and teachers in the church, there are also false prophets and teachers. Elymas was one of those false teachers. He was a sorcerer who tried to turn the proconsul away from believing in Christ. But Paul would have none of it, and confronted the powers of darkness. He silenced Elymas by calling down blindness upon him. The voice of darkness was silenced by being blinded. The mouth seldom boasts of what the eyes cannot see. False prophets operate in the spirit of darkness, and turn people away from the light of Jesus. They emit an aura of wisdom, but they are blind guides who end up groping and stumbling in the darkness. Do not join them in their blindness. Confront them when you find them. They will put up a fight, but never forget, the Spirit of the Lord is stronger. No sorcery can defeat the power of God. Take the fight to them. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day