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01 Acts 08 01-04 SAUL PERSECUTES THE CHURCH 01 Acts 08 01 Pray for those who persecute the church
📖 Acts 08:01-04
01 – 06Dec2023 – *Pray for those who persecute the church* - _Acts 08:01-04_ - SAUL PERSECUTES THE CHURCH - Bible reading: _Matthew 05:44_
_Acts 8:1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles._
_...Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem…_
Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen as he stood guard over the clothes of those who were stoning Stephen to death. _Acts 7:58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul._ / _Acts 22:20 And when *the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed*, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'_
Stephen died a martyr’s death. Incidentally, the word ‘witness’ in Greek is ‘martus’, pronounced as _mar’-toos_, which is by analogy a “martyr”: - martyr, record, witness. Stephen, therefore, was a true witness of Jesus.
Saul’s agenda was to target those who were witnesses to Jesus and bring them down. He did this by entering every house, where the church met, dragging off men and women and putting them in prison. _Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havoc of *the church, entering every house*, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison._
The early church met in the homes of believers. As persecution increases more and more, we will see the reemergence of home churches, where the numbers that will gather in a home church will be limited. Home churches will also cause the increase of leaders needed for these home churches. We must train more and more believers as leaders, who will provide leadership to the home churches.
How are we to respond to persecution? _Matthew 10:27-28 “*Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.* (28) And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell._
The Lord has commanded us to speak His words in public, for everyone to hear. This is not the time for us to be discreet about our witness of Jesus. The Lord has also told us plainly that the cost of being a witness for Him will be our lives, just as it was with Stephen. We must count the cost and decide to be His witnesses in these times of persecution.
*We must come to the point of determination that we are prepared to lay down our lives for Jesus.* This message and teaching must be given to the church.
Unfortunately, the message, in essence, that is being preached and is being desired by the people, is a message of how God will protect, provide and make everything fall in good places for us. Yes, God does do all these things for this His character and nature, *but what we must train the church, is to be witnesses in the model of Stephen*.
Those who persecute us may kill our bodies but they cannot harm our soul, which is what matters for eternity. *What we need to do and teach the church is to fear God in both public and private life.* It is the Lord who is the righteous judge for He can destroy both soul and body in hell.
The Lord was speaking to the religious leaders, who considered themselves to be custodians of the law of Moses. _Matthew 23:34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,_
What we understand here is that the leaders of our times will consider persecuting the church as a matter of cleansing the society of the life and teaching of the church. Therefore, let us be prepared that those who persecute the church will consider what they are doing to be of great urgency and importance.
_John 16:2-3 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service._ When they persecute the church they will consider it as a service to God. Nevertheless, they persecute the church since they have no relationship with God and with Jesus. _(3) And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me._
As we have seen earlier those who persecute the church will face the wrath of God’s judgement on them. This will be severe. _II Thessalonians 1:6-9 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, (7) and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, (8) in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,_
```We do not want anyone to undergo the punishment of God’s wrath. This is why we must pray for those who persecute the church that they will repent and return to God.```