SPIRIT-DRIVEN MINISTRY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 16:6-10

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Here’s an undeniable truth for all Christian believers:

The Lord will always place you where He wants you to be to do what He wants you to do and show you what He wants you to do if you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you.

This is the essence of Spirit-driven ministry.

How important is this to our work for the Lord?

So important that Jesus told His disciples the following:

On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5

The scene was right before Jesus ascended to sit at God’s right hand in authority over all things in heaven and on earth. His disciples were tasked with carrying on His work, commissioned to make disciples of all nations, but one important thing needed to happen before they could get started. They needed to be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

Or in other words, they needed to be led by the Holy Spirit in order to properly continue what Jesus had begun.

And so it was. The disciples went into Jerusalem and waited as told. And on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came roaring down from the heavens and invaded the lives of the disciples. Immediately, they got to work and thousands upon thousands of new disciples came to Christ. It was Spirit-driven ministry at its best.

Fast forward to the work of Paul and Silas as he starts his second missionary journey in Acts, chapter 16. As we see in today’s passage, the Holy Spirit was center stage.  

Ask yourself this: How did Paul know where to go when he traveled to share the Gospel?

He could have gone anywhere he wanted but that doesn’t necessarily mean he would have gone where the Lord wanted him to go. Obviously, these are two very different things and as we see in our verses, Paul definitely allowed the Holy Spirit to drive where he went to minister.

We read where “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia”.

Why there?

Because the Holy Spirit prevented them “from preaching the word in the province of Asia.”

And so Paul, obedient to the Spirit’s leading, went to the “border of Mysia”. Then he, Silas, and those traveling with them “tried to enter Bithynia” only to be thwarted because “the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” This is why they “passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.”

Why Troas?

We find out as Paul tries to get some sleep while staying overnight in the port city. The scriptures tell us that “Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Note that Paul wasn’t to remain in Troas. He was there so to be able to sail across what we know today is the Aegean Sea to reach the region of Macedonia, the place the Holy Spirit was driving him to.

What did Paul do?

We read where he immediately prepared to leave for Macedonia. There was no need to try and process who the man was or what kind of help he needed. Paul concluded that God was calling him, Silas and those with them to “preach the gospel” to the people of Macedonia and that’s all he needed to know.

Tomorrow, we’ll see what the Lord has in store for Paul once he arrives where the Spirit-driven ministry leads him next. Until then, remember today’s key point:

When we let the Spirit lead us, He will always put us in the place where He wants us to be.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com