Is persecution a good thing?

This chapter lets us see that persecution cannot stop the gospel. If you don't think persecution is good, then you must be unfamiliar with the ways of God. The way God does things is out of our imagination.

Persecution comes from God and is given to people who he thinks are evil. Communion has become a buffet, and the brothers and sisters were quarreling about mundane things such as food or drink.

The persecution that broke out against the church in Jerusalem must have been a good thing because it was a cleansing of the church. If all the believers become successful and rich, then it will attract a lot of people who are only seeking wealth and material gain. If you come here and are wealthy, you must know that it is because of the people the church is successful. If the believers are terrible, then so will the church.

God sent persecution to warn and discipline his church. After all these struggles, if you still want the gospel, then the faith that is left behind is true. If the gospel is full of only good things, then it will attract all sorts of flies and moths.

The church experiencing persecution is a very good thing. I never feel at peace or very happy, because that might not be real. Only after the fire of the Spirit can we really see what remains. It is okay for the church to do wrong sometimes. Today, we should know that God is powerful, and can control everything, much less the church.

After there was no community and food, the church was scattered throughout the world. No mistake can stop the plan of God. We are sent to manage the entire world, from the birds of the air to the animals crawling on the ground.

Today, we must know that the church cannot play these games. There is no longer any eating or drinking in our church, but working and serving.

Now that the church is scattered, the gospel was preached throughout the whole world. The more the church is persecuted, the more clean and holy the church is. The more it is persecuted, the more growth the gospel will have. We are lucky to have God tell us what our path is.

More persecution, more miracles

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:4-8 NIV)

Those who had previously managed the food for the church were able to spread the gospel throughout the whole world. If Peter had sent out Stephen before the distribution of food, he might not have died. But only by blood and death can the church really learn a lesson.

If God gives you a warning sign, and you still don't listen, he will punish you. This persecution was the work of God. What can you do for the gospel by hiding in Jerusalem? In the age of persecution, people don't have to do much and miracles will abound. The more persecution there is, the more miracles are seen.

If people are able to continue under great persecution, then that is a great victory. If the circumstances are peaceful and easy, then how can you strengthen your faith?

Even those who practiced sorcery believed in the gospel

Simon practiced sorcery, and nobody was able to outmatch him in power.

You must know that there is God-given power and glory in you.

Philip had the power of God in him, which was able to overcome the power of the devil that Simon had. Nobody was able to overcome the power of God.

If there had been no persecution, Philip would still have been managing food and drink. But now, he is able to spread the gospel even to people like Simon.

Persecution cannot stop the gospel but is able to spread the gospel. Not only is it able to spread the gospel, but it is also able to clean the church.

Even the powerful believed in the gospel

What problems can human power solve? Even if people are very powerful, they are still confused by the future. So I want to encourage everyone to grow in the knowledge of God so that we are able to answer the questions of others.

The eunuch who was in charge of the treasury was sitting in the chariot and was coming back from Jerusalem. He was reading the book of Isaiah. You would think that a person in charge of all the money of a great country was very wise and knowledgeable, but actually, he knew he was just a human.

The Spirit had called out to Philip, and Philip was actually able to hear the Spirit talk to him. We need to know that the Spirit of God won't tell us what business to do or what can make us money. It will tell us when we need to spread the gospel.

The Ethiopian official was reading out of Isaiah 18:

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.” (Acts 8:32-33 NIV)

He called in Philip to help him understand the gospel, and there he believed and was baptized. Now I think of many people who are lost in the darkness. There is too much need and loss in this world. We are not lacking in anything, we only lack the ability to spread the gospel. If God is with you, what are you lacking? You are much more valuable than the chariot than the Ethiopian eunuch. You are a powerful person!

This lost in the world will see the glory of God and the work of God in this world. So even those who were powerful heard the message of the gospel, which was directly caused by the persecution of the church.

The eunuch was very happy. He was no longer puzzled by the Old Testament and its word. If the Old Testament is separated from Jesus, can it truly be understood? And if the New Testament is separated from the church, is it really fulfilled?

Today's church is the temple of God and Jerusalem. We don't have to go to Jerusalem to worship God, because God is with us in our church today.

If you don't know how to spread and preach the gospel, don't use that as your excuse, because I will teach you! Studying the Bible is the bare minimum. Spread the gospel of our church to the whole world! Isn't our Bible study so easy to understand?

Receiving the Spirit is a key component of this gospel

Many churches don't preach the true gospel. When I talk to some people about the Spirit, they are confused. Many churches are afraid to talk about the Spirit of God. Is God not able to control these problems? Why must we be overly careful to even talk about these things?

If you ask me, those who do not receive the Spirit and are baptized have only experienced the baptism of John. If the Spirit came with speaking in tongues the first time, then the second and following times must also be the same. God does things in one way, he does not stir up confusion.

Our God, from the beginning, has never changed. His love never changes. His wrath also never changes. We must know that our God will never change.

If you drive a car, and every time you push the throttle, the car will accelerate. If you press the brakes, it will slow down. A good car is able to do these things. A bad car will do the opposite, and it is a garbage car. A garbage person is also the same. Their faith is not continuous. If you were to switch the accelerator and the brakes, it would surely kill someone.

Faith is continuous, and it is also stable. It must also have flexibility. If you have stability, continuity, and flexibility, then they are very powerful.

From the beginning, God gave the gift of tongues to those who received the Spirit at Pentecost. Will God change his plan now? The power that Philip had was given by God through the Spirit.

The gift of the Spirit is through Jesus, and Peter did this thing right. The gospel, without the Spirit, will lose its power. A powerless gospel of Jesus is weak. If you want to have the power of the Spirit, you must pray in tongues.

Peter had always had a stumbling block in his mind. He had betrayed Jesus three times. Peter does have some power because he has the Spirit of God in him. The only thing that Peter lacked was that he wasn't very clear in the word of God. You have to have the Spirit of God, and you must also read Scripture.

A lot of people do things the wrong way. Once they have the Spirit of God in them, they think that they are complete forever. But it still cannot supersede the power of knowing Scripture.

Today, our church must return to the fullness of the gospel, which is the gospel that comes from Paul. We must restore the power of the Spirit, but the power of Scripture is a little harder to attain. It is very hard to teach someone how to study the Bible and take notes properly. I want to bring people not only into the power of the Spirit but also to know God and grow your life in this way. Although it is difficult, it cannot stop God. I have God, and I believe it is God's will.