The method God used to do this was persecution: Now that Jerusalem had been saturated with the gospel it was time to move out. God’s intention was never for it to remain there. Up until this point in the book of Acts the centre of action for gospel proclamation has been Jerusalem, the church’s centre. Salvation and sorcery, the gospel and magic, the power of God and the power of Satan are contrasted in this intriguing passage. But alongside that we also have the story of the salvation of the Samaritans, who are the first to receive the Holy Spirit outside of Jerusalem. In the book of Acts, Luke presents us with the story of Simon the Sorcerer – a man well versed in the power of magic who is drawn to a greater power – that of the One true God. Our recent Matariki (see my post on that here) holiday in New Zealand is a case in point. The resurging interest in Te Reo and Māori culture (which has been commendable) in our country has brought with it an interest in Māori mythology and spirituality, which merges nicely with New Age beliefs. New Age beliefs such as the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects are becoming more and more common. Interest in the magic arts – clairvoyancy, palm reading, mediums and psychics, astrology, witchcraft and the occult are all on the rise. Do you believe in magic? Some consider it superstitious nonsense, but others take it very seriously.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |