“Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.” Acts of the Apostles 19:18-19 NLT
The reading was Acts 19, 1-22, but what stood out to me was in 18- 19. I t was about the people who were involved in sorcery. They brought all of their books and everything that went against God and they burned them. The value was several million dollars.
This reminded of when I first came to the Lord. While I didn’t have to burn stuff that was several million dollars, but He did put on my heart to get rid of what I call soft porn books, the romance ones they get a little too detailed about certain things. If I tried to read them, I would be very uncomfortable and I’d probably start blushing. In fact, I think I’m blushing right now.
I also had some erotica stuff. And I had music CDs that were more explicit and things like that and things that didn’t glorify God. At that time, I was moving into my grandma’s house to help take care of her because my mom was still working. My grandmother had left the oven on overnight and some other things. We were concerned about her living alone at that time. So I was moving in there. I figured while I was moving in, I would go through stuff that I felt like the Lord wanted me to throw away.
I got one of her big garbage cans that go out by the curb that they pick up. And they’re huge. I think they’re like 60 gallons. I’m not sure. Anyways, I filled one of those garbage cans with all of the racy novels, racy music, racy DVDs, and the erotica. Then I wheeled that cart out to the curb. I felt this huge sense of relief.
When I went back out later on to put some stuff in the garbage can was gone. Somebody in the neighborhood must have seen all the stuff and they took it. So I’m like, great. Now they’re going to think my grandmother is looking at all these erotica books and all this stuff. They are going to think that she is a dirty little old lady! LOL I had no clue what happened to it.
The garbage can miraculously was back in time to be picked up. To this day, I have no clue who took it or why they took it or for what reason.
All that to say that I was reminded of that incidence after reading what they did in Acts. They were getting rid of stuff that was not pleasing to the Lord. They knew that they didn’t need to be looking at it with their eyes or hearing it with their ears. So they willingly gave up the stuff was not pleasing to the Lord by throwing it away.
And, you know, back in the, uh, the Israelite days they probably would have done it as a burnt offering they would have set it on fire. I don’t think that the city where I live would appreciate me setting fire to all those books and CDs.
When we come to the Lord, we do, He doesn’t force us to give stuff up, but we naturally do it as we align ourselves with Him and His morals. The Bible’s our plumb line. I think it’s important sometimes at the beginning of the year to I reevaluate what we are looking at, listening to, and participating in. Ask the Lord to hold up a plumb line. Is this stuff I need to be watching? I found that lately, at the beginning of the year, in 2026, I’ve gone back to watching stuff from the 70s and 80s. Like the Bionic Man, the Bionic Woman, the Incredible Hulk, those types of things, just because there’s not a whole bunch of cussing in them. There’s human stuff in it. But more “G” rated human stuff, not the “R” rated we get these days in television shows. So I’ve gone back to watching some of those things instead.
But anyways, these Scriptures stood out to me. I think today let’s ask the Lord what things does He want us to get rid of in our lives. I think that’s a good question for all of us to ask.
Until next time with Jesus’ help let’s be less messy and choose what’s better.