Philip
November 14
Acts 8:26-35
“Go to the desert!”
One day, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
So Philip went there and saw someone riding along in a chariot (a horse-drawn cart). It was the treasurer of Ethiopia! He had gone to worship in Jerusalem and was on his way home. The Spirit told Philip to go up to the chariot and stay close to it. As he did, he heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah.
“Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
“How can I understand when there is no one to explain it?” the Ethiopian answered. Then he stopped the chariot and invited Philip to come and sit next to him on the chariot.
The Ethiopian had been reading the passage in Isaiah: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before the shearers, so He opened not His mouth.”
Then Philip used that passage to tell him the good news that Jesus, the Lamb of God, died to take away our sin.
How can I reach my friends for Jesus?
Philip was preaching in Samaria, where many were turning to God. Even though Philip was being used there in a wonderful way, the Spirit told him to leave the area and go to the desert. This shows how important it is to God to reach the heart of a single person who is ready to receive Him. Here are just some ways God can use you to reach someone:
Let your life be an example of what it is like to follow Jesus.
Tell others how Jesus can be their friend too.
Use the Bible: Philip used Isaiah 53 (verse 7). You could use verses like these: Sin – Romans 3:23; God’s love – John 3:16; Believing in Jesus Romans 10:9; Forgiveness – 1 John 1:9.
Invite your friends to your church or fellowship group.
Pray that the Spirit will work in the hearts of your friends.
Verse for today
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6