“Are You Used of God?”

by Pastor Tim Burt

Acts 8:30 “The Holy 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.

Do you believe God wants to use you? Do you believe the Holy Spirit would prompt you to help someone know Jesus? Today’s Fresh Manna verse reveals just how God will use a yielded vessel.

This Ethiopian was a very influential man traveling through the desert in a chariot trying to read scriptures and get a clue as to what they meant. He really didn’t know. It would be the same as anyone else who was unfamiliar with reading the Bible trying to pick one up and understand it today. Until you understand the underlying premise that God loves us and gave us His son Jesus to come and die and pay a punishment in place of the punishment we deserve for our sins – until you understand this foundation that brings meaning to the whole book, it would be hard to understand. And so it was for this man.

Acts 8:26-38 “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 eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, 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. And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his justice was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch asked Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom speaks the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what does hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”

This story is the demonstration of the power and intimate effort on God’s part to use someone who knows Him to help another get to know Him. God loved this man so much that He spoke to Philip to go out to this desert place.

What a phenomenal and exciting thought! Almighty God is actually looking for and speaking to people that will be obedient to come and help you. Almighty God is actually looking to and speaking to you to help someone else. The Ethiopian man experienced this personal touch from God and it changed the whole course of his life. Because of this man’s influence as treasurer under the queen, his life most likely then touched the lives of countless others.

I was touched by God’s love that way 23 years ago and countless times since. As I was working on an airplane, I met a woman that seemed to shine. There was something different about her. She had a genuine kindness and peaceable way about her. She shared that peace in a way that pierced my heart. I was one looking for answers to life and God has sent someone to me that had them. It was amazing to me and destroyed the myth and lie that the God of the universe was to busy for me as an individual.

Last Wednesday a man that was from India walked up to me that had heard me saying some things. He wanted to talk to me. We began to talk and I could tell he didn’t know the Lord. I asked him if he knew of God’s love and assurance of eternal life. He didn’t. I shared the love of Jesus which he was hungry to learn about. He prayed right there to receive Jesus into his heart. You could almost see a transformation in his countenance immediately. I had a Bible and little mini-books to help him get started and invited him to church. He’s coming. The last thing he told me was that this entire event had to be God’s doing because he named about three unusual things that happened that put himself in front of me. THAT IS GOD’S LOVE!

I think and pray often about God using me to help someone know Jesus. I pray that I will be as faithful as Philip was. I pray that each of us that do know the Lord will be willing vessels to share His love. We are surrounded by people searching for the real truth in the midst of a world filled with confusion. We might be the very vessel God desires to use to introduce Himself to someone to begin to change their world. The Holy Spirit is ready to use you. Are you ready to be used? “1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/