It's A Heart Attitude

It’s a Heart Attitude

Importance of testimonies –

When you give one –

It’s out in the airwaves –

God gets the glory

What you may not consider as important

can actually change someone’s life

Testimonies are given

So that all of heaven can hear –

All the workers of evil

All the enemies cohorts

They are all on notice

of God’s goodness

Today’s scripture is

Act 8:5-24 Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people about Christ.

They crowded around Philip because they were eager to hear what he was saying and to see him work miracles.

Many people with evil spirits were healed, and the spirits went out of them with a shout. A lot of crippled and lame people were also healed.

Everyone in that city was very glad because of what was happening.

For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practiced witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great.

Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said, "This man is the power of God called 'The Great Power.' "

For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him.

But when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized.

Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marveled at all the miracles and wonders.

The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John.

When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit.

Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.

Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money

and said to Peter and John, "Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit."

Peter said to him, "You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift!

You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right.

Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you.

I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways."

Simon said, "Please pray to the Lord, so that what you said won't happen to me."

Simon boasted as someone great –

A divine power

He amazed many with his magic

But Philip came –

A deacon of the church

He preached the good news

and the men and women believed

and were saved

Even Simon himself was saved

By the way,

Those who teach that

These miracles –

Gift of tongues and healings

Ended with the apostles were wrong.

So it sure didn’t end with the apostles

Because Philip was not an Apostle

He preached

the Good news of the Kingdom of God

Not just any good news –

But the God News of the Kingdom

Now, If there is a Kingdom

Then there must be a King

Philip preached about this King

Today – we are in that kingdom

The kingdom of God

This kingdom is here now!

We are in this new system

The system of the Kingdom

This kingdom is more than peace

And joy

Its healing

Deliverance

Its prosperity

Now some may preach the good news

But their good news is that

that if you die

you go to heaven

And that is good news

but there is some bad

in it too

because

You have to die to get it

But the Good News

of the Kingdom of our God

Is that it is here now

God has come down

And we can have all the benefits

Of the King

Now

Here where we live

And move and have our being

So Philip, he preached

the Good News of the kingdom

and

The name of Jesus Christ

Philip came and gave them

A new source

For life and peace

Healing and prosperity

The source

Jesus of Nazereth

Amazing things were happening

Men and women were involved

and they saw great miracles happening.

Simon –

He had a change

He followed Philip everywhere

He believed –

He believed so much –

That he followed them everywhere

Now if you didn’t read ahead

There would be no reason to believe

That Simon was not saved

He believed in The Kingdom

The name

And Baptism