The right place at the right time. You are clearly being carried along in circumstances beyond your control, and speaking words that have depth and impact that you could not possibly have planned and prepared through your own abilities. Such was the extraordinary experience of a man named Philip.
"an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, 'Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.' ( This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah." (Act 8:26-28)
It was the perfect set-up: Philip was squarely placed in the path of a man on a spiritual quest. He was directed to approach the man in the chariot (verse 29), and to dialog with him (verses.30-31). It became a life-changing conversation, beginning with insight into a passage from the book of Isaiah, and resulting in conversion and baptism (verses 32-38).
Wouldn't it be great to have similar experiences in leading other people to conversion? If it was this simple, we'd all be super-evangelists, right? With angels speaking directly to us, and giving specific instructions as to what to do and say, how could we go wrong? Philip clearly had an unfair advantage that we don't have. Or did he?
What we don't see in this amazing story is all that led up to it. Here is a man intensively trained for over three years by Jesus Himself. Here is man mightily empowered by Holy Spirit. And here is man with a burning passion for communicating the life-changing gospel. And these are significant factors that set the stage for the dramatic series of events we read about here. Perhaps it can all be summarized in this simple formula: preparation plus power plus passion equal opportunity.
Perhaps we will never be drawn into circumstances as dramatic as these, but I am convinced that this incident serves as a prototype of that which is readily available to us. The more we are prepared through study and understanding the gospel, surrendered to the power of Holy Spirit, and passionate to communicate this life-changing gospel, the more opportunities unfold before us.
How well do you know the true biblical gospel? Diligently study to know and master it. How available are you to the power of Holy Spirit? God's Sprit will mightily enable, but never override our reluctance to be used. And how passionate are your for communicating the gospel? Again, God's Spirit will not override personal reluctance.
God wants to orchestrate events in our lives that will lead to the conversion of others. But, He uses prepared, surrendered, and passionate people. May He find us to be such, and mightily use each of us in the conversion of lost people.
Steve
© 2010, Steve Taylor
"an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, 'Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.' ( This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah." (Act 8:26-28)
It was the perfect set-up: Philip was squarely placed in the path of a man on a spiritual quest. He was directed to approach the man in the chariot (verse 29), and to dialog with him (verses.30-31). It became a life-changing conversation, beginning with insight into a passage from the book of Isaiah, and resulting in conversion and baptism (verses 32-38).
Wouldn't it be great to have similar experiences in leading other people to conversion? If it was this simple, we'd all be super-evangelists, right? With angels speaking directly to us, and giving specific instructions as to what to do and say, how could we go wrong? Philip clearly had an unfair advantage that we don't have. Or did he?
What we don't see in this amazing story is all that led up to it. Here is a man intensively trained for over three years by Jesus Himself. Here is man mightily empowered by Holy Spirit. And here is man with a burning passion for communicating the life-changing gospel. And these are significant factors that set the stage for the dramatic series of events we read about here. Perhaps it can all be summarized in this simple formula: preparation plus power plus passion equal opportunity.
Perhaps we will never be drawn into circumstances as dramatic as these, but I am convinced that this incident serves as a prototype of that which is readily available to us. The more we are prepared through study and understanding the gospel, surrendered to the power of Holy Spirit, and passionate to communicate this life-changing gospel, the more opportunities unfold before us.
How well do you know the true biblical gospel? Diligently study to know and master it. How available are you to the power of Holy Spirit? God's Sprit will mightily enable, but never override our reluctance to be used. And how passionate are your for communicating the gospel? Again, God's Spirit will not override personal reluctance.
God wants to orchestrate events in our lives that will lead to the conversion of others. But, He uses prepared, surrendered, and passionate people. May He find us to be such, and mightily use each of us in the conversion of lost people.
Steve
© 2010, Steve Taylor
posted by steve @ 7:12 AM
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