Obedience to the Spirit

April 8

(Acts 8:26-30 NIV) ““Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." {27} So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, {28} and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. {29} The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." {30} Then Philip ran up to the chariot…””

(2 Corinthians 9:13 NIV) “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

(2 John 1:6 NIV) “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

It pays to be obedient to the Spirit of God. Philip was committed to undying obedience, and so when the call came for Philip to go south to a desert road, he went. He didn’t know where he would end up, he just went. He didn’t know everything that might lie ahead, but he went anyway. That’s obedience. And when the call got more specific, (stay near that chariot), that’s what Philip did. The angel told Philip to go up to a stranger and stay close. He obeyed, and it changed someone’s eternity. We should do the same. Listen for God -- and when God speaks, there’s only one correct answer: “Yes”. We don’t give our children medals for obeying us just 60% of the time! With God, “selective obedience” is an oxymoron. The Lord can do amazing things through us when we obey. Our work can last for eternity when we listen and obey. Souls are at stake. Be obedient to the Spirit. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

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