The Strange Way

Something earth shattering and history changing took place on the day Stephen was stoned to death.  (Acts 7:60)  Stephen is remembered as the first martyr of the Pentecost created church.  The thing which happened at his death is reported in the first verse of the next chapter of the book of Acts, "That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered  throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria."  At first glance it would seem that the Apostles had become content with church life in Jerusalem.  The Words of Jesus about going and making disciples of all nations had been put on the back burner.  (Matthew 28:19)

 

What pushed the gospel of Jesus out into the world according to His command was not the faithful attention of the Apostles to the Words of Jesus, but a terror which settled down hard on the Christian community.  It was such a terrible thing the faithful believers were pushed away from all that was familiar and into the strange and uncertain world out there beyond them.  Judea and Samaria were not a far piece from Jerusalem, but what Jesus wanted to happen was beginning.  Persecution drove it. 

Of course, God did not send the persecution.  Evil rose up to take one more swipe at the Jesus folk whose number was growing.  But, no evil is beyond the power of God to take it in His hand and bring some good to bear in the world.  If evil men were going to do their thing, then God would take what they meant for evil and use it for good.  It is something He has done since the beginning.  As we read about the way God worked in the midst of such trouble for the church, it certainly gives us assurance that no trouble of our day is beyond His ability to work good in our lives and in the life of the church.