Yes, It’s Time to GO! “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, ‘Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza’” (Acts 8:26, NKJV; emphasis added).
“We often pray that God will bring people into the store and that we can put in their hands just what they need to know Him better. That prayer God has answered many times, and we praise Him every time it happens.”
30 Pacific Union Recorder
“Today, as then, angels are leading and guiding those who will be led and guided. The angel sent to Philip could himself have done the work for the Ethiopian, but this was not God's way of working. As God's instruments, men must work for others” (Ellen G. White, The Youth’s Instructor, Feb. 14, 1901.)
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uring 2022, the Central California Conference (CCC) is using the theme “Arise & Go: The Story Begins” to inspire both leadership and members to finish the harvest work in this generation. While there are others, the Bible story that often comes to mind is that of Philip and the Ethiopian official in Acts 8. Whatever it was that Philip was doing in Samaria when directed by a heavenly messenger to go to the desert, Ellen White tells us that, “He did not question the call, nor did he hesitate to obey; for he had learned the lesson of conformity to God’s will” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 107). As she notes in her comments about the story, “Not upon the ordained minister only rests the responsibility of going forth to fulfill this commission. Everyone who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of his fellow men” (p. 110). That “everyone” means you and me. Because this theme will be used again and again to inspire us to action in conference events and in our stories and testimonies on these pages, you might find it beneficial to read the entire chapter, entitled “The Gospel in Samaria,” in The Acts of the Apostles. Pages 107 to 111 are specifically a call to action regarding the story of Philip. Certainly, we cannot be idle when it comes to sharing the gospel. With that in mind, here are just a few stories and testimonies that demonstrate what happens when people answer God’s call to “Arise & Go.”
Central California Conference
