Sent Out By Force

May 29

(Acts 11:19 NIV) "Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews."

(Acts 8:1-4 NIV) "And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. {2} Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. {3} But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. {4} Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."

It wasn’t always a mystical missionary spirit that carried the name of Jesus abroad. The seeds of the gospel were often spread by the winds of persecution. But as people fled from the death threats and the beatings, they continued to share the gospel story. What was designed to silence the message of Christ ended up amplifying it to the point that it became un-stoppable. God took what was intended for evil, and used it for good. Sometimes the pain, suffering, and persecution of this life produce the sweetest fruit for the kingdom of God. Trials and troubles often force us out of our comfort zones and into situations where our lights can shine brightly. We can be pushed into doing heroic things that we would not have ordinarily done, and taken to places where the name of Christ has not yet been spoken. Wherever life takes you, share Jesus. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day