YOUTH MOVEMENT
YOUTH MOVEMENT
By RACHEL Larson |
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HAVE
you ever been given a nickname you didn β t like ? This can be very frustrating , especially if the name sticks . I want to share with you about someone in the Bible who is nameless to us . Instead of using his name , he β s given many labels , labels that affected every area of his life .
First , I need to fill you in on the backstory , so you understand what happens when this character comes into play . First , Stephen ( a disciple of Christ ) was martyred , which means he was killed because he was preaching about Jesus . Saul ( who isn β t Paul yet ) then starts his persecution of all Christians , taking anyone who professed to believe in Jesus to prison . This caused all of the believers in the area to scatter , which may sound like a bad thing , but it actually caused the Gospel to spread even further , so more people were hearing the Good News .
Philip was one of the disciples , and he went to Samaria . When he started preaching there , a citywide revival broke out . Philip was right in the middle of a huge move of God ! But then something unexpected happened ( Acts 8:26-29 ). An angel appeared and told Philip to leave Samaria and head toward Gaza . Notice he wasn β t given very much detail here ; he was simply told to leave and head in a certain direction . For me , I β d find it very difficult to leave a city-wide revival
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to go on a walk in the desert . But Philip obeyed and left . This is where our nameless friend , Ethiopian , comes into the picture . The Ethiopian had several descriptions : Ethiopian , eunuch , royal servant , etc . And we can gather that he was educated because he was reading a scroll . He was likely a Jew or a recent convert to Judaism because he was coming back from worshiping in Jerusalem . It β s important to note that eunuchs are forbidden from entering the temple ( Deuteronomy 23:1 ). So even though he went to Jerusalem to worship , he would have only been allowed to enter the temple β s outer courts .
The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah 53:7-8 when Philip came by and , following the Lord β s leading , interrupted the man β s journey ( Acts 8:30-35 ). It β s clear that the Ethiopian was searching for the truth . Because of Philip β s obedience , he was able to present the Gospel to the Ethiopian , who , in turn , believed and was baptized right there !
We don β t know much about the Ethiopian , but we can speculate on a few things because of what we know about eunuchs during Bible times . His life may not have been very easy , and he was used to being labeled and forbidden from things and places . Maybe you can relate to the eunuch , feeling like you β ve been searching for answers but just can β t seem to find peace or the truth . Or you feel rejected by others because of your past , appearance , or family . God has orchestrated this moment ( just like He did for the eunuch ) so that you can hear the truth : you are LOVED , SEEN , and KNOWN by our Heavenly Father ! You are not nameless to Him . Nothing can be done to you or by you to change how He feels about you . You are a treasure to Him , and He knows your name . Isaiah 43:1b ( NKJV ), ββ Fear not , for I have redeemed you ; I have called you by your name ; You are Mine .ββ The God of the universe says He knows your name .
You may be like Philip , being moved to an area or activity that doesn β t seem as important as where you were . But God has a purpose in everything He asks us to do . That one Ethiopian was worth it to the Lord . Philip was able to tell the Ethiopian that it doesn β t matter how many rules we follow or how good we are β¦ or even what our heritage is . It β s all about God and His love for us .
Will you choose to have faith like Philip and go wherever God asks you to go ? Someone out there may be counting on you .
Will you own your identity in Christ as a beloved child of His ? It β s the truth . CMA
Ben and Rachel Larson serve CMA as National Evangelist
Youth Movement .
23βͺAUGUST 2024βͺwww . cmausa . org