DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

Philip the evangelist and deacon had no idea why God asked him to leave a successful ministry in Samaria and travel down a desert road.  Little did he know that God had pre-arranged an opportunity to potentially impact the entire nation of Ethiopia.  ( Acts 8)

As you know the Ethiopian CFO had come from Jerusalem searching for some answers.  He just happened to be stumped over a passage in Isaiah 53.  Philip jumps into his chariot and explains the Gospel to him.  The Eunuch understood and accepted Christ and was immediately baptized.

Some of us would call that some low hanging fruit just waiting to be picked.  Another way to look at it is God designed a divine appointment for Philip.

I believe God still designs divine appointments for all of us if we would be as alert to the voice of God as Philip.

Not only did Philip listen to God, he was willing to run up to the chariot and ask a simple question. Little did he know how open the Ethiopian Eunuch would be.  Not only did he plant the seed he consummated the deal by baptizing him.

I wonder how many opportunities God has prearranged for us that we have missed because we are too preoccupied with our lives?  Or perhaps too chicken to ask a simple question?

I believe there are still many people searching for answers in our culture.  We have it!

Let's all try running up to more chariots.  You never know what impact that one person might have for the His Kingdom.

Keep listening!

BLIND SPOTS

One of the vehicles that I drive has a blind spot that makes it difficult to change lanes.  I can look in the mirror on the passenger side but realize that the objects seen in the mirror appear to be further away then they actually are.   So it is critical before I move to my right that I deliberately look over my shoulder and put on my directional light.   Once I have done that it is safe for me to change lanes.

All of us have blind spots in our lives.  Because of that, we change lanes without realizing that there is impending danger.  Those blind spots may include anger, pride, jealousy, performance issues, and a myriad of others.  Unfortunately many of us just glance in the mirror and assume those dangers appear further away than we think.  The next thing we know we end up in a relational accident and can't understand why.

The sad part is that for those of us who have been driving the longest won't even look in the mirror.  We have done such a great job of rationalizing and compensating that we have become calloused to our blind spots.

Let me remind all of us that we should never stop learning about ourselves.  C. S. Lewis said, "The more we know ourselves the more we can know God."  We should all be life long learners no matter how old we are.  The Apostle Paul said that he hadn't arrived.  Neither have we.

Therefore it is imperative to be asking the right questions of those who know us best, and continually asking God search our hearts to see if there be any wicked way in us.

Until then, SAFE DRIVING!