I love to travel. It is exciting to see new places and meet new people. New customs in strange lands are a wonder and often times teachers in themselves. The Holy Spirit also loves to travel. Otherwise, why would He call certain Believers to travel to foreign lands? Because God is our Creator, He makes some of us with wandering souls. After all, Jesus commanded:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19). This reads to those of us with wandering souls as, get your passport, book your flight and revel in the new experiences. However, not everyone was made with a wondering soul. Not all the disciples traveled.
Led to the Wilderness
But for some of us, we are called to leave our homes, families and friends and go. Even though it is an exciting prospect, we are not always sent to the beautiful places on this earth. Jesus was even led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness (Luke 4:1).
To understand why the Holy Spirit may lead us into difficult situations, we need to understand why He led Jesus into the wilderness. This event in Jesus’ life happened right after He was baptized by John the Baptist and right before He began His ministry. Commentaries say that Jesus went through the wilderness and was tempted three times by Satan in order to show His obedience to the Father. By His obedience, Jesus has shown that even though He was completely human, He was able to resist the devil. Nowhere in the Bible does it speak to how the successful obedience of these three tests made Jesus feel. I’m just supposing here, but I think, Jesus not only showed His Father, that He was totally obedient to Him, He also showed Himself. This had to be a confidence booster as He was beginning His ministry. Furthermore, Jesus’ obedience through the wilderness shows us today how we can be obedient to the Father when we are tempted. We fight temptation with the Word of God, just as Jesus did.
We can see now that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness – it was part of God’s plan for Jesus and for us. When the Holy Spirit leads us into difficult situations, we can trust Him in that it is part of God’s plan and purpose for our lives. We may have been led into difficulties to teach us to lean on the Father, to be obedient, or to help others. We need to remember how Jesus handled His time in the wilderness, and do likewise.
Led to the Big Picture
Sometimes we get caught up in our own worldview which can lead to a smallness of vision. Actually, this is really normal as humans living on this earth with a limited ability to see God’s plan through all time for all humanity. This is certainly true for the apostles who were in the middle of what seemed like a paradigm shift in God’s plan – Jesus came to save all people, not just the Jews. Of course it was Peter who was basically dragged by the Holy Spirit to teach the Good News to Cornelius and his friends and family – all Gentiles.
Peter was given a vision while praying to eat unclean food. Peter argued with the Lord and told Him, he had never eaten unclean food and would not do so now. He argued not once, but three times! However, the Lord told Peter that He made all things and nothing was considered unclean.
While Peter was mulling this vision over, a couple of servants sent by a Caesarean centurion named Cornelius arrived at the door of the house asking for Peter. The Holy Spirit, Himself had to tell Peter that men were coming to the house to get him, and to go with them. He told Peter that the men were sent by Him. Still, when the men arrived, Peter asked them why they were there. They replied, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you (Acts 10:22).” Therefore, Peter invited these Gentile men into the home in which he was staying and left with them the following morning.
When Peter and the servants of Cornelius left for Caesarea, six Believers went with them to Cornelius’ home in Caesarea. Once there, Cornelius, and his family and friends who were invited, met Peter and his traveling companions. Peter and Cornelius compared notes and began to put together the pieces of the puzzle as to why Peter was called to preach at Cornelius’ home.
As he [Peter] talked with him [Cornelius], he entered and found many people assembled. And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.” Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)… (Acts 10:27-36).
As Peter was telling Cornelius and his guests about the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit entered each one listening, just as it had at the beginning for the apostles. Therefore, Peter baptized them all. Of course this news got back to the Jerusalem Council and they were really upset. How dare Peter baptize Gentiles!
Peter returned to the council along with the witnesses who had joined him from Joppa. After Peter told the council what had happened, they too agreed that repentance was given to Non-Jews as well. Thus, the Holy Spirit led Peter and other Jewish Believers to understand and accept that Jesus was crucified for all mankind.
Led to other Cities and Nations
Once Saul was converted and renamed Paul, he was led on missionary journeys along with Barnabas, Philip, John Mark and others. As they traveled, they let the Holy Spirit be their guide. If you are thinking about being a missionary to another country, it is important to consult the Holy Spirit as to where He wants you to go. It may be a place that isn’t even on your purview, but take time to listen and confirm where the Holy Spirit is leading you. We get a real look into how some of the first missionaries allowed themselves to be led. They fasted and prayed, along with other Believers so they knew exactly where to go and with whom.
While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus (Acts 13:2-4).
One of the most fascinating apostles who was led by the Holy Spirit was Philip. First we see him going to Samaria to preach the Good News. Many believed and Philip baptized them. However, when he baptized the crowds, Philip noticed that they did not receive the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Peter and John joined him in Samaria and they prayed that those who were baptized would also receive the Holy Spirit. Indeed, when Peter and John laid their hands on them, they did receive the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city (Acts 8:4-8).
…Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).
What is interesting in this recount is that the Holy Spirit was delayed in being given to those who were baptized. It seems that it wasn’t Philip’s job to lay hands on the new Believers, but rather, to baptize, cast out demons, and heal. However, Philip and the apostles in Jerusalem knew these new ones needed to receive the Holy Spirit in order to receive the power of Jesus in their lives. Therefore, Peter and John were sent for to lay on hands in order that the new Believers received the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is silent concerning anything more that Philip had to do with this matter. It seems Philip obeyed the Holy Spirit in baptizing the crowd that came to hear him in Samaria and then it was his job to move on. This speaks to being willing to be used completely as God sees fit, and not how we think we should be used. When we are out on the mission field, God may use us to plant His Word, while others are to water it, and still others are to reap the harvest. The person who was doing the planting, may never see or know the harvest. When we are being used by God, we need to trust Him completely, and not go where the Holy Spirit is not leading us.
After Philip preached to the crowd in Samaria, He is sent to an individual. This is what I mean when I say, we need to be malleable in order to be used by God. When Philip is given his marching orders by an angel, he isn’t told why he wasn’t to return to Jerusalem with Peter and John, he’s just told to go off on a desert road. Philip obeys and is led to fill in the Good News of God’s plan to an Ethiopian Eunuch. It’s so important to see that God isn’t interested in only relating to crowds, but also to individuals. When calling Unbelievers to become Believers, God uses both huge forums and one-on-one opportunities.
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
“IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.”
The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:26-40).
This is one of my favorite stories in the New Testament. Perhaps it’s because Philip got to travel while being led by the Holy Spirit. I especially am fascinated how he just finds himself in Azotus without having to go be conventional means.
This story also shows us how God meets us where we are at, and then brings us to Him. We can actually see how God is omniscient and knew the Ethiopian was reading the prophecy concerning Jesus written by Isaiah. How cool is that?! It shows us we need to be able to give an answer to anyone at any time about Jesus. Perhaps as Peter was writing his letter to the scattered Gentile Believers, he was thinking of how Philip preached to whomever God told him to as he was led by the Holy Spirit, when he wrote: Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence (I Peter 3:15b-16a).
As you are traveling, whether across the country, to a far off land, or to the grocery store, always be prepared to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit so that you may tell others of how much they are loved by God.
*All Biblical references were taken from the New American Standard Bible.
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