GOD ACTS! (Chapter 8) - A Great Persecution Broke Out — Awake Us Now

Acts 8 begins with the day of Stephen's death:

Then + Now - What we learn

All things - work together for good (God used the persecution for His purpose in spreading the Gospel)

We read in Acts 8:1 that starting that day (of Stephen's death) a massive persecution broke out against the believers in Jerusalem and especially against those like Stephen, Greek speakers, who were not native to Jerusalem. And the believers (except the apostles) fled throughout Judea and Samaria and still they talked about Jesus everywhere they went.

Gospel Peace - that the message of Jesus changes people and brings divine peace between us and God.

Philip and the Samaritans Acts 8:5-8. Philip proclaimed the Messiah in Samaria and when people heard him and saw the signs he performed, that paid close attention to what he said as he proclaimed the risen Savior to them.

Spirit Guided - As followers of Jesus we cannot believe in Him without the Holy Spirit. And we are called to listen to the Holy Spirit, go where the Holy Spirit leads, and to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8:26-27a. Philip is told by the Holy Spirit to take the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. He simply obeys God. So from Samaria he heads to that road.

Prophetic Word has power. When we share with others, Jesus story, that story has power! To change people, to change lives!

Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch along the road. Acts 27a - 34. This man worked for the Queen of the Ethiopians. The man was reading the Book of Isaiah while riding in his carriage on the way back to Ethiopia. Then the Holy Spirit told Philip to go to the carriage and stay near it. He could hear the Ethiopian reading Isaiah. Philip asks if the man understood what he was reading and is invited into the carriage to explain the verses. The verses were, verses 32-35: "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. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." These are verses all about Jesus' trial, crucifixion and death. And the man pleads with Philip to tell him who is being talked about. And Philip tells him all about Jesus the Messiah.

Christ's witnesses - we are to be God's witnesses to the world as we fallow Him using the gifts He has given us.

Philip baptizes the Ethiopian Acts 8:36 - 40 we read that they came to some water and the Ethiopian says that nothing is standing in the way of him being baptized, because after hearing of Jesus, his life was changed. They stop the carriage and he is baptized. As they came up out of the water the Spirit suddenly took Philip away while the Ethiopian continued rejoicing in Jesus. Verse 40 tells us that Philip continued to preach the gospel in all the town along the way to Caesarea.

FLASHBACK to Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." We see Jesus' words being fulfilled in Philip's story.

We to can be part of that story! Our testimonies can have a ripple effect in spreading the Good News of Jesus.

Set aside excuses and recommit to the Lord Jesus and the Father. Listen to the Holy Spirit and allow God to do amazing things with our lives for His kingdom. Using us is just what He desires to do in winning the world to Himself!

This week's READING ASSIGNMENT:

Acts chapter 8-9 (read and reflect on these two chapters together).

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