“…many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and BURNED THEM IN THE SIGHT OF ALL. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So THE WORD OF THE LORD GREW MIGHTILY AND PREVAILED.” (Acts 19:18-20) 50,000 dinarii equals 185,000 grams of pure silver; at today’s (January 2019) spot price of 51¢ per gram ($15.86 Tr. Oz.), that is $94,350.
When I pastored in Sedro-Woolley, Washington we had a very good group of young people and after studying and much prayer the youth wanted to bring their ungodly paraphernalia and burn it. So one evening we all got together with many who were not part of our church and burned Ouija boards, various drug using devices, many drugs, many witchcraft devices, ungodly records and a variety of miscellaneous objects. After all the surprising amount of corrupt items we had an extremely wonderful revival.
The Wise man tells us, “Don’t envy EVIL PEOPLE or desire their company. For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble.”(Pro. 24:1-2) Solomon tells us this because a VERY COMMON occurrence of the Kings of Israel was like, “Zechariah DID EVIL in the LORD’s SIGHT, as his ancestors had done…” (2 Kings 15:9) Paul said, “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you NOT TO ASSOCIATE with any SO–CALLED BROTHER if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—NOT EVEN TO EAT WITH SUCH A ONE.” (1 Corin. 5:9-11)
Listen to what Paul teaches us, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness…”Come out from them and BE SEPARATE, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I WILL RECEIVE YOU.” And, “I will be A FATHER TO YOU, and you will be my SONS AND DAUGHTERS, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corin. 6:14, 17-18)
-Bill Stockham