HIS WORD CANNOT BE CONTAINED!
HIS WORD CANNOT BE CONTAINED!
There is much debate over whose land Israel is today, but God promised the land to Abraham and his descendants around 2000 BC. Although they would be enslaved out of the land in Egypt for about 400 years until around 1500 BC when the Lord would punish the nation of Egypt for the way they treated his descendants. The Lord would bring them back into the land of Canaan (Acts 7:5-7) and He worked through Moses to do so (Act 7:33-34). Moses was also the one who said, “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people’” as he pointed forward to Jesus (Acts 7:37). But the Israelites were “stiff-necked, resisting the Holy Spirit and they “killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you (Israelites) have betrayed and murdered him (Jesus)” (Acts 7:51-52). Again, this is seen as Stephen is speaking to the Jewish leaders and they stone him as well. But as Stephen “fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). After that—
“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” —Acts 8:1-4
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (Acts 8:26). The Holy Spirit led Philip to an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading from Isaiah chapter 53, but he did not understand what he was reading. He invited Philip up into his chariot and Philip opened up God’s Word for Him. —
“This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” —Acts 8:32-33
Then” The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’ Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ The eunuch answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:34-38).
There will always be opposition to God’s Word in this world and there will be many followers of Jesus who will die for just believing and following Jesus. But God’s Word will be “scattered” all over the world and people from all nations will become disciples of Jesus. Truly, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Have you called on Jesus? Have you followed Him in baptism, identifying with Him and His church— a witness to you being Jesus’ disciple? May it be so and then live the rest of your life faithfully for Him. Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu2S9y3r0XE&list=RDPu2S9y3r0XE&start_radio=1