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Thursday, April 18, 2002

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Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 66
John 6:44-51

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what god wants

"The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away...Philip found himself at Azotus next, and he went about announcing the good news in all the towns." —Acts 8:39, 40

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would give His apostles the power to be His witnesses "even to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). It was difficult to imagine how this promise would be fulfilled. Jesus began fulfilling it by:

  • sending an angel to tell Philip to "head south toward" a certain road (Acts 8:26),
  • synchronizing the travel of a prestigious Ethiopian so that Philip saw his chariot (Acts 8:27),
  • sending the Spirit to tell Philip to catch up with the Ethiopian's carriage (Acts 8:29),
  • prompting the Ethiopian to read from the prophet Isaiah without understanding what he read (Acts 8:30ff),
  • having the Ethiopian invite Philip to sit in his carriage (Acts 8:31),
  • giving Philip the understanding of this passage from Isaiah and the grace to communicate this (Acts 8:35),
  • planning the Ethiopian's journey to approach water at this point (Acts 8:37), despite being in a desert (Acts 8:26),
  • having the Ethiopian ask to be baptized (Acts 8:37),
  • converting the Ethiopian and having him baptized (Acts 8:38), and
  • giving the Ethiopian joy in his salvation (Acts 8:39).

The Lord will go to great extents to convert each person He has created. He even became a human being and died on the cross to save us. Be in God's will. Do everything you can to lead as many people as possible to Christ (see 1 Cor 9:19).

Prayer:  Father, may I want people to give their lives to You as much as I want to breathe.

Promise:  "If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world." —Jn 6:51

Praise:  Sarah's last words as she lay dying were "Jesus! Jesus!"

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Giles H. Pater, November 15, 2001


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, November 16, 2001