"Transforming Power"

Today’s Reading: Acts 8:36 - 40 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.


The Holy Spirit is God’s greatest gift to us as believers in Jesus Christ as our savior. When we receive the spirit we receive the giver also. The eunuch wanted more than to believe, he wanted a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Notice he did not ask Philip to baptize him, he asked him why shouldn’t he be baptized? Totally different question.


So Philip did not hesitate, he went to the water and baptized the eunuch and the spirit was present as they came up out of the water. Philip did not deny him baptism because of who he was or where he was from, for baptism is for all believers. Baptism of the spirit connects us forever to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and we are given the gift of eternal life.


On a personal level, I know with certainty that I am a different person because of the holy spirit. He is constantly guiding me and helps me through the struggles of life and he brings joy into my life. My mother passed away two years ago at the age of 88. She had been healthy and had every memory imaginable until a virus attacked her intestines as a result of high doses of antibiotics. It was a senseless virus that took her earthly life.


She was a believer, loved the Lord and knew she would be seeing Jesus soon, she just needed to let go of me. That night, I crawled into the hospital bed with her, I told her I knew God would take care of me, so we prayed out loud together, asking the Holy Spirit to come and to take her to Jesus. I found out later, that earlier that day she had asked three people that visited her to be sure to take care of me.


You see, the power transforms us, takes us through our lives and teaches us to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Although I didn’t see the Holy Spirit take my mother I sensed his presence and he assists me every day so that I can go on rejoicing in the Lord, just like he did for the Ethiopian eunuch in this scripture.



Dorothy Brucks
Aldersgate UMC
Nixa, Mo

http://www.aldersgatecurch.com/