praying with others | Timothy Burt

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Do you believe God wants to use you? Do you believe the Holy Spirit would prompt you to help someone know Jesus? The following verses share a story of just how God will use a yielded vessel.

Acts 8:26-38 NIV “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 Ethiopian was a very influential man. He experienced this personal touch from God and it changed the entire 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. This story is the demonstration of the power and intimate effort on God’s part, to use someone who knows Him (like you or I) 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. Would God help you be used like this in some way? What a phenomenal and exciting thought and the answer is YES!

I was touched by God’s love that way 41 years ago at the age of 24. As I was working on an airplane, I met a woman who seemed to shine. There was something different about her. She had a genuine kindness and peaceable way about her. I told her there was something different about her and asked her what that was. What she shared, pierced my heart. I was one looking for answers to life and was hungry to know the truth about God if that was possible. Prior to meeting this woman, I had been saying in my heart, God if you are real, help me know you. I had so many questions. A short time later, along comes a gal who had the answers and was willing to share them with me. That was the beginning of an entire new life that has led me to where I am today. I was like that Ethiopian man.

Last Wednesday a man who was from India walked up to me. He had heard some things I had been saying about God in a conversation with someone else. He wanted to talk to me. As we began to talk, I could sense that he didn’t know the Lord. I asked him if he knew of God’s love and assurance of eternal life through Jesus Christ. 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 an immediate transformation in his countenance. I had a Bible and some little mini-books about living a new life in Christ in my car. I went and got them to help him get started in this new journey with Jesus. I always keep those important tools close by. I invited him to church. He came and over the next year, turned his entire life around. He later told me that our meeting that day 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 daily about God using me to help someone know Jesus! I pray that I’ll be as faithful as Philip was. I pray Psalm 2:8 (KJV) “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance…” And I pray for you! I pray that you will be willing vessels to share His love. We are surrounded by people searching for the truth of God in the midst of a world filled with darkness and confusion. I don’t get stuck trying to help those that don’t want to know. There will be a time when they are ready. I move on to those that are looking to know the Lord now! There is an entire harvest field of people looking to know the Lord in your world around you. You don’t know who they are but they are there! You might be the very vessel God desires to use to introduce Himself to someone who’s searching in their heart. The Holy Spirit is ready to use you. Are you ready to be used? Pray, ask the Lord, and then pay attention. There are people around you who are spiritually hungry and desirous to know the Lord who are ready to listen and open up their heart to you! And when you encounter them and open up to them, it will have been a great day in the Lord for the both of you!

“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

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