Nougat 13

Are you familiar with the term ‘simony’? It’s the buying or selling of sacred articles orattempting to buy spirituality. And it got its name from a biblical character, Simon the sorcerer. In case this is your first encounter, please read the rest of the story not included in Today’s Holy Nougat

Now for some time a mpan named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.

By Hook or By Crook

I’m still not sure what ‘by the hook’ looks like, but it was part of a longer phrase meaning ‘by whatever means necessary’. When we used the term in primary (elementary) school, it was often said as a vow that we would get something done, no matter what. Of course, such vows never moved past the moment we uttered them.

On the other hand, it seems that Simon the Sorcerer had reason to man those words if he ever thought them. He had a lucrative business in the prophetic world. From the looks of things, he had zero competition, as all Samaria knew him to be the ‘bestest’ sorcerer in town. And while it isn’t said in so many words, one senses that he was profiting greatly from his gift.

But despite the nickname, he was not in the service of the Most High God. He was serving himself, possibly the devil. More about that aspect of his story is find in the wider text beyond our Nougat.

Unfortunately simony continues to abound even today, and charlatans are even more prolific. Like the church leader who charged for Bible Study at church, because it is ‘extra classes’. Or those who market the prophetic, miracles, healings, and other spiritual gifts as services to be paid for. My friend Rosh would say, ‘I ain’t putting no shade, but seriously-!’

Yes, I sincerely believe, don’t muzzle the ox that treads the corn. But we can’t exploit the gifts of God by packaging them as though they are wares in a market! Indeed I’m aware that we live in a market economy, and that’s governed by the laws of demand and supply. But doesn’t God’s Law supersede market law?

If we revert to the laws of marketing, we note that demand would be greater than supply when there is lack, or a sense of shortage. And when there is that sense of lack people follow the miracle to get a piece of it, even if it’s by the crook.

So when a pastor, sorry – a televangelist – tells the world to show your seed where you are getting the manifestations of your spiritual need met and not the local church … Is that not simony? For, in so doing, there is now competition placed in the body of Christ. The implications being, we should now be members or financial partners of that church, and not with our local church.

I get that several local churches aren’t at that place. It may be that our local church needs a nudge to manifest the gifts of God’s Spirit. And we may be that revelation. We may be called to increase the ‘supply’ of the True Word being revealed and incarnated in our midst. Someone might be dying for a revelation or a touch from God through us.

The deeper question then is, Are we sitting on ie hiding our spiritual gifts? And if so, why? For we are called, each of us, to demonstrate that power of God to the world. In the first and also in the Great commission. It may be that our failure to manifest the gifts of God’s Spirit is what is creating the sense of lack in our churches and communities.

What say we then, do we hide our gifts and allow simony to abound? Certainly not. For our God deserves to get the praise from all points of the world. And the charlatans and practitioners of simony turn people AWAY from God, not TOWARDS God.

I pray today, that we may each discern our gift in Christ Jesus, and seek to manifest it by the hook, and not the crook.

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May all we seek be found in Christ