"Go Near" (Acts 8:26-29) by Librae Jackson, Deacon

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” Acts 8:26-29

Just as Philip obeyed, when The Spirit of God compelled him - first to the desert, and then to the chariot, I want to be obedient to what God's Spirit tells me to do. If the urge is a holy one, it will always be in accordance with His Word, and driven by faith in Christ. Every Christian's commission is to spread the Good News of Christ's salvation to the world. The Lord enables us to fulfill this commission, as He not only equips us with His Spirit, but also opens doors for the Gospel to be preached. He opened a door for Philip in the desert. This open door was connected with obedience to a direct order. And Philip, after walking through the door that was opened, saw the glory of God, in the salvation of a sinner.

When The Lord opens such doors for us, we should walk through them. That's our purpose for being here. We should always be attentive to His Spirit's inclinations, when pondering some good work. If He gives a specific thought about how this or that person, or group of people, can be helped, it's typically wise to follow through on a good gesture.

I'm not saying that we should be impulsive, put confidence in our own thoughts, or trust any hunches that are not in alignment with the Scriptures. What I am saying is that we should yield ourselves to God’s will at all times, and seek to honor Him in all things. With this attitude of His glory being our foremost priority, we will be open to anything that He would lay upon our hearts, to do for His Name. He establishes our thoughts. (See Proverbs 16:3)

Apostolic signs and wonders do not exist today, as they did in Philip's era, but The Holy Spirit is no less communicative or persuasive. Listen to what He tells you. He will always direct you, according to the Scriptures, and in the context of Christ. And love will always be the motivating factor. God's goodness toward us impels us to do good unto others, for His glory.

It could be something very simple. He could be prompting us to initiate a conversation with someone; foster a particular relationship; send an encouraging email; publish a helpful meditation; enquire about someone's beliefs; reach out to someone who's infirmed, etc. But, the point is that any opportunity to function as a minister of Christ is a good one. It could be as simple as speaking a kind word to a stranger. It could even be to follow-up on some particular item of business. These are simple things that we often tend to ignore. We want to live in His presence, so as to be aware of these little persuasions, and ready for bigger ones (like being called to preach, travel as a missionary, or do some other major-scale work). He will reveal His will clearly, in the outcome. (See Ecclesiastes 11:6)

It's one thing to be sensitively in-tune to God's Spirit, so as to discern His will, with a Biblical foundation for your movements. It's another thing to operate in a superstitious fashion, and put a label of "spirituality" upon one's own whims, as pagans do. The difference is clearly set forth for us in Proverbs 3:5-6, which says: "Trust in The Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

God will direct our paths, as His kingdom and righteousness are at the forefront of our minds, as our foremost priority.

We should never discount the importance of any of the Holy Spirit's inclinations. If you're saved, was it not the Spirit that moved you Godward, by the Gospel you heard preached? It's the Spirit that led you to believe at first, as Christ's message of "Come unto Me" was laid to your heart. I'm reminded of the words of the famous hymn: I Will Praise Him, "I obeyed The Spirit's wooing, when He said 'Wilt thou be clean?' " These words are an accurate reflection of what takes place, as God, by the Gospel message, pulls a sinner to Himself, with cords of grace.

The message by which we were saved initially, is also the same message by which we're continually called out of our lethargy, and brought to new levels of service. It's the same Spirit at work; the same faith in Christ, as the driving force. God often moves the hearts of His people toward certain duties, and assures us, by the Scriptures, that a particular endeavor is really His will.

If the Lord puts something on your heart, and you’re convinced that it would be for His glory, and the good of somebody else, go ahead and do it. Do it boldly and courageously, without fear or apprehension. Don’t be talked out of it by your flesh, or even by other brethren, who might not understand. It's time to stop paying so much attention to what people think, and start paying more attention to what The Lord's thoughts are. If God tells you to do something, do it, and see what He does with it. It just might turn out to be a blessed episode, similar to the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian man, where Christ was preached, and a soul was brought from darkness to light.