Pastor's Pen

The term, “irony” is defined as the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning i.e. the intended meaning and the actual meaning are opposite of one another. The irony of persecution is the fact that persecution in itself desires to destroy but often the opposite occurs, it brings growth. 
When persecution comes to the church, the church grows. When persecution enters our life, if we stay close to Christ, then we will grow spiritually as we mature in our relationship with the Lord. So, stay strong.Beloved, Satan’s attempt to stamp out the Church’s fire merely scattered the embers and started new fires around the world. In the early Church Father Tertullian’s words, “the blood of the martyr has become the seed of the church.
Indeed, Stephen’s death was not a failure! His death led to many more people coming to know Christ. The principle to this found in John 12:24- “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Beloved, don’t allow persecution to defeat you but allow it to inspire you to grow!
Blessings-
​Pastor Joe