Two spiritual realms were in conflict over the city in Samaria. The enemy had gone unopposed for a long time, but now the light had arrived through Philip, with great power (so much so that even his chief agent, Simon, had become a believer). Acts 8:9-25
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 rightly (No it was a lie!) called the Great Power.” Acts 8
Social standing or wealth is worthless when it comes to discerning spiritual truth. The ‘high-ups/influential were as gullible to the witchcraft as the lowly’. The apostles who had the Spirit of God and ‘had been with Jesus’ Acts 4:13 readily discerned what was operating in Simon. Yesterday morning, while Anne was having her shower (the shower is a good place to hear from Heaven!) she got a warning for someone living far away, whom we only know through the Internet. She forwarded the word to them, the Spirit of God was intervening again to protect someone just as in Acts 8.
Simon had been given a fake title by the people he’d misled. Today we have many people in the Church who have been given or assumed titles. We live in a time of the resurgence of the Prophet and Apostle, which may rightly account for some of the titles. This morning I was reading where Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day, pronouncing the seven woes;
THEY LOVE (Public Adulation) to be greeted in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called teachers, for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23
Jesus disapproved of religious leaders taking titles to themselves, but did approve of a servant heart. A Christian author of long ago, Doctor John White (he was a qualified doctor), after he’d written some books was told by the Lord to drop his title and just call himself plain John White. Many in the Church today have assumed titles, are we mimicking the world’s and religion’s demand for titles and self-promotion? It’s the ‘Good and Faithful servant’ who’ll receive the Lord’s commendation on that day.
Our heart attitudes before the Lord are so important and some of His Church may need to change in a very changing world situation.
God bless and keep you today.