The Church Grew During Peace, Not Persecution

The Church Grew During Peace, Not Persecution

I was under the impression that the early church multiplied because of persecution. Today, I read one verse in Acts, that caused me to go back and re-look at what I thought I knew.

So the CHURCH throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had PEACE and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it MULTIPLIED - Acts 9:31 (emphasis added)

The Church points to unity ---- one Body, despite different locations (Judea, Galilee & Samaria). They had PEACE, instead of persecution. Result: Multiplication.

Look at Acts 2 and 5 and you will find the same thing.

So continuing daily with ONE ACCORD in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord ADDED to the church daily those who were being saved. - Acts 2:46-47 (emphasis added)

Again we see unity here ---- one Accord. This was before any persecution. It was peace time. Result: Growth.

And they were all with ONE ACCORD in Solomon’s Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were INCREASINGLY ADDED to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, - Acts 5:12-14 (emphasis added)

Again we see unity here ---- one Accord. This was before the great persecution arose in Acts 8.

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples MULTIPLIED greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. - Acts 6:7 (emphasis added)

The church continued to multiply greatly as they served together (Acts 6:1-7).

During the great persecution in Acts 8, the disciples were scattered. It was difficult to multiply greatly.

While persecutions strengthened the early church, it was unity and peace that resulted in multiplication. There is power in community and togetherness!

Rejection & Selection

Business VS Gospel Part 2

Acts 1:3 - ...being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things PERTAINING TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He taught His disciples about the kingdom of God. In other words, the clarity and significance of what the Kingdom of God is, was revealed after His resurrection and appearance to His disciples.

The disciples were still thinking about Jesus restoring the kingdom of earth (Acts 1:6), but Jesus' reply was about bringing the kingdom of God on earth and it had to do with the Gospel (Acts 1:8).

This was confirmed by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John after Jesus' resurrection. While the Scriptures didn't record the full kingdom teaching by Jesus during that 40 days, what was recorded must be essential. I submit to you that the primary message of the Kingdom of God has to do with the Great Commission. Matt 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-48; Mark 16:15-18; John 20:21-23.

Some time ago, I had shared from the Scriptures that preaching the Gospel and making disciples are ONE message. The disciples understood that. You cannot separate the two. You cannot just do one without the other. And since the main message of the kingdom of God has to do with the Great Commission, it has nothing to do with penetrating the so-called 7 spheres of society with your talents and skills. It is not about how upwardly mobile you are in a particular sphere in order to influence people for Christ. It is about presenting and representing the authenticity of the Gospel, which itself is the power of God for salvation (Rom 1:16). The early church didn't go around trying to get to the best position in their secular jobs in order to bring in the kingdom. They focused on the Great Commission and shook the whole earth upside down.

Don't get me wrong. We should all have the spirit of excellence in whatever job we are holding. But you need not be 'UP THERE' to 'conquer' that sphere of society. You can't find that in the Bible. It is not about 'Christ IN Culture'. It is about Christ breaking culture. He didn't come to blend in. He came to REIGN.

Disclaimer: If you are in a top leadership position for a particular arena, that is a great place to impact people for Christ. But you don't have to strive to reach that position, thinking that it is the way to establish the kingdom in that sphere of society.

The Gospel itself is ABLE to transcend every sphere and every culture. To add stuff to the Gospel is to say that Jesus' works are not complete enough. The Gospel (aka the Great Commission) is more than enough.

With this in mind, I would like to be able to focus on the Gospel, while developing my own source of income to fund what I would be doing, so that the Gospel and finances can be kept separated. I shared in my earlier post that I have embarked on a new journey, on top of my real estate work. Eventually, I hope that this digital business will enable me to focus on missions work. In fact, I believe that many itinerant speakers are able to do the same, by both preaching the Gospel and working to earn their own source income. Unfortunately, not many think the same way. Yet I believe that we need more tentmakers today than ever, so that by His grace, we can keep the Gospel the Gospel.

After much deliberation and countless of late nights working, learning and planning, The Coffeespiration (thecoffeespiration.com) is launched. I'm still learning because learning should be a constant in life.

This main coffee business will remain intentionally secular because I don't want to mix it with the Gospel. While the main target audience is not Singapore, it would be great to have your support by simply LIKING and SHARING the Page on Facebook and Instagram, especially to your friends who drink coffee.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecoffeespiration

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoffeespiration

Web: thecoffeespiration.com

Together, in our own unique capacity, we can certainly advance the kingdom of God.

Business VS Gospel Part 1

Some time ago, I shared a personal revelation on Deut 8:18. The word ‘power’ in Septuagint is the exact same word used in Acts 1:8 - “But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...” (emphasis added)

In other words, it is God who gives us the POWER to produce wealth. And He has given us that POWER through the Holy Spirit. As believers, we are not waiting for wealth to drop from heaven. We are given the wisdom and power to produce wealth.

Personally, I prefer to separate wealth (money & providence) from the Gospel. This keeps the Gospel pure and clean.

Apostle Paul was a tentmaker. He often separated money from the Gospel, which is why he had the authority to write in 1 Cor 9:12 - Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things LEST we HINDER the gospel of Christ.

What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ WITHOUT CHARGE, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. - 1 Cor 9:18 (emphasis added)

The word ‘without charge’ means ‘without expense, requiring no outlay.’

Now, don’t get me wrong. Paul did say that the preachers of the Gospel deserve their wages from the Gospel (1 Cor 9:11, 14). I have friends who earn their income by traveling and preaching the Gospel. I have nothing against that. 

But personally, I am convicted to avoid that model. I’m zealous to see the Gospel preached in purity, especially in today’s world where there are so many abuses —- preachers earning a lot of money by preaching the Gospel; preachers choosing their audience (size of crowd, offering amount, honorarium requirement, etc.); preachers who are just lazy to work by tentmaking, etc. The line between money and the Gospel is just way too thin.

For some itinerant speakers, some have a lot of free time, while others have pockets of free time. I believe that they can work to earn some income, instead of asking for money. In fact, in many third world countries, many preachers actually labour and work after preaching the Gospel —- some do construction works; some run restaurants; etc.

‘If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.’ (2 Thes 3:10; Prov 18:9)

Can you imagine if everybody just becomes an itinerant speaker and preaches the Gospel for a living? Who is going to provide for whoever?

I have a passion to present the Gospel, and to travel doing missions. But my heart is also burning to apply Deut 8:18 as a tentmaker. For God has given us the POWER to produce wealth. He has given us the wisdom and POWER to provide for what we need to preach the Gospel.

It is with this and another revelation that I embarked on a new journey —— entrepreneurship as a digital nomad.

Yes I’m still working in the real estate industry. While many say that being in real estate industry is equivalent to being in business, I think otherwise. It is not really business per se. Because we are bound by many limitations where an entrepreneur doesn’t face.

Furthermore, it doesn’t free me up to travel and do missions. If I want to earn more from real estate industry, it also means that I will be busier than ever. Unless I have the financial capacity to employ staff or runners to do presentations and viewings... which I don’t. Besides, which licensed agent will want to be employed by another agent when the former could possibly get a better income on his own. On side note, I believe and sense that the upcoming Web 4.0 and newer technologies will be able to provide one-stop service that removes the need for many property agents. We are already seeing a glimpse on that in the present.

In heaven, there is no season. On earth, there are different seasons. The new wave is coming in very quickly. We can ride on that, with God’s wisdom and power, to produce what is needed for the Gospel to advance. I believe that we need more tentmakers than ever before. We need to represent and re-present the Gospel with purity and separation from money.

Can you imagine the liberty of preaching the Gospel anywhere and anytime, without limitations, without the need to get an income from offering and/or honorarium? You and I can make a difference.

Recognising His Voice

But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” - John 21:4-5

Jesus had been with the disciples for 3.5 years. Surely they would recognise His voice if it remained the same. However, they only recognise after Jesus did a miracle (John 21:7).

It was highly probable that Jesus came in a different form (Luke 24:15-16; Mark 16:12). To see Jesus in the Word is more important than to see Jesus in His form. Similarly, to hear Jesus in the Word is more important than to hear Jesus in His voice. The Word is the main foundation for recognising His voice.

Why is that so? To recognise His voice, one needs to first recognise His heart.

Israel knew God's works, but Moses knew His way (Ps 103:7). Because Moses knew His way, he knew His heart and recognised His voice.

Today, we have the privilege to have The Way (Jesus) in us. We can know His heart because we have The Way and thus, we can know His Way.

But there will be times when we don't seem to grasp hold of His voice, either because He speaks in a 'different form' (for God speaks in so many ways) or we simply get so stuck with our circumstances that we miss His voice.

The key to recognise His voice in such case is then, to look for His works. Because His works always reveal His way, and His way leads to His heart.

John, the disciple who understood Jesus' love and His heart, was the ONLY ONE who recognised His voice after seeing His works (John 21:7). This tells us something... the foundation for recognising His voice lies in knowing His love grounded in the Word of truth. God, in His grace, has given us so much to hear from Him. It is hard to miss Him. 

Because He is a good Father who longs to speak to His sons and daughters. Because He is a good Shepherd whose sheep hear His voice. Because He is the Lion of Judah who has overcome every other voice of distraction.