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Acts 8 - Devotion · The Five Minute Bible Podcast

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  Welcome to five minute Bible in our journey through the New
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  Testament in each episode we take just a few minutes to focus
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  on one chapter of the New Testament, exploring the truths
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  God is teaching us through his word and expanding our view of
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  who. He is.
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  Before you listen, make sure you've gone straight to the
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  source, either by reading today's chapter of the Bible
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  yourself or listening to today's read along episode in this
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  podcast feed. If you haven't done that yet,
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  feel free to pause and do that now.
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  And when you're ready, let's dive into God's.
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  Word Together In Acts chapter 8, we see
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  several stories centered on the Holy Spirit's work through
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  Philip healings, gospel proclamation, and the baptism of
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  an Ethiopian on the road. Before we get there, we're
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  introduced to what is really a new section in the book of Acts.
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  If you remember, Acts began with the disciples in Jerusalem and
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  everything we've seen up to this point has taken place in
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  Jerusalem. In Acts chapter 1 though, Jesus
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  tips us off as to what is coming.
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  Listen to Jesus words in Acts 1, seven and eight.
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  He said to them, It is not for you to know times or epochs
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  which the Father has fixed by His own authority, but you will
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  receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and
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  you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea
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  and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
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  Jesus tells of the arrival of the Holy Spirit, then tells the
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  disciples that they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea,
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  Samaria, and the remotest parts of the earth.
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  And those locations essentially serve as the outline for the
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  book of Acts, with new sections of the book beginning as the
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  Gospel breaks through into new regions by the power of the Holy
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  Spirit. And here in Acts 8 we see that
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  move outward from Jerusalem and further into Judea.
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  But what I want you to notice is what drives that move.
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  Listen again to verse one. Saul was in hearty agreement
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  with putting him to death. And on that day a great
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  persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they
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  were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and
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  Samaria, except the apostles. And now listen to verse 4.
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  Describe what happens to those scattered by persecution.
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  Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching
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  the word. So you see, it was the very
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  persecution intended to stop the spread of the gospel message
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  that led to its advancement throughout the region.
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  In fact, we're told this explicitly a few chapters later
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  in Acts 11, verse 19, which says so when those who were scattered
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  because of the persecution that occurred in connection with
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  Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and
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  Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.
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  Think about what's happening here.
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  Persecution, the execution of a Christian leader.
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  The authorities think this is what ought to stamp out the
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  faith, what ought to put a stop to those trouble making Jesus
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  followers. But in reality, the opposite is
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  true. Persecution paves the pathway
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  for gospel proclamation. Only God could plan it this way.
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  The God of whom Joseph spoke when he told his brothers in
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  Genesis 50, As for you, you meant evil against me, but God
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  meant it for good. The God who causes all things to
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  work together for good. To those who love God, to those
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  who are called according to His purpose, this is our God.
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  And He is still working this way today.
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  Not just despite the chaos around us, but through it.
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  Not just despite the brokenness of the world, but through it.
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  Not just despite our own weakness, but through it.
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  So do not fear, do not faint, do not retreat from faithfulness
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  when all hope seems lost. Believe the words of our Saviour
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  when he says in the world, you have tribulation, but take
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  courage. I have overcome the world.