In our study of Acts chapter eight, we see how God uses the persecution of his people to spread the good news of Yeshua Messiah. Many times we may ask why God allows awful things to happen to his people. Here, we are reminded that God works in all things (even the persecution of his people) and he is still in control.
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and Sha'ul gave his approval to his murder. Starting with that day, there arose intense persecution against the Messianic Community in Yerushalayim; all but the emissaries were scattered throughout the regions of Y'hudah and Shomron. Some godly men buried Stephen and mourned him deeply. But Sha'ul set out to destroy the Messianic Community - entering house after house, he dragged off both men and women and handed them over to be put in prison.
We are told here that, on the day that Stephen was stoned, great persecution broke out against the church. We may ask ourselves why this happened but I believe that we can find the answer in the "churches" of today. You see, in many "churches" today, Christians have become comfortable and very few people are being told about Yeshua. It is a natural tendency for us, as humans, in that we want to be in a place where we are liked and accepted. The same was true of the early Christians. Without persecution, the early church would not have reached out to areas outside of Jerusalem. The people would have stayed where they could be surrounded by other Christians. God knows the heart of all of us and he knew that as well. If you look at the world today, the areas where the kingdom is expanding at the fastest rate are the areas where the rate of persecution is also the highest. We also see that Paul was aleader of this effort to persecute the church.
However, those who were scattered announced the Good News of the Word wherever they went.
You may have asked yourself why did God allow Saul to persecute the Christians in Jerusalem and drive them out. We get the answer in the verse above. You see, we as people can get comfortable in our surroundings and I am sure that it happened with the disciples in the early church. But God allowed them to be scattered and in so doing, the gospel was spread rapidly. We, like those early disciples, are called to preach the word wherever we go as well.
Now Philip went down to a city in Shomron and was proclaiming the Messiah to them; and the crowds were paying close attention to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was doing. For many people were having unclean spirits driven out of them, shrieking; also many paralytics and crippled persons were being healed; so that there was great joy in that city.
Because of the persecution, Philip went to this town in Samaria. Keep in mind that the Jews of Jerusalem looked on the Samaritan people as they were known for their idolatry and where there is idolatry there is usually demonic influence. While he was there he proclaimed the gospel as well as met the people's needs through miracles. The people noticed that Philip was different and paid attention to what he said. We, too, are called to go to the people that others may look down on and boldly proclaim the gospel as well as meeting their physical needs. When they see that, they will take heed of the gospel that we preach. We also see two types of physical problems mentioned and they both refer to a person's inability to walk. This is significant in that walking is a metaphor for the ability to follow the ways of God. The result of all of this was great joy in the city.
But there was a man named Shim'on in the city who for some time had been practicing magic and astonishing the nation of Shomron, claiming to be somebody great. Everyone gave heed to him, from the lowest to the highest, saying, "This man is the power of God called 'The Great Power'." They followed him because for a considerable time he had amazed them with his magic.
In this passage, we are told of a man that did signs and wonders but we see a stark difference between him and Philip. We are told that Simon boasted that he was great and did it all for himself. He thrived on the accolades given him by the people of Samaria. In sharp contrast was Philip who performed miraculous signs but it was all to glorify God and to bring people to a saving knowledge of Yeshua Messiah. We, as Christians, must always keep our egos in check and realize that all we are able to do is only because of the power of God that is alive in us. It is easy to get caught up when people say good things about you and your actions but we must remember that all we do is to glorify God not ourselves.
But when they came to believe Philip, as he announced the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua the Messiah, they were immersed, both men and women. Moreover, Shim'on himself came to believe; and after being immersed, he attached himself closely to Philip; and he was amazed as he saw the miraculous signs and great works of power that kept taking place.
When the genuine is put alongside the imposter, it is always easy to tell the real thing. That is what happened here. Simon was using sorcery but Philip had the very power of God. When the two met, it was easy to tell the difference. Philip kept his message focused on Yeshua and the kingdom of God while Simon had been focused on himself. The difference is clear and even Simon himself saw it. The same thing happens today with us as Christians. When you have the Holy Spirit working in and through you, it is easy to tell. Then, when people pretending to be disciples of Jesus come along, it is easy for others to see the difference.
When the emissaries in Yerushalayim heard that Shomron had received the Word of God, they sent them Kefa and Yochanan who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh. For until then he had not come upon any of them; they had only been immersed into the name of the Lord Yeshua. Then, as Kefa and Yochanan placed their hands on them, they received the Ruach HaKodesh.
This passage shows the authority of the apostles being demonstrated to these new believers in Samaria. The people believed in Yeshua thanks to the teaching and example of Philip. Now, the people receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the apostle's hands. This gives them the power to follow and to serve Yeshua Messiah. The same is true for us today but we do not need the laying on of hands. We can receive the same power and guidance from that same Holy Spirit.
Shim'on saw that the Spirit was given when the emissaries placed their hands on them, and he offered them money. "Give this power to me, too," he said, "so that whoever I place my hands on will receive the Ruach HaKodesh."
Simon the sorcerer had money and after he saw the apostles lay their hands on people, he wanted to buy the authority like some cheap magic trick. He wanted to purchase the ability to give the Holy Spirit and did not realize that it was a gift from God. The same sort of thing happens in many churches today but it looks a little different. There are those who are willing and able to give the local church much money but do not want to be burdened with the whole following Yeshua thing. The relationship with God is not for sale.
But Kefa said to him, "Your silver go to ruin - and you with it, for thinking the free gift of God can be bought! You have no part at all in this matter; because in the eyes of God, your heart is crooked. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps you will yet be forgiven for holding such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are extremely bitter and completely under the control of sin!"
Peter (the apostle) rebuked Simon and told him to repent of his sin. His answer is based on looking at the state of Simon's heart and the fact that his goal was bringing glory to himself. Simon's bitterness speaks of the fact that he was not happy with himself and was trying to build himself up to where he would like himself. God also knows and cares about our motives (what's in our heart). We may deceive each other but cannot deceive God. Do good works but do them for the right reason which is to bring glory to God not to yourself.
Shim'on answered, "Pray to the Lord for me, so that none of the things you have spoken about will happen to me." Then, after giving a thorough witness and speaking the Word of the Lord, Kefa and Yochanan started back to Yerushalayim, announcing the Good News to many villages in Shomron.
This passage should give us all hope. You see, after he was told of his sin and it's cost, he repented and asked them to pray for him. Forgiveness is always there and so there is always hope. Then, we see that Peter and John went back to Jerusalem. But, they did not just walk back to Jerusalem, they shared the gospel along the way. That is an example of what we are to do even today. As you are on your way here and there, don't forget that your main purpose in life is to tell others about Yeshua.
An angel of ADONAI said to Philip, "Get up, and go southward on the road that goes down from Yerushalayim to 'Azah, the desert road." So he got up and went. On his way, he caught sight of an Ethiopian, a eunuch who was minister in charge of all the treasure of the Kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia. He had been to Yerushalayim to worship; and now, as he was returning home, he was sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Yesha'yahu. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot, and stay close to it."
This passage of scripture gives us an awesome example of being led by the Spirit. Philip was led by the Spirit to the exact place that God wanted him to be at just the right time. There, Philip met a royal official from Ethiopia whom God had put there too. Isn't it wonderful to know that the same Spirit that led Philip in this passage is the same Spirit that can lead us each day. For good things to happen we, like Philip, have to be obedient and follow wherever the Spirit tells us to go.
As Philip ran up, he heard the Ethiopian reading from Yesha'yahu the prophet. "Do you understand what you're reading?" he asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" And he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him.
So, Philip was obedient to the Holy Spirit and went to the place where God could use him. As soon as Philip met the man, he knew why God had sent him there and why it was at that time. God knew that the Ethiopian official needed someone to explain to him about the savior. God is the same today as he was then. He can use anyone as long as they are obedient to his leading. You see, God is big enough to know where we should be and what we should do at any given time. When we are obedient to the leading of the Spirit, we get to see these little blessings just as Philip did. We at Enduring Freedom Ministries like to call situations like these our little "God moments".
Now the portion of the Tanakh that he was reading was this: "He was like a sheep led to be slaughtered; like a lamb silent before the shearer, he does not open his mouth. He was humiliated and denied justice. Who will tell about his descendants, since his life has been taken from the earth?" The eunuch said to Philip, "Here's my question to you - is the prophet talking about himself or someone else?" Then Philip started to speak - beginning with that passage, he went on to tell him the Good News about Yeshua.
What an example we have here of how we are to share the gospel. The Ethiopian was reading from the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. You have to understand that, at this time, there was no "Bible" like we have today. Even having a piece of the Old Testament such as this would have been a big deal. The eunuch had the scripture and could read it but did not know that it was referring to Yeshua. Philip started with what the Ethiopian had and told him about Yeshua. That is the same thing that we, as Christians, are called to do. The passage that the Ethiopian was reading is so powerful and describes Jesus' actions so well yet was written a long time before he came to the earth. That, my friends, is what God can do!
As they were going down the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Here's some water! Is there any reason why I shouldn't be immersed?" And Philip sid, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." He answered, "I believe that Yeshua the Messiah is the Son of God." He ordered the chariot to stop; then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip immersed him.
In this passage, we see faith put into action. When the Ethiopian heard the gospel of Yeshua Messiah, his heart was changed. Then, he immediately followed with obedience by being baptized. Notice that, in the passage, Philip did not have to tell him to be baptized. It was the eunuch that said "Why shouldn't I be baptized?" It is a good example for us in that, when we come to Christ, we should learn that is followed by obedience.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch saw no more of him, because he continued on his way - full of joy. But Philip showed up at Ashdod and continued proclaiming the Good News as he went through all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
In this passage we see that, after Philip had done what God wanted him to do in the situation, God took him to the next place where he needed to be. In this case, the Spirit took him immediately. Then, Philip went about his next task in his next area. That is much the same way that we should be. We serve where God has us until he tells us to move on. Then, we simply do what he asks us to in the next place or situation. In order to do that, we must first pray and listen to what God tells us to do.
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