Getting the Ego Off the Throne

9Now 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, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. (Acts 8)

Thoughts: Simon Magus boasted he was someone great.  He became a believer because of the popularity of Christianity by the crowd.  But his ego never got under control.  To grow as a Christian we must get God on the throne of our heart and take our ego off.  We do not pray, "My kingdom come, my will be done."  We pray instead, "Not my will, but thine be done."  On the surface Simon was a believer.  Philip was right to receive him upon his profession of faith.  Only God is the true judge of a person's heart.  But later Simon showed his ego was still a problem, and he only wanted to manipulate God for his own selfish ends.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to honor you on the inside and not just on the outside.  Help me to humble myself before you as Lord.  

The Dried Up are Refreshed

3Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,

“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”

And let no eunuch complain,

“I am only a dry tree.”

4For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose what pleases me

and hold fast to my covenant—

5to them I will give within my temple and its walls

a memorial and a name

better than sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting name

that will endure forever.

6And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord

to minister to him,

to love the name of the Lord,

and to be his servants,

all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it

and who hold fast to my covenant—

7these I will bring to my holy mountain

and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices

will be accepted on my altar;

for my house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations.”

8The Sovereign Lord declares—

he who gathers the exiles of Israel:

“I will gather still others to them

besides those already gathered.” (Isaiah 56)

32This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.” ^b

34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. (Acts 8 after reading Isaiah 53)

Thoughts: There is an interesting combination of grace in Isaiah.  Isaiah 53 speaks of the Messiah not having any descendants because he made himself a sacrifice.  Isaiah 56 speaks about God's grace.  The great news of God is that the dry bones live in Jesus.  The eunuchs bear fruit. The foreigners are welcomed like family.  God desires all peoples to come to Him.  In Jesus it is being fulfilled. Sinners are welcomed to come (but also encouraged to stop sinning).    

Prayer: Lord, let all people come to you.  Draw them to yourself.  Let me welcome them in your name. 

2-15-15 Acts 8: Philip and the eunuch

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^a eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.”^b

34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”  (Acts 8:26-36)

Thoughts: Philip, the deacon, preached the gospel to this man.  He was reading the scripture, but Philip explained it to him.  The Word of God read is made real when it is explained in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit led Philip to the eunuch.  It is said that the eunuch brought the gospel along with Mark and perhaps Simon the Cyrene to Ethiopia.  Philip was ready to explain the good news wherever he went. He knew the content and was ready to be used of the Spirit.  The Spirit not only inspires the Word but makes it real to us- leading others to speak it to us in blood or in time, and opening our eyes to the Word.  So we should always be ready and prayerfully able to be used of the Spirit of God to help someone else. 

Prayer: Lord, take your Holy Word and make it clear to me by the power of your Holy Spirit.