A Few Moments with God -- Monday through Friday View this email in your browser Richard Kews Daily Devotions Scripture, Meditation, and Prayer delivered each weekday Monday, September 8, 2014 RichardKew@msn Acts 8:26-end Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. Thought for the Day Have you ever seen those clips of video on television of huge number of dominoes that are stood on their ends in a pattern of lines weaving around the room? The word is given, the first domino is tipped over and in a flurry all the rest follow in a magnificently coordinated action. I always feel the story of Philip and the Ethiopian is that tipping point in Acts. All the evangelism described to this point has involved being in and around Jerusalem, but now Philip is led into contact with a man from Africa, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, and utter outsider. This is just one example of what is happening on a larger scale in cities like Damascus and elsewhere in the Middle East. Such things are still happening today – yesterday I listened to a man talking about hardened offenders in a maximum security prison being found, like the Ethiopian, by Christ – and their lives starting to change. This is the fruit of the Gospel. Thanksgiving for the Day We give thanks to God that the first non-Jew mentioned as coming to Christ in the NT is an African. Intercession for the Day Let us pray today for the ancient but still very strong church in Ethiopia which, tradition has it, was founded by the Ethiopian eunuch. Collect for the Day Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for this Sunday in the Pentecost season in the Book of Common Prayer 1979) Readings for the Day Micah 7:1-7, Psalm 105, Acts 8:26-end, Mark 6:45-end Copyright © 2014 Richard Kews Daily Devotions, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have either been part of Richard Kews Daily Devotions listserv or have requested to be on this list Our mailing address is: Richard Kews Daily Devotions 41 Way Lane Waterbeach Cambridge, Cam CB3 9HG United Kingdom Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 05:26:49 +0000
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