To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

THIRTEEN

In Samaria lived Simon, a sorcerer by trade, able to connive the people into thinking he was some great one. Oddly enough the majority of the Samaritans gave him heed as if he was the embodiment of the power of God! They followed him blindly, for long they were under his witchcraft spell.

Yet, after hearing and believing in Jesus whom Philip preached, the demonic oppression lifted, and they were baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. More surprising was that even Simon the sorcerer was baptized as well, he deciding to follow on with Philip, enamored and taken in by the miracles and signs that the true power of God made manifest.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John who prayed for the new believers that they, too, might receive the Holy Spirit of promise, for thus far, none of them had received the Seal despite having been baptized. Peter and John, full of the Holy Ghost laid their hands upon the people, fervently praying that the Spirit of God would fall upon the new converts, and so mightily fell the Holy Ghost!

Could Simon be blamed for wanting to trade livelihoods? Money still needed to roll in to survive, and now that the people were changing their minds on what was the power of God...Simon paid close attention, noticing that it was a simple laying of the apostle's hand that the Holy Ghost was given and he spoke his mind. "Listen, I will pay you to show me how... give me the power, also, that whoever I put my hands on they will receive the Holy Ghost."

Peter's jaw dropped, "Thy money perish with thee! The gift of God is not purchased with money. And it's clear you have neither part nor lot in this matter, your heart isn't right in the sight of God! Repent before it's too late, turn from your wickedness. Perhaps the Lord will be merciful, even to you. I see now that you are bitter, bound in sin!"

Simon blanched, "You pray for me that none of the things you said happen to me!"

You can go through all the motions, but if hypocrisy is found in your heart, you are not right with God.

Who shall ascend into the holy hill of God? Only he with pure hands, and pure heart.

With his brethren there to continue the work of God, Philip was urged by the Angel of the Lord to go to the South, in the way that goes from Jerusalem into Gaza... desert land. There was no inkling of why, and he simply obeyed, trusting God, no questions asked. The sun was unbearably hot, the desert dry and Philip unsure if he could trust his eyes to tell the truth.

Towards Philip, on foot, rode Abdimelech, Ethiopia's Queen Candace's high-ranking eunuch. To him alone she entrusted her treasure. He'd received leave for the time it would take him to go to Jerusalem to worship and returning he barely noticed Philip in the distance, so engrossed was he in reading the scroll in his hands, his face clearly in a puzzled expression. Isaiah was a hard enough book to read without the added effort of fixating his eyes on the words as the chariot joggled over the terrain.

"Philip," the Spirit breathed, "Go near, and join thyself to this chariot."

Despite the aches in his legs from having traveled thus far with hydration rapidly depleting, Philip ran towards the chariot, "Hello! Hello there!"

Abdimelech looked up, startled, "Hello."

"Do you understand what you're reading?"

Abdimelech sighed, he'd always had issues being able to be read like a book. The reading troubled him more than his pride did, "How can I unless some man should guide me?" Perhaps it was his affluence that he never thought to ask if Philip had anything better to do, patting the seat beside him.

Philip obliged, looking over the passage he was reading, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth."

"Is Isaiah writing of himself, or another?"

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a small body of water and Abdimelech beamed. "Look, here is water! What hinders me, also, to be baptized?"

"If you believe with all of our heart... you can!"

"I do believe! I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God!"

Philip nodded, breaking into a wide grin, what a blessing to be part of God's plan of salvation!

Upon Philip's acceptance, Abdimelech thundered, "Stand still!" to the chariot, and both men went into the water, he baptized in the Name of Jesus, and as they were coming out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip to Azotus, who continued preaching as he went his way to Caesarea. The Eunuch seeing him never again, yet his joy remained full.