HOW IT ALL BEGAN: (Acts chapter 2.)

After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, He never appeared publicly, but only to His disciples. He told them that this would be so, before His crucifixion. John,14:21-22. Before He left them, to return to heaven, He commanded them to abide in Jerusalem, until they were clothed with power from on high. We do not know how many of His disciples followed Him to Bethany, there could have been up to 500, 1Cor.15:6. But we do know that there were 120 souls in the Upper Room, in Jerusalem, & that they were "men of Galilee", for they were called so by the angel. In the Upper Room, they continued in prayer & supplication, but as well according to Luke, they frequently visited the temple, where they were continually praising & blessing God.

They continued thus, until the day of Pentecost, (10 days), "with one accord", that is there was a lovely attitude of unity, & expectation amongst them. On that 50^th day, the Holy Spirit came, with the sound of a mighty rushing wind, or hard breathing, filled the house where they were sitting, & appeared to them, not as a dove, or doves, but as cloven tongues of fire, & sat on each of them. We may wonder why the difference in this coming, than when He came from Heaven, as a dove, & abode upon the Lord Jesus at His baptism. I would suggest that when He came upon the Lord Jesus, everything about Him, was absolutely holy, there was nothing to correct, or consume, but in the Lord Jesus He found all that was delightful to the Father, & perfectly agreeable to Himself. But when He came upon the disciples, in that upper room, there was still that remaining in those imperfect people, which had to be consumed & removed, before He could find perfect rest in each of them. It is also a testimony to His perfect one-ness, because it was the same cloven tongues of fire that sat on each of them. These are the only two times in holy scripture that the Holy Spirit appeared. He has never appeared since, in spite of the false claims made by some.

By the coming of the Holy Spirit, He consummated the work of God in each of those believers, mystically fused them together, & baptized them into one Body, the Body of Christ. Thus the Church, began to exist on this earth, at that moment, & has continued ever since, & shall do until the Lord Jesus comes at the rapture. Also we need to note, that the Holy Spirit, coming from heaven, (as the Lord Jesus, & the Father promised), took up His abode in the Church, & has never left. For believers today, to pray for the Holy Spirit to come, or to "tarry", fast, grovel, & plead for Him to come, is to ignore what took place on that wonderful fiftieth day, (Pentecost).

As each repentant sinner turns from their sin, puts their faith & trust in the Lord Jesus, & His finished work; receiving Him as their Savior, & confessing Him as their Lord & Master, they too are born again. Their bodies become the Temple of the Holy Spirit, & they are at that moment immersed (baptized), into the body of Christ. This is the only "Baptism of the Holy Spirit", spoken of in scripture.

They then were all "filled with the Holy Spirit", indicating that the fire had done its work in them, consuming what was not suitable, there was no discrimination. They then began to speak in tongues, not in a babble of confusion, but under the control of the Holy Spirit who filled them, as He gave them utterance. It is plain from what follows that they knew what they were saying, but they said it in a language that was strange or foreign to them. They did not prattle on about unimportant trifles, but spoke of the "wonderful works of God". This was the testimony of those who heard them. The purpose & operation of the Biblical gift of tongues, is here demonstrated, & only here. We may then conclude that all so-called tongues speaking today, is false, & to be avoided & rejected.

This experience was unique to those gathered in the upper room, who were already committed disciples & followers of the rejected, crucified, risen, & now ascended Son of God. It is not said of any others, or of those who were convicted, saved, & baptized, as the result of the preaching of Peter, & those others who were enabled to preach in the languages of those present, that even one of them spoke in tongues. The messages of those others who preached in the different languages, are not recorded for us, but some of what Peter said is recorded, & he either spoke in Greek, or Hebrew, for he spoke especially to those who were men of Judea, & others who dwelt at Jerusalem.

THE NATURE OF THE PREACHING;

When Peter spoke, he first refuted the claims of the scoffers. Such claims are today justified by some, who claim that those who come under the "Toronto Blessing." (curse), are "drunk in the Spirit". This is refuted by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians. There he describes drunkenness as debauchery, or excess, Eph. 5:18-21. What they said was both rational, easily understood by those in whose languages they spoke, & very deep & spiritual. We may be sure that the Holy Spirit will never cause those whom He fills & controls, to act in uncontrolled, foolish, or sensual ways.

Peter then went on to prove from the Scriptures, that what all were witnessing, was the actual fulfilment of prophecy, given in the Scriptures. Next he brought home to the consciences of all, the demonstration of their national, & personal guilt. Such preaching today, would be regarded by most as negative, even judgemental. To be popular today, one must say nothing that makes people feel "uncomfortable". Congregations are often asked whether they "feel comfortable", with this or that. "In the beginning it was not so", but what Peter said was in very fact the "Word of God", which is quick & powerful, & sharper than any two edged sword. It pierces, & divides. How we need to go back to that which was "in the beginning".

Peter’s preaching caused those who heard, to be "pricked in their hearts". How we need such preaching today! They were brought to repentance, to realise their national & personal guilt. They were made afraid, & without any persuasion, or emotional cajoling, asked "Men & brethren, what must we do?"

Peter’s response was blunt & direct. He did not cater for religious pride, nor regard any prejudice, but issued two instructions. REPENT, & be BAPTIZED, every one of you. He did not excuse any, because if they were to have their sins forgiven, & receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, this was the only way. The same is true today, this is still the only way for any person, be they Jew, or Gentile, to enter into the experience of salvation, the only way for any person to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We need to notice here, the special importance of Baptism for the Jew. They were guilty of both personal, & national sins. They were guilty of the murder of God’s Son. They had said "Away with Him, crucify Him". They had said "His blood be upon us & our children " Matt. 27:25. The only way they could receive the remission of those national sins, was by completely severing themselves from that guilty nation. This could only be done by dying & being buried, of which Baptism is a symbol. Baptism has nothing to do with our eternal salvation, but has everything to do with our being saved from the world. In this way the repentant Jews, were able to "save themselves", from that guilty, "untoward generation" Our eternal salvation, depends alone on the efficacy of the finished work of Christ.

This is the kind of preaching that we need today, if we wish to see the same result now, that was achieved there. The purpose of these articles is, that we might return to that which was, "In the beginning" May the Lord help all, who are true believers, as individuals, to do this. May we yet see the demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power, convicting the lost of their sin, their lost estate. May we yet see men & women so convicted, & hear them cry, "What must we do to be saved". May God bless you !

OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD;

Those convicted by the Holy Spirit, believed the word; they gladly received it, these & only these were baptised. This is the pattern that should be followed today, just as it was "in the beginning". I have met many believers, who seem to be happy, will sing lustily the hymns & choruses, when they gather, but when the question of baptism is raised, they become quite hostile. They make all kinds of excuses for declining to obey what the Scripture clearly says. Some will quote the case of the thief on the cross, who repented at the last moment, & received the assurance from the Lord Jesus, that he would be with Him that day in paradise. Seeking to show by this, that baptism has nothing to do with our place in heaven. This is true also: However if we aim to continue to live down here upon the earth, then baptism by immersion is necessary, if we are to live a life of obedience. Some hide behind the fact that they were baptised as a baby, when such a baptism has no value whatever. To conform to Scripture it must be baptism by total immersion in water. of genuine believers in Christ.

AFTER BAPTISM:

We read that those who gladly received the word, were baptised & continued steadfastly in four things. It is important to note that they continued steadfastly. That is they did not rush ahead, & make spectacular progress, neither did they lag behind. They went on steadfastly. How we long to see such today, new believers who will make steady progress, solid people, who can be relied upon without fear of being disappointed.

They continued in four things, & the importance of these four things cannot be over-emphasised. The first is the teaching of the Apostles. That is a solid all round understanding of the whole scope of revealed truth, such as is taught to us in the Epistles. It is so sad today, when we find many believers who emphasise almost solely, such things as speaking in tongues, healing, miracles, etc. But they have little desire for the understanding of spiritual things, rejecting such things as being "too heavy". James speaks of "Contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." To continue in such teaching, would involve meeting regularly with believers for the purpose of studying the Scriptures.

The second thing mentioned is "the fellowship (of the Apostles)". Though the Apostles are no longer with us, yet that same quality of fellowship which they introduced remains. The Greek word for "fellowship", is koinonia, which means sharing, or partnership. The introduction of formal, denominational Churches, where a pastor or clergyman presides, or rules, has done much to destroy this kind, or quality of fellowship. All that is expected of the members to do, is to come to the services, listen to the sermon, make their contribution to the collection, & then go home until next week.

Partnership means that each person has equal rights to enjoy the privileges of the fellowship, but also equal obligation to carry the responsibilities of the fellowship. No partnership will ever work, if one partner only wants to take their share of the profits, yet does not do their share of the work. Such fellowship draws people together, enables each member to discover their own God given gifts, or abilities, & also those of their brothers & sisters. Such fellowship involves the believers working together as a team. This is what the Apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians to do. (Phil. 1:27). Satan knows that such a fellowship has power, & is very effective in winning the lost for Christ. He tries very hard to prevent this, by bringing in division, bickering, & mis-understanding between the believers; & to get them to dissipate their energies & strength, by striving, or quarrelling with each other.

The third thing mentioned is the "Breaking of Bread", known to us as the Lord’s Supper, or to others as "Communion". This clearly shows that the Lord’s Supper occupied a central & very important place in the gatherings of the early Church. It is a sad characteristic of the days of decline in which we live, that the Lord’s Supper has been removed from the important place that it once occupied. It became the practice of the Church, as it became established, for believers to gather on the first day of the week, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or to "break bread". But it seems that to begin with, the believers broke bread in each other’s houses, perhaps more than once a week.

It is important to note that Paul tells us in 1 Cor.11:26, that we are to do this often, & when we do, we show forth the Lord’s death until He comes. Some Churches do this once each fortnight, others once each month, & some only once every three months. Those in the early Church continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread. Let us go back to what was "in the beginning".

The Lord’s supper has proved to be a rallying point for the affections of true believers, down through the ages. Our Lord Jesus instituted it for this purpose. He foresaw our human weakness, & our tendency to forget, & thus provided His Supper, to constantly remind us of Himself, & what He has done for us. It follows then, that each believer should gather with their brothers & sisters, to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, every time the Lord’s Supper is celebrated, if possible.

The fourth thing mentioned, in which they continued steadfastly is "prayers". It was the practice of devout Jews, even before the Church began, to "go up to the Temple to pray". It seems that to begin with, it became the practice of the Church in Jerusalem to do this each day, at 3 PM, the hour of prayer. However as the Church became established, it seems that the Temple was no longer used for this purpose, & we read of believers gathering in a house for the purpose of earnest prayer, (chapter 12 : 5 & 12). It seems that the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, was one of the places where the Church gathered for this purpose, as it evidently had a large upper room.

As time went on, it became the practice of many believers, to gather on one day, or night, each week for this purpose, & this continues amongst those who have followed the example of Scripture, up until this day. Thus we may rightly assume that every true believer should gather each week with the local Church, or Assembly, for the purpose of prayer. It is good for those who are men, to learn to pray publicly, in the meeting for prayer. This is commanded in 1 Tim.2:8. The women are also to pray, but silently, in the Assembly. God has wonderfully blessed the prayers of godly women down through the ages.

It is a sad feature of the decline that is to be seen everywhere, that prayer is no longer regarded as important, & even where there is a prayer meeting held each week, it is usually the most poorly attended of all the meetings. It has sometimes been said, "Where there is no prayer, there is no power". This accounts for the present powerless state of many Assemblies today.

My dear brothers & sisters, let us go back to what was practiced "in the beginning". Let us see that these four very important things are carried out today, & we will see the power that marked the Church at its beginning, return once again. We read that fear came upon every soul, there was a state of gladness, singleness of heart, continuing praise to God, sweet fellowship together, & an absence of selfishness.

May the Lord help us to return to what was there in the beginning. As we look around, we are compelled to think of the Lord’s words; "In the beginning it was not so".

May God bless you each one!

THEY SOLD THEIR POSESSIONS:

The effect of the conversion on these Jews was little short of miraculous. The Jews are perhaps the most materialistic of all people, the most diligent & prosperous in business, wherever they are found. Yet those who had possessions sold them, & laid the money at the Apostles feet. The possession of real-estate specially in the land of Israel, was to the Jew, under the law, a token of the blessing of God. Yet their hearts were so touched by the love of God, in giving His Son to die for them, that they readily parted with that which was so dear to them What a difference we see today. It is not unknown for people who say that they are believers, to lay claim to property that belongs to the Lord, & even to go to the courts to try to steal what really belongs to God.

It will be claimed that what these first believers did, will not work today. However if they had not sold their possessions, or property, they would have lost it all in time. Because in a matter of thirty years or so, the general Titus came with the Roman army, & sacked & burned Jerusalem. The believers who were in the city at that time had to flee, & were dispersed to many parts of the Middle East. It was to these people that Peter wrote his epistles. Paul testified as to how they joyfully accepted the spoiling of their goods, because they knew that they had a better & more enduring substance in heaven. Heb.10:34.

They then laid the money at the Apostles feet, however those men who had been the instruments that God used to bring them the knowledge of Salvation, did not touch that money, or take it as a reward for their services. This is proved in chapter 3, because Peter said to the lame man who was healed through them, "Silver & gold have I none". Again how different things are today, where those who claim to be the servants of God, are constantly appealing for money. Many are multi-millionaires. These have deceived people, mesmerised them, used all kinds of trickery to get gullible people to give them huge sums of money, so that they can live in luxury. Let us recall again the words of the Lord Jesus, "In the beginning it was not so".

Such avarice, or even extortion, that we see today, we must condemn in the strongest terms. It is hateful to God. Those who claim to be His servants, are not ashamed to beg from men, as if God is either mean or bankrupt.

Some years ago, I went to U.S.A. & there I listened to many "Christian" radio broadcasts, which can be heard 24 hours a day, on different stations. Some were good, & presented truth as Scripture tells it. Others were far from the truth, & one can hear almost every error or heresy on U.S. Radio stations. But whether good or bad, all ended with a begging session, asking their hearers to give money to enable them to keep their broadcasts going. In one breath they would loudly proclaim their total dependence on God, & in the next they would be begging from men. Even the "Unjust Steward", would not do this, because he said "I cannot dig, & to beg I am ashamed".

MIRACLES:

It is said in chapter 2:43 that, "many wonders & signs were done by the Apostles". This was characteristic of the beginning of the Church, Such wonders accompanied the preaching of the. Gospel, by those who actually heard the Lord Jesus preach.. Paul tells us this, in Hebrews 2;4.-However we need to notice that such things were done by the Apostles, not even by others who were in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came from heaven. The Apostles, were given special powers by the Lord Jesus, & such powers were not given to others. God bore witness to the truth of the message that they proclaimed, by granting these miracles. However the Gospel has now been preached for nearly 2,000 years, & in every age there has been abundant testimony to the power of the Gospel in the transformed lives of men & women who have received the Saviour. It is no longer necessary for physical miracles to take place, to testify to the truth & power of God in the Gospel.

There are so many who claim to work miracles today, in order to attract crowds, & to collect large sums of money, but "in the beginning it was not so". A proper examination of so many of the so-called "miracles", that are claimed by these people; especially of healing, have proved the claims to be completely false.

God’s power is just the same today, the gifts of healing are still given by Him. But they are not given to deceivers, or "miracle workers" to make them rich & famous. But in His mercy such gifts of healing are given to the sufferers or sick people. Though Paul tells us in 1Cor.13;8 that "prophecies", would fail, "tongues" would cease, & "knowledge" (supernatural knowledge), would vanish away. This has happened, but God still heals; in His mercy. He still grants this gift to suffering men. However it does not usually take place in mass gatherings as claimed by some, but in hospitals, & private homes. There are many practicing Doctors all over the world, who are amazed when sometimes hopeless cases, are healed. They can give no medical reason for this, but we know that it is the gift of our merciful God.

NOT ALL ARE HEALED:

In chapter 3 of acts we have the case of the man who was lame from his birth, one who had never walked.. He had been carried daily, & laid at the beautiful gate of the Temple. We are told in a later chapter, that he was above 40 years of age. This means that he must have laid there when the Lord Jesus entered the Temple many times. Yet the Lord Jesus never healed him; He left this for Peter & John to do.

This proves the fact, that it is not the will of God to heal every sick, or disabled person. There are those who will tell you that when praying for the sick, you should never use the words, "If it be Thy will". They claim that this is only an evidence of unbelief, however the Lord Jesus prayed "not my will, but Thine be done". The believers in Acts 21;14 said, "The will of the Lord be done". His will is always best! We know that if we ask according to His will He hears us, & if we know He ears us, then we know that we have the petition, whatever we ask of Him. 1John,5;14 & 15.

But this man was healed, there was no doubt about it. He immediately rose up, walked, leaped & praised God. It was an additional miracle that he could walk, even when his feet & anklebones became strong, because he had never walked before in his life. It takes a child a long time to learn to walk, yet he walked & leaped immediately.

The even greater miracle was the fact that he was saved. He became such a strong witness for the Lord. He was even prepared to endure prison, for the sake of the Lord Jesus. It is interesting to read that those who were saved, were not saved through the healing of the lame man, but through the word that peter preached. Chapter 4;4. The healing was not used as a gimmick by the Apostles, nor did they tell the people that if they accepted Christ they would be healed. They did not seek popularity, but faithfully preached the word, even charging the people with denying the Holy One & Just. Charged them with killing the Prince of Life. He called them to repent, to be converted. This would not be considered a "popular" Gospel today. Oh that we might go back to the beginning! Oh that we might see the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit of God, convicting men of their sin, converting them to Christ! In chapters 3 & 4, we are told of only one man that was healed, but of 5,000 that believed.

In the land of Australia, where I live, though we preach the Gospel, yet rarely does one unsaved person come to hear. Very seldom is any one truly saved. "In the beginning it was not so" May God bless you!

PERSECUTION.

It is interesting to notice, that the healing of the lame man, brought fierce persecution upon the Disciples, & the early Church. This was also true in a pagan setting in chapter 14:19. However today we find that things are different. The modern "healers" have discovered the science of mind control, & the way to sway the crowds by their deceit, & trickery. In many cases this leads to their gaining support from the crowds, who are so easily deceived. It also moves the crowds to give large sums of money to the deceivers. "In the beginning it was not so".

In this instance it is interesting to notice the words of Peter & John. To the lame beggar they said, "Look on us", but to the crowds they said, "Why marvel ye, or why look ye so earnestly on us". They resolutely refused to take any credit for what had happened. Instead they gave the glory to God, & emphasised that it was through the mighty name of the Lord Jesus alone, that the man was healed. How different to the charlatans of today, who love to bask in the sunshine of the glory & fame that they secure to themselves by their trickery. "In the beginning it was not so".

THE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF THE PERSECUTION:

While persecution is to be accepted as a part of the price to pay for faithfully following Christ; yet it is interesting to note the sources from which it came. But first let us remind ourselves of the words of our Blessed Master, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me, before it hated you", John 15:18 – 16:4. Peter warns us not to take as strange the fire of persecution, 1 Pet. 4;12-19. Paul also warns us that those who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. 2Tim.3;12. John also tells us "Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you". 1John, 3;13.

AT THE HANDS OF AUTHODOX RELIGIOUS LEADERS:

Persecution is something that we do not like, & would rather avoid. Nevertheless, it is something that, though Satan intends it for our harm & suffering, yet God uses for our good.

It is a matter of great grief that the first persecution came from those who were authodox Jewish religious leaders. These were the men who condemned the Lord Jesus to such a brutal death. Religious fanatics can be terribly cruel, & it is their way to get others to do their dreadful work. However history shows that whenever Satan turns to persecute the children of God, it usually results in their blessing, & defeats his purpose.

It is a tragic fact that in the Western world persecution is very rare. There Satan has used his more successful tool, that of seduction. He has succeeded in lulling the children of God to sleep, by allowing them to become materially comfortable. He has thus introduced the world into the believer’s home, & also into the Church. He has got them occupied with trivialities, & gimmicks such as false miracles, & speaking in unknown tongues. He has introduced entertainment & such things & these have made the Church popular with the World. Because of this, persecution is almost unheard of. "In the beginning it was not so".

Though to begin with, the Apostles continued to visit the Temple, & to preach there, yet as time went on, this was no longer possible. At first the Apostles went there & preached the Gospel with power, God using the miraculous healing of the crippled man to confirm the truth of what they were saying, but they were soon made to suffer for it. First they were imprisoned, & threatened, but when they were released, they went "to their own company" & reported what had been done to them. This persecution did not intimidate them, but drew them together, so that with united voice they gave themselves to prayer. They did not pray that God would destroy those who had made themselves their enemies, nor that He would turn off the heat of the fiery trial through which they were passing. But they prayed for courage & boldness to continue to speak God’s word. That He might continue to stretch out His hand to heal, & do wonders through the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus. They prayed thus, even though the miracle of the cripple’s healing had brought them into such trouble.

However the answer to their prayer, though immediate & causing all present to be filled again with the Holy Spirit, & it seems that all spoke the word of God with boldness; yet it brought them into even greater trouble. Once again they were arrested & put in prison, but experienced a miraculous deliverance through the intervention of the angels. At first opportunity they obeyed the command sent through the angels, but while preaching in the Temple, they were again arrested, but this time they were beaten. This only made them to rejoice, that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the great name of Him whom they had come to love, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS:

This raises the question of the ministry of angels, & also the problem of the sovereignty of God. We are told in Hebrews chapter one, verse 14, that angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to serve those that inherit salvation. This means that angelic service & protection are available to every true child of God. However it is not God’s will that every one who is called upon to suffer, is to be delivered by miraculous angelic intervention. We see this later on in the book of the Acts, when God sent an angel, to deliver the Apostle Peter from a hopeless situation, yet He allowed Herod to slay the Apostle James with the sword. But those who are called upon to suffer, may rest in the assurance, that God is able to deliver them, but if it is not His will to do so, then His will is always best, & He makes no mistakes. Daniel’s three friends could face the fiery furnace with this assurance. Our God is able to deliver us out of your hands, but if not,….we will not bow down or worship the image that you have made. Then let us never be afraid to pray for the protection of those heavenly ministers, but always be content with whatever the will of God ordains for us.

AT THE HANDS OF PAGAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS:

In chapter 14 of Acts, we see persecution coming from another source. The religious Jews, who having heard the Gospel rejected it, set about to stir up the gentiles to attack Paul & Barnabas, but when they heard of it they fled to another city. This is what the Lord Jesus commanded those whom He sent out to do; Matt.10:23. They were not cowards, as the following story in the chapter proves. At Lystra however, they healed a lame man, & when they had refused the acclaim & the worship offered to them by the superstitious Pagans, these same people were persuaded by Jews who came from other cities, to stone Paul. The fanatical people dragged his dead body out of the city, but God did a miracle of resurrection, & Paul returned from the dead.

God did not choose to intervene through His angels in this case, but instead allowed the persecutors to murder His servant. He then performed an even greater miracle, that of resurrection. Nor did Paul & Barnabas flee, but Paul rose up, even though the life had been beaten out of him, & doubtless would have had many broken bones, he then went back into the city, yet nothing happened to him there. The following day, in spite of the terrible injuries that he had suffered he walked many miles to Derbe.

It is possible that some who may read this may also be suffering, then let me encourage you my brother or sister. God who is faithful is watching you. He will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear. So take courage dear suffering saints, your brothers & sisters in other lands are praying for you, & God will bless & honour you. Be as those "In the beginning", were, faithful, courageous, & wise. May God bless you each one!

Beginning at Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of the earth:

When the risen Lord was about to return to heaven, He gave a fresh commission to His disciples, as to the scope of their witness, & the order in which it was to expand. They were to begin at Jerusalem, but it was not to end there. The work quickly spread in Jerusalem, which was at that time perhaps one of the most wicked cities on earth. The guilt of that city & its citizens was so very great, because of several things. It was in that city that God chose to set His name. It was to the Jews, the citizens of that city, that God had given the revelation of Himself, & His will, in the Law, & the Old Testament Scriptures. It was to that people that he sent his prophets, with one exception, & that was of Jonah who was sent to Nineveh. It was to Jerusalem that God sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

But in spite of all this, they hardened their hearts, claimed the revelation of God in the Law, as their special heritage, but refused to obey its commands. Thus what was meant to search their hearts, & convict & to humble them, only blinded their eyes, & lifted them up in pride. They filled up the cup of their iniquity, first by rejecting the Saviour, then by having Him crucified. They publicly stated "His blood be upon us and on our children", Matt. 27:25. Yet in spite of all, it was there, in that city that the disciples were to begin their witness. It was to that city, to an upper room that the Holy Spirit came. What marvellous grace! The disciples, in spite of the suffering that they experienced, obeyed that command, with great effect. Within a short space of time, there were no less than 5,000 men, who were saved & baptized, & if we make allowance for the women & children, there could have easily beem three times that number.

However Satan quickly set about to weaken & spoil that bright testimony. He filled the heart of a disciple, (Ananias, & his wife Sapphira), inciting them to make false claims about their professed devotion & sacrifice. But God intervened in solemn judgment & they died on the spot. This solemn event had a sobering effect upon all, & deterred any false professors who might join the company, though they had no heart experience. "Of the rest no man dared to join himself to them", the result being that those who were genuine were respected & praised by those not in the company. How different it is today! If we took a survey of the whole Church, as it appears publicly, it is filled with people who are false. People who though they claim to be "born Christians", yet are strangers to the person of Christ, do not belong to Him, having never repented of their sins, & received Christ as their own Saviour. "In the beginning it was not so".

The Apostles & the believers, were content to remain at Jerusalem, but the Lord Jesus had said that they were only to begin there. As a result discontent & murmuring crept into the Church, over the matter of money, & some racial discrimination. To settle this problem, the Apostles refused to leave the word of God, & to take up such mundane things. Instead they instructed to "look out from amongst themselves", men of honest report, who were full of the Holy Spirit, & who were wise", thus seven deacons were chosen. These were appointed by the Apostles, (not by the Church), to attend to the matters that were a problem. This brought a temporary peace to the Church, but God had plans to spread His testimony. But God used this problem to show how His servants are to be prepared.

After he had served God & the Church faithfully in this menial service, Stephen was chosen by God to be a special witness, & one through whom God did great wonders, & miracles among the people. He did not attend any theological seminary, or Bible school, he learned from the Apostles as they taught in the Church, & other places. In this God showed that He did not need the services of a special caste of men, but would do His work through ordinary people. How different it is today, when Bible Schools, Theological Seminaries, Training Schools, Leadership Training Colleges, etc. have multiplied. "In the beginning it was not so" It was in the local Church, (Assembly), that the word of God was taught, "in the beginning", it was there that God’s servants were prepared for the work to which He called them. Those who learned in this way, were fitted to carry responsibility, gained experience in the local Assembly, & went out, sent by God, to the work of His appointment.

However of recent decades, the standard of teaching in so many Churches has deteriorated sadly. There are not many Churches where a zealous student could obtain the understanding of the Word that they need to equip them for service. Because of this it would be wrong to conclude that all Bible Schools etc. are wrong. We would not wish to discourage any who have the burden, & the ability to instruct others in the Word. However it remains that what was "In the beginning", was surely the best way, because it was God’s way.

It pleased God to allow persecution to come upon His people. Faithful Stephen was chosen to be a mighty witness to the Jews & their leaders, & then to end his short but useful life, as the very first martyr of the Church. God could have chosen another way, but this was His way, & His way is always best. Dear faithful Stephen had a hasty entrance to Glory. His sufferings, though terrible, did not last for long, & after manifesting the very grace of His master, & following His example, he commended his spirit into the hands of the blessed Lord Jesus, whom He loved & served, & fell asleep. This is the first time this expression is used of any of God’s people. His beautiful life, ended in the sweetest peace, & he is now with His Lord awaiting the day when he will receive from the very hands of that Master, the "crown of life". Many have since followed in his train, when faithful men & women have surrendered their lives, rather than their faith. What a noble band they are!

The stoning of Stephen caused a fresh outburst of fury from the enemies of the Gospel. One man in particular, made havoc of the Church, but God had his eye on that man. The result was that many disciples were scattered from the city of Jerusalem, into Judea, Samaria, & other places. But though they were scattered, they were not silenced, they went everywhere, "preaching the word" Thus what seemed to be a great tragedy, was turned to triumph, it resulted in a greater fulfilment of the commission given by the Lord, before His ascension.

As we have noted in an earlier paper, persecution is not something that we like, but it is something that God often uses for His glory, our blessing, & the salvation & blessing of thr lost. Perhaps someone who reads these words, may hear the Lord speaking to them, calling them away from the comfort & security of home & friends, to the place of His appointment. May you have the wisdom & courage to obey.

There are some, who though failure at home, & amongst those who know them, think that if they can only get to another place, then they will meet with success. I would counsel such to get that idea out of their heads. If you can not serve God where you are known, then you will never be able to serve Him somewhere else. The very first sermon that the Lord Jesus preached was in the synagogue, "Where He was brought up". But if the Lord enables you to serve Him where you are, then don’t think that He wants you to stay there all of your life. It is not for me or anyone else to tell you where you should go. God will guide you through His word. All that He needs is for you to be humble, fully surrendered to Him, & His will, & He will surely guide you in His own time.

May it please God to bless you, & bless these few thoughts to comfort & to challenge you to a life of obedience, service, & if necessary, suffering. God has not called us to an easy life, but to a life of reproach, & sometimes, of suffering. May He make us worthy, & willing to not only believe on His name, but to suffer for Him also. May it please Him to bless each of you!