The Sorcerer's Smackdown

“Heat cannot of itself pass from a colder to a hotter body.” – Rudolf Julius Emanuel Calusius, “The Second Law of Thermodynamics”

Rudolf Julius Emanuel Calusius was a German physicist and mathematician who is considered one of the founders of the science of thermodynamics. His most important paper, "On the Moving Force of Heat", published in 1850, first stated the basic ideas of the second law of thermodynamics. In 1865, he introduced the concept of entropy, a scientific concept most commonly associated with states of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty..

I don’t know about you, but all of that is way above my pay grade! However, the one thing I do gather from Calusius’s quote above is that heat cannot pass from a cold body to a hot one. On the contrary, it works the other way around. That is why, on a chilly winter night, I curl up next to Deanna because I am always cold and she radiates heat.

Calusius’s postulate also applies to the spiritual realm. A pastor or an evangelist who does not have a close relationship with the Lord and isn’t “on fire” for Him can huff and puff all he wants from the pulpit, but he has zero chance of warming the hearts of his listeners. Instead, his carnal words will fall ineffectively to the ground.

This is what happened in Acts 8 when Simon the sorcerer made a profession of faith after hearing Philip preach the gospel. However, the sincerity of his profession was called into question shortly thereafter when he asked the apostles for the power to grant people the Holy Spirit. Simon even went so far as to offer them money so that he could duplicate this miracle, which in his carnal mind was similar to the magic tricks he used to perform for a living.

“Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!” Peter scolded him. “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are polluted by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

In modern-day parlance, that’s not just a rebuke. That called a smackdown!

My friend, the key to sharing God’s power with others is to get as close to the Source yourself. Then, and only then, will others “catch” what you have and be warmed by your faith.

“Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?” Ecclesiastes 4:11 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President