The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Chris... - Encountering Modern Day Simon the Sorcerers

Acts 8:18–23 gives a sobering look at Simon the Sorcerer—a man drawn to spiritual power but not transformed in heart. His story is a reminder that not everything that looks spiritual is rooted in God. Even today, appearances, influence, and charisma can sometimes mask motives that aren’t aligned with truth.

Discernment is essential in a world full of voices claiming authority. Scripture calls believers to test what they hear against God’s Word and to pay attention to fruit, not just presentation. True spiritual leadership reflects humility, repentance, and alignment with Christ—not control, profit, or self-exaltation.

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Highlights

• Not everything that appears spiritual is genuinely from God
• Simon’s story reveals the danger of pursuing power over transformation
• Discernment requires evaluating teaching against Scripture
• Jesus teaches that spiritual truth is revealed through “fruit,” not appearance
• False teaching can be persuasive, charismatic, and still misleading
• God calls believers to wisdom, testing, and spiritual awareness
• True faith is marked by humility, repentance, and Christlike character

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Full Transcript Below:

Encountering Modern Day Simon the Sorcerers
By Vivian Bricker 

Bible Reading:
“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.’” - Acts 8:18-23

There are many false teachers who distract us from the true Gospel. These individuals tend to be charismatic, confident, and deceptive in their dealings with others. How many megachurch pastors have we seen step down from positions of authority because of scandal? As followers of the Lord, we must be discerning. It takes time, focus, and a close walk with Jesus to recognize wolves dressed as sheep.

God will help us discern true followers of the Lord from those who are not. Unfortunately, there are many people who claim to be Christians, only to di