Be as Philip

Religion and tradition caries the same trademark since before Christ (in every culture). A heavy yoke that hinders His people from looking up but rather pulling them down, stuck in a tunnel vision of unreachable worldly perfection.

The Ethiopian man in Acts that was reading Isaiah could not understand who this silent Lamb was that was before His shearer. This Lamb that in humiliation had to go through suffering.

Maybe everyone was waiting for a mighty king like Saul or a wealthy king like king Hezekiah, even though scriptures like Zechariah says it so beautifully “Our King is comming, lowly and riding on a donkey”.

Today the system still teaches good morals like how to dress, talk and walk politely also to sing beautiful hymns. This is good I suppose, although in all of this I ofthen find myself wanting to walk up to a person, give them a big hug and lead them to Christ.

Could it be that today people are still looking for a king that is not king Jesus? A king that oppress instead of setting free? Jesus has come to set the captives free, free from worldly lusts and free from sin.

Do we truly know the King we serve? In Ephesians it talks about His followers that need to imitate Him. I suppose we should ask ourselves who do we imitate, Christ or the world? Jesus says that He wants us to be set apart.

The Holy Spirit leads and guides today and it does not always fit in or tick all the boxes of religion. I can just paint the picture of Philip when the Holy Spirit said to him that he must go near and overtake the Ethiopian’s chariot. Philip then actively responded by running to the ethiopian. This chapter says so much about the lively relationship He wants with all of us. This picture is too wonderful for me and gives me so much joy. Ofthen times my husband and I would not understand why we did some things whilst preaching or when making a decision, however one thing that we do know is that it does not have to make sense in a senseable way. If Jesus leads you with His Holy Spirit it can often times not be put in words. There is a peace and boldness that He gives and then we are always in amazement and even sometimes if we do not know, we can trust Him, lean on Him and rely on Him.

Now Philip understood that what the ethiopian was reading in Isaiah was about Jesus, and what did Philip do? He preached Jesus, the true Jesus. The Jesus that blead and died for our sins and rose again. Jesus who opposes the pridefull and gives grace to the humble.

As Philip and the ethiopian man went down the road the ethiopian said “here is water, what hinders me from getting baptized?” Philip baptized him and was caught up by the Spirit and was found in another place. This is the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit that is our helper for everyone that comes to Christ.

There are much more…
Which Jesus do you follow and serve?

Lets take off our shoes in a room full of stilettos and go sit with the sinners… thats where Jesus was.

Yolandi Cronje