Key Verse: Acts 8:4 “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” In America we often refer to ourselves as blessed because we don’t have to endure severe persecution due to the religious freedom we have in this country. However, if one looks closely at the Bible, they will see that God often uses persecution for His own purpose. That is certainly the case when one look at Acts 8:4. The eighth chapter of Acts briefly mentions how Saul went about Israel persecuting the early church. Many Christians were thrown into prison, and as a result of the severe persecution that followed the stoning of Stephen many Christians were scattered. This means that a great number of them moved away from Jerusalem. However, they didn’t just move to a new city. They were forced to move, but in their new home they preached the gospel. God truly does have His own purpose for persecution. We often view persecution in a bad way, and in a way it is bad. Persecution often harms people both physically and mentally, but persecution is one of the most effective ways that God spreads the gospel. We see that happening right here in the book of Acts and when one studies church history they will see that immense persecution often happens before a great revival. So when we are persecuted for our faith let us pray that God would give us the perseverance to endure and that He would use our suffering to fan the flames of His gospel! Jesus says that those are who are persecuted for His name’s sake are blessed. They are blessed because it shows that they are living like Jesus, and also because they able to be used to further God’s gospel! God has a purpose for persecution!
