Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. -Acts 8:30-31, 34-35 NIV

Warrior;
Philip went to Samaria, a place usually avoided by all good Jews. He began to preach the gospel and performed a number of miracles. As a result, people turned to Christ and a revival broke out in Samaria. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. “When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8: 6,8) Philip listened to God to BE in Samaria to begin with, and then to leave a prime evangelical situation to go and spend time with ONE- because God told him too!

Leader, when we walk with GOD, it doesn’t always make sense. The Bible tells us that God’s ways are NOT our ways and HIS ways are far BETTER than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9) We are told an angel spoke to Philip. The angel told Philip to head out toward the desert. Think about what a strange command this must have been to Philip. There was a revival going on in Samaria and Philip was right in the middle of it. This sure didn’t seem to be the right time to be moving on to some new location. The work was just beginning in Samaria! What an odd request this seemed. God is looking for people who are willing to AVAIL and COMMIT to our LORD! Are you willing to STAND OUT for the LORD, when you know you are being called to SPEAK UP, STEP OUT or STAND FIRM for our LORD and HIS NAME?

Conduit, Philip obeyed God instead of his flesh or the world! The Bible is filled with those who obeyed God even when what they were told to do seemed to defy conventional wisdom or defy the wisdom of the world. What he heard seemed strange, just like: Noah built a boat in the desert; Abraham left his home, business and extended family to go to a place God would show him; Gideon went to war with only 300 men, Moses took on the WORLD POWER and it’s Pharaoh; Peter walked on water, Ananias went to visit the chief persecutor, Saul- what WILL DO YOU FOR YOUR LORD? Philip listened for an opportunity to share the GOSPEL and Philip LISTENED TO GOD! He left a revival and he met the ONE where he was, and he KNEW the Gospel message and HE SHARED with the ONE. Jesus had a message to ONE, Nicodemus in John 3. One of the great pharisees of the time, who was immortalized in time by being mentioned in the Bible. Tradition says that the eunuch carried the gospel back home to Ethiopia and founded the church there. GOD VALUES THE ONE: The ONE IN FRONT of you and the ONE in the mirror. The one on the street corner and the one who works in the cubicle next to you. “I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10) Today, instead of focusing on the many, how about focusing on the ONE! Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one-person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19) Today be THE ONE who is focused on THE ONE