As I’ve read some of the accounts of Azusa Street, there seemed to be a little too much commonness that began to manifest itself.  Nevertheless, God manifested Himself in great power and might.  It said that those that were possessed were delivered, “many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.  And there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:7‑8), hallelujah.  Isn’t it great to see captives set free?  Nothing greater than seeing a transformed life when someone becomes regenerated, and those shackles of sin fall off.  The lordship of Satan is replaced by the love of God and the lordship of Jesus.  To see the peace, the serenity come on those faces, what a joy it is.  And we’ve seen so many times—I won’t belabor some of the testimonies, but I can just remember looking into the faces, over the years, of so many people.  One that stands out in my mind was in Haiti, that boy that was born deaf and to watch—as we have photographs of it—to see his face, his eyes dull, just completely deaf and just staring off into space, and click.  The next picture is this smile on his face and the joy as his head begins to look up as God instantaneously healed him.  “There was great joy in that city,” there was joy in this city.  And the same conflict that we’re going to read here in a moment, as this began to be noised abroad when we were in Haiti, the witch doctor then began to put curses on me.  I’ve laughingly said over the years that I can imagine this little voodoo doll with a golf shirt on and him sticking pins and putting curses on it.  You can’t curse what God’s blessed; amen?  How are you going to curse what God’s blessed?  If God’s for us, who can be against us, hallelujah?  If my memory’s right, I believe that guy got saved in the meetings.  None of their power, none of their curses, worked.  God was doing great healings down in that area of Duvalierville.  We were a little further into the rural areas.

There was great joy in that city and then one called Simon, involved in sorcery who had bewitched the people, showing that he was some great one.  Everyone gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God” (Acts 8:10).  Well, we’ll see; amen?  We’ll see who the great power of God is.  “He had bewitched them with sorceries,” verse 11 says.  But the people believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, and they were baptized.  And Simon himself then believed also and was baptized, hallelujah.  There was a family just recently, we were praying for one of their loved ones here just on Saturday and Satan had bound them in different areas and we were praying and believing God to set them free.  There was some involvement with occultic activities.  And there was much joy in the city.

And so, we see in the midst of all this great manifestation, signs, wonders, the occult being overcome, Simon was set free, regenerated.  So, the apostles come down now from Jerusalem, and verse 14 says when they “heard that Samaria had received the word of God…when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost…Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostle’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power,” (exousia, authority) “that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money,” (Acts 8:14-20).  “You think you can buy the gifts of God?”  Let me just go off course again here for a moment.  Bethel, that whole group, says, “Come into this class, pay $100, and we’ll make you a prophet, or we’ll impart to you some gift.”  These gifts are given severally as the Holy Ghost wills; amen?  You can’t buy the gifts of God.