But His Preaching Went On

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. (Acts 8:5)

Acts 8:5-8, 8:35-40, and 10:36; II Cor. 4:5

What Is God Saying?

Saul, the zealous defender of the Jewish religion, began to "lay waste the church." It was serious business to him. He "entered house after house, and dragged believers off to prison" (Acts 8:3). For those persecuted and scattered, God sent preachers like Philip, who used the trial of persecution as the impetus for proclaiming Christ. Philip was a Hellenist, a Greek-speaking Jew, and a Deacon. He cared about all people. He was God's messenger to the Samaritans.

Wherever Philip went, he preached. He became a part of the second-stage rocket booster in the launch of the Gospel, first into Jerusalem (Acts 1:8), then into Judea and Samaria, and finally around the world. Based on their experience with the Jews, the Samaritans expected hostility from Philip. Instead, they found great joy in Philip's preaching and the Holy Spirit's miracles. (Acts 8:8) Philip preached at Azotus (or Ashdod), then through all the towns until he came to Caesarea, where he settled down. But his preaching went on. Paul found him faithfully at work in Caesarea on his last journey back to Jerusalem.

How Does This Apply To Us?

The lesson from this early and faithful itinerant evangelist is that he proclaimed Christ wherever he went. His primary task was to preach Christ. He did it faithfully. He was sensitive to the Spirit's call. His life, message, and compassion were all in one piece. Whatever he did, wherever he went, whoever was listening, Philip proclaimed Christ. Can this be said of us?

Pray With Me

Lord, I will go for You because I know I can go anywhere with You. Philip possessed in his heart the Christ that he proclaimed in Samaria. So let it be in my life. Let me proclaim the Christ without depending on eloquence or cleverness. I have such an incredible story to tell. Let me do it in simple language, both by my words and my life. So I would proclaim the Christ.

For His glory, His glory alone. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

We have the great Good News. The world rejects it as the Lord said it would. People defend their prejudices out of fear and search for meaning in a world that falls into chaos. We must keep others in our hearts and pray that our lives in word and deed will continue proclaiming Christ.