“The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet” (v.29,30).Philip asked if he understood what he was reading, which led to an opportunity to share the Gospel with the Ethiopian. The man was even baptized before the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away!
Before Philip had the opportunity to share the Gospel, his heart had to be in a position where he could hear from the Lord. The first two steps Philip took in this passage were to 1) hear and 2) obey. Thirdly, he expressed a passion and fervency for obeying the will of God. When the Spirit instructed him to approach the chariot, he ran! He appears eager to see what the Lord is up to. Next, he is quick to become involved with what the Ethiopian is doing, shares the Gospel with him, and baptizes him.
Learning to hear and obey God’s call on my life has been an exciting, and at times, challenging journey. In 2007 He led me to Romania where I had the amazing, heart-breaking, and life-changing opportunity to spend time with babies in a pediatric hospital, children in a gypsy village, prisoners, and street kids. The experience of sharing His love with people in need and seeing His beauty expressed through those kids was an experience I will always treasure. It was amazing, but also very difficult at times; witnessing abandonment and poverty, feeling the attack of the enemy, and some smaller challenges such as jet lag made it difficult but also caused me to grow spiritually and see God’s power revealed as I cried out to Him in the midst of my weaknesses. Soon I will be joining Youth With a Mission to gain further training and experience in missions. I am excited for all that God has in store!
How has God called you to missions? You can be a missionary to your co-workers, family members, neighbors next door, or neighbors across the country or overseas. Draw near to God. Incline your ear to hear Him. Consider the opportunities and adventures that could be waiting down the road for you! Whenever you feel God calling you down the road to your neighbor’s house or out of your comfort zone to another nation, remember the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. Be inspired by Philip’s obedience and the impact it had on the Ethiopian. God has amazing plans in store for those who are willing to join Him in what He is doing!
Katie C is a member of Christ Community and is joining Youth With A Mission for the next 7 months. To read more about her adventures & discoveries, check out her blog: Learning to Climb Moriah
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