Spread

“And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.” ~ Acts 13:49

As the church took root in the first century, the powerful story of Jesus began to spread. While the church experienced persecution and the Christians in Jerusalem were forced to leave their homeland in search of safer places to live, this only enhanced the spread of the gospel. Before long, there were Christians living throughout the Roman Empire. When the apostle Paul came on the scene, the church spread throughout the known lands of the world. The story of Jesus became a wildfire. As Christians shared the amazing tales of transformation, grace, and forgiveness, the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of those who believed. The church grew, even in the face of fierce opposition.

It has always been that way. As the church shares Jesus, His influence spreads. Lives are changed, hope is found, and God’s purpose directs the steps and hearts of men throughout the world.

There is a story that is told of a businessman who was traveling home from Communist Russia to Europe. As he rode the train, a group of Russian soldiers saw him reading his Bible. They took the Bible and mocked the man for being a Christian. In the act of belittling the man, the soldiers threw the Bible out the window of the train. While the man was devastated, this Bible had traveled the world with him, he was grateful to be safe from physical harm. He returned home. Years later, the man received a mysterious package in the mail. When he opened the package, he found his Bible. The one that had been lost several years earlier in Russia. The Bible came with a letter. It was a message of gratitude and praise. It seems that a villager found the Bible and read it while tending his cattle. He shared the message and the book with his family, who soon surrendered their lives to Jesus and became Christians. They in turn used the Bible to share the message with the village. It seems that most of the village had become Christians. They then started the laborious task of copying the Bible and the notes that had been inscribed in the margins and on the inside covers. They then sent the message and the Bible back to the address they found in the front cover. One Bible, carelessly thrown from a train had worked to convert a village and change the lives of future generations in a place hostile to the word of God.

Is the story true? I don’t know. What I do know is that the story can be true. The power of the gospel spreads through the lives of men. It transforms the mind and changes the heart.