The Mission Continues: When God Orchestrates Divine Appointments

Have you ever experienced a moment so perfectly timed that you couldn’t help but see God’s hand in it? A conversation that started exactly when someone needed to hear truth? A question asked just as you had the answer?

We live in a hyper-connected world where information travels instantly, yet countless people around us have never truly heard the gospel. Despite Bibles on every shelf, sermons streaming online, and churches on every corner, there are neighbors in our own county who don’t know Jesus Christ. If this was true in our digital age, imagine the early church—no internet, no printing press, no mass communication—yet the gospel spread like wildfire.

How did they do it? Acts 8:25-40 reveals a pattern that’s as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.

From Revival to the Road

Peter and John had just witnessed an incredible move of God among the Samaritans. After confirming that Philip’s ministry was genuine and that the Holy Spirit was truly at work, they headed back to Jerusalem. But they didn’t waste the journey—they preached the gospel to many Samaritan villages along the way.

This wasn’t casual conversation. The text says they “solemnly testified and spoke the word of the Lord.” That phrase carries weight. This wasn’t feel-good, surface-level talk. They understood they were speaking about matters of eternal life and death. The gospel is good news precisely because, without it, we remain under God’s wrath. That’s a heavy testimony, and they treated it with the seriousness it deserved.

Meanwhile, Philip continued his ministry. But God had other plans—plans that would take him from revival crowds to a single conversation on a desert road.

Continue reading →