Acts 8:14-24 -Godly Pursuit

When news of the amazing happenings in Samaria reached the ears of the apostles in Jerusalem, Peter and John were despatched there. They came to Samaria and found that the situation was as reported. The people had received the Lord Jesus, but they had not received the Holy Spirit,

The objective of their mission, as indicated in verse 15, was to pray for those new believers in Samaria to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So on their arrival, they began to lay hands on them and prayed for them, and the Holy Spirit fell on them.

When Simon, the converted magician, saw the people receiving the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands, he also wanted the ability to do the same. Instead of asking for the Holy Spirit, he coveted the power to impart the Hoy Spirit.  He saw this as a display of irrisistable power. So He offered money to the apostles to ask for the ability.

Simon's real motive was to buy popularity. He must have thought that with this ability he would be able draw the people as he did as a magician. To us this is crazy, but there are people today who still try to buy popularity with money, using spiritual motive as a disguise.

Peter, sensing his wrong motive, rebuked him firmly and told him off. While Peter was firm with Simon, there was also a touch of gentleness. He told Simon that his heart was not right. However, instead of repenting, praying and seeking for forgiveness, Simon merely asked Peter to do it for him. He forgot that there is such a thing as persoanl accountability.

What an amazing lesson! Spiritual power can never be bought. We need to seek God and pursue Him and not power. The ability of the apostles was a natural outflow of their connectedness with the Lord. Let's make the Lord our pursuit today and every day!