In Acts 8:9-24, we read about the story of Simon the Sorcerer and his reaction to wanting to buy the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, after seeing how the power was released to the Samaritans through the laying on of hands. In Acts 8:18, Simon's reaction to Peter becomes all about struggle vs. evil. He reacted from what he knew and was familiar with. He reacted to the power instead of responding to the Process. He reacted with a transactional thought, not a relational truth. The Bible tells us that it is the "Truth" that sets us free. Who is the truth but Christ Jesus! It is the Holy Spirit that continues to draw us to Jesus.
The role of our partnership with the Holy Spirit must be one that is not transactional but relational.
True intimacy is found in our ongoing fellowship with the Holy Spirit, where the communion and connection are. It’s out of that place where we know our identity (sonship), which leads to authenticity, being authentic as God originally designed us to be. From there, it leads us to taking our authority as sons and daughters of God, as mothers and fathers, and to raise up others, which in turn puts us in alignment with Romans 8:19, "for the earth is groaning for the manifestations of the sons and daughters of God"--that's us! When we put a "yes" to the Process (Holy Spirit), there are depths of relationship in Him that will ALWAYS be available to us; depths and realms He wants to take us to, not alone, but together. Togetherness is a constant embrace in every step we take and in every place we’re at; He wants to be right there with us. The Holy Spirit wants to be our best friend.
In the story of Simon, he saw “the goods”, but not the Person; he wanted the power, without the process; he wanted power over relationship. We must realize that the Holy Spirit is not a commodity. We cannot have the power of the Spirit without the Person of the Spirit. How many times have we treated the Holy Spirit as a commodity and how many times have we wanted the power without relationship? Even in times where we feel we have missed it, there is no shame, guilt or condemnation for we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8). When we say yes to Him, what does this look like? Process. Walking it out on the journey together. I am thankful that His grace is sufficient for us and His mercies are new every morning. There's a backside to grace and it's called process.
The Holy Spirit is always inviting us into deeper waters with Him, to move away from the banks of the river and to be willing to be led into further truths (deeper waters), to be led into ALL TRUTH. This is all about JESUS! It’s the Holy Spirit who keeps pointing us to Jesus, who He wants to be to us, in us and through us!
Our hearts were created to co-labor with God (1 Corinthians 3). It all goes back to how we hear the Lord. A few different practical ways we can co-labor with God and hear Him are journaling, soaking, listening prayer, worship/devotion time and through dreams and visions. When God looks at you and me, He has no filters, nor lenses. He sees the prophetic version of you and me; He’s sees us as we were created according to His original design. He has chosen to do this Gospel through the covenant of family with His sons and daughters—this is a do-it-together Gospel!
This week, let's give Holy Spirit permission and access to our hearts. Let's ask Him to show us the times where we have wanted power over relationship. We repent for our fleshly motives that sought power over relationship; we renounce this lie and ask Jesus to give us eyes to see and ears to hear what Holy Spirit wants to do and where He wants to go in us.
We must rely on Holy Spirit more and more and more and more! Holy Spirit, keep showing us who Jesus is and who we are!
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