Right Before God

April 7

(Acts 8:21-24 NIV) ““Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! {21} You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. {22} Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. {23} For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." {24} Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.””

(Luke 16:13-15 NIV) ““No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." {14} The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. {15} He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.””

Simon the sorcerer had believed and had been baptized, but his heart was not right before God. He had impure motives as he tried to buy the gift of God. He wanted God’s power so that he could be popular and wealthy. Glorifying the Lord had not crossed his mind. Peter chastised Simon, warning him that such disrespect could end in his death. Peter looked into Simon’s heart and saw a man who was still captive to his sin, and full of bitterness. This goes to show that we can believe, but still be really messed up in our thinking about God. We can believe, but still have wicked thoughts. We can believe, but still be bitter. We can believe, but still be captive to sin, and ill prepared for ministry. We are saved to bring glory to God. Is that your life’s purpose? The self-centered, self-serving disciple is no disciple at all. Beware of Money’s power, and work at keeping your heart right before God. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Trying to Buy God

April 6

(Acts 8:18-24 NIV) “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money {19} and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." {20} Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!”

(Micah 3:7-12 NIV) ““The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God." {8} But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. {9} Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; {10} who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. {11} Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us." {12} Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.””

(1 Timothy 6:10-11 NIV) "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. {11} But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness."

Simon tried to buy God. He could make a lot of money with the kind of power the apostles had -- and so he offered Peter money for it. Simon had a baptized head, but a worldly heart, and it came close to costing him his life. He tried to buy God, but God is not for sale. What Simon got instead was a dose of prophetic ministry. Peter was not in his “seeker friendly” mode. He called Simon out and told him that his life was in danger. We can make the same mistake as Simon. We can come to God for the “goodies”, but fail to give him all our goods. We can have an “experience”, but never gain spiritual understanding. Our theology can become skewed. Many believers today study the owner’s manual for their car and their big screen TV, more than they study the owner’s manual for their soul… the Bible. We need to get back to the basics. Don’t try to buy God -- instead, sell out to him. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

A Savior for Samaria

April 5

(Acts 8:14-15, 25 NIV) “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. {15} When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, {16} because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. {17} Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. - {25} When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.”

(John 4:3-10 NIV) ““When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. {4} Now he had to go through Samaria. {5} So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. {6} Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. {7} When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" {8} (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) {9} The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) {10} Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.””

(1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV) “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- {2} for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. {3} This is good, and pleases God our Savior, {4} who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

News of what Philip was doing in Samaria reached Jerusalem, and Peter and John went to see what was happening. It wasn’t the miracles that impressed them; it was where the miracles were happening. The Jews looked down on Samaritans and considered them second-class citizens. Along with lepers and harlots, they were the “undesirables”, unacceptable to those in good and proper Christian society. They were certainly undeserving of God’s grace. But the Holy Spirit was working powerfully among them. The Lord was making it known that Christ is a Savior for all people. God so loved the world! The Lord has not changed His mind. Jesus wants all people “to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” Churches that install filters on their front doors (visible or invisible) are not walking in God’s will. The gospel is for all people. Find your “Samaria” and go there. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day 

Apostle Meets Huckster

April 4

(Acts 8:9-13 NIV) ““Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, {10} and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." {11} They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. {12} But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. {13} Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.””

(2 Corinthians 11:12-15 NIV) "And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. {13} For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. {14} And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. {15} It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."

(2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV) "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. {2} Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. {3} In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."

As Philip preached in Samaria, he ran into a man named Simon. Simon was a guru/charlatan -- a religious huckster. He did magic and sorcery and was quite a celebrity in Samaria. People even said he had the Great Power, and treated him like a god. Simon ate it up, and boasted of his greatness to all who would listen. But when Philip came to town, Simon saw genuine power, and he was attracted. He “believed and was baptized”, but for the wrong reasons. He was more interested in the miracles than in the Messiah. Every generation has gurus, shysters, and charlatans, whose followers swoon over their power and charisma. The cash flows in, as people buy their books, diets, and videos. How do you tell the difference between a religious huckster and an apostle? The genuine apostle will never offer you a bag of tricks -- they will offer you a cross. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day