SATURDAY 7TH JANUARY 2017 MORNING
Acts 8:26-35 New International Version (NIV)
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”[b]
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Footnotes:
The Ethiopian was a convert to the Jewish faith and had been to Jerusalem to worship God. He was committed to this faith and was reading from the Jewish Scriptures in the Prophet Isaiah. God sent Philip to preach to him. He started from where he was explaining the meaning of this prophecy about Jesus’ death. Philip explained the gospel fully to the Ethiopian. If we continue to read the following verses we will see that the Ethiopian came to faith and was baptized as a Christian. The Ethiopian came to the true light of Jesus Christ.
Have you found this true light and are you leading others to Him?
JUMAMOSI TAREHE 7 JANUARI 2017 ASUBUHI
MATENDO 8:26-35
26 Malaika wa Bwana akasema na Filipo, akamwambia, Ondoka ukaende upande wa kusini hata njia ile itelemkayo kutoka Yerusalemu kwenda Gaza; nayo ni jangwa.
27 Naye akaondoka, akaenda; mara akamwona mtu wa Kushi, towashi, mwenye mamlaka chini ya Kandake malkia wa Kushi, aliyewekwa juu ya hazina yake yote; naye alikuwa amekwenda Yerusalemu kuabudu,
28 akawa akirejea, ameketi garini mwake akisoma chuo cha nabii Isaya.
29 Roho akamwambia Filipo, Sogea karibu na gari hili, ukashikamane nalo.
30 Basi Filipo akaenda mbio, akamsikia anasoma chuo cha nabii Isaya; akanena, Je! Yamekuelea haya unayosoma?
31 Akasema, Nitawezaje kuelewa, mtu asiponiongoza? Akamsihi Filipo apande na kuketi pamoja naye.
32 Na fungu la Maandiko alilokuwa akilisoma ni hili, Aliongozwa kwenda machinjoni kama kondoo, Na kama vile mwana-kondoo alivyo kimya mbele yake amkataye manyoya, Vivyo hivyo yeye naye hafunui kinywa chake.
33 Katika kujidhili kwake hukumu yake iliondolewa. Ni nani atakayeeleza kizazi chake? Kwa maana uzima wake umeondolewa katika nchi.
34 Yule towashi akamjibu Filipo, akasema, Nakuomba, nabii huyu; asema maneno haya kwa habari ya nani; ni habari zake mwenyewe au za mtu mwingine?
35 Filipo akafunua kinywa chake, naye, akianza kwa andiko lilo hilo, akamhubiri habari njema za Yesu.
Mkushi alikuwa mwamini wa dini ya Kiyahudi. Pia alikuwa na bidii katika imani yake. Alikwenda Yerusalemu kumwabudu Mungu. Pia alikuwa anasoma maandiko matakatifu. Mungu alituma Mwinjilisiti Filipo kuongea naye. Filipo alianza kuongea naye kuhusu somo alilomkuta akisoma. Alikuwa anasoma kitabu cha Nabii Isaya, utabiri wa kifo cha Yesu Kristo. Filipo alimwelezea vizuri Injili. Tukisoma mistari inayofuata tutaona kwamba Yule Mkushi alimwamini Yesu Kristo na alibatizwa kama Mkristo. Mkushi aliamini Nuru ya kweli Yesu Kristo.
Je ! umeamini Nuru hiyo na unaleta watu wengine kwa Kristo?
