Selwyn continues ‘reflecting on the thought that most of the Bible is written in story form’. I liked this point that he makes: ” … the (Holy) Spirit is moving through the world, seeking God’s elected ones and preparing them for the day when the Bride (the Church) and the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) will be joined together for all eternity.”
I think a good example, of the Holy Spirit moving through out the world is given in Acts 8:26-39 (NLT), one of the texts, listed in the Further Study section.
“As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.”
We, who follow after Philip, should always be alert and keep our ears tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit; and be ready to follow His directions. However, I sometimes get the feeling that in my western culture most of us have ‘industrial’ deafness caused by our over-emphasis of the physical nature of our material world. Do you agree?
God’s wonderful storybook
Selwyn continues ‘reflecting on the thought that most of the Bible is written in story form’. I liked this point that he makes: ” … the (Holy) Spirit is moving through the world, seeking God’s elected ones and preparing them for the day when the Bride (the Church) and the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) will be joined together for all eternity.”
I think a good example, of the Holy Spirit moving through out the world is given in Acts 8:26-39 (NLT), one of the texts, listed in the Further Study section.
“As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.”
We, who follow after Philip, should always be alert and keep our ears tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit; and be ready to follow His directions. However, I sometimes get the feeling that in my western culture most of us have ‘industrial’ deafness caused by our over-emphasis of the physical nature of our material world. Do you agree?