Steve Webb  0:00  
You might say they were offended.

Steve Webb  0:03  
If you're looking for the Lifespring!, One Year Bible, you have come to the right place coming to you from Riverside, California and podcasting since 2004. I am your OG Godcaster. Steve Webb. It's gospel Saturday, and we'll read Acts seven and eight. The website is Lifespringmedia.com in contact information will be at the end of the show. Before we read, let's pray. Our heavenly Father, Lord, we love you and we thank You for Your Word. We pray God that you would touch us today that you would teach us and that you would bless our time together. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, are you ready? Let's begin.

Steve Webb  0:43  
Acts chapter seven. The head religious leader asked Stephen, are these things true? Stephen said, my brothers and fathers listened to me. The Great God showed himself to early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Heron. God said to him, leave your family in this land where you were born, go to a land that I will show you. He went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in heron. after his father died, he came to this country where you now live. God did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But he promised that the land would be his and his children's after him. At that time, he had no children. This is what God said, your children's children will be living in a strange land, they will live their 400 years. They will be made to work without pay, and will suffer many hard things. I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that, they will go free. They will leave that country and worship me in this place. He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our 12, early father’s. The sons of Jacob sold Joseph to people from the country of Egypt because they were jealous of him. But God was with Joseph. He helped him in all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and favour with Pharaoh the king of Egypt. This king made Joseph leader over Egypt and overall the Kings house. The time came when there was no food to eat and all the land of Egypt and Canaan, that people suffered much. Our early father’s were not able to get food. Then Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He said our early father’s there the first time. The second time they went to the country of Egypt, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. The family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. Joseph asked his father Jacob and all his family to come. There were 75 people in the family. Jacob moved down to Egypt and died there are early father's died there also. They were brought back to the city of Chicago where they were buried. Abraham paid money for the grave from the sons of hay more in check them. The promise God had given Abraham was about to happen. At this time, many more of our people were in the country of Egypt. Then another man became king in Egypt. He was the King who did not know Joseph. He was hard on our people in nation. He worked against our early fathers. He made them put their babies outside so they would die. At that time Moses was born. He was beautiful in God's sight. He was fed in his father's house for three months. Then he was put outside. Pharaoh's daughter took him and cared for him as her own son. Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became a powerful man in words and in the things he did. When he was 40 years old. He thought he should visit his brothers, the Jews. He saw one of the Jews being hurt. Moses helped the Jew and killed a man from Egypt. He thought his people would understand. He thought they knew God would let them go free by his help. But the people did not understand. The next day Moses came to some Jews who were fighting. He tried to get them to stop. Moses said to the Jews serves you are brothers, Why do you hurt each other? One was beating his neighbor. He pushed Moses away and said, Who made you a leader over us? Who said you could say who was guilty? Do you want to kill me as you kill the man from Egypt yesterday, when Moses heard that he went as fast as he could to the country of Midian where he was a stranger. While he was there, he became the father of two sons. 40 years passed and Moses was near Mount Sinai where no people live. There. He saw an angel in the fire of a burning bush. He was surprised and wondered when he saw it. He will not close to see it better. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him. I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and have Jacob, Moses shook, he was so afraid he did not look at the bush. Then the Lord said to him, take your shoes off your feet, the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have seen my people suffer in the country of Egypt, and I have heard their cries, I have come down to let them go free. So come now I will send you back to Egypt. The people had put Moses aside, they said, Who made you believe her over us who said you are the one to say what is right or wrong. But God made this man a leader. Moses was the one who brought them out of the country of Egypt. This was done by the help of the angel who was in the burning bush. This man led them he did powerful works in Egypt and at the Red Sea. For 40 years, he led them in the desert. Moses said to the Jews, God will give you one who speaks for him like me from among your brothers. This is the man who was with the Jewish nation in the desert. The angel talked to him on Mount Sinai, Moses told it to early father’s. He also received the living words of God to give to us, our early fathers would not listen to him. They did not obey Him. In their hearts, they wanted to go back to the country of Egypt. They said to Aaron, make us God's to go before us. We do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of Egypt. In those days, they made a calf of gold, they put gifts down in front of their God and worship. They were happy with what they had made with their hands, but God turned from them and let them worship the stars of heaven. This is written in the book of the early preachers nation of Jews, was it to me You gave gifts of sheep and cattle on the altar for 40 years in the desert? No, you set up the tent to worship the god of Moloch, in the star of your God, Rafa, you made gods to worship them, I will carry you away to the other side of the country of Babylon. Our early fathers had the tent to worship in, they used it in the desert. God told Moses to make it like the plan which he had seen. This was received by our early fathers. They brought it here when they won the wars with the people who were not Jews. It was when Joshua was our leader, God made those people leave as our early fathers took the land. The tent was here until the time of David. David pleased God and wanted to build a house for worship for the God of Jacob. But Solomon was the one who built the house of God for him. But the Most High does not live in buildings made by Hans, the early preacher said, Heaven is the place where I sit, and the earth is the place where I rest my feet. What house will you build me, says the Lord, or what is my place of rest? Did not my hands make all these things? You have hard hearts and ears that will not listen to me. You are always working against the Holy Spirit. Your early father’s did you do to which of the early preachers was not beaten and hurt by your early father’s? They killed those who told you the coming of the one right with God. Now you have handed him over and killed him. You had the law given to you by angels, yet you have not kept it. The Jews and religious leaders listened to Stephen. Then they became angry and began to grind their teeth at him. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he looked up to heaven, he saw the shining greatness of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, See, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God. They cried out with loud voices. They put their hands over their ears and they all pushed on him. Then they took them out of the city and threw stones at him. The men who were throwing the stones laid their coats down in front of a young man named Saul. While they threw stones at Stephen he prayed, Lord Jesus received my spirit. After that, he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice. Lord do not hold the sin against them. When he had said this, he died. 

Steve Webb  9:04  
Acts chapter eight. Salah proved to putting Stephen to death. On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. devout men buried Steven as they mourn loudly for him. Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison. and the believers who were scattered went from place to place where they spread the word. Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah. The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said. They listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. Evil spirits screamed as they came out of the many people they had possessed. Many paralyzed in lane people were cured. As a result, that city was extremely happy. A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Sumeria. With his practice of magic, he claimed that he was great. Everyone from children to adults paid attention to him. They said, This man is the power of God. and that power is called Great. They paid attention to Simon because he had amazed them for a long time with this practice of magic. However, when Philip spread the good news about the Kingdom of God and the one named Jesus Christ, men and women believed him and were baptized, even Simon believed, and after he was baptized, he became devoted to Philip Simon was amazed to see the miracles and impressive things that were happening. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted the Word of God. They sent Peter and John to them. Peter and John went to Samaria, and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit. Before this, the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans, they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John Money and said, Give me this power so that anyone I placed my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit. Peter told Simon, may your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could by God's gift. You won't have any share in this because God can see how twisted your thinking is. So change your wicked thoughts and ask the Lord if He will forgive you for thinking like this. I can see that you are bitter with jealousy and wrapped up and your evil ways. Simon answered, pray to the Lord for me that none of these things you said will happen to me. After they had boldly spoken about the message of the Lord, they spread the good news in many Samaritan villages on their way back to Jerusalem. An Angel from The Lord said to Philip, get up and take the desert road that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza. So Philip went and Ethiopian man who had come to Jerusalem to worship was on his way home. The man was a eunuch, a high ranking official in charge of all the treasures of Queen Candice of Ethiopia. As the official road along in his carriage, he was reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. The Spirit said to Philip, go to that carriage and stay close to it. Philip ran to the carriage and could hear the official reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked him, Do you understand what you're reading? The official answered? How can I understand unless someone guides me? So he invited Philip to sit with him in his carriage. This was the part of the scriptures that the official was reading. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth. When he humbled himself, he was not judged fairly, who from this generation will talk about his life on earth being cut short. The official said to Philip, I would like to know who the prophet is talking about, is he talking about himself or someone else? Then Philip spoke. Starting with that passage, Philip told the official the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The official said to Philip, look, there's some water, what can keep me from being baptized, the official order the courage to stop, he and Philip stepped into the water and Philip baptized him. When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official joyfully continued on his way and didn't see Philip again. Philip found himself in the city of a Zoetis. He traveled through all the cities and spread the Good News until he came to the city of Caesarea.

Steve Webb  13:44  
Well, over the last couple of weeks, there have been several times where we've talked about the fact that we shouldn't be bold and strong, and we should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when he tells us to speak up, right? Well, of course, that's what Stephen did. and he became the first Christian martyr. Steven spoke the truth, right? In answering the religious leaders, he told him the entire history of the Jewish people, and he let them know that they were not on God's side. Their reaction, of course, was predictable. You might say they were offended. But instead of running off to their safe space, they had Stephen taken out and stoned to death. Well, listen, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a guarantee that speaking the truth to those who do not want to hear it will not be offended. and it's no guarantee that you will not draw the wrath of people who would want to harm you. Jesus told us about this in the Gospel of John Chapter 15, verses 18 and 19. He said, If the world hates you remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belong to it, but you're no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world solid hates you. and also in Matthew 1033. He said, Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on Earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but anyone who denies me here on Earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. So, whose approval Do you want? Do you want the approval of the crowd or of Jesus? Now, chapter eight what happened after Stephens execution? The scripture says that on that day, widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. and most believers except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, widespread persecution. Well, doesn't it sound like a mob mentality cropped up? The authorities identified the believers as the enemy, and it became acceptable and even virtuous to persecute them. Let's see where have I heard that kind of behavior before? Where the enemy saw this as a winning strategy, God used it to further the church. What did the scripture I just read say, most of the believers except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. and then a couple of verses later, it says that the believers who were scattered went from place to place where they spread the word. They didn't cower in place, they didn't shut up. Having seen what happened to Steven, they knew what could happen, but they spread out and spread the word. So beloved, be encouraged by what the early church did. Be encouraged and know that what looks like defeat and disaster to the world is far from it in the eyes of Almighty God. We need to remember that Jesus has already won the war. What we're seeing today are the death throes of the enemy in his demons. He knows that his time is running out and he wants to frighten people and keep them from following Jesus. Well, don't fall for his lies. Don't accept the defeat of denying Jesus. Kick that devil in the teeth and remain strong in your faith in Jesus Christ. Because there will come a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that includes the master of lies himself. If you have a comment, or if you have a question, contact information will be at the end of the show. Of course, if you've got a modern podcast app, I'd love to hear from you via Boostagram. Tomorrow will be epistle Sunday and will read James one through three.

Steve Webb  17:28  
Our executive producer today is anonymous who came in with their weekly $33.33 cent donation. Thank you so much anonymous. God bless you. and Michael Haner is our associate producer today with his weekly $7.77 striper donation. Thank you, Michael. God bless you.

Jingle  17:48  
Lifespringmedia.com/support

Speaker 2  17:48  
sash supports.

Steve Webb  17:53  
Our next time of prayer is tomorrow, there is still time to get your praise report or prayer request in let the Lifespring family rejoice with you or let us pray with you. Call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511 Or go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com or send to Boostagram with a modern podcast app. and if you have a comment or a question about anything, go to comment.lifespringmedia.com and my email address is steve@lifespringmedia.com You're always welcome to put an email in my inbox.

Steve Webb  18:33  
Brother Scott did the album art for today's show. Thank you so much, Brother Scott. and also thanks to Sister Denise Michael Haner, Jason Paschall and sister Brittaney. and thanks to today's executive producer, anonymous and associate producer Michael Haner for helping to make this episode possible. God bless you guys. Beloved, thank you for spending time with me today until tomorrow. May God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. By Lifespring media bringing the message of hope, love and good news since 2004

Transcribed by https://otter.ai