Acts 8

http://www.esvbible.org/Acts+8/

Saul approves of Stephen's execution. After his death, widespread persecution ensued against the church. All of the believers except the apostles scattered. Saul TRIED to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out tof their homes and threw them into prison. Still today governments try to persecute the church, but it still exists because God backs it. He will not let anything bring the church to total collapse. The fact that we exist today after the event depicted in this chapter proves that point.

God always has a plan, and everything that happens is a response to this master plan. Because the church went into widespread panic on the day of Stephen's execution, the believers spread around the lands to share the Good News. Phillip went to Samaria and began showing God's works, performing miracles, and sharing Jesus' teachings. The Samaritans were amazed and many of them believed. Phillip ran into trouble when he encountered a man, named Simon, who claimed to perform magic. The Lord, however, compelled Simon's heart, and he too came to believe. When the apostles in Jerusalem received word about what occurred in Samaria, Peter and John went to give them the Holy Spirit. They prayed on their way that the Spirit would enter the Samaritans, and when they arrived and put their hands on the Samaritans, they could sense that He had entered them. When the apostles were about to leave, the Samaritans asked them if they could pay to do the same miracles as the disciples. Peter and John grew angry and said that they should be ashamed of themselves for trying to buy God's gifts because they are gifts, not products. They can only be given and received, not earned and not bought. They tell the Samaritans that they better pray that God changes their ways. Simon fears what Peter and John have said and asks that they pray for him. He sees that the power of prayer is strong.

Phillip hears the Spirit tell him to go out into the desert, so he listens. Phillip knew how to be in a position to listen to the Spirit. God is constantly in communication with us through the Spirit, but we have to allow ourselves to be in the position to listen. Then, we must obey. While Phillip is out in the desert, he comes across a carriage that the Spirit tells him to stick close to. In the carriage is an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah. Phillip asks him if he knows what the prophet is saying. The Ethiopian says that he needs a guide through the passage. The passage is about the death of Jesus. Phillip starts there and uses the opportunity to share the entire Good News with the man. Our God is not passive and submissive; He directly affects our lives. God will give you an opportunity to witness, so you better be ready to take it. In just that short conversation, the official asks for Phillip to baptize him, and he believes.