As we read through the book of Acts, we see how God pursues people through his saints. We might call these moments when we are very aware that God has put us in a situation that He wants us to speak or act on His behalf, "Divine Appointments". I have experienced this many times. I have even been told by unbelievers, "God sent you to talk to me." It is exhilarating to be included by God in the moment of His pursuit of another person.
Here is a wonderful example of a divine appointment from
the book of Acts:
"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to
the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So
he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a]
eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake
(which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to
worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading
the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 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. “Do you understand what
you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless
someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This
is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to
the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open
his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak
of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.” The
eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about,
himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage
of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they
traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look,
here is water. What can stand in the way of my being 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. Philip, however, appeared at
Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he
reached Caesarea." Acts 8:26
Phillip did what God could not do in that he sat down with the eunuch (man to man) and
explained the meaning of the passage in Isaiah 53. God did what Phillip could not do. He set up the encounter at the
ordained time, gave the eunuch a hunger for and revelation of the the truth of the
gospel as Phillip taught him The result was that the eunuch was born again.
We can be confident of
this; as we are led of the Spirit, and as we co-labor with Christ, we will
have no reason to be insecure in sharing the gospel message with others, “For we are laborers together with God”
(1 Corinthians 3:9).
Until next blog posting..., “occupy until He comes”.
Until next blog posting..., “occupy until He comes”.
