Encountering God And Rejoicing - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 8:36-39,

“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”

As the gospel began to spread, we read of an Ethiopian eunuch that Philip shared the gospel with. While we find the circumstances surrounding the account to be astonishing, there is an observation here to be made that I never want to lose sight of.

An angel of the Lord tells Philip to go down a certain road. That is pretty amazing by my standards. I don’t know that I have ever heard an angel speak to me. Then the Holy Spirit talks to Philip and tells him to go to a certain chariot, in which this Ethiopian eunuch is riding. Likewise, I don’t know that the Holy Spirit has ever audibly told me to do something as specific as to go to a vehicle.

Then, following the exchange between the two of them, we are told that the “Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away” and was next seen in Azotus. It makes me think of the “transporter” in the Star Trek series. Quite an astonishing account! But what grabs my attention is the heart and soul of the account: the Ethiopian eunuch went on his way rejoicing because of what happened to him!

The passage of Scripture the eunuch asked Philip to explain was from Isaiah 53. In that passage we are told, “He [the “servant”, Jesus Christ] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Just like us, this eunuch was lost in his sin, estranged from God and facing God’s certain judgment. Now that he had heard the good news contained in Isaiah’s prophecy and explained by Philip, this man had found forgiveness for his sin, a healing in his standing before God and the promise of a wonderful hope in the resurrection! This man went on his way rejoicing!

We go on our own way rejoicing as well! We have received everything this eunuch received and have every cause for rejoicing as he did. It is only when I allow the things of this life to crowd out my clear view of the wonderful hope I have, that my rejoicing dims. What an important point to pray for today: Lord, help me to set my heart and my mind on things above where Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God! Help me to fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Provides For The Proclamation Of The Gospel - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 8:4-8,

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.”

As the gospel message began its march from Jerusalem out to the rest of the world, Samaria was its next destination. As Jesus gave direction prior to his ascension into heaven, he said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Now, following the proclamation of the gospel in Jerusalem on Pentecost and the days following, at the temple and to the Sanhedrin, and the nation, the gospel moved on to Samaria.

I note the Lord provided a great persecution in Jerusalem to help scatter the believers with the gospel message. He also provided well equipped folks, like Philip, who were instrumental and effective in proclaiming the message. Miraculous signs: paralytics and cripples were healed and evil spirits were driven out of many. The Lord also provided the approval, endorsement and authority of the new fledgling community of believers in Jerusalem to the gospel message, in the sending of key leaders, Peter and John, to Samaria.

This is what I see in this passage: God provides! Despite whatever our agenda is in this life from day to day, God has his own agenda of having the gospel proclaimed to the world. Here we see clearly how he provides in the accomplishment of it. He has chosen to carry on his purposes in a fascinating collaboration with believers, using them as the vehicle to take his message to the world and providing them with all they needed to accomplish just that, and sometimes in surprising ways.

How wonderful our Lord has decided to include us in his purposes, to make us his partners in what he is doing in the world. And what is even more wonderful, is the many ways in which he provides us all we need to accomplish what he desires in the proclamation of his gospel message!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God's Good News To Us Is Unstoppable! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 8:1b-8,

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.”

When someone “swats” at a fire it only fans the flames. Just as fire needs oxygen to consume and grow, so the gospel grows when fanned into flame within unregenerate folks. The great persecution that broke out against the church in Jerusalem only had the effect of fanning to life the activity of the gospel into the regions beyond Jerusalem.

This reminds me of the statement made by Gamaliel in Acts 5:35-39, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men… in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Here I see the feeble attempts of mankind to stop the advance of God’s activity in the world through the gospel. But God’s gospel message to us has its own power that no one is capable of stopping, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17.

What a message this is! When attempting to stop it, it barrels through humanity like a freight train!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Is Worth Both Living And Dying For - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 7:59-60,

“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he fell on his knees and cried out, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he fell asleep.”
 
As I read of the first martyr of the church, Stephen, and his stoning, I am struck by his heart toward those who killed him. The Jews had “secretly persuaded some men”, Acts 6:11, to bring false accusations against him and stirred up a crowd.

After excoriating the Jews for turning their backs on God from the time of the patriarchs to the then present day (in their rejection of Jesus the Messiah), Stephen prays for them as they are in the process of killing him. They are doing the very thing Stephen accused them of when he said, “Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?”
 
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
 
What kind of God is it who so captures a man’s heart, that the man is willing to die for his God, and at the same time, forgive those at whose hands he is being killed?

Terrorists are willing to die for their cause, but always out of a demonic hate. Here Stephen is willing to die for his God. I also think his God had Stephen martyred for the impact it would have on those who killed him. I have to think this event influenced Paul’s thinking at a later date, when he was confronted by the Lord on the road to Damascus.
 
To say our God is worth dying for is not something that should be considered in a shallow way (as I suspect some are prone to do). Who knows who might be called to do so?

God is worth dying for. If that not be our lot, it is good to note he is also worth living for.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.