Branching Out

Just recently, a dear friend was sharing a delightful story with me. She was telling how she was in the midst of a very hectic and not so great day, and she went to visit an elderly friend who began to ask her all sorts of deep questions about the Lord. My friend was amazed at what was coming out of her mouth! It seemed as if the perfect responses were already prepared for her. It was ALL GOD! And the most amazing part was that she didn't feel like she was in a good place with the Lord at all that day. She was busy, and tired, and distracted and...well, we've all been there haven't we? Yet, Jesus came through. Literally, He came through her! Imagine that. It wasn't her at all, it was HIM!

What is so precious and wonderful about this story, (and we all have them), is that we are amazed when this happens. We are amazed that God would come through us when we are so "unprepared."  But if we take a moment to ponder it more fully, we will realize that when God chooses to move through us it is always Him, and never us! Think about it. What we are really saying is, "Wow God, You were totally able to do it without me!!" That is just too funny!

"I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can't produce anything without me." John 15:5

OK, so Jesus came and He died and then He came back and then He said He would abide in us and live in us and dwell in us and we would also abide and live and dwell in Him. "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." John 14:20. What does that mean? Does that mean that I have to muster things up on my own and try to make God proud of me? Or does it mean what it says? Is Jesus in Me, and am I in Him? And if this is true, then it would seem like all I have to do is show up and God also shows up. Wow. I am always and forever connected to Him. I can't produce anything without Him, but He took care of that by always being in me, and by keeping me always in Him.

This, my friends, is a win-win scenario. I don't know about you, but I am experiencing a greater freedom along with this revelation. I am no longer trying to make things happen because I need to do it for God, nor am I afraid to speak because I might not have enough Scripture memorized or maybe I didn't pray long enough. He is the vine, and I am a branch. I am always connected to Him. So, I guess you could say I am branching out.

Transportation

Today I was reading about Philip in the book of Acts. What an amazing and interesting guy he was! I think what makes him most amazing is how he operated in the boldness of grace.

While Philip was sharing the Gospel in Samaria, a messenger of the Lord came with instructions to leave Samaria. And that was a pretty tall order, since the road he was told to take runs through the middle of uninhabited desert. There he was in a city full of people who were accepting the Good News and the Holy Spirit, and God asks him to leave there and go into a desert...to lay down his big "ministry" and all of the excitement of it, and go down this desolate road.

Philip, because he is so amazing, did what he was told to do. He didn't try to hang on to his popularity or his ministry which had great potential for growth...he just heard God's messenger and obeyed.

Along the road he met up with a dignitary from Ethopia, an African man who had been castrated. (This is an important detail we will get back to.) He was on his way to Jerusalem. The man was seated on his chariot reading aloud from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

Philip received another prompting from the Holy Spirit to go over to the chariot and climb on board. So Philip started running until he was even with the chariot. He heard the Ethiopian reading, and recognized the words from the prophet Isaiah, and asked him if he understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian invited Philip into the chariot where they had a conversation. Philip used the passage to explain the good news of Jesus. He must have been quite anointed and convincing, (a little pentecostal joshing) because as they passed by a body of water, the Ethiopian asked if there was anything that might prevent him from being baptized and identified as a disciple of Jesus. Philip replied "If you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Liberating King, then nothing can stop you." (Them's powerful words right there!!)

So Philip and the Ethiopian walked together into the water, and Philip baptized the Ethiopian. But wait, this was no small thing. You see, the reason the Ethiopian had asked Philip the question "...is there anything that might prevent me from being ceremonially washed and identified as a disciple of Jesus?" is that he was referring to the prohibition in Judaism from full participation in temple worship against men like himself, ones who had been castrated...a prohibition he would likely have encountered in this very visit to Jerusalem.

Philip didn't see any problem with it! He knew that Jesus died for one and all, and that His grace was provided for everyone...even this religious misfit! And that's where my favorite part of the story takes place. Once Philip dunks his Ethiopian brother, he is immediately caught up by the Holy Spirit and taken to another town! And the Ethiopian disciple gets back in his chariot and continues on his journey, though he's quite a bit more lively now being full of the joy of the Lord!!

OK, so what is the moral of the story to me? Obey the Holy Spirit, and lavish others with the grace you have been given, and you will really go places in God's Kingdom!!