Praise the Lord for this new day and this new week. Praise the Lord for the way He brings Joy to us as we serve Him and worship Him. He blessed us with an abundant weekend. One of the highlights of the weekend was the Women's gathering and luncheon. It was a great and sweet fellowship. The speaker, Julia Kellaway, from the Family Life Network was a great blessing. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Acts 8. This is the story of an Ethiopian man who was seeking. The Risen Lord actively fulfills his purposes for the scope of the church's mission (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). Through his angel, the Lord took the initiative and directed Philip to take the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. In immediate obedience, with little information but complete trust in the Risen Lord, who guides, Philip set out. Philip encountered the Ethiopian eunuch and his retinue. The man was at once exotic, powerful and pious.
Returning to Africa, after a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for one of the feasts, he was sitting in his chariot reading Scripture. Under the guidance of the Spirit ,Philip obediently overcomes any social reticence, approached the wagon, walked briskly alongside and engaged the eunuch in conversation about his reading. The eunuch admitted his need. God in his mercy provided not only the text but also the interpreter, a Spirit-filled teacher. The eunuch urgently, but politely, asked for guidance . It is written that the eunuch was reading Isaiah 53:7-8 (Acts 8:32-33). The eunuch wanted to know whether the prophet was talking about himself or someone else. Philip "opened his mouth" beginning from this passage (compare Luke 24:27) and told the eunuch the good news about Jesus. Christ is the salvific key to the Old Testament. Philip both answered the eunuch's question and pointed to Jesus' saving significance. Just as a messenger fresh from the field of battle would "evangelize" the citizens with news of their army's triumph (2 Samuel 18:19-20, 26, 31), Philip evangelized the Ethiopian with the news that Jesus, the righteous sufferer, crucified and risen again, won the victory over sin and death, in order that repentance and forgiveness of sins are available in his name. Though Philip was taken away suddenly, the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. For Luke and for us, joy is a manifestation of a person's salvation (8:8; Luke 6:23; 10:20). The episode ended as it began, with divinely guided and empowered outreach. Miraculously transported over thirty miles to the seacoast town of Azotus (the Old Testament Philistine town Ashdod), Philip continued his witness on non-Jewish soil until he came to Caesarea (compare 21:8).
The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch
graphically demonstrates the inclusiveness of the gospel. No apparent
obstacle--whether physical defect, race or geographical remoteness--can place a
person beyond the saving call of the good news.
In Christ,
Brown
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