Demons Knew...But Other's Had No Idea!!

Have you ever been walking down the street and seen a famous person? Depending on who they are and who you are will determine whether or not everyone else knows this celebrity is in the area. I remember when Kid and Play came to Pittsburgh and were walking through Allegheny Center mall. You could hear people screaming, see people running and making a commotion. I believe that they were prepared for this. Even though I was young, the image of the two huge men who walked along with them on either side gave a good indication to those screaming fans for them to keep their distance. In the late 90's, in the same city, I'm downtown with a girlfriend and I see Chaz Lamar Shepard, the guy who played Jada Pinkett's brother in Set it Off, walking down the street, alone. Although this encounter was quick and no words between him or I were exchanged, it was clear that Mr. Shepard did not want his identity to be disclosed to the rest of the Burghians! As we made eye contact, he noticed the moment I recognized him and his eyes pleaded with me to keep that confidential. A smile swept over my own face and a head nod to him that represented that his secret was safe with me as we passed. Mr Shepard smiled his gratitude and our encounter was over. As I read this portion of scripture, it made me think about my two celebrity sightings. As Jesus walked through the town, the people weren't able to recognize who he was. Yet the demons knew exactly who he was! When he passed by they fell down and assumed the surrendering subservient position. They knew that Jesus came through with power and authority and they had to bow down! Yet the "church folks" didn't see him in this way! Jesus wasn't ready to have his identity revealed and he shut them up...which makes me smile! What resonates with me is that in Genesis 1:26 God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepth upon the earth." When he created both male and female, he placed within us the ability to have dominion. We weren’t created to be doormats; we weren’t created to let everything and everyone run all over us and leave us crouching down in a corner licking our wounds. The same dominion and authority that Jesus had, that the demons recognized, is the same dominion and authority that should be in each believer. When we walk into situations, our very presence should disrupt the atmosphere, spiritually speaking. We should be so connected to Jesus, that our very thoughts and actions should be interconnected to the point where it is unclear exactly where we start and Jesus ends! We should walk with a swagger that requires people to acknowledge our presence. Not in an arrogant way but with an understanding of who our father is and what he has placed inside of each of us! The thing that makes demons bow down and shut up; that makes them tremble with fear! Even when other church folks or Christians can’t see the dominion and authority that you walk in, don’t let that slow your stride. Walk with your head held high and your eyes fixed on the demons in your life….and make them shut up and bow down!!