Acts 11:19-21
New
International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
19 Now those who had been scattered by the
persecution in connection with Stephen(A) traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and
Antioch,(B) telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some
of them, however, men from Cyprus(C) and Cyrene,(D) went to Antioch(E) and began to speak to Greeks also, telling
them the good news(F) about the Lord Jesus. 21 The
Lord’s hand was with them,(G) and a great number of people believed and
turned to the Lord.
Persecution is one thing that
none of us want to have to go through yet it is something that we should
expect. Romans 12:14 14” Bless those who
persecute you; bless and
do not curse.” It does not say, “if you are persecuted” it
simply implies that you will be persecuted. So why then do we get all bent out of shape
when Christians are put down, falsely accused, or when our values seem to be
ignored while those of other religious backgrounds seems to get all the
positive attention? We as Christians in
the United States of America have it pretty easy, persecution has not made its
full appearance here but it is gradually creeping in and I am sure we will not
always be free from this persecution.
However, there are many people who live in
America because of persecution. My
husband would not have ever been a United States citizen if his great
grandparents had not been persecuted in another country. His ancestors fled
from two other countries due to religious persecution and finally made it to
the United States of America where they settled. Immigrants looking for a better life, the
American dream that is the make-up of this country. Many immigrants were looking to escape
persecution because of their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of their persecution the Word of God
spread to this part of the world. Now,
we have religious freedom and what are we doing with it? Many of our churches are not very full. The fact that we have “many” churches is not
a testament of the spreading of the Gospel but rather the fact that many
Christians can’t agree so a new church is formed.
Let’s look at what happened after Stephen was
stoned to death. The Christians
scattered but the church grew. The
Christians did not go into hiding by quieting their beliefs but rather they
spread their beliefs to others. You might
think that they would be asking lots of “why” questions. Stephen was a great man and did wonderful
things. You could tell by his actions,
his life, and through his death that he loved the Lord his God with all his
heart, soul, and mind. So, why did God
not protect him? Why did he have to
die? Why would God allow this to
happen? You might have thought that
these people would have stuck together, gone underground, and quieted their
faith but instead they were scattered, spread their faith and the church grew.
I want to take special note of what they told
those who they encountered. They told
the Good News of Jesus Christ. They didn’t
tell about their troubles, they didn’t tell about Stephen who was a godly man,
they told about the One who changed their lives. Some told it to the Jews while others spread
it to the Gentiles. Do you want to grow
the church? You don’t do it through
being the most “popular” church in town.
You don’t do it by having the latest fads in worship. You don’t do it by having the most dynamic
speaker as your pastor. You do it through
persecution, through being scattered and most importantly by spreading the Good
News of Jesus Christ to the people who have not heard it. Mega churches were not instantly a mega
church. If you hear how they began it
was with a few people, a lot of prayer, and much time with others, spreading
the Good News. The Good News of Jesus
Christ is being overshadowed by this world and we need to get out there and be
open to how the Lord wants us to use our voice and/or our actions to spread the
most glorious news of all to the people around us. This world could use some Good News and we
are the ones that can share it.
As you seek Him think of those who have never
heard of Him and ask the Lord how you might share the Good News to them. Ask Him
to place His hand upon you and give you the strength, courage, and words to say
in order to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to others.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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