Author: missionspaul

The Church on the move

Acts 8:4
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”,

A focused Church turns persecution into opportunity.
An obedient Church proclaims less of themselves and more of the Word.
A multiplied Church is scattered to gather.
A sent Church is for the whomsoever is there.

Acts 8:3

“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”

The church wasn’t to be found in central buildings.
The church was found in homes.
Saul knew where the church was.
He thought that he could destroy the church. He didn’t need to firebomb a building he just need to go to the homes of the church people and capture them and put them in prison.
It still happens today.
In ISIS controlled areas of the world the U-shaped Arabic letter is scrawled on the homes of Christians, it stands for Nazarene. These Christians are then targeted by ISIS and have to pay a huge fine, convert to Islam or leave their home or face punishment.
Saul began to destroy the church but did he succeed? No.
When the church were thrown into prison they didn’t cease to be church.
It doesn’t matter what the enemy throws at you or what he tries to throw you into. He that is in you is greater. You can withstand the onslaught. Resurrection power is within you. You can comeback.

Acts 8:2

“Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.”

Godly people experience bad things.
When the world seems to be in chaos and the church have all scattered, godly people sometimes have to stay behind to do what needs to be done.
Staying when everyone is leaving is for godly people.

Godly people dignify their defeats.
They may have failed and their heroes may have fallen but they don’t leave the defeat exposed for all to see. They bring closure to the defeat.

Godly people are not afraid to weep.
Sometimes they want what has been taken from them to come back. The godly have no limits to their love for others.

Have you gone?

Acts 8:1
“And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”

Approximately 5 years after Jesus said GO and even though they had seen Pentecost and further moves if the Spirit. Even though they had experienced a Jerusalem revival and the church had grown to thousands, they still hadn’t ventured out of the city with the gospel.
God can be waiting for us to GO for many years!
What got the Church out of the city? It was persecution. God will get His way. It will either be comfortable for you or not and that probably depends on how long God has been waiting and whether it looks like you are going to do it in any case.
So the church was scattered throughout Judea and Samaria and wherever they went the gospel went with them. The Church finally stepped into the Great Commission. Well all except the apostles anyway but more about that later on!
What’s going to get you moving in mission?

My final prayer

Acts 7:60
“Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

When you fall asleep at night what are your final thoughts about?
Are all your prayers about you?
Can you train yourself to stop praying about things that will benefit you in some way?
Can you close your eyes with a prayer of love for even people who are hurting you?
Prayer is the only way to clear the decks. To set things straight. Too many fall asleep and through the night hold prisoners in the cells of their mind.

Can you still kneel? If you can, do you? We should kneel voluntarily, but there are times when the burdens of our lives, the crush of the enemy is so great we fall under its weight. When this happens do we still cry “Lord!”?
Is He Lord when we are on our knees of surrender?

Friends there will come a day when you will fall on your knees, your body will be finally broken and you will lay down for the final time, your eyes will close and you will fall asleep away from this earth. Will you do that with Jesus as Lord? Will you do that free of any unforgiveness or hate and bitterness?
Practice it now as you go to sleep today and on that precious day whenever it is you will find it easier to do.

Home

Acts 7: 59
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Now we know why Jesus was standing. He was standing to bring Stephen home.
Everyone who dies in the Lord no matter how terrible the death are brought home by Jesus.
Death comes to us all. It has various different forms and today many will go through the valley of the shadow of death and it will be incredibly painful. Whilst being killed Stephen prayed.
Why did he pray that prayer? He was confident where he was going. He knew this life is not the end of it all. He knew his painful death was only a vehicle into something beautiful.
His body would soon lay battered and broken on the earth but his spirit would go on.
One day Jesus will stand up for you and you will be making your final prayer, “receive my spirit” and He will. You will be home.

Don’t give up on a young person

Acts 7:58
“dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

Meanwhile …. a young man named Saul.
Already a leading Pharisee, responsible for the stoning of the church’s first martyr and subsequent persecution onslaught. His name is Saul.
He saw every stone hit Stephen. He sanctioned the stoning, making sure it was done correctly, absolutely. This was not punishment, there was only one outcome from this.
He was just a young man.
Some young people look like their future is inevitable.
They are already involved in things that are outrageous.
Their backs are against God even those who think they are doing okay.
Never write off young people. How they start isn’t always how they finish. You know the story. What God did God is still doing!

Acts 7:57

“At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,”

Some people don’t listen.
Some people are all noise.
Some people get violent.
They are usually the people who have lost the argument.

Look

Acts 7:56
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Stephen invites them to look. To see what he is seeing. But they were not for looking into heaven. Though heaven was open and Jesus was standing in the throne room, only Stephen was seeing.
Those in a fury of rage will never see what Stephen sees.
They can occupy the hierarchy, they can have many people looking at them through glassy eyes of envy, but they may not have good eyesight. They may be professionals of their industry, strategic leaders bringing strategic insights, working the seminar circuits of life having seen the world more than any other, but they cannot see what Stephen saw.
Better a poor man who can see heaven open than a rich man whose worldview is the earth.
One of the reasons for blindness is rage. It blinds you to heaven for you are so focused on seeking justice for how you were wronged, what has been said about you. Your opinions weigh you down into the mud and you cannot see when your head is not lifted.
This Earth is not everything. It will pass away. Be careful with your anger, don’t let it consume you.
Take your eyes off what people have done and lift them up today. Heaven is open, Jesus is waiting. He is standing waiting for you.

What are you facing?

Acts 7:55
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

When people are raging at you where do you look?
Like a stormy sea do you look at the waves?
Stephen didn’t look at the animal fury of the religious leaders.
He looked up to heaven.
At the hands of your persecutors will you be intimidated by their face as they shake their fists at you?
How do those who are imprisoned, mistreated, beaten and killed face their enemy? What does the suffering Church teach us?
I believe it is not to face your enemy but to look up.
Stephen looked up and saw. He didn’t see the anger of men but the glory of God and Jesus standing in the throne room.
What are you facing today?
Make sure it is heaven.