How can I know?

We all face this question sooner or later in our lives and we need the answer to this question. The Bible clearly states it so there is no doubt about how to obtain the answer. We just have to be meek and willing enough to receive it the way the Bible puts it.
Acts 8:26-40 (NKJV)
26 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.\” This is desert.
27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, \”Go near and overtake this chariot.\”
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, \”Do you understand what you are reading?\”
31 And he said, \”How can I, unless someone guides me?\” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: \”He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.\”
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, \”I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?\”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, \”See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?\”
37 Then Philip said, \”If you believe with all your heart, you may.\” And he answered and said, \”I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.\”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Here we have a wonderful account of someone who is thirsty for knowledge. He attended the feast in Jerusalem and obtained a copy of the book of Isaiah. He studied it on the way back to Ethiopa while he was riding on his chariot.
When Philip met him he saw that he was reading from the book of Isaiah and asked him if he understood what he was reading.
The man answered: ‘how can I unless I have someone to guide me?’
In every area of life we need guidance and instruction. Everything we know we have been taught. We can develop knowledge once we have been taught and then we can teach others again.
What is that question in your mind today? What is it that you do not understand? Today I have Good News for you: there is someone who will lead and guide you into all truth and even show you things to come! He is the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Holy Trinity. He will teach you concerning all things. It is His anointing that will teach you.
This Ethiopian was reading about someone who was like a lamb before his shearers. He read how someone’s humiliation his justice was taken away. But he did not know whom the prophet Isaiah was speaking about.
When Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading he replied: ‘whom is the prophet speaking about? Himself or someone else?’
Then Philip began from that scripture to explain and preach Christ to him. When he was finished the Ethiopian asked: ‘there is water, what hinders me from being baptized?’
So obviously Philip’s preaching of Christ included water baptism by emersion because of the Ethiopian’s reaction. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ includes water baptism! There is no argument about it. Denominations that reason that away and insist on child sprinkling are disobeying the Scriptures! Jesus commanded his disciples to go and preach the Gospel to all nations, make disciples and baptize them and teach them to observe all that He taught them.
So both Philip and the Eunuch got down into the water – once again proof of emersion and not sprinkling – and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water Philip was taken away – supernaturally – to Azotus where he preached in all the cities surrounding it. Azotus is about 40 Km away from Gaza.
Here are five answers to the question: ‘how can I know?’
1. Philip was willing to go to a lonely place in the desert to obey God.
2. The Eunuch was reading the prophetic scriptures
3. Philip asked the right question: ‘do you understand what you are reading?’
4. Philip preached Christ to him from the Scriptures – not a denominational standpoint
5. Philip’s Gospel of Jesus Christ included water baptism by emersion. There is one God, one faith and one baptism.
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He rewards those whose hearts are set on knowing Him. If you seek the Kingdom of God first and His righteousness, all things shall be added unto you.
What is your serious question today? What is it that you do not understand? If you are willing to look to the Scriptures God will give you a guide to explain it to you.
God prompted Philip to leave a very successful Evangelistic Campaign to go to a lonely place in the desert of Gaza to speak to a single person who was studying the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit inspired Philip what to say in order to give the Ethiopian understanding.
We desperately need teachers to give people understanding about the Scriptures. Anointed teaching should tell people what to do. They should know what to do after they have been taught from the Scriptures.
In order to receive instruction from an anointed teacher you require meekness and teachability. When you constantly argue against the truth you cannot receive instruction or understanding. People that have been taught wrongly by false teachers find it difficult to be taught again. They first have to renounce the false teaching before they have room for fresh understanding.
A good teacher at school helps the kids to understand his subject.
Parents can raise up their children and teach them according to the Word of God. Proverbs tells us to train up our children according to the way they should go and when they are older they will not depart from it.
Paul writes to believers and says: ‘you should all be teachers by now, but now I need to teach you the basic truths again.’
II Timothy 2:15: Study to become an accurate worker rightly dividing the truth being approved of God.’
Jesus was a man approved of God. God confirms His Word with signs and wonders. When Philip preached the truth about Christ God supernaturally transported him to Azotus! When you co-operate with God He works with you to confirm what you preach.