Set Apart

Acts 8:14–25

“When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.”

God's gifts are invaluable, these can never be compared to gold or silver or even prestige or fame. Indeed God's presence, His Kingdom is something we ought to love and look forward to. Almost countless times we see God's faithful servants, lowly as some of them are, like the Apostles Peter and John in today's verses, refuse worldly wealth as compensation for any perceivable service to God, for any opportunity to glorify Him, and for any chance of intimacy with Him: "Daniel said to the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him (Dan 5:17)" and to the general Naaman, "Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it." And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused (II Kings 5:16)," it is because God had said, "heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give (Matt 10:8)." The psalmist wrote that in itself, "the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward (Psa 19:9-11)." The Apostle Peter reinforced to the Church that true faith is worth so much more, "that the authenticity of your faith — more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (I Pet 1:7)." May we realise that the fulfilment of our lives is in God alone and that His presence is very dear to us, we have this hope within us, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the substance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing compares to His presence in our lives, 'treasure in jars of clay' (II Cor 4:7). God's kingdom is near and within us in Christ: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field (Matt 13:44). English poet Francis Thompson tells us that we have this entire kingdom very locally, it is a most precious thing of hope to cling to as we journey through this life. He wrote this poem whilst a bum roaming the streets of London looking at familiar places to him— the city centre and the mighty river; there within grasp in his own neighborhood, are the truths of Scripture, its glorious images, and the presence of Truth Himself, right there, "in no strange land" (title of the poem):

"O WORLD invisible, we view thee,

O world intangible, we touch thee,

O world unknowable, we know thee,

Inapprehensible, we clutch thee!

Does the fish soar to find the ocean,

The eagle plunge to find the air—

That we ask of the stars in motion

If they have rumour of thee there?

Not where the wheeling systems darken,

And our benumbed conceiving soars!—

The drift of pinions, would we hearken,

Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.

The angels keep their ancient places;—

Turn but a stone, and start a wing!

‘Tis ye, ‘tis your estrangèd faces,  

That miss the many-splendoured thing.

But (when so sad thou canst not sadder)

Cry;—and upon thy so sore loss

Shall shine the traffic of Jacob’s ladder

Pitched betwixt Heaven and Charing Cross.    

Yea, in the night, my Soul, my daughter,

Cry,—clinging Heaven by the hems;

And lo, Christ walking on the water

Not of Gennesareth, but Thames!"

Today, I pray with Living Life: “Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me not to desire my own glory, but to allow Your Spirit to empower me so that You receive all the honor and praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”