Day 123 - Acts 8

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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V.1-3 Quite a change takes place. The church (assembly), mainly made up of Jewish believers, now starts to spread out to the Gentiles. But persecution spreads too. No difficulties can stand when God is there, and we believers cannot stand before our enemies when He is not there. Up until Stephen’s martyrdom, Jerusalem had been the one center (Deut. 12:13-1413Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: 14But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee. (Deuteronomy 12:13‑14)). Now Israel had rejected the Holy Ghost by the murder of Stephen, so the message of the gospel of God’s love and grace went out to all nations.
V.5-25 God uses another one of the men chosen to serve at the tables in chapter 6.
V.9-25 Simon “believed,” but we see later that it was only with his head, for he proves himself to be in a lost condition. It must be with the heart (Rom. 10:1010For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)). The miracles had affected him. People often say that if they saw, they would believe. This is just what Simon did, but it was not real.
V.26-40 Another example of the change. The man from Ethiopia receives Christ and goes on his way rejoicing, even though he lost Philip. When we are enjoying Christ, we are not dependent on outside contacts.