And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea. Act 8:38-40 BSB
Brother Paul admonishes us in Romans 12:2 not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by making our minds new. In this way, he said, we will be able to experience the good, acceptable (pleasing) and perfect ( complete) will of God. The word rendered “conformed” properly means to put on the form, fashion, or appearance of another. It may refer to anything pertaining to the habit, manner, dress, style of living, etc., of others. So to be conformed means to put on the form of another or fashion like them. Therefore, to be conformed to this world is to take upon ourselves the fashion and the form of this decaying world. The word rendered 'world' refers to the systems of this present age which includes; fashion, art, music, and the way the populist does things.
"conformed” properly means to put on the form, fashion, or appearance of another. It may refer to anything pertaining to the habit, manner, dress, style of living, etc., of others
The contemporary church had far conformed to the patterns of this world that the world is launching at the Church, and the more we become like the world, the further we move away from the will of God. Scripture made it clear that, friendship with the world is being an enemy to God; (Jas 4:4), so the more the church resembles the world the louder the sound of the word 'Ichabod'. Had the glory of God long departed from the contemporary church and we don't even know it?
At the early days of the twentieth century when Brother Seymour left his hometown to Los Angeles, we saw a mighty move of God which forever shaped Christendom. Brother Seymour said "such a hunger to have more of God was in my heart that I prayer for five hours a day for two and half years ". An eye witness who was present at the very beginning of events gave this report saying; "They shouted three days and three nights. It was the Easter season. The people came from everywhere. By the next morning there was no way getting near the house. As the people came in they will fall under God's power; and the whole city was stirred. They shouted there until the foundation of the house gave way but no one was hurt. During those three days, there were many people who received their baptism. The sick were healed and sinners were saved just as they came in." Wow, the glory of God in description, and it was His will in operation.
Before the Azusa street revival was the Wales revival. The report about the Wales revival was soul searching. It is reported that for the three years of the revival, there were no league matches, the police force was laid off because crime rate was negative, market and shopping malls were closed with a set time of opening. If you did not shop at that time it is over for you because every one is in the chapel busy with God; and many many other events that baffled the minds of contemporary thinkers.
Today, governments very corrupt; our economy very bad; youth unemployment on the increase, families are disintegrating; our Media so foul, employers sleeping with employees and educational systems immoral, we need the glory of God in our time and days like never before. But how can we attract the glory of the Almighty into the nations in this time of devastating occurrences.
It is very evident that God wants his glory on earth. In Psalm 57 verse 5 and 11, scripture said " Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth." In chapter 72 verse 19, it is written, " And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen."
So you see, the evidence is clear in scripture that God wants His glory on earth. The fact is that we will never see the glory of God without his will in operation.
we will never see the glory of God without his will in operation.
Just before he was lifted up from the earth to the heavens, Jesus instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the father, and after which the promise is come, they will be witnesses unto His resurrection. Their witness suppose not to be in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was to be the starting point of their witness but as the Church grew, they became comfortable in Jerusalem and forget about the rest of Judea and Samaria and the outermost part of the earth. Had the Lord not sent persecution against them, you and I might not have been saved today. You see, when they are in Jerusalem, the Gospel could not reach Judea and Samaria and the outermost part of the earth, hence the glory of the Gospel was limited to the confines of Jerusalem. But when God kindle a fire to spark his will among the early church, his glory was reveal to the whole world. No wonder the chief persecutor of the church became the greatest carrier of the glorious Gospel to the gentile world. You see, it is written, " He is a light*for revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:32 mlv.
If we are going to see the glory of God, we must need abide in his will, outside the will of God for your life abide ashes.
The Lord is giving you beauty for ashes, in Jesus name.
Philip was setting tables in Jerusalem but in Samaria, he was disappearing and appearing. His encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch was a glorious moment in his ministry. Had the persecution not come, the will of God would not have been done and the glory to wouldn't have been seen in his ministry and the church at large.
His Will carries his Glory, and his WILL will always be painful to the human nature. But if we can endure the shame, we shall surely see the Glory. Endure that you might enjoy the Glory. Blessings.
Thou WILL be done on earth and in my life, as it is in heaven and was written in my books. In Jesus name. Amen
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