Thank You, Lord Jesus

Thank You, Lord Jesus

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul,
Thank You for loving me;
Thank You for cleansing and making me whole…
Thank You for Calvary.
Thank You for being the Light of my life,
And guiding me each day;
Thank You that, in times of trouble and strife…
You always show the way.
Thank You that I can trust Your loving care,
As I rest in Your hand;
Thank You for answering my every prayer…
According to Your plan.
Thank You for sometimes saying wait, or no,
To work things for my good;
And for teaching me what I should not do…
As well as what I should.
Thank You for being my security,

WHAT DAY IS THE SABBATH DAY?

The Author of the Sabbath is the Author of the Christian religion --- Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He it was who brought the world into existence, making it in six days. He it was who rested on the seventh day , and blessed that day, and made it holy. For the Son of God was and is the Creator. "All things were made by him." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3). "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not" (verse 10). "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (verse 14). "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him" (Colossians 1:15, 16). The time when He made the Sabbath, as we have already seen, was at the end of the Creation week. (Genesis 2:1-3) The way in which He made the Sabbath was by taking a day, the seventh day, and resting on it, blessing it, and sanctifying it. The Sabbath a Day, Not an Institution The material out of which He made the Sabbath was the seventh day. He took that day, and out of it made the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not something He placed on the day. It is the day itself. "The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." We are not commanded to "remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy." The command is, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it [the day] holy." The Sabbath is not something apart from the day, which can be shifted about and perhaps placed on another day. It is the day itself, the seventh day.We hear much today about a Sabbath institution. But the Bible never speaks of a Sabbath institution. It talks about the Sabbath day. There is no such thing as a Sabbath institution that was blessed and made holy for the benefit of humanity, apart from the day. It was the day that was blessed and made holy; and it is the day that thus becomes the Sabbath. The day that God blessed can never be taken from the Sabbath. The Sabbath can never be taken from the day that God blessed. These cannot be separated. They are inseparable because they are one. The seventh day is the Sabbath; the Sabbath is the seventh day. Jesus made the Sabbath for the entire human race, not for one section or one nation. "The Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27). source: - The Attempt to Change God's Holy Day ... from Sabbath to Sunday, Carlyle B. Haynes, p. 13-14

EDUCATION IS NEVER THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCESS

Do you feel dejected or left behind by your peers because you don’t have a college degree? Do you see your supposed illiteracy as a limitation to achieving your dreams? Or are you in the group that thinks education is the ultimate yardstick for success? If any of these questions best describes you, then please read on.

How does it sound to your ears that most of the world’s richest men and women were school drop outs? Well don’t be surprised; it’s the truth.

“I have nothing against education. But at times, education gives people false confidence. It makes people relax, trusting in the power of their certificates rather than in working hard.” – Rasaq Okoya

Today, I will be sharing with you a brief compilation of the entrepreneurial success stories of self made men and women; who took the bull by the horn by building a business, without being held back by the lack of a college degree. These men and women found their entrepreneurial spirit, surmounted business challenges, completed the entrepreneurial process and became successful entrepreneurs.

 “I have been within the four walls of school and I have been on the street. I can confidently tell you that the street is tougher, challenging, daring, exciting and more rewarding. In school; you play alone. But on the street, you play with the big boys.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

Warren Buffett, Mo Ibrahim, Mike Adenuga, Oprah Winfrey, George Soros, John D. Rockefeller, Sam Walton, Jerry Yang and David Filo, Anita Roddick, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Jeff Bezos, Pierre Omidyar, Martha Stewart, Henry Ross Perot and Aliko Dangote; the richest black man in the world did not make the list because they possessed college degrees. Without wasting much of your time, below is a comprehensive list of some of the world’s richest school drop out billionaires.

“Behind every adversity is an opportunity. If you lament over the adversity, you will miss the opportunity.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

  The World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

1.Bill Gates: He is the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, the world largest software company. Dropped out of Harvard to focus on building Microsoft. According to Forbes magazine, Bill Gates has held the position of the world richest man for thirteen consecutive years and he not showing a sign of letting go that position.

“To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” – Bill Gates

“We were young, but we had good advice good ideas and lots of enthusiasm.” – Bill Gates

2.Thomas Edison: Thomas Edison was labeled dumb and scatterbrain by his school teachers but he went on to become one of the world’s greatest inventors and founded General Electric; one of the most powerful companies in the world.

 “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

3. Orji Uzor Kalu: He is one of the richest men on the soil of Africa. This young billionaire was rusticated from college for his participation in a student’s protest. Instead of lamenting over his predicament; he started trading on palm oil and from that humble beginning, he grew his business into a conglomerate “Slok Group.” Though he was later pardoned by the school authorities, he rejected the amnesty offer thereby refusing to return to school.

“A good businessman must have nose for business the same way a journalist has nose for news. Once your eyes, ears, nose, heart and brain are trained on business, you sniff business opportunities everywhere.” – Orji Uzor Kalu

4.Li Ka Shing: Billionaire owner of Hutchinson Whampoa; one of the largest conglomerates in Hong Kong, with operations that span over fifty countries and more than 220,000 staff worldwide. Dropped out of school at the age of 15 and started out by selling watch bands.

“The first year, I didn’t have much capital so I did everything myself. I had to keep my overhead low by learning everything about running a business, from accounting to fixing the gears of my equipment. I really started from scratch.” – Li Ka Shing

5.Richard Branson: Best known for his adventurous spirit and outrageous business tactics. He dropped out of school at the age of 16 to start his first successful business venture; Student Magazine, bought his own 79-acre Caribbean island when he was just 24 and he was knighted in 1999. He is the billionaire founder of the Virgin brand and its 360 companies. His companies include the famous Virgin Atlantic Airways.

 “I wanted to be an editor or journalist. I wasn’t really interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but I soon found I had to become an entrepreneur in order to keep my magazine going.” – Richard Branson

 Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

6.Lawrence J. Ellison: Larry Ellison dropped out of college twice and was told by his adoptive father that he would never amount to anything but he went on to become a billionaire by building Oracle, the world’s second largest software company.

 “I have had all the disadvantages required for success.” – Larry Ellison

7.Michael Dell: He dropped out of college at the age of 19 to start PC’s Limited; later renamed Dell Computers Inc. Dell became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world making Michael Dell a billionaire.

    “I had to give it a full go and see what happened.” – Michael Dell

8.Steve Jobs: Billionaire co-founder of Apple Inc and Pixar; dropped out of Reed College to start Apple.

9.Henry Ford: This automobile billionaire was born in abject poverty. He never saw the four walls of school but he went on to build Ford Motor Company and become one of the richest men that ever lived.

 “Thinking is the hardest work to do, that’s why so few people are engaged in it.” – Henry Ford

10.Walt Disney: Walt, regarded as the most influential animator because of his creativity with cartoons. He dropped out of high school at 16 and founded Walt Disney; a company which now has an annual revenue of about $30billion.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

11.Ray Kroc: Billionaire Ray Kroc never saw the four walls of school and spent most of his life working as a salesman. He bought McDonald’s in 1961 for $2.7m and grew it into a multi billion dollar company.

“Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Ray Kroc

12.Debbi Fields: A 20 year old housewife with no education and business experience started Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery and became the most successful cookie company owner. She later renamed, franchised, and then sold Mrs. Field’s Cookies.

“You don’t have to be superhuman to do what you believe in.” – Debbi Fields

13. Cosmos Maduka: Nigerian Elementary school drop out and billionaire founder of the Coscharis Group.

14. Ingvar Kamprad: Billionaire founder of IKEA. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to start IKEA; now the top home furniture retailer in the world, with over 90,000 employees working in its 200-plus stores, and annual revenues in excess of $10 billion.

 “I’m not afraid of turning 80 and I have lots of things to do. I don’t have time for dying.” – Ingvar Kamprad

15.Carl Lindner: Billionaire investor and founder of United Dairy Farmers. He dropped out of high school at the age of 14 to deliver milk for his family diary.

16.          Simon Cowell: Famous for his involvement in American Idols, he dropped out of school at age 16 and started his own record label “Fanfare” at the age of 23.

“Good is not enough; you’ve got to be great.” – Simon Cowell

17. Mary Kay Ash: Founder of Mary Kay Inc and best known as the most outstanding business woman in the 20th century. Mary never saw the four walls of school.

“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash

18.Coco Chanel: Fashion magnate and founder of the Coco Chanel brand, she never saw the four walls of school.

19. Wayne Huizenga: Wayne is the only person in history to build three Fortune 1000 companies practically from scratch: Waste Management Inc, Blockbuster Entertainment and AutoNation. He is the only person to have developed six NYSE-listed companies.

He also owns the Miami Dolphins and is previous owner of the Florida Marlins baseball team and the Panthers hockey team, making him the only person ever to own three pro teams in a single market, two of which won national championships. He dropped out of college to join a friend in a garbage collection business.

20. Barry Diller: This billionaire media magnate dropped out of college to start Fox Broadcasting Company. He is chairman of Expedia, and was once the CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp which includes Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster.

“There’s a world in which reasons are made up because reality is too painful.” – Barry Diller

PINKSHEET INVESTMENT
Since January 2013, the Ghanaian media continue to publish issues about the December 2012 Elections which led to the so- called Election Petition which is ongoing. During the petition hearing legal terms such as affidavit, pleadings, petitioners, respondent, joinder of parties,witness, counsel, amicus curae,further and better particulars and interrogatories as well as directions. The only one that may remain on the lips of many Ghanaians is not " you and I were not there " but THE PINKSHEET. It is my intention to inform my facebook friends that the pinksheet is perhaps commonly used in the investment environment long before its adoption by the electoral system in Ghana. Just as Blue Chip companies exist expressing their profound and first class performance as reflected in share prices, good management strategy and forward looking product and service innovation. Generally there are large over the counter markets such as the Nasdaq and regulated markets such as the Stock Exchanges. When companies are unwilling to be listed on the exchanges because they do not want to follow rigid legal requirements and ensure good corporate governance, they trade their stocks but they are reported on a pinksheet. Investment in such companies can be termed pinksheet investment.
It is important to note that in some cases pinksheet firms were once delisted from a recognised Stock Exchange or do not want to trade on a well organised over the counter market. It may also mean that the company is in distress and can not find space in a regulated market. The Pinksheet firm may also be a small company that may not qualify to be listed on an exchange and possibly on an alternative investment market. What an investor should know is that pinksheet firms may be exposed to price manipulation and can be risky to invest in. These firms also lack analysts following because relevant data about their performance is not readily available since they are not required to publish them. Many Multinationals penetrate international markets such as the US securities market through the pinksheet. In the face of high demand for disclosures and accountability at the corporate level, there is unregulated pressure on such firms to publish their reports by investors to make investment more protected based on reliable information.Just like many questions and demands on the pinksheet at the supreme court, investor demands on pinksheet firms will deepen investor confidence.

 COURTESY: MR JOHN GATSI

 

Take the Name of Jesus With You
Lillian Baxter wrote the words to this Baptist invitation song, 'Take the Name of Jesus With You' in 1870. Baxter was born in Petersburg, New York and let to Christ by a Baptist Missionary, along with her sister. They helped the missionary, Eben Tucker to establish the local Baptist church there. Later, she married and moved to New York City where she opened her home to many religious leaders while meetings were being held there. Although she was an invalid as an adult, she continued to actively support the Church and evangelism for Christ through writing and her music. Others would marvel at the way she triumphed over pain and confinement and often asked: 'How do you do it?' 'I have some very special armour,' she would reply. 'A secret weapon?' her friends would jokingly ask. 'Oh, no,' she would say. 'You see, I have the name of Jesus, and I use that name as my special protection' when the tempter tries to make me blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus, and he can't get through to tempt me anymore.' 'Take the Name of Jesus With You' was written by Mrs Baxter on her sick bed just four years before her death in 1874 at the age of 65. Throughout her lifetime she was known as an avid student of the Bible who loved to discuss the significance of scriptural names with her friends. W. Howard Doane wrote the tune to Baptist invitation song 'Take the Name of Jesus With You' to be published in a hymnal called Pure Gold.

Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where'er you go.

Refrain
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav'n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav'n.

2 Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.

3 O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!

4 At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heav'n we'll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.

The Image to the Beast Set Up

[He] deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast. Rev. 13:14.
The image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided....
In Revelation 13 this subject is plainly presented: "I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Then the miracle-working power is revealed: "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin, and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast....
While John was shown the last great struggles of the church with earthly powers, he was also permitted to behold the final victory and deliverance of the faithful.... Looking beyond the smoke and din of the battle, he beheld a company upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, having, instead of the mark of the beast, the "Father's name written in their foreheads."

COURTESY: PASTOR DR. ANDREWS LAWRENCE EWOO.

Job Vacancy For Treasury Accountant At Vodafone Ghana

Purpose Of Role:     

Treasury Accountant is responsible for timely and accurate preparation of cash forecast, loan schedules, payment reports.  He or she is required to promote efficient and effective cash and loan management as well as offer quality services to all stakeholders.

Key Accountabilities:     

•   Deliver the highest standards of Treasury services to meet the needs of Management and staff of Vodafone Ghana in a pleasant, professional, and efficient manner.
•   To produce timely and accurate cash report to management of Vodafone Ghana
•   Drive a culture of process improvement, a tight focus on data integrity and excellent service to     customers.
•   To act as a contact from Finance to the business, interfacing with all stakeholders on their cash and    bank related issues
•   Ensure compliance with all Group and local Treasury policies

Qualification Required & Experience

Person Specification:     

•   Professional qualification  ( ACCA, CPA,CIMA,ICAG) is required
•   A university degree i.e. Bsc/HND in Social Sciences or any numerate discipline.
•   Minimum of 3 years  experience in a related function in a multinational or banking environment
•   Masters degree and/ or MBA will be an added advantage
•   Strong working

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Interested and qualified candidates should

Click Here To Apply Online

Closing Date: 05 August, 2013

Most people know Sean Hyman from his regular appearances on Fox Business, CNBC, and Bloomberg Television, but what they don’t know is that Sean is a former pastor, and that his secret to investing is woven within the Bible.

Perhaps that can explain why, despite his uncanny ability to predict precise moves in the stock market, Sean is often laughed at for his unique stance on investing.

For example . . . a few months ago Sean appeared on Bloomberg Television. At that time, Best Buy (BBY) was dropping to all-time lows of $16 a share. Sean predicted the stock could go down to $11 a share, and would then quickly rebound to $25 per share, and after that would rally to $40 per share over the next year.

Another commentator on the show actually mocked Sean for his stance, saying “$40 on Best Buy? If that’s the case Apple (AAPL) is going to $1,500. That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!” (Editor’s Note: At the time, Apple was trading at $650 per share).

Within a few weeks, Sean would receive the last laugh.

Best Buy dropped down to $11.20 a share and has since rebounded to $30 a share, continuing its path to $40 . . . exactly as Sean predicted. (Ironically, Apple has dropped down to about $400 per share).

During a recent private dinner with Sean, once he’d blessed the food, I wasted no time asking him what his secret is for investing so successfully.

I expected Sean to say that it was his years of experience at Charles Schwab or perhaps one of the complicated algorithms he uses for timing the stock market.

So when Sean responded that his secret to investing was the Bible, I was thoroughly shocked.

Yes, I knew Sean was a Christian (anyone who spends more than 1 minute with him will pick that up!). However, people usually keep their faith separate from things like . . . investing.

But not Sean.

For Sean, the Bible is his FOUNDATION for investing.

He explained to me how there is actually a “Biblical Money Code” woven into Scripture.

Sean says it is this Biblical Money Code that took him from making a mere $15,000 a year to now giving away up to $50,000 a year. Sean also credits this code with helping him turn his father’s $40,000 retirement account into $396,000.

Certain investment titans, Sean says, such as Warren Buffett and John Templeton, have already used this code to amass billions.

What Sean had to say impressed me so much that I asked him to put a presentation together that reveals how anyone could use this “Biblical Money Code.” (Click here to watch it now)

I’ve personally watched this presentation several times and it is already spreading virally.

During the video, Sean uses the teachings of King Solomon, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Apostle Paul to show how anyone can get out of debt . . . make sound investments . . . and morally build substantial wealth.

Sean even reveals a “debilitating ‘financial sin’ that blinds many . . . and could be costing you up to 41% of your life savings at this very moment.” What’s so deceiving about this sin is how innocent and safe it appears at first. And at the end, he finishes up with his “12-12-12 plan for investing.” This is a simple step-by-step plan to go from being a saver, to an investor, to a philanthropist.

the Royal baby gets his name..

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their son George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace has said.

The third in line to the throne, who was born on Monday at 16:24 BST, will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

The Queen was told of Prince George's name when she met him for the first time on Wednesday.

The family are at the Middleton home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, after spending a night at Kensington Palace.

George was the bookmakers' favourite for the first name of the prince.

The duke and duchess had been expected to pick a traditional royal name for their son, who was born at St Mary's Hospital in London, weighing 8lbs 6oz.

Royal infants usually have historical names which are passed down through the generations.

Continue reading the main story

The duke and duchess gave the world its first glimpse of Prince George on Tuesday

Continue reading the main story

1/8

There have been six King Georges up to now, most recently the Queen's father, although his first name was Albert and he was known to his family as Bertie.

The name Louis is Prince William's fourth name and is likely to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle and the last British Viceroy of India before independence in 1947.

****credit:bbc.co.uk*****

Continue reading the main story

Witness and Service: The Fruit of Revival

Lesson 4: Witness and Service: The Fruit of Revival *

Introduction: Have you ever asked, "What is in it for me?" This is the most basic approach to converting others to Christianity - we tell them how it will make their life better. God uses that approach. Consider Deuteronomy 28 where God says obey and be blessed, disobey and be cursed. Tithing promises tangible benefits (Malachi 3:10-12). Heaven is promised to have gold even in its streets! ( Revelation 21:21) This approach creates a tendency to remain focused on self even after we are converted. Our lesson this week challenges us to look outward. Let's dive into the Bible and find out more!
Enabled


Read Acts 1:8 and Luke 24:46-49. What work is assigned to the disciples? (Witnessing about Jesus.)


What is essential to performing that work? (The power of the Holy Spirit.)


Read Matthew 28:16-20. What is the goal of witnessing? (To make disciples of others by baptizing them and teaching them to obey God.)


Was this command to witness given only to those disciples? (Notice the text says that new converts should be taught "to obey everything I have commanded you." Thus, if Jesus told the original disciples to witness, He has told us to witness.)


Read Mark 16:15-18. Where do demons, tongues, healings, snakes and poison fit into witnessing? (If you were being sent out in Jesus' day, what problems would you face? (Opposition from Satan's minions, language difficulties, snakes might bite you as you walked along, and bad food might poison you. You might come across people so ill that they are distracted from hearing the gospel.)


Is there any modern parallel to the promise in Mark 16? (When we traveled by motorhome, I packed emergency equipment. Jesus promises to send with His witnesses an emergency package.)
Read John 16:7-11. We decided earlier that the power of the Holy Spirit is essential to witnessing. Why? (It is the Holy Spirit who brings conviction of sin and truth.)


Read John 16:12-13. In what other ways does the Holy Spirit help us with witnessing? (He helps us to have truth. We would not want to witness to something that is wrong.) Think about the texts that we just read. What is the first step to witnessing? (Receiving the power of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit leads us into truth, is our "emergency pack," and convicts those to whom we witness of truth. In sum, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to do what God commands.)


Examples
Read Acts 8:4-8. Philip was one of the seven men chosen by the early church to be a deacon ( Acts 6:5). Is Philip obeying the call to witness?
Does this sound like Mark 16:15-18 is being fulfilled? (All except the snakes!)

Read Acts 8:26. Imagine that you get up in the morning and an angel gives you specific instructions on where to go. Would you like to live a life like that?


Is that possible?
Let's start with a test. Assume an angel told you to go someplace this morning, would you be able to do it, or do you have other obligations? Would you need to reschedule?


Read Acts 8:27-29. We see that Philip obeys immediately. Have you ever debated about whether you should witness to someone? Have you felt guilty about not witnessing to more people?
If you have the Holy Spirit in your life, will He direct you to people who are open to the gospel?


Read Matthew 13:3-9. Jesus tells the crowd a story about a farmer sowing seed. Read Matthew 13:10. How would you translate the disciples' question? (What are you talking about? We don't understand why a discussion about farming has anything to do with us.)

Read Matthew 13:18-23. Jesus tells us what the farmer's story means. Does it have any relevance to witnessing? If you say, "yes," these are two different methods of witnessing, is one superior to the other? \

If the Holy Spirit would guide each of us to someone open to the gospel, it would save a lot of time and money, right? Why do we engage in mass evangelism? Why not pray for the Holy Spirit to work in us just like He did with Philip, and lead us to those who are open to the gospel?

Read Acts 2:14-16. Here is an example of mass evangelism. You know the context, what is the advantage? (Peter spoke to many, not just one. Mass evangelism is more time efficient than speaking one on one.)
Let's get back to Philip. Read Acts 8:30-31. Notice that the Holy Spirit in Acts 8:29 merely told Philip to "go to that chariot and stay near it." The Holy Spirit said nothing about engaging the Ethiopian in a conversation. What do we learn from this? (Witnessing is a partnership with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not need to direct us on every detail.)


Read Acts 8:32-34. Can you imagine a more perfect Scripture to introduce the gospel to someone?
Imagine the Ethiopian is asking you this question. What is the most important thing at this moment? (This goes back to last week's lesson: Philip needed to know the Bible and specifically this prophecy. How can you be a witness if you do not know God's word?)

Read Acts 8:35. How hard is Philip's witnessing work? Do you think that you could do this? (If you know the gospel, if you know your Bible, the "hard" part is following the direction of the Holy Spirit!)

Read Acts 8:36. This week I was in a store where my wife and I were considering a major purchase. We were having a hard time deciding, when the salesman gave us a sharp nudge by starting to write up the sale. It was obvious that this was a "trick" to "close" the sale, and I considered resisting because the tactic was so obvious. What does Philip do to "close the sale of the gospel" with the Ethiopian? (Nothing! The Ethiopian suggested that he should be baptized.) What does this teach us about witnessing? (We don't have to "close." Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit ( John 16:8-10). Witnessing seems so easy when we review this story.)

Read Acts 8:38-40. What happens to Philip? (The Holy Spirit takes him to another appointment.)
Can you imagine a life like that of Philip?Is it because we are not like Philip that others have to use mass evangelism techniques?

Recall that earlier in Acts 8 we read about Philip witnessing in Samaria. Let's pick that up again by reading Acts 8:13. Is the Holy Spirit working through Philip? (It certainly seems like it when we read of "great signs and miracles.")

Read Acts 8:14-17. This is a most curious story. Philip is in an incredible witnessing partnership with the Holy Spirit, yet he baptizes converts only "in the name of the Lord Jesus" and fails to baptize them in the Holy Spirit. How do you explain this?
What hope does this give us about our witnessing? (This shows us that Philip did not have it "all together," yet the Holy Spirit used him in a powerful way. That gives us hope for our witnessing.)


Read 1 John 1:1-4. What approach does this suggest to witnessing that we have not discussed so far? (The most effective witness is to talk about what Jesus has done in our life. We can personally testify to what God has done for us.) Friends, will you pray daily that the Holy Spirit will lead you to someone who is open to the gospel? Will you be willing to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in bringing others to Jesus?


Next week: Obedience: The Fruit of Revival.