1 1-3 They took the road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a community of Jews. Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when he came to a town, and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the Scriptures. He opened up the texts so they understood what they’d been reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and raised from the dead—there were no other options—and that “this Jesus I’m introducing you to is that Messiah.”
4-5 Some of them were won over and joined ranks with Paul and Silas, among them a great many God-fearing Greeks and a considerable number of women from the aristocracy. But the hard-line Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas.
5-7 They broke into Jason’s house, thinking that Paul and Silas were there. When they couldn’t find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically, “These people are out to destroy the world, and now they’ve shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!”
8-9 The city fathers and the crowd of people were totally alarmed by what they heard. They made Jason and his friends post heavy bail and let them go while they investigated the charges.
Paul and his team only had one thing in their minds, i.e., preaching Jesus as the Messiah wherever they went and minister. No matter what circumstances they were facing, they preached Jesus and explicated to people with boldness that He is Messiah. People envied and were furious of what they did, but the Master Jesus continued to work and give people's trusting hearts in Him. Paul faced persecution always and his body suffered, his soul burdened, but his spirit was still full of joy as God's work prospered through him.
My Master Jesus, You are the One who leads; You are the Savior who gives people's trusting hearts; and You are also the God who strengthens me in all kinds of circumstances - Your grace is sufficient for me and Your Grace and Power is sufficient and fulfilled in my weaknesses.
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