But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name. Acts 4:17 (1-28-11)

There’s only one way to stop the Gospel, and that’s it. Get believers to be silent.

Persecution only fuels the fire.

Getting us to shut up puts it out.

Sometimes it can be done by opposition, if the Christian voice is weak. But hostility only works if they can get the Christians to leave, which is a form shutting us up.

The absolute best method to stop the spread of the Gospel is to convince believers to be quiet; to get us to believe that we don’t have the right to speak, or to get us to act so unlovingly antiChristian that no one will listen.

Nothing else works.

So it’s Satan’s best strategy.

[Father, help me not to shut up about Your Son, but to speak to others in Jesus’ name and to encourage others to do the same.]