God's Word Prevails

It must have seemed like magic when the sick and the demon-possessed were healed after friends brought them aprons and handkerchiefs that Paul was wearing. (Acts 19:1-20) But it wasn’t magic. God was using Paul to perform extraordinary miracles in the city of Ephesus. Paul had been preaching the Good News of redemption and new life in Jesus Christ there for over two years. Located at the junction of major trade routes, Ephesus was a center for commerce, an advantage for the spread of the Gospel throughout that part of Asia Minor. As a matter of fact, the Bible says that all who lived in the region heard the word of the Lord.

Ephesus was also known for the practice of witchcraft and magic arts, as archeological digs have confirmed. Some itinerant Jewish exorcists – the seven sons of Sceva- had also heard about these miracles and attempted to use Jesus’ name to command evil spirits to leave demon-possessed people. In one case, the result was not at all what they expected. The evil spirit in the man said it “recognized” Jesus, had “heard of” Paul, but asked the exorcists, “Who are you?” Then the man, controlled by the spirit, leaped up and subdued and overpowered the sons of Sceva so they fled, naked and wounded. (Acts 19:16)

News of this startling incident spread to all in Ephesus, including many residents who also practiced witchcraft and magic. This had a profound effect on them, and they confessed and believed in Jesus. Deciding to make a clean break from the past, they brought their magic arts manuals and burned them together in a huge bonfire in front of everyone. All through Ephesus people were honoring and praising and devoting themselves to Jesus.

Luke reported in Acts 19:20 that as a result of all of this, “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” I find comfort in this verse. In our communities, just as in Ephesus, falsehood exists, people go down the wrong path, and events are unsettling. But God’s Word is stronger than all of this. The Bible tells the truth about Jesus, who, by his death on the cross to pay for sins, allows us to come near to God. (Hebrews 7:25) God says in Isaiah 55:11 “so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it will accomplish that for which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” God’s word pursues, convicts and prevails!

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

In the story above, the evil spirit caused the man to leap upon the sons of Sceva. (Acts 19:16) Leaping uses the muscles of the legs and hips. Last week we did step back lunges (You may click here to review these.) and this week features step forward lunges, both of which work the legs and hips. Also, if you have not already learned the squat, I recommend that you practice that one first.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your body in alignment (ears over shoulders over hips). By all means hold onto a wall (with your side to the wall), counter top, or chair back if you need help with your balance. Take one step forward with your right foot, but make it a bit bigger stride than if you were walking normally. Shift half of your weight onto your right foot (which is flat on the ground), and keep your knees and toes pointing straight ahead. Be sure to keep your right knee behind your toes to prevent straining your knee.

Your left heel will come off the floor. (See the photo.) Let your body sink downward a bit.

You will feel the muscles on the front of your thighs – the quadriceps – at work. Hold this position while you count to six. Look straight ahead and keep your hips level. To return to the starting position, push off on that right foot and bring right leg toward you so your feet are both under your hips. That is the challenging part and you may feel a little wobbly at first, so be sure to hold onto something if needed. After a while you may progress to being able to do the lunges without support.

Repeat again with the right leg and gradually build up to twelve reps. Then switch and do step forward lunges with the left leg. Another option is to alternate legs or do two on each leg before switching. You may do lunges three times per week (with a day in between), but at least twice per week. Remember that if you are not sure if an exercise is appropriate for you, check with your physician first. If you have any pain, do not continue the exercise!

You might want to stretch your quadriceps right after you finish the lunges,

as shown in the photo at left. Only bend your knee as far as you are able to - don't force it! Click here to review the quad stretch more thoroughly.

Practice these exercises consistently and you will see improvement in your strength, balance and coordination. Strengthening each part of your body and appreciating how all the parts work together in your daily life is the goal of Length and Strength from the Inside Out!

Photo credits: ksb.org.za, runingintherealworld.wordpress.com, strongshape.com, all accessed from Creative Commons.