Monthly Archives: July 2019

The Ministry of Saul

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Preaching at podium

In my previous blog post, we looked at the amazing change that took place in Saul’s life. He went from being a persecutor of the early church to a follower of Jesus Christ. In this blog post, I would like to look at another portion of the ninth chapter in the Book of Acts regarding the preaching Saul did.

Saul Starts Ministering

Starting with Acts 9:20-21 (NKJV) it tells us, “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?””. Saul starts preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, this causes the people to be amazed. We must keep in mind these people are used to Saul being a driving force for the persecution of the followers of Jesus. Now Saul is a follower of Jesus. Acts 9:22 (AMP) continues, “But Saul increased in strength more and more, and continued to perplex the Jews who lived in Damascus by examining theological evidence and proving [with Scripture] that this Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).”. Saul continued to grow in his ability to preach. This caused the Jews to be perplexed because his preaching had strong theological evidence and was based upon scriptures. I think it would be safe to assume he referred to certain Old Testament scriptures that pointed to Jesus Christ. Not only did he use theology and scriptures, but he used his testimony in action. Sometimes ministering to someone is not about how knowledgeable you are in theology and how well you have scriptures memorized, but your evident testimony. Often it is out testimonies that will lead others to Jesus Christ, along with Biblical truth.  

Saul is Now a Target

Acts 9:23-24 (AMP) tells us, “After considerable time had passed [about three years or so], the Jews plotted together to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the city’s gates day and night so they could kill him”. The Jews begin to plot to kill Saul, this is not simply a punishment from God, but something that can happen when one is spreading the Gospel. Acts 9:25-26 (KJV) goes on to say, “Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple.”. Saul gets to Jerusalem and the group of disciples do not believe his claim to be a follower of Christ, simply because they originally know Saul as a persecutor of the church. Sometimes we might even be surprised when someone we know of comes to Christ. Maybe someone that bullied you in high school became a minister and their life is different because of Jesus Christ. The same Jesus that changed you and me, is the same one that can change the other people around us regardless of their background.

Saul is Brought to the Apostles

Acts 9:27-29 (NKJV) continues, “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So, he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.  And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.”. Barnabas eventually convinces the other disciples about Saul’s conversion. As Saul is with the disciples of Jerusalem he continues to preach with boldness. Saul can preach with boldness because number one he received the infilling of the Holy Spirit at his conversion, and he is becoming obedient to the Holy Spirit. If you are like me, you should be able to distinguish a minister who flows in the Holy Spirit and one who does not flow in the Holy Spirit. The Jews are still attempting to kill Saul because of him spreading the message of Jesus. I find it awesome to know that Saul continues preaching despite the threat of persecution. I think this is more amazing given the fact that he was a leader of the persecution before he came to Christ. This just shows us an example of true conversion.

Saul Goes to Caesarea and Tarsus

Acts 9:30 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.”. Saul then goes to Caesarea and Tarsus, which I have a map below to show you for a visual. Acts 9:31 (AMP) continues, “So the church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace [without persecution], being built up [in wisdom, virtue, and faith]; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to grow [in numbers].”. As Saul continued with his ministry many people were added to the church. This happened simply because he was a minister for Jesus Christ who yielded to the Holy Spirit. This also resulted in the people he ministered to being edified through his teaching and testimony.

Map of Caesarea and Tarsus
Source: https://www.biblestudy.org

Final Thoughts

After looking at these few verses in Acts chapter nine I find it amazing to see the transformation that took place in Saul’s life. This is also a reminder that God can call on anyone to be a minister for Him. It doesn’t matter what the person’s background was before their encounter with Jesus Christ. Romans 2:11 (GNV) reminds us, “For there is no respect of persons with God.”. When Saul had his encounter with Christ, when the light shined down from Heaven, he could have become angry with God and been blind the rest of his life, but he chose to surrender to Jesus Christ.

This Weeks Challenge

What about you? What took place in your life when you fully surrendered to Jesus Christ? I would like to encourage you to find one person this week to share your testimony with. Please share your testimony with anyone whether they are a believer or unbeliever. Luke 8:39 (CSB) tells us, “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.”. So, I challenge you this week to share your testimony with someone, and if God leads you to someone who needs Jesus in their life, minister to them, ask God to lead you with that person. Ministering to a person might be a one-time event, or it might take several times to work with that individual. We must be patient when we do personal ministry on a one on one basis. Also please feel free to share your testimony in the comment section below.

Saul is Converted

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Light shining on body of water near mountains.

This is now my sixteenth teaching from the Book of Acts. This series has lasted longer than I expected, but that is okay because I am flowing with this as the Lord leads me. I hope that these blog posts have been a blessing to those of you who have been following. In this blog post, I want to cover the first part of Acts chapter nine which shows us a major change in the life of Saul. Now from previous chapters, we know Saul was very involved with the persecution of Early Christians. However, many of us who are truly born-again believers know that God can grab a hold of anyone and change them.

Saul Has an Encounter with Jesus

Let’s start by reading Acts 9:1-2 (NKJV) which says, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”. At the beginning of chapter nine Saul is still involved with persecution, he is a very strong driving force behind the persecution of the early church. Continuing Acts 9:3-4 (NKJV) tells us, “As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”.  A light came to Saul from Heaven, when this happened Saul fell to the ground because of the presence of Jesus. Just to digress for a moment let’s look at the aspect of Saul falling because of the presence of Jesus. There are many instances when people fell or were shaken by the presence of God in both the Old and New Testaments. When God’s presence comes on someone very strongly one can fall or be shaken. Some people refer to falling in the Spirit as ‘slain in the Spirit’. I have personally seen the presence of God manifest at different churches where people did get slain in the Spirit, and some miracles took place. Many people will argue with the notion of being slain in the Spirit as not Biblical. If you take the time to study the Bible you will see the presence of God can cause someone to fall or be shaken. This can still happen today simply because of Hebrews 13:8 (AMP) which says, “Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.”. In one of my future blog posts, I will cover this subject in more detail. It is also important to note that some people do abuse certain Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and this can happen with being slain in the Spirit. Again, this is a topic I will cover in more detail in a future blog post!

Saul is Blinded

Continuing with Saul’s encounter with Jesus Acts 9:5-6 (NKJV) tells us, “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So, he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”. Saul is confronted by Jesus regarding the persecution and then is instructed to go to the city of Damascus. Notice where he said “Lord, what do you want me to do”, he was surrendering to Jesus at this point which is part of Saul’s conversion. Acts 9:8 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.”. Saul is now blinded and has other people help him into the city of Damascus. Acts 9:9 (GNT) tells us, “For three days he was not able to see, and during that time he did not eat or drink anything.”. Saul’s struggle with blindness was a few days long, also since he had nothing to eat or drink, we can expect him to naturally lose some strength.

Ananias Instructed to Step Out of His Comfort-Zone

Acts 9:10 (NKJV) continues, “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”. Ananias is a disciple who will play an important role in the change in Saul’s life. Acts 9:11-12 (NKJV) goes on to tell us “So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight.” God instructs Ananias to go to Saul and lay hands on him and pray for him to receive his eyesight in the name of Jesus. Acts 9:13-14 (NKJV) continues, “Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.  And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”. Ananias knows of Saul’s persecution and does not think well of Saul, but God is still instructing Ananias to go to Saul and pray for him. Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV) tells us why God is doing this with Saul, “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.  For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”. We all know that God is not a respecter of persons. Acts 10:34 (GNT) tells us, “Peter began to speak: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis.”. The Message Bible translates it as “Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.”. We also know as followers of Jesus Christ we are to pray for all people. In 1 Timothy 2:1 Paul tells us, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people”. Often in life, we will encounter unbelievers that we will have problems getting along with, whether that be at work, the store, or even your friends and family. We often must realize that the reason we have problems with certain individuals who are unbelievers is because of the spirit behind them. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”. So, I encourage you to pray for all people, and do spiritual warfare! I would also like to remind you that God will sometimes call us to do things that we are uncomfortable with, however, we are to be obedient to what God leads us to do. If God is leading you to do something out of your comfort zone, ask Him for strength and wisdom.

Sauls Healing

As we read on, we do find out that Ananias does lead by example and goes to Saul as the Lord instructed him. Acts 9:17-18 (NKJV) tells us, “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once, and he arose and was baptized.”. Saul was healed and received the Holy Spirit and was baptized. Isn’t it amazing to see someone who was heavily involved in persecution convert over to accepting Jesus! This should be an encouragement to us believers as we pray for our unsaved loved ones! Acts 9:19 (NKJV) goes on to say, “So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.”. Saul did spend some time with the disciples after he converted. This shows us the importance of personal ministry with new believers and ensuring they get a strong foundation.

A Challenge for You This Week

I encourage you to take some time this week and ask God to reveal to you one person that you can minister to this week. Whether it be an unbeliever or a believer. Maybe you know someone who never accepted Jesus, or maybe you know someone who did accept Jesus but is struggling. Let’s lead by example from this passage from the Book of Acts I shared with you this week and do some personal ministry with someone as God leads us!

A Word on Perseverance

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mountains with snow on top

Instead of making a post on the Book of Acts, I felt led to discuss the subject of perseverance. We must admit that life will never be easy, whether you are a believer or unbeliever. At some point, we will deal with a situation that will catch us off guard. Whether that would be an illness, job loss, or loss of a loved one. A life-changing situation can either make or break us personally, the choice is up to us.

Cast Your Cares to God

Often in life when we are in times of trouble, we can become so invested both mentally and physically in our circumstances and forget to truly seek God full-heartedly in the middle of our situation. Are you going through something in life that you have become so invested in and haven’t truly given the situation to God? Psalms 55:22 (NKJV) tells us, “Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”. The Amplified Bible translates it as, “Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).”. Have you truly cast your burden(s) to God? We should always know our God, can do what is considered impossible in man’s eyes. As we are here on Earth for a short period of time, we spend most of our time in the natural realm. God operates in the supernatural realm. That is why Romans 12:2 (NKJV) instructs us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”.

My Own Struggle

So, are you spending more time concerned about your circumstances in the natural realm, or are you spending more time in God’s presences and seeking Him to do the supernatural? I myself was in a situation when I could have sought God more seriously on a situation that is going on in my life. Four years ago, right before my nineteenth birthday, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. My body’s immune system was perversely attacking the insulin-making cells of my pancreas.  The doctors told me I would need several insulin injections daily for the rest of my life, and I would have to check my blood sugar levels four to eight times a day, along with eating my meals at certain times and counting carbs. I grew up in the faith, I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior at a young age at a Spirit-filled church. However, I became more focused on learning how to manage my disease, rather than seeking God to baffle the doctors. At the time I was also a full-time college student and working full time, I had a lot on my plate. Type 1 Diabetes is a very time-consuming disease. I take currently four to five insulin injections daily. Insulin injections are nothing to be taken lightly, it has a very narrow therapeutic range. You could do one thing today and have great blood sugar readings, then do the same exact thing the next day and have totally different results. Not only can it be a very time-consuming disease, but it can also be a very frustrating disease. When you have Type 1 Diabetes you not only think about your blood sugar levels for today but what will your future be like with the disease, because there are many complications that can take place no matter how well you manage your blood sugars. Type 1 Diabetes is also known as a silent killer, people can experience low blood sugars that can be deadly if not dealt with. This is something that is very serious at nighttime when one is asleep, I have read of several people who had died from low blood sugars overnight.

Is Breakthrough Always Instant?

With as horrible as this disease sounds, do I give up on my faith in the Lord? With as much that is involved with the disease, I could easily pull that as my excuse. I have been prayed over many times by many great ministers, and I have yet to be told by the doctors I am in total remission of Type 1 Diabetes. Do I give up on God? No! Some people would do that. Some people think when you get prayed for you should be healed instantly. The Bible never tells us that we will be healed instantly, but that we will be healed. Sometimes healing is a process. In my personal time with the Lord he revealed to me an example of gradual healing that was done by Jesus in Mark 8:22-25 (NKJV) “Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.”.  The first time Jesus laid hands on this blind man, he could only partially see, then the second time he was totally healed. Sometimes a miracle won’t take place the first time we pray, sometimes it will be a process. Maybe God wants to focus on some emotional healing first before your physical healing. It is often said that emotional problems can lead to physical problems. Therefore, we all need intimate time with the Lord and to soak in His presence. We need to come to Him empty-handed and fully surrendered to Him. 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NKJV) tells us, “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!”.

Currently in my Struggle

Since I have pressed on in my faith with the Lord for total healing of Type 1 Diabetes, I have seen a substantial and consistent decrease in my insulin doses. I have also been blessed with great people of likeminded faith in my life, who are continuing to agree with me for full healing.  I am trusting in the Lord for the full healing to be manifested. The testimony will be for Gods glory!

Persevere and Fully Surrender

No matter what it is you are going through in life right now, cast your cares to the Lord, seek Him full-heartedly, and fully surrender to Him. One last scripture I would like to leave you with is Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV) tells us, “And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”. We are to persevere during our trials, which means to do something despite difficulty or opposition. I encourage you to take some time this week and fully seek the Lord and fully surrender your situation to Him. Whatever you need a breakthrough for, come to Him full-heartedly, and don’t let your own understanding get in the way, let God do His work in the supernatural. Whether the results are instantly or slowly, the glory is always given to God. Do not become discouraged if nothing happens right away, persevere! Sometimes things might get worse after doing some serious prayer, often that can be opposition from the enemy, and we need to keep pressing on. No matter what keep on pressing on in faith in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever!

Acts Ch. 8: Persecution from Saul

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In this teaching, we are going to look at the persecution that Saul did against the early church. When I was working on this teaching, I was hoping to cover both chapters eight and nine, but I decided to cover each chapter individually. As always, I do encourage you to take some time and read chapter eight in its entirety and study on it yourself.

The Start of Great Persecution from Saul

I have already gone over the subject of persecution from the Book of Acts several times, and we are now going to look at another example of it. As we look at chapter eight, we will not only see some persecution, but also some important revelation knowledge that plays out regarding true salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In my last teaching, we talked about the deacon Stephen’s death from chapter seven. As we begin chapter eight, we will see how things rapidly progress. Acts 8:1 (NKJV) tells us, “Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”.  Stephen was stoned to death in chapter seven for blasphemy against God and the law. Following his death, a great time of persecution comes on the early church.  Acts 8:3 (NKJV) continues, “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.”. At the end of my previous teaching, I mentioned we will see Saul’s importance play out regarding persecution. Saul was the main driving force behind the persecution of the church, however as we continue in the Book of Acts, we will see a great turn of events occur for Saul.  Acts 8:4 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.”. Because of the persecution taking place, the people become scattered and go and preach the word in different areas outside of Jerusalem. I feel it is inspiring to see that the people here did not let the idea of persecution stop them from spreading the message of Jesus Christ. This should be inspiration to all of us!

Philip Goes to Samaria

Acts 8:5 (NKJV) continues to tell us, “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.”.  Samaria was an area that was looked down upon by the Jews. By Philip reaching out to Samaria and ministering to their people, this became a big step for the early church. Acts 8:6-8 (NKJV) tells us, “And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.  For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed, and lame were healed.  And there was great joy in that city.”. These few scriptures just briefly describe the signs that took place during Philip’s ministry in Samaria. As a reminder signs through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (tongues, healing, prophecy, miracles, etc.) are sign’s for unbelievers, hence why every believer needs to be baptized in the Holy Spirit! These signs that take place in Samaria will be what causes many people to accept Jesus Christ. Acts 8:9 (NKJV) goes on to tell us of a problem that Philip encountered, “But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,”. Philip was encountering someone involved with sorcery, his name was Simon. Let me ask you a question, what would you do if you were ministering to a group of unbelievers and one of them turned out to be a practicing witch? Would you give up, or would you allow the Holy Spirit to use you to minister to that person? Acts 8:10-11 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”  And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.”. Not only was Philip dealing with a sorcerer, but he had to deal with Simons followers too. This goes to show us that Philip did encounter some resistance while ministering in Samaria, but he continued because he had a power inside of him, and that was the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:12-13 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.  Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.”. Because of Philip’s ministry to the people of Samaria through the power of the Holy Spirit, many people accepted Christ, along with Simon. Just as a side note in these two verses the people believed and accepted Christ and then were water baptized. As we will read on, we will find a small issue arises with Simon, that is a great reminder to all Christians today.

Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are Separate!

There are so many different denominations of Christianity out there today. Many churches today will argue on the idea of salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (not water baptism) being two separate events in ones walk with the Lord. Churches not believing and practicing in the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the reason why many churches are weak today! Why are so many people sick in the church today? We have simply got caught up in our own self-made theology and traditions, rather than what the Word of God says. So, let’s take some time and clear this issue up by looking at an example in the Book of Acts. I am going to outline a few scriptures below, and underline some keywords:

  • Acts 8:13 (NKJV): “Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.”.

    Notice it says that he believed and then was baptized, this is a reminder that salvation and water baptism are two separate events.
  • Acts 8:14 (NKJV): “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,”.

    Notice it says they had received the Word of God, which is simply the message of Jesus Christ. Some synonyms for the word receive are: to be given, to be presented with, and to accept (my favorite one for this scripture)

These two scriptures above point us to salvation being its own event in ones walk with the Lord. This is also one of the most important events, because you must be born again to inherit the Kingdom of God! Romans 10:13 (NKJV) says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”.  So now let’s look at another event that takes place that is separate from their salvation and water baptism in Samaria.

  • Acts 8:15 (NKJV): “who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.”

    The Apostles pray over them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit, just like the Apostles did in the Book of Acts, when they were in the upper room.
  • Acts 8:17 (NKJV): “Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”.

    Again, the Apostle lay hands on them and pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Notice this takes place after they receive and accept the Message of Jesus Christ.

If you go back to the Gospel of John and read chapter twenty you will see this is where the Apostles had received their salvation and were able to go out and continue the ministry of Jesus. However, as we get the Book of Acts, they receive the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 (NKJV) tells us, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”. This infilling of the Holy Spirit came after they received their salvation. This brings another important point up about context in the Bible, it is important to know the order of events in the Bible so you can read the Bible in a clearer context.

Importance of True Salvation

Continuing on in the Book of Acts, Acts 8:18-19 goes on to say “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,  saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.””.  Simon’s true heart is shown here, he wants to only impress people with his impartation of the Holy Spirit. As we all should know having the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in your own personal ministry are not meant to impress people, but to bring people to Christ and help edify the church.  Acts 8:20-23 (NKJV) continues, “But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!  You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.””.  Simon did believe in the message of Jesus Christ, but as we see from the previous verses he was not truly converted. This brings up another important point, which is true salvation. Often the church can get too distracted at trying to bring new people in that we forget about true conversion when one comes to know Christ. Too many churches have got it wrong today. They want to attract new people in by carnal means. So, if you bring people in using carnal means, and keep them attending your church by carnal means, are they truly saved? Do people truly love Jesus or do they just like how popular the church is on social media, or how good the music sounds, or how nice the stage looks during worship? The modern church today has lost its focus on true salvation. While all these other aspects of the church have their own role, there is nothing more important than a true and clear message of salvation that is consistently preached to the unbelievers, rather than the watered-down Gospel of Accommodation that is mainstream today. Colossians 3:5-11 (NKJV) reminds us, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”.  This is something that we always need to be constantly reminded of as we minister to people individually and look to grow our churches.

Final Thoughts..

If you continue reading chapter eight in the Book of Acts you will see that Simon does repent, and in verses 26-40 you will see that Philip goes and witnesses to an Ethiopian Treasurer, and that is another great testimony we see in the Book of Acts. In my next teaching, I will continue onto chapter nine, and we will look at a turn of events regarding Saul. Again, I encourage you to take some time to read chapter eight in its entirety, and please check back for my next teaching in chapter nine!