“For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” (Acts 8:23)
The story of Simon the sorcerer is fascinating. We might prefer to just gloss over it, or ignore it, but it’s there. So, we need to look a little deeper and see what spiritual truth we may mine.
Why would someone want to become a sorcerer? The answer is very simple actually: power. If someone gets beaten up in their relationships, especially as they are growing up, anger becomes the order of the day for them. They got beaten up because of powerlessness, therefore the possibility of gaining power appeals to them. In the first century, sorcery was a genuine power-job which could also be lucrative, adding to its power effect.
Peter perceived that Simon was “poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Bitterness is not something people achieve or want to achieve but is the result of negative and hurtful experiences that occur repeatedly over time. But here’s what’s interesting: Simon had amazed crowds with his sorcery in Samaria for a long time, but when he saw Philip and the works that were done through him, he himself became a believer. Then, when Peter and John came to town and laid hands on the people for them to receive the Holy Spirit, Simon offered them money to give him the power to do the same. Peter then soundly rebuked him for thinking he could obtain the gift of God with money. Peter told him that his heart was not right with God, and that he needed to repent of this wickedness and ask the Lord to forgive the intent of his heart.
What are we to make of this? The Bible says that Simon believed. All we can do is simply take that at face value and conclude that Simon had a very basic faith. When someone comes to faith, however, that does not mean that suddenly all of the experiences of the past just disappear. We come “Just as I am,” right? We bring it all with us. The Lord changes us, but the past doesn’t just evaporate. And, if there are any spiritual or evil “strongholds” in our lives, they may be immediately broken, but also the Lord may lead us out of them over a period of time as we are discipled.
Simon was a man who came to the Lord but, as a new believer, had all of these years of bitterness and sinful holdovers from his past that had not yet been dealt with. The fact that Simon asked Peter to pray for him suggests that his faith was basic and real and needed to grow, so that he could then deal effectively with those strongholds.
It would seem that we could just dismiss Simon by saying that his faith was not genuine, but things are not that simple. There are many believers in our own day who have a simple and basic faith in Jesus, who also have spiritual strongholds they need to deal with. They need to grow in their faith and walk with other stronger believers, like a Peter and John and Philip, to find full release, so they can enjoy the freedom of being in Christ.
Lord, We thank You for the freedom we have in You. Help us to enjoy it daily. Help those who struggle to know this truth to find their way to the freedom You provide, by the power of Your Spirit and with the help of fellow believers. Amen.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Joy in the City
“So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:4)
The city was Samaria. The joy was the result of Philip’s work. He was among those scattered by the persecution Saul was leading. He went to Samaria and began the work of proclaiming the gospel. People listened intently, and they saw the signs he performed: healing and casting out “unclean spirits.” Thus there was great joy in Samaria among those who heard and believed.
What a great goal this would make for a church or even an individual Christian. What would your city look like if your church’s goal was to bring great joy to your city? What if that was your church’s vision as well as your mission, and everything you did and said centered around bringing joy to your city?
Whether or not a church might adopt this as a vision statement, or mission statement, or a goal, certainly each of us as individual Christians can make it our aim to live our lives, both in word and deed, in ways that will bring great joy to our city. Would you consider adopting this as your personal goal?
Lord, We pray that our city will experience great joy because of Your gospel, and we pray that we may be part of helping that to happen. Amen.
The city was Samaria. The joy was the result of Philip’s work. He was among those scattered by the persecution Saul was leading. He went to Samaria and began the work of proclaiming the gospel. People listened intently, and they saw the signs he performed: healing and casting out “unclean spirits.” Thus there was great joy in Samaria among those who heard and believed.
What a great goal this would make for a church or even an individual Christian. What would your city look like if your church’s goal was to bring great joy to your city? What if that was your church’s vision as well as your mission, and everything you did and said centered around bringing joy to your city?
Whether or not a church might adopt this as a vision statement, or mission statement, or a goal, certainly each of us as individual Christians can make it our aim to live our lives, both in word and deed, in ways that will bring great joy to our city. Would you consider adopting this as your personal goal?
Lord, We pray that our city will experience great joy because of Your gospel, and we pray that we may be part of helping that to happen. Amen.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Change
“Saul, however, was ravaging the church, and he would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:3)
Imagine you are in your home having dinner with your family. All of a sudden, police break down your door, storm your house, and surround your family. Then, the leader enters with anger etched on his face and tells them, “Take them away!” The police drag you forcibly from the comfort of your own home and unceremoniously throw you and your family into jail. The leader then says, “This is what you get for being a Christian. Don’t worry, though. You’ll be given an opportunity to deny your faith in Jesus later.”
That is the kind of scenario that family after family faced when Saul went on his rampage against the church in the first century. He was intent on destroying this “cult.” Only, it turned out NOT to be a cult. Saul learned that when he met the resurrected Jesus on the road just outside Damascus. He was going there to arrest Christians in the city when Jesus appeared to him. Saul’s house of cards then totally collapsed.
What we see in Saul’s life is the power of redemption at work. We see what can happen when someone meets Jesus and asks Him into their heart. We simply call it “change.”
Lord, You have brought change to our hearts also, and for that we are eternally grateful. We have experienced the power of Your redemption. Amen.
Imagine you are in your home having dinner with your family. All of a sudden, police break down your door, storm your house, and surround your family. Then, the leader enters with anger etched on his face and tells them, “Take them away!” The police drag you forcibly from the comfort of your own home and unceremoniously throw you and your family into jail. The leader then says, “This is what you get for being a Christian. Don’t worry, though. You’ll be given an opportunity to deny your faith in Jesus later.”
That is the kind of scenario that family after family faced when Saul went on his rampage against the church in the first century. He was intent on destroying this “cult.” Only, it turned out NOT to be a cult. Saul learned that when he met the resurrected Jesus on the road just outside Damascus. He was going there to arrest Christians in the city when Jesus appeared to him. Saul’s house of cards then totally collapsed.
What we see in Saul’s life is the power of redemption at work. We see what can happen when someone meets Jesus and asks Him into their heart. We simply call it “change.”
Lord, You have brought change to our hearts also, and for that we are eternally grateful. We have experienced the power of Your redemption. Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Soul Hope
“Lord, I turn my hope to You.” (Psalm 25:1)
The King James Version of Psalm 25:1 reads, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” The Revised Standard Version reads, “To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” The New American Standard Bible reads, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Most other versions say the same thing. So why does the Holman Christian Standard Bible read, “I turn my hope to You.”?
The Holman version seems to translate the idea. When someone lifts his or her soul to the Lord, it is essentially reaching out in the hope that God will respond with His gracious blessing. Hope, after all, is something that we each hold in our hearts and in our souls.
Sometimes folks feel like they don’t have much hope. Some may reach such a point of despair because of circumstances they face that they even feel that they have no hope. But hope is actually something we can control. It’s a little bit like words. We formulate them in our minds, and then we speak them. In a similar way, hope is something that is always there, and we can direct it wherever we want it to go. David knew this, and he knew that the hope of his life was something he could turn toward God and trust to God. Thus, lifting the soul to God is the same thing as turning one’s hope toward God in trust.
Lord, We turn our hope to You today and trust it to You. Amen.
The King James Version of Psalm 25:1 reads, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” The Revised Standard Version reads, “To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” The New American Standard Bible reads, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Most other versions say the same thing. So why does the Holman Christian Standard Bible read, “I turn my hope to You.”?
The Holman version seems to translate the idea. When someone lifts his or her soul to the Lord, it is essentially reaching out in the hope that God will respond with His gracious blessing. Hope, after all, is something that we each hold in our hearts and in our souls.
Sometimes folks feel like they don’t have much hope. Some may reach such a point of despair because of circumstances they face that they even feel that they have no hope. But hope is actually something we can control. It’s a little bit like words. We formulate them in our minds, and then we speak them. In a similar way, hope is something that is always there, and we can direct it wherever we want it to go. David knew this, and he knew that the hope of his life was something he could turn toward God and trust to God. Thus, lifting the soul to God is the same thing as turning one’s hope toward God in trust.
Lord, We turn our hope to You today and trust it to You. Amen.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Blessings
“When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, ‘The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed.” (Matthew 14:15)
A leading Pharisee, obviously well respected, a leader, invited Jesus to a meal. Jesus went. He noticed at the table how the invitees seemed to “jockey for position,” so He used a parable to teach them to practice humility. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted,” He said. (Mark 14:11)
One invitee responded, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed.” (verse 15) True enough, but not far enough. His response also built on some assumptions. In fact, the assumption all around the room was that all of them were already members of the kingdom of God by virtue of their heritage and were just awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus pierced their perceptions and saw in their hearts their need to learn the truth about blessings, especially the truth that it is more important to bless than be blessed.
Jesus told the parable of a man who gave a banquet and invited many. Without exception, all those invited began to make excuses. There were three types of excuses offered. First was the “investment excuse.” These folks had some estate or property or monetary issues that they needed to make their priority, so they excused themselves. Second was the “work excuse.” These had work priorities and couldn’t come. Third was the “responsibility excuse.” These had family responsibilities (“I just got married!”) and couldn’t come.
Enraged, the banquet giver told his servant to go out and bring in the poor, maimed, lame, and blind. That done there was still room, so the servant was told to go to the highways and lanes (where robbers and thieves abide) and bring them in. The banquet giver decreed that all those previously invited would not get a bite of his banquet.
Jesus then addressed the Pharisee host and advised him to not just give banquets for friends and family would could return the favor but also give banquets for the poor, maimed, lame, and blind who could not return the favor. Jesus told him that he would be blessed for this and repaid at the resurrection.
The Christ-way is to bless others, whether they cannot or will not bless you in return.
Lord, Help us today to practice blessing others, regardless of the personal outcome to us. Amen.
A leading Pharisee, obviously well respected, a leader, invited Jesus to a meal. Jesus went. He noticed at the table how the invitees seemed to “jockey for position,” so He used a parable to teach them to practice humility. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted,” He said. (Mark 14:11)
One invitee responded, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed.” (verse 15) True enough, but not far enough. His response also built on some assumptions. In fact, the assumption all around the room was that all of them were already members of the kingdom of God by virtue of their heritage and were just awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus pierced their perceptions and saw in their hearts their need to learn the truth about blessings, especially the truth that it is more important to bless than be blessed.
Jesus told the parable of a man who gave a banquet and invited many. Without exception, all those invited began to make excuses. There were three types of excuses offered. First was the “investment excuse.” These folks had some estate or property or monetary issues that they needed to make their priority, so they excused themselves. Second was the “work excuse.” These had work priorities and couldn’t come. Third was the “responsibility excuse.” These had family responsibilities (“I just got married!”) and couldn’t come.
Enraged, the banquet giver told his servant to go out and bring in the poor, maimed, lame, and blind. That done there was still room, so the servant was told to go to the highways and lanes (where robbers and thieves abide) and bring them in. The banquet giver decreed that all those previously invited would not get a bite of his banquet.
Jesus then addressed the Pharisee host and advised him to not just give banquets for friends and family would could return the favor but also give banquets for the poor, maimed, lame, and blind who could not return the favor. Jesus told him that he would be blessed for this and repaid at the resurrection.
The Christ-way is to bless others, whether they cannot or will not bless you in return.
Lord, Help us today to practice blessing others, regardless of the personal outcome to us. Amen.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Release
“But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, and said, ‘Go and stand in the temple complex, and tell the people all about this life.’” (Acts 5:19-20)
We can only imagine the tensions the apostles were feeling in that jail cell. The high priest and his cohorts had taken action. They rounded up these so-called “apostles” and threw them in jail. They were to be tried the next day. To that point the apostles had pretty much been unfettered. They met with the thousands of converts daily at Solomon’s colonnade in the temple area. The priests probably had no problem with that until they learned what these guys were teaching. Then the feathers hit the fan. The high priest intended to exact a pound of flesh from each of them. When the apostles saw the temple police coming, they were seeing authority at work. All this could have created tension, but there is no indication this disturbed them. It seems more likely that tension would have come from the fact that they were forcibly separated from those hungry for the word.
If these tensions were in fact there, God resolved them during the night. He sent an angel who opened the doors and told them to go to the temple and teach. They were to tell the people “all about this life.”
This miraculous release of the apostles was significant as one event in a recurring theme in Acts. The theme is best stated in the last two words, “Without hindrance.” Time and again, the Spirit of God removed barriers, opened doors, and overcame other limitations to the gospel and to those who preached it. Even from prison for as many as five years, Paul kept preaching the gospel.
There is an important truth we must not miss. The Holy Spirit is always at work removing barriers, opening doors, and overcoming limitations. We may see barriers, closed doors, and limitations all around us as we work for the furtherance of the gospel. What we need to remember is that none of them are limitations for the Spirit of God, and He will either take them away, open them up, or show us how to use them for His purposes – all for the glory of God. There is more than one form of release.
Lord, If even the darkness is as light to You, then none of the barriers we face are capable of limiting You. We trust You to show us how we are to serve, so that our service experiences the release of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We can only imagine the tensions the apostles were feeling in that jail cell. The high priest and his cohorts had taken action. They rounded up these so-called “apostles” and threw them in jail. They were to be tried the next day. To that point the apostles had pretty much been unfettered. They met with the thousands of converts daily at Solomon’s colonnade in the temple area. The priests probably had no problem with that until they learned what these guys were teaching. Then the feathers hit the fan. The high priest intended to exact a pound of flesh from each of them. When the apostles saw the temple police coming, they were seeing authority at work. All this could have created tension, but there is no indication this disturbed them. It seems more likely that tension would have come from the fact that they were forcibly separated from those hungry for the word.
If these tensions were in fact there, God resolved them during the night. He sent an angel who opened the doors and told them to go to the temple and teach. They were to tell the people “all about this life.”
This miraculous release of the apostles was significant as one event in a recurring theme in Acts. The theme is best stated in the last two words, “Without hindrance.” Time and again, the Spirit of God removed barriers, opened doors, and overcame other limitations to the gospel and to those who preached it. Even from prison for as many as five years, Paul kept preaching the gospel.
There is an important truth we must not miss. The Holy Spirit is always at work removing barriers, opening doors, and overcoming limitations. We may see barriers, closed doors, and limitations all around us as we work for the furtherance of the gospel. What we need to remember is that none of them are limitations for the Spirit of God, and He will either take them away, open them up, or show us how to use them for His purposes – all for the glory of God. There is more than one form of release.
Lord, If even the darkness is as light to You, then none of the barriers we face are capable of limiting You. We trust You to show us how we are to serve, so that our service experiences the release of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Rewards
“There is great reward in keeping them.” (Psalm 19:11b)
Psalm 19 is one of the more picturesque psalms, leading the heart to soar into the Lord’s presence with praise. It reminds us of how the heavens themselves declare the glory of God.
Verses 7-11 present a thing of beauty themselves in six variations that merge together and focus on one point. The variations are: the instruction of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commandment of the Lord, the fear [awesomeness] of the Lord, and the ordinances of the Lord. The focal point for all of these is the word of the Lord. They all are communications of the word of the Lord.
We also see six descriptions of the word of the Lord. It is: perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and reliable. These make the word of the Lord desirable.
Then there are six impacts of the word of the Lord. His word: revives the soul, makes the inexperienced wise, makes the heart glad, makes the eyes light up, endures forever, and is altogether righteous. This is how the word of the Lord enables us to live.
There is great reward in knowing the word of the Lord. There is even greater reward in obeying it.
Lord, May Your word impact our lives today in all the ways You have intended, that we may experience the rewards of obeying it. Amen.
Psalm 19 is one of the more picturesque psalms, leading the heart to soar into the Lord’s presence with praise. It reminds us of how the heavens themselves declare the glory of God.
Verses 7-11 present a thing of beauty themselves in six variations that merge together and focus on one point. The variations are: the instruction of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commandment of the Lord, the fear [awesomeness] of the Lord, and the ordinances of the Lord. The focal point for all of these is the word of the Lord. They all are communications of the word of the Lord.
We also see six descriptions of the word of the Lord. It is: perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and reliable. These make the word of the Lord desirable.
Then there are six impacts of the word of the Lord. His word: revives the soul, makes the inexperienced wise, makes the heart glad, makes the eyes light up, endures forever, and is altogether righteous. This is how the word of the Lord enables us to live.
There is great reward in knowing the word of the Lord. There is even greater reward in obeying it.
Lord, May Your word impact our lives today in all the ways You have intended, that we may experience the rewards of obeying it. Amen.
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