Reading Plan:

Acts 8

Desert Season

Author: Mellanie Alexander

So much is happening in Acts 8. Saul, in his zealousness, leads the charge of persecuting the church. The church scatters and it grows. Philip goes to Samaria and starts proclaiming the word of God. His ministry is flourishing. Many people are being saved and receiving the Holy Spirit. He was obeying his calling and at the height of his ministry, God calls him to a different place - a desert.

This seems crazy to me. Philip's ministry is growing, and God calls him to leave it? And to go to the desert? This seems like foolishness. Why would you leave what is growing and prospering to go to the desert? Who is going to take over when you leave? What about the people who were just baptized? I have so many questions about what is going to happen once he leaves. Maybe Philip did too, but we don't get to see into his innermost thoughts. What we do get to see is how he responds. "And he arose and went." (vs. 27a).

Obeying God was more important to Philip than leading a thriving ministry, even when it meant leaving a good ministry for a desert season. In the desert, his eyes were opened to the opportunity around him. The Spirit told him to join a chariot with a rich Ethiopian, and he obeyed. The Spirit gave him the boldness to speak with this man and explain the scriptures. The Spirit opened the eyes of the Ethiopian, and he was baptized because of Philip's obedience to God. Then the Spirit took Philip out of the desert and deposited him at Azotus where he continued to preach.

Philip left the many to witness to the one because God and the Holy Spirit directed him to do so. There will be times when God calls us to step away from something that is thriving and into an unknown desert season. It won't be what you planned. It won't make sense. It will seem contrary to everything you know. Do it anyway. When Philip obeyed, the Holy Spirit led him the whole way. He easily distinguished the voice of the Spirit. There were no distractions around him to get in the way.

God's voice is always the strongest to me when I'm seeking Him wholeheartedly in the desert. When distractions fall to the side and it's just God and me, I clearly hear Him directing me. I rarely understand why I am in the desert while I'm there, but when I embrace it, my faith grows. People around me are changed because I am changed. I wouldn't choose the desert, but once I come out of that season, I'm so thankful for it. Don't despise the desert just because you don't understand it. When God calls you to walk away from something that is seemingly good and into the unknown, be like Philip and arise and go.

Reflection:

• Has God ever called you away from a place where you were thriving to an unknown desert?
• How did you react and what did you learn?

Family Content: Not for Sale

Author: Mary Boleware

• A young man named Saul was a religious leader who agreed with the killing of Stephen. Saul’s actions helped to spark a movement of violence and attacks against the church. Saul began to go house to house and put men and women in prison who were believers in Jesus. Members of the church began to run away to avoid Saul. As they ran away to other towns, they kept preaching about Jesus as our Savior. We see Philip emerge in a city in Samaria. Philip’s message of Jesus brought great joy to that city. The number of believers in Samaria increased greatly and many were baptized. There was a man called Simon, who had entertained the local Samaritans with his “evil tricks” for a long time. But after seeing Philip’s miracles and hearing the message of Jesus, Simon was baptized and began following Jesus. Peter and John (two of the original twelve apostles) had come to the city when they heard all that Philip was doing. 
• Have you ever been jealous of someone else because they were “stealing your thunder” or getting more attention than you? We probably all have been guilty of this at some point. Although Simon believed in Jesus, he missed being the one performing magic and began to feel left out. He wanted to be in the spotlight again and tried to buy the power of God that Philip, Peter, and John had used to perform these miracles. Peter corrected Simon and told him to repent and ask God for forgiveness.
• In this case, Simon had actually done something wrong, unlike Stephen in our readings the past couple of days. When we find ourselves in a situation like Simon's because we have done something wrong, we should repent and tell God what we have done and ask for His forgiveness.
• The gifts of salvation and the power to perform miracles from God are not for sale! We cannot buy Jesus’s love or our salvation; He gives it to us freely when we ask Him to be the Lord of our life. Our life as Christians is not about us, but about what we can do each day with our words and actions to lead others to Jesus. If that means not being the star of the show, then we accept the backstage role that God gives us.
• This is a great opportunity (although not necessarily an easy task) to discuss the act of confession and repentance as a family. Encourage each other to pray daily giving God praises first, then asking forgiveness for our sins.
• Prayer: Dear God, we praise Your Name and lift You above all others. You are our source of strength daily. You give us all that we need. Your love and grace cannot be purchased. You give it to us freely when we admit that we believe in You and Your Son, Jesus. Reveal our sinful behaviors to us so that we may come to You and confess our wrongs to You. Give us the courage to change our behavior and not return to these sins. Show us our place in Your kingdom, whether that is as a centerstage leader or backstage helper. Guide our steps daily as we follow Your ways and draw us closer to You. We ask these things in the name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.