 Simon the sorcerer? I'm surprised you don't have any thoughts. Wasn't it amazing that a man who himself is so powerful in the city, spiritually, that he accepts Christ and he is amazed by the works that Philip did? Yeah. And he changed his heart. I know. I know. So it is really amazing. Okay. So now these days when we go and minister, we might think oh, there's a stronghold in the city or, you know, God has called me to this town, but there are these so-called spiritual giants in that place. Is it possible for them to accept Christ? Look at this. Simon the sorcerer. Amazing. Spiritual man himself, but he accepted the Gospel and along with that, he followed. He wanted to become a disciple. So he followed Philip and followed the teachings of the kingdom of God about Jesus. And even when his heart became wicked, right, God ministered to him. And now there are some extra biblical reports that say that some say that he took the rebuke of Peter seriously and he became a better man. But there are records that say that he did not respond rightly to Peter's rebuke. So some people say historically, you know, when you look at some of the writings, it seems Simon continued with the heart of bitterness and pride and he was preaching the wrong Gospel later on. So basically, you know how we said that people can become mixed up if they don't respond to the work of the Holy Spirit. Okay. So we don't know exactly to point out and say Simon did well or Simon did badly later. We don't have anything in the Bible. So we will not comment on it. But this is what, you know, some of the historians say that he did okay and others that he didn't do okay. Yeah. Okay. So Aaron says confusion because of two Simons in the Bible. This is Simon the sorcerer. Aaron. So you can refer to this person as Simon the sorcerer. Simon Peter is the apostle Peter. All right. Now let's continue. Let's see what else is going to happen through the ministry of Philip. Okay. So far, Samaria has received the Gospel. And now what does the Lord do? Verse 26, an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. Wow. What a believer. Think about it. He's moving in miracles, signs, wonders, deliverances, preaching the Gospel, preaching in different villages. It's amazing. It's really amazing, isn't it? That a believer is so passionate and God's power is working beautifully through his life. We all would want to be like Philip. Okay. And he is being led by God also. In this case, you see an angel, God leads in so many different ways. In this case, an angel is telling him, Philip, you get up, arise and go toward the south alongside the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So God is guiding Philip and telling him, you go to a particular place. It's like saying, okay Nancy, you're sitting here in Hebal, Bangalore. Why don't you go to Korumangal? An angel comes and tells me. So I'm like, okay, maybe God has an assignment there because when I'm serving the Lord, that's where my heart is. I want to go to the next assignment. Okay. That God has for me. So Philip moves on. This is desert. So the angel leads him to a desert. Now also think about this. What was important for Philip? For Philip, it was important to serve God wherever God called him. Now in Samaria, we saw all the prayer meetings are going on and please excuse me. There's just some sound issue here. Just a moment. Yes. Sorry about that. Yeah. So everything was going on so beautifully and when ministry is going great in a given place, just imagine yourself. You've gone to plant church, people are responding. Every day your meetings are overflowing. At that time, an angel of the Lord comes to you. Let's say you are in Bangalore and God is telling you, I want you to leave everything and I want you to go to some village. Okay. I'm just saying some Chandpur. I want you to go to Chandpur village. You will think, God, I can't leave. Why are you sending me to a dry place? Angel is telling Philip to go to desert, but Philip is a true minister of God. He is not getting caught up in the excitement which is happening in Bangalore. He's like, wow, ministry is great, but God, I will go where you tell me to go. So immediately, Philip packs his bags. He's ready to go. That's a true servant of God. Okay. And the same way, in our lives, God will lead us according to his purposes, according to his will, but sometimes we may not have an idea. Sometimes it can be a little sudden like this and God says, you move from your exciting place. I'll show you a new dry place. Can you go there? Because I want you to serve me there. I want you to preach the gospel there, but when we are children of God, we should say, okay, Lord, yes, we will do it. Now, Philip did not ask God for explanation. Why? Why are you sending me? Who is there? Why should I talk to the person over here? Why can't I continue my work here? I'm getting good offering in the church. Philip didn't say any of that. So he moves. So we see he arose and went and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candice the queen of the Ethiopians who had charge of all her treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning and sitting in his chariot. He was reading Isaiah the prophet. Okay. So now that the spirit has led him to a road, okay. There somebody is reading from the book of Isaiah. Now Philip has no idea who is this person, nothing, but he is just following the instruction of God. So in this way, in our lives also, important things to follow God's instructions. We may not have all the details of what God is going to do, but obedience, simple obedience. And here there is a person, Ethiopian eunuch and he is influential. He has a place he's in charge of all the treasury. Okay. Candice is like saying, you know, pharaoh, we use the term pharaoh, right? So like that Candice is like the queen, one of queen of Ethiopia and those days Ethiopia today it's a country, but it was a region at that time. So it's a huge region in Africa and this man, the eunuch is directly engaged with the queen, okay. And the treasuries of the queen. So you imagine if there is a minister like finance minister and the key of the country's treasures are with this minister. It's amazing. It's amazing because he can do whatever he wants to do, right? Hopefully he's a righteous person, but that's the kind of influence that this Ethiopian eunuch had and Philip does not know anything. He's only following God's word arise, go to this place. So God takes him to an influential person. So in the same way in our lives, when God says you go, we may not know what God is doing. It can be an influential person or it may not be like this Ethiopian eunuch, but God has a plan. That is the reason God is sending you there. So we go there, isn't it? We go and we do what God wants us to do. In this case, what was the situation? The eunuch, he's sitting in a chariot and he's reading from Isaiah the prophet. So it shows us that this person, he had come to Jerusalem to worship. He seems to be a devoted person. And the fact that he's reading from Isaiah also shows us that he's very interested to know more about God. And in those days, today we have Bibles. Open the phone, there is a Bible, different versions. You open the internet, you can access Bibles. In our houses also, two, three Bibles we may carry. But in the times of the early church, getting like that script of Isaiah, it must have been very expensive because no photocopy, people will write it if you need another copy. Somebody has to write it. You have to pay the price and buy that scroll. So it shows that to study the Word of God, this Ethiopian had made the effort. He bought the scroll. He's trying to read. Why is he trying to read so that he can understand? Who is this? Who is this in Isaiah? Isaiah talks about the servant who will be humiliated. Basically, it's Jesus and his life. But Ethiopian is not understanding who is being talked about here and he's trying to read it. So this Holy Spirit leads Philip there. Verse 29, then the Spirit said to Philip, see, these are all the ways God communicates. Angels spoke. Now Holy Spirit is speaking to Philip. What the Holy Spirit is saying? Go near and overtake this chariot. So he has come. He has left Bangalore. His great ministry, Bangalore, he left it. He went off to some Chandapur place. Over there, he doesn't know what to do. But Holy Spirit is telling him, you go a little fast. You don't go to this house, which is in the corner. Exact location. Go near and overtake this chariot. God is telling him. So he does that. So when Philip ran to him, when he goes, similarly, like, you know, when he goes near that house, he can hear somebody reading some book from the Bible. Okay, you're able to hear that. Then you can go and explain to that person. Same thing is happening with Philip. So he hears someone reading from the prophet Isaiah and said, he asks them a question. Are you able to understand what you are reading? Good question. Isn't it? Philip asked a very good question. And he said, the Ethiopian says, how can I, unless someone guides me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. So it's like a divine appointment. And you know, sometimes when there are people who are seeking God, they are ripe and ready to give their hearts to God. Sometimes God makes us cross paths with them. And we can also pray a prayer which says, Lord, bring us, take us to people who want to know you, Lord. Lord, lead us to those who have hungry hearts to know about you. I don't know what prayer Philip used to pray, but look at his life. So beautiful. He goes to Samaria, preaches. People respond to the word that is great joy in the city. Then he's listening to Holy Spirit. Okay, what to do next? What to do next? Maybe he would have prayed and said, Lord, okay, people have heard the gospel here. Now show me who is the next person, who is hungry for your word, who wants to know you. And Holy Spirit is taking him to Ethiopian eunuch on that road. Okay, that Jerusalem Gaza road. He takes him there. God can do the same thing for us. We can pray and say, Lord, show us the people, take us there. Then God takes us. And Philip connects also in a nice way. When he meets the person, he asks a good question. What is it? What are you able to understand what you're reading? And the person says, no. If you explain, I can understand. And that's how he begins to talk to this Ethiopian eunuch. Okay, the exact place where the eunuch was reading, it said he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before his its sharer is silent. So he opened not his mouth in his humiliation. His justice was taken away. And who will declare his generation for his life is taken from the earth. So the exact words, what the eunuch was reading had to do with the life of Jesus. So the eunuch asked Philip, whom does the prophet say this of himself or of some other man? So he's curious to know, who is this about? So Philip gives him the answer beginning at scripture, beginning at this scripture preached Jesus to him. Do you remember every time the apostles, what would they do? If an opportunity comes, stand up and preach about Jesus. Central message is Jesus Christ and response, right? Responses repent, be baptized. A man got healed, stand up and preach about Jesus Christ. People respond. So that is the work of the early church, preach about Jesus. And after preaching about Jesus, ask them to respond. Then they give their lives to Christ. So this passage of Isaiah, Philip explained to this man and said, eunuch and said, look, this is about Jesus Christ. And that was just the starting. He picked up this portion, but through this portion, he explained about Jesus. Now the eunuch understood everything because he was hungry, isn't it? And that is why the Holy Spirit led Philip to him. Now, once the eunuch had heard this, I think, you know, Philip also continued in the chariot for some time with the eunuch. So they went down the road. They came near some water. The eunuch understood so well that he knew he had to respond. So the eunuch says, see, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? There is a response. Once you know about Jesus, are you willing to be saved? Are you willing to repent of your sins? Are you willing to accept Christ into your heart, into your life and be baptized? And the message of the apostles was repent and be baptized. So the eunuch himself says, water is there. Why should I not get baptized? So I'm going to respond to what you have told me about the Lord Jesus Christ. Then Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may. So this also shows us that baptism is for the believers. Okay. When we believe with our whole heart as a sign, as a gesture of accepting Christ, repenting of our sins, we can be baptized. So Philip tells him, yes, if you believe in Jesus with your whole heart, let's go ahead. You can get baptized. And he answered and said, the eunuch said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And so he commanded the chariot to stand still. So obviously, you know, he's a man of influence. He says, come on, stop this chariot. Water is there. I want to go and get baptized. So both Philip and the eunuch, they go down into the water and who is baptizing the eunuch? Some believer, not even an apostle at least, there is no title given to Philip at this point, but a believer because nobody else is available over there. So this person, Philip is baptizing the eunuch. And you know something, Philip did not realize what God was doing through his simple obedience. For Philip, he was just following one instruction at a time, arise and go. Okay, he went to that road, then go overtake the chariot. He went. But this eunuch is the person who went back to Ethiopia, which means the gospel had gone from Jerusalem into a new continent of Africa. And I really don't know if Philip even understood that. But the Holy Spirit was orchestrating this. You know, the Holy Spirit was working beautifully through the simple obedience of a believer called Philip. Today, the Holy Spirit tells us, you do this, you say this, you speak to this person, you give this. We may think, God is the big deal. But if you see the bigger picture, if you see it from God's perspective, God is doing great things in the kingdom through the simple obedience, which you and I may display before God. Something simple, God says, pick up the phone, call that brother, pray with him. Point is, we should do it. It's not about big or small, it's about being led by the spirit. It's about obeying God. And through that, God can touch many lives. Now through Philip, gospel went where? Continent of Africa. And this person is an influential person. He's in charge of the treasuries of the queen of Ethiopia. So, obviously, he would have spread the gospel in the continent of Africa. So it's amazing. It is so powerful. In chapter eight, the gospel is traveling like anything, not just into some area, but also into another continent. And this also helps us to understand. You know, in the olden times, we used to hear about missionaries going here, going there, traveling to faraway countries to take the gospel. That's wonderful. It's amazing. But you know, at the same time today, in our cities, for example, if you take Bangalore, so many people come here to study from other states. They come from other countries. So just one interaction with that person, it can be a blessing to that person. They go back to their country. They go back to their state. They will take the gospel with them. We may not necessarily go to different countries. Maybe God is not going to take you and me to so many other countries like missionaries of old times. But right here on our soil, when we are sharing the gospel to somebody, what is happening? Along with them, the gospel is traveling everywhere. So these are all things for us to see and understand in how God works and how the mission work of God is being done. But for us as believers, let's keep it simple. Obedience. What is the Holy Spirit saying? What is God saying? Next step. I know only next step. Good enough. Do the next step. God is making an impact in the kingdom through that next step. So we saw Philip ministering to the lower section of society, the Samaritans who were rejected by the Jews. We saw Philip ministering to an influential man in Samaria, Simon the Sorcerer. We saw Philip ministering to this Ethiopian eunuch. So like Stephen, an ordinary believer in the church is doing such a great work for the kingdom of God. And today even all of us, believers, we can do that. And we should encourage the believers also to do that. It's not about having any title, senior, so and so, something, something. Not needed. Simple obedience. We can extend the kingdom wherever we are. Okay. Moving on. Verse 39. Now, when the baptism was over, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. It says, you know, you hear about things like this in the ministry of Ezekiel, you know, the Spirit of the Lord. It took me by the hair like I went here, I went there. So he was transported to different places. Ezekiel talks about that. In this case, Philip physically, the Spirit of the Lord transported him. And the eunuch could not see him anymore. But beautiful thing is, it says eunuch went back rejoicing. In the city of Samaria, what did the ministry of Philip do? People were rejoicing. Wow, what is this? You know, gospel healing, deliverance, all that. Eunuch received the gospel, he is rejoicing. So the ministry of Philip has brought joy to the people. But Philip himself, he was taken away from there. In a minute, Philip was found at Azotus and passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. So you notice that God was working through the life of Philip. I don't want to say that God was using Philip or anything because using sounds more like, you know, God is utilizing us. But you get what I'm saying, right? A person who is willing to be used by God, different, different ways, different, different places, God is giving opportunities to Philip and supernaturally by the angel, by the voice of the Lord, in this case, supernatural transportation. It's like saying, you know, Nancy is in Bangalore, she finished her ministry here, then you don't see me anymore. I'm gone from the video, right? So I go off to Mumbai because God has an assignment for me there. Can these things happen in the church today? We don't see the Bible say that it has stopped. So supernatural transportation, it is possible. But of course, based on the assignment, so God needed Philip to go to certain cities to preach and Philip went, okay? And Philip preached too. And in fact, these cities in Caesarea, we are told that they were Gentile cities. So you notice how the gospel is spreading to all communities. So there's no question of it's only meant for the Jews or a certain section of the society. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So the gospel is going out to everyone. So this is about Philip and Philip ministering to Ethiopian Yonak and Philip being supernaturally transported. So any comments, any thoughts from your side, any questions? Okay, I think Kiran has a question here. I will answer that. In the meantime, if you all have anything more you can add. So she has said, how do you recognize if God said to go different place for gospel? So Kiran, there is a publication, APC publication on God's guidance. You can read that. It's comprehensive. The different ways in which God speaks have been listed out mainly through the word of God, then through the Holy Spirit, the impressions of the Holy Spirit, the prophetic word. So so many are listed out. So God can speak in all these ways Kiran, through a dream, through a vision and in any one of these ways or let's say God may use more than one way to confirm to you that he wants you to go here or he wants you to go somewhere else. So when it is confirmed, you know that you will be going there for the sake of the gospel. Okay, so anyone, do you have any testimony like this, like you already were told by God and you knew you have to go here or do this or do that for ministry? Anyone has any such testimony? Okay, I'll just share one testimony that I can recall from my life. This was for the gospel, not necessarily to preach or anything, but for, okay, Princess, not yet. That's okay, Prince, I'll just share a quick thing. This happened when I was a student and I, a student as in, you know, I was still pursuing my my master's program and I wanted to go to study, but I didn't have any plans like immediately to go and study a particular course. It was there in my heart and I thought, yeah, the right time God will do it. But in a youth camp, I remember one auntie, when she was praying for me, she said, I can see travel bags and the kind that you, you know, the trolley bags at the airport, like you, you drag them and you go, right? So that kind of a trolley bag. And I was not used to those bags. I was generally used to the bags that you carry like when you go in a train or in a bus. So she said, no, but when I'm praying for you, I'm seeing those travel bags. I feel like God is going to take you to another country, something like that and all. And I never, I couldn't accept it because I thought, no, I'm not planning to go to any country. But it actually happened in some time, in a miraculous way, one course that I wanted to do, God made, God gave an open door and I traveled and I was doing that course. This was in Australia. So when I went there, one day I, you know, I just realized, I thought of that auntie and the word which she had told me that I, you know, she sees me with travel bags, a trolley bag and all. So then I wrote back to her and I told her, auntie, you remember you had prophesied over me and said that God is taking me somewhere to another country. I'm actually in another country right now. So she was so amazed. So just one example of a prophetic word, how God can speak to you and show you that I'm going to do this. I'm going to take you here or there for ministry. So Kiran is asking one more question. Is it possible for God to give his word to our mouth? Yes, Kiran. Yes, God can do that. And that's, that's how God ministers. He always gave his word to his prophets and his preachers. So he gives the word. And what else Kiran? I saw your hand lifted. Any, any other question you have? No, ma'am, that's it. Thank you. Okay, great. Praise God. Yes, thank you. So like that, you know, you just depend on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Many ways God can speak. So I was sharing in the second year class that Luke 21, 21, I keep forgetting that verse number. Yeah, Luke 21, 15. Okay, that verse, it says, for I will give you utterance and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. So this is the verse which God gave me when I had to preach my first sermon because I was not at all confident. You know, the opportunity came to preach and I never thought that preaching is something God is calling me to do. But when I came back and I prayed, like pastor had asked me for the first time. And at that time again, you know, I just finished my studies and in the North Church, it was a smaller congregation, of course. And he said, Okay, would you be comfortable to preach one Sunday? I thought, Preach, how can you ask me to preach? I don't preach. You know, I'm just a kid. And I went back and I was so scared. I was like, Oh, no, what do I do now? And I meditate. You know, went back to the word I was praying and I was asking God, please give me a lot confirmation, confirmation. This is the verse I got. I was so amazed because exact verse I got for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. It's in a different context. But at that time, it hit me. And I knew, Oh, God, you know, you are showing me that I should take this. So I should not be scared. I should do this. And this was one verse, but God gave me a few more verses also. So that way I was confident. I said, Okay, fine. God wants me to move in this direction. I should, I should start sharing slowly. I should start sharing. You know, just last year I was thinking it was last year was 10 years since I preached my first sermon. And little did I know that, you know, I am going to move in the ministry line and, you know, slowly opportunity came slowly, you know, pastoral role. And for me, frankly, I never thought I never thought I will share or speak or serve in the ministry or anything like that. But just being led, you know, how like Philip, God says, Okay, now you do this. Now you do that. Now you do the next thing. So God leads us like that. And we can just take it up and keep moving, keep moving, keep moving. And just a little bit, you know, from, from how God has led me, as I look back, I'm amazed. I'm thinking, wow, Lord, I would have never imagined. Okay, what, how you have guided in the ministry. So Kiran, I hope that helps you in some way. That's why I'm sharing. Yes, ma'am. It's too much. Shall I say something? Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. Please go ahead. I something it happened. I was like praying. I some, some followers, a prayer, it was happening. And I was like praying for family salvation, the basically the my prayer. So I was like praying for parents and family salvation. I was praying praying and all and suddenly one also I was like a worry about like future minister and something different and all and suddenly one word came and said in my mouth and I totally is in a spirit. And I was like repeating that word continuously. And I did not recognize that word from where it came. And when I opened my eyes, I saw like everyone is like playing tongue and full worship is going on. And I full shocked and I thought like nobody here, right? She is speaking then I stopped, but I did not recognize that down that moment. But later on, I was like, but something it happened on that day. And I was like, I return back and the daily schedule it was happening, but something it happened on that day. Later, I was like praying, praying, praying what did happen? What is that word? I did not. Later on one word, ma'am, I want to read sums 89 and 89 34. Is written my covenant, I will not break nor under the word that has gone out of my lip. Then something heated me and before full life full like a believers and spiritually I did not read this verse on that day. Totally it hit me and all and that day I received I and I was starting to crying and all and something it was like something different unexpected and something different and not believing also. So I just let to God and all and just I prayed and just gave thank and just I just leave it and later on it happened years and something it is there and just moving by like how it like situation is going on and suddenly I'm just moving. Yeah. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for sharing. So you know we see right like how God is working in our lives also just the way yeah just the way he was working in the lives of the believers and the apostles, he led them. So that is them ministry. They did it. Okay Samaria, then Ethiopian eunuch, then he went, what is that place? Azotes, that is Philips ministry. Today you and I, we hear the voice of God, we have to do what God is telling us to do and I'm sure the Holy Spirit is guiding each one of you. Just be sensitive and I already told you that book on God's guidance. You can also look it up and it explains quite thoroughly the many ways in which God speaks to our hearts and we can expect you know if when a believer like Philip, when a believer like Stephen, they, they did mighty works for God. Every believer in the church can do mighty works for God. Okay. It's not big believers, small believer, nothing like that. But if they are sincerely growing with the Lord, surely at every believer can make a great difference for the kingdom of God. Okay. So we can also encourage all our believers when you do the ministry. Yeah. Kiran, that's nice that you shared. We are happy. Yeah, praise God, praise God that you shared from your life. So wonderful. We've seen so much in the life of Philip. And you know what, one more thing I'll add here. I know right now we don't see any title given to Philip, but later it acts itself. We will see him as the evangelist. Okay. Philip the evangelist. But only later he's being called as an evangelist. So don't also wait for titles. We can just serve God. Whatever capacity, you know, maybe our pastor is telling us, can you do this? Can you do that? Just serve with the pure heart, serve with whatever we have. And God is faithful if he wants to lead you in one of the, if you are called for one of the five-fold ministry offices, he will equip, prepare, and you will serve from that position. But otherwise, let's not worry too much about it. We will do our part. And God is faithful to bless the work which we do. So that's what, that is the attitude we see in Stephen and Philip. They never said, oh no, why should we do it? You know, let the, let the apostle do it. Why should I go to some area? Tell the pastor to go. Not like that. Whatever was put in his heart, he did it faithfully. We can also do that. Whether there is a title or there is no title. And we know when we do the work faithfully, if God has something in store for us that will come our way. So that is about Acts chapter eight. Now, let us go to Acts chapter nine. So before I go to Acts chapter nine, are you all comfortable? Is this space good? Is this style of sharing okay for all of you? You want me to be fast, slow? Please give me some feedback. Otherwise, I will not know whether you are benefiting from what I'm, what I'm saying. Any feedback class? Okay, you're learning something right? Okay, praise God. Okay, wonderful, wonderful. And, you know, feel comfortable. I know in between you will have some questions here and there. Just unmute yourself and you can ask the question. I'm going continuously because we have portions to complete. That's the only reason. But please feel free to interrupt at any point. Okay, great. I'm happy that you're learning. Let's move on to chapter nine here. Again, another beautiful, beautiful chapter because the way God has worked in the lives of, you know, people like Simon. You never imagined Simon will become a believer. What are you saying? You know, the Ethiopian, you know, treasure of the Ethiopian queen, he will become a believer. What are you saying? You know, so in the same way here, Saul of Tarsus, and we talked about how he was passionately persecuting the church, dragging men, women, imprisoning them and all that. Okay, what kind of a human being does that? But he was doing it. So it's about Saul of Tarsus encountering Jesus acts chapter nine. And, you know, we will never forget this acts chapter nine because Saul the persecutor is becoming a believer in this chapter. So how is Saul's attitude at the beginning of this chapter? It still says that he was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. So there is violence involved to the point of murder. So you can understand what kind of a mindset he has. But of course, you know, the reason he explains in other writings of his that he was passionate and he thought he was doing the righteous works of God. He felt that the law of God, which was given to the Jews, it is being corrupted by the wrong teaching of Jesus. And that is the reason he thought, Righteously, I have to protect the law. He thought about it in that way. And he went ahead and persecuted those who believed in Jesus. So he is giving them threats, murder. Okay, it's also happening. And it says he went to the high priest to ask letters. So it's like, you know, when they give a, they pass a rule, or there is a policy, the government will announce, they will say, okay, it's like this permission been granted, you know, you open the COVID restrictions lifted, you can have your meetings, you know, you can have this, you can have gym, you can have spa, all that. So government is telling you. But in the case of Paul, he's not waiting for the government to tell, he's going to the government to say, you give me fast, give me the letter. I want the restrictions to be lifted because I want to do this. Right. So he's so passionate that he's going to the high priest who was the authority of the times and he's asking for letters and saying, if you give me permission, I'm ready. Right now, I will go, I will catch all these people who are preaching about Jesus, I will put them in the prison. So you can almost get a picture of Saul of Tarsus, well educated, you know, strong person, angry person, and influential person, hardworking person, he's not waiting for the opportunity to come to him, he's going to take the opportunity. So he took the letters to go to the synagogues of Damascus. So that is where he's headed now. So Saul is moving in the direction of Damascus. If he found anybody there, he was planning, he didn't care, men, women, he didn't care, but he wanted to bring them bound to Jerusalem. So catch these people, tie them up, bring them, we'll show them what is the real way. And you notice, he's trying to get the people of the way it says. So the way is the name which was used for the church at that time, the way. Or you could say it was the name which was used for this movement about Jesus that had taken place during that times from Jerusalem. And Paul was passionate, he's like anybody belonging to that group, I am not going to spare you. Here I come, Damascus, I'm coming with the permission letters. So he journeyed. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus. Okay. And now we see it says and suddenly, so and suddenly happened in Acts chapter two, the birth of the church. And suddenly the Holy Spirit was poured out, right? Tongues of fire upon all those who were waiting in the upper room. One more. And suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Did Saul ever expect that this is going to happen to him? I don't think so because it says suddenly, how did this happen? How did God encounter the persecutor? You remember when, you know, Stephen was being persecuted. He also prayed. He prayed and he said, God, you know, these people, they don't know what they're doing. So he actually forgives and he prays for the persecutors. Saul is one of them in that group of persecutors. And the early church, I'm sure the early church would have prayed, there's a lot of persecution going on. They too would have cried out to God. They would have called out to God and said, God, you know, you change the hearts of these people who are doing the wrong thing against your word against your gospel. Okay. And we also know that God's will for every human being is that they should know the, they should come to know Jesus. So God had a plan. God had a purpose for Saul. So all the prayers put together and God's purpose for Saul, when he is passionately going to do the wrong things, suddenly it says, so God meets him, God encounters him. And how does God encounter him? This is like a supernatural encounter. A light around him from heaven. It shines. Okay. It just stops him. He says, then he fell to the ground because, you know, maybe the light was so bright and shocking. He never expected. So in that fear, it's possible that a bold man like him, he just fell to the ground and he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Okay. It's again so beautiful because it shows us how Jesus considers the persecuted church. So when somebody in the church is being persecuted, Jesus didn't say, Saul, why are you persecuting them? Or why are you persecuting my people? When somebody is being persecuted, how does God take it? Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? He takes it very personally. It's as if those who are being troubled for the sake of the gospel, those who are being, you know, ill-treated, lied about, beaten, threatened, so much of hardship people are going through for the gospel. And sometimes we think, God, are you even noticing all the pain that the people are going through? What did Jesus tell Saul from heaven? Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Okay. So it shows us that our God is feeling the pain of that persecuted person, you and me, right? Whenever we go through opposition rejection for the gospel's sake, Jesus feels the pain of that rejection. Okay. So I think I will stop here. It is very beautiful, but time is up. So we will take up from chapter nine in the next class. Okay. And yeah, we will wrap up for now. Anyone, if you could just pray. Siddharth, are you okay to pray, to close? Yeah, ma'am, sure. Yeah, sure. Thank you. I just want to thank you for this day that I've given us. Thank you for learning about from the book of Acts, Lord Jesus. I just want to pray, we believe God that everything in the Old Testament, I mean, in the New Testament, that there's so many things that happen suddenly, God, that you moved your presence to move, God. And there's many more people who came to you, God. I just want to pray the same thing more now in our country, in our nation, God. Your spirit will flow through us, our Father, our Jesus, God. I pray that many more people will come to you, God. And I pray that, bless each and every one of us, as we listen to your word, God, I pray that David does, and I listen to you as we continue our day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen, amen. Thank you. Thank you, Siddharth. Thank you, everyone. God bless you. Continue to have a good day today, and I'll see you again next week. Bye for now. Bye. Bye. God bless.