God’s Actions…

When you are in a place of pure focus on God and His work, looking full into the wonderful face of Jesus, laying down self as an offering to God, then no one or no situation can stop you from preaching Jesus! I remember many times on the mission fields of this world (in and out of our own country!), taking groups of college students to learn how Jesus works in other cultures and countries and IN US! What a holy and pure experience to be in THAT place of focused obedience to God.

It is almost indescribable what God can do through a soul totally yielded to Him! Miracles occur that cannot be explained other than the power of God in action. Preaching from the heart of our God in me flowed from my lips that surprised and thrilled me as I was translated into the language of the people to whom we came alongside. How does this happen? First of all, my fervent prayer was to get me out of the way. “Lord, here I am, all of me. Do what You must in and through me. I place my life before You, put Your words on my lips. It doesn’t matter what I believe, it’s what YOU want said at this time and place.”

In those moments of merely being a conduit for God’s power, I was amazed to learn as much or more than the people to whom I was preaching! That happens when you are not in control. I am nothing and have nothing really to say of worth until I lay my thoughts down and merely let Jesus preach Jesus! I wonder if Philip felt this way when, fully focused and yielded to God, he was placed right into the path of a person from another culture who needed to know the Truth about the Person of Jesus Christ? This was not accident or coincident, this was God-ordained.

Acts 8, The Message
26-28 Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

29-30 The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

31-33 He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this:

As a sheep led to slaughter,
and quiet as a lamb being sheared,
He was silent, saying nothing.
He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.
But who now can count his kin
since he’s been taken from the earth?

34-35 The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.

36-39 As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.

40 Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.

Philip preached Jesus! God still does things like this, you know….God’s Actions still prevail in lives totally focused and yielded to HIS will and purpose. Why? Because it’s HIS work…not ours! We are merely invited and relish the opportunities to grow with our fellow sojourners on this earth. We do not have to worry about what others think, only that we obey when called to preach Jesus. Seize the opportunity when given the chance! Preach Jesus!

Dear Heavenly Father, You teach us so much because You love us. You want us to “get it” so badly so that we are allowing Your best in us to flourish. Thank you, Lord. I’m Yours. I’m listening.
Continue to be with us, showing us the path to take, every hour, every day. In Jesus Name and by His power within us, Amen.