Five Minute Friday ~ Join

"Stop, drop & write. It’s Five Minute Friday [over at Gypsy Mama's - & you should join us, too...]!

Where a beautiful crowd spends five minutes all writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here.

So, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on...

Join…

GO!

He hadn't seen any travelers, not even one, as he wandered the long, dry, dusty, dreary desert road. Did God made a mistake? What in the world was he doing here? He didn't understand.

He'd had to flee the persecution of Jesus-followers perpetrated by Paul. The bullying and worse that the growing flock of fledgling disciples had lived so recently was nothing short of terrifying. He'd wondered if imprisonment, torture, or even death loomed in his near future. So he's left, seeking escape and relief from the endless harassment, and found a place where he'd joined together God's Spirit, no matter what. Samaria, of all places??!! But if his Master considered a sinful Samaritan woman a kingdom investment, who was he to question his presence in this detestable place?

He unabashadly proclaimed the Gospel there. And the result? It was nothing short of amazing... miraculous... joyous. Of course, he should have known. That would be what happened when a soul consented to search and listen carefully for God's plan, determined to follow - even when it doesn't make sense or sound appealing. And the persecution shouldn't have caught him off guard. After all, the Lord had said there would be difficult times like that.

But when the outcome is this? Lonely wandering, accompanied only by his thoughts. After experiencing first God's protection... and then hearts so receptive to the new life offered by following a new way? This present just didn't make sense. Had he misheard the angel? "Get up and go south, towards Gaza?"  Gaza? It might as well be the end of the world. Not even Joshua had successfully subdued that place during the Conquest of Canaan.



Illustration Credit



Then he saw the chariot. It was still quite far off in the distance. But it was moving so slowly, it was hardly moving. In fact, at their current rates, he'd overtake it... walking. "What could be the problem?" he mused aloud.

Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot...”

Philip did.

STOP!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The inspired Biblical account of this story can be found in Acts 8.

Saul was in hearty agreement with putting [Stephen] to death.

And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Somedevout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. 

....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.

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.