Lake Eufaula Christian Church
While taking a trip by automobile, we sometimes come to a fork in the road and have to decide on which route to proceed. While on our spiritual journey, we sometimes must make the same decision. If we come to a fork, we need to follow God’s leading.
The Bible illustrates this truth with the story of Philip, one of seven deacons chosen by the twelve disciples who needed help as they followed Jesus’s order to go and make followers in all nations.
Philip the Evangelist helped distribute food to the growing group of Christ-followers in Jerusalem until they faced severe persecution because of their faith in Jesus. The church scattered from Jerusalem throughout Judea and Samaria—many having their homes searched and many being cast into prison.
During this tense situation, “believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.” (Acts 8:4,5).
He had a wonderful ministry there, using his God-given skills to cast out evil spirits and heal the paralyzed and lame, “so there was great joy in that city.” (Act 8:8). But God needed him to leave his amazing Samarian ministry and go to a sparsely populated no-man’sland. “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went.” (Act 8:26-27a) Yes, when Philip met a fork in his spiritual journey, he didn’t cling to his success to avoid unpleasantries. He perceived the call and obeyed God, not knowing yet what he wanted to do. He comes upon another traveler who desperately wanted to know the Lord. “There was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.” (Acts 8:27-28) The Ethiopian eunuch was African—not an Israelite, not Hebrew. Although a man who had been physically altered and unable to produce children, he had risen to a position of authority—treasurer of his queen’s kingdom— and he could read! He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, but as a eunuch, he was considered unclean and unrighteous by leaders of Judaism, and thus unable to participate in the temple rituals. Imagine his disappointment and rejection on that long, desert road going back home! Yet, he still sought God and was reading Isaiah.
“And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” So Philip hopped in the chariot and “told him the good news about Jesus.” (Act 8:35). “And ….they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36). Nothing at all. Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament restrictions of the law. Through His new covenant, He invited all to come to salvation through Him, the Messiah.
We at LECC follow Jesus’s lead and welcome all to our Christian fellowship at 415897 Highway 9, Eufaula. Our Sunday school is at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesdays all- age classes at 6:30 p.m. Our church may be the path God wants you to choose if you’ve reached a fork in your spiritual journey. We hope you’ll hop on and enjoy our sacred trip.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
