Acts 4:17-20

"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." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." * The Jews seemed to believe in God, but they did not believe in God's Word; instead, they believed in human doctrines. This is why they deeply hated and killed Jesus. Even after that, they continued to persecute and kill those who believed in Jesus.

Even today, pastors and church members who believe in human doctrines, do not repent of their sins, and have not received the Holy Spirit, obstruct the way of salvation more deviously than unbelievers. These fake pastors delude the hearts of Christians who truly believe and obey Jesus, thereby blocking the path to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Apostle Paul once believed in Judaism. The doctrine of Judaism calls upon the name of God, but it follows human doctrines and belongs to Satan. Paul hated, persecuted, and killed those who believed in Jesus, repented, and received the Holy Spirit. He even rushed to foreign countries to arrest Christians who had fled there because they could not endure the persecution. On his way, he met Jesus. He had considered himself the most loyal servant of God, but he was revealed to be the one hindering God's work the most.

Realizing his error, the Apostle Paul repented thoroughly, received the Holy Spirit, and was transformed into a preacher of Jesus only. Today, pastors and church members who believe in human doctrines and do not repent or obey are hindering God's work, just like Paul before his transformation. These fake pastors and church members obstruct the path of salvation more severely than unbelievers. Such pastors are not only going to hell themselves but are also leading countless followers to hell with them.

Today, many pastors do not follow the words of Jesus but follow human doctrines. These churches have become gateways to hell. The Jews who believed in human doctrines beat the disciples who received the Holy Spirit and told them not to spread the name of Jesus anymore. However, the disciples did not yield to them. Those who believe in human doctrines today are the same as the fallen Jews.

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Acts 4:26-32

"The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. * The kings and rulers of the world persecuted those who believed in Jesus. Joined by them, fake church members who followed human doctrines persecuted true Christians who sincerely repented, received the Holy Spirit, and obeyed. Because their persecution was extreme, true Christians gathered together and prayed earnestly to the Lord.

"Lord! Consider their threats. Do not let us yield to their threats, but let us obey God's Word and preach the gospel boldly. Stretch out Your hand to heal the sick, and let many signs and wonders be performed in the name of Jesus among us."

When they finished praying, the earth shook, and the entire gathering was filled with the Holy Spirit. We, too, must overcome the delusions and threats of the world only through the power of the Holy Spirit. Those disciples had already been filled with the Holy Spirit in Mark's upper room on Pentecost and were preaching the gospel to the world.

However, those who believed in human doctrines joined forces with the worldly powers to persecute them. The power behind the persecution of those who obey the Lord's will is Satan. Today, church members who do not repent, are not filled with the Holy Spirit, and believe in human doctrines are used as servants of Satan, just as they were then.

Do not be complacent just because you go to church. We must always check whether we stand on God's side or Satan's side. If we have compromised with the things of the world even a little, we must quickly return to the Lord's Word.

The state of being filled with the Holy Spirit once is not maintained automatically. While living in the world, one becomes contaminated by worldly things without even realizing it. Therefore, we must frequently check our faults through God's Word, repent, and correct them.

Only through repentance, obedience, and being filled with the Holy Spirit can one protect their faith and life to the end. There are many church members who were once filled with the Holy Spirit and obeyed zealously, but later compromised with the world and fell into hell.

Believe the words of the Bible. "Once saved" is absolutely not "eternally saved." Why do God's people abandon Jesus' words when a little difficulty comes and follow human doctrines for a comfortable life! You must realize that the pain of hell cannot be compared to the pain of this world.

Compromising with the world is the way to destruction. When faith is still weak, one may temporarily fall due to the delusions and threats of the world. However, you must get up quickly. You must repent and return to the Lord's Word. This is because you cannot be saved while in a state of having fallen for the world. When Christians begin to compromise with the world because they fear persecution, their faith becomes even weaker. If they continue that way, they completely lose the Word of life.

The Holy Spirit provides a way for all believers to escape persecution and tribulation. However, Christians who do not realize the Holy Spirit's guidance and keep retreating will not be able to continue receiving that guidance. One who realizes their fall and repents restores everything. But if they do not repent, they degenerate into formal Christians and belong to the devil. A religious life that cannot walk with the Holy Spirit eventually falls under the power of the devil.

Therefore, the Lord said: "The one who endures temptation and persecution to the end will be saved."

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Acts 4:33-37

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. * With the great power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles testified to the resurrection of Jesus. The crowd that heard the word received grace and began to change. Some sold their fields and houses and placed the money at the apostles' feet; they willingly offered their property before God for the sake of spreading the gospel. When the apostles distributed the money to those in need, there were no destitute people among them. They gathered together daily to praise the Lord of salvation, and lived by forgiving and loving one another in gratitude for the Lord's grace. One who realizes the infinite grace and salvation of the Lord voluntarily shares what they have with their neighbors. The Lord blesses them thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, allowing them to share even more of the Lord's love. This is the law of the Kingdom of God. One who lives with greed and stinginess becomes poor, but one who voluntarily shares their own with neighbors becomes more prosperous. This is the principle of blessing for Christians.

One person, in order to gain human honor, sold a field and brought half the money to the disciples, saying it was the whole amount. This is the sin of deceiving the Holy Spirit. That couple was killed on that very day. Do not give offerings by force to show off to people; the Lord does not accept such money and does not bless it. Pastors must not pressure church members to give offerings.

It is never pleasing to God when a pastor coerces offerings or when members give them reluctantly. What the Lord delights in is that we do everything voluntarily out of gratitude for the Lord's grace—voluntarily sharing and sacrificing what is ours.

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Acts 5:1-6

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. * Ananias and his wife Sapphira also believed in Jesus. They heard the gospel preached by the apostles and rejoiced together as they saw many healings and signs appearing through them. Thus, they also gathered daily with the believers, breaking bread and rejoicing.

At that time, someone was moved by the Holy Spirit, sold his land, and brought it to the disciples. This was because expenses were incurred when the believers lived together, and he voluntarily gave the offering to help the poor. His good deeds were praised by people.

Watching this, Ananias and Sapphira also felt the desire to sell their land and offer it to the Lord. Eventually, their land was sold. At that moment, their hearts changed. Greed and a stingy heart entered their minds. So they hid half of the land's price and brought the rest to the apostles, saying it was the entire price. Because of their greed, they deceived the Holy Spirit.

They started with a good deed but ultimately fulfilled their own greed and covetousness. They made a good plan but fell under Satan's attack because greed arose in the middle. They did not necessarily have to make a plan to sell the land and offer it to the church. At that time, there were more saints who did not do so.

To receive praise from humans, they planned something greater than their faith. To gain glory from people, they planned a good deed, but because of greed and covetousness, they instead performed the work of Satan and perished.

We must follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the Lord's Word from beginning to end. We must not perform tasks beyond our measure to gain worldly glory. When we cast away excessive greed and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will always avoid falling into Satan's delusions.

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Acts 5:16-20 (Refers to 5:16-20 based on content)

Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” * When the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaimed the gospel, a vast multitude began to believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit healed various diseases through the disciples, drove out many demons, and showed many wonders and signs. The number of people being saved grew larger and larger.

Watching this situation, jealousy was ignited in the hearts of the high priest and the Sadducees. Using worldly power, they deeply hated the disciples who were doing God's will, beat them, and put them in prison. The religious leaders, who should have been at the forefront of serving God better than the people, had become this corrupt. They should have rightly helped the disciples who were preaching the Word of God at the risk of their lives. Corrupt religious leaders always obstruct the work of God's salvation. This is equivalent to how today's pastors, who are trapped in human doctrines, obstruct and persecute church members who are trying to be filled with the Holy Spirit, repent, and obey the Lord's Word.

At that time, the high priest and the Sadducees forgot the responsibility God had given them. In their hearts, there was no faith, forgiveness, or love at all. They lived only to fulfill worldly greed. Because the religious leaders, who should have been examples to the people, were so corrupt, they became those who hindered God's work.

Religious leaders deluded by Satan abandoned God's Word and became more hideous than people of the world. Because these people also possessed much worldly knowledge and held high positions, they were recognized and respected by many; however, they were rejected by God, who looks at the center of the human heart.

Even today, there are many pastors in churches like the high priest and the Sadducees. Even if such pastors have large churches, they have degenerated into servants of Satan. Jesus Christ is the only Savior. No human should steal God's glory. At that time, the high priest and the Sadducees killed Jesus and his disciples because of their pride and greed, which had become higher than the heavens. Today, pastors and church members seized by worldly pride and greed must quickly repent and return to the words of Jesus to live.

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Acts 6:1-6

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. * In the early church, the disciples preached the gospel and worked hard to help the poor. Their relief activities grew more and more. Consequently, the servants of the Lord did not have time to pray and prepare the Word. So they prayed and received the wisdom of the Spirit. They appointed seven faithful deacons and entrusted all relief activities to them. And the servants of the Lord devoted themselves to daily prayer and preparing the Word.

This was a very wise move. If the servants of the Lord cannot pray and have no time to prepare sermons, they cannot lead the saints entrusted to them to the way of life. The primary task of the servants of the Lord is not to help with physical matters first. The servants of the Lord themselves must deeply realize God's Word and teach that Word of life to the saints.

To this end, the servants of the Lord must pray hard, repent, and read the Bible diligently. The servants of the Lord must be filled with the Holy Spirit and lead the saints entrusted to them to the way of life. The Bible's message is simple and clear: it always teaches that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior, that one must obey Jesus' words, and that one must repent of the sins of disobedience.

All pastors must realize this truth and teach it to the church members. However, Satan obstructs this work tremendously. Therefore, in order to defeat Satan's obstruction and always teach this truth to the members, the servants of the Lord must especially pray and always read and deeply meditate on the Bible.

At that time, seven deacons were chosen and worked hard to help the servants of the Lord. However, later, one deacon named Nicolas fell away, created the Nicolaitan sect, and greatly hindered the truth. What was the teaching of the Nicolaitans? "Once you are saved, you will go to heaven no matter how you live." They were greedy, immoral, and lived in dissipation, eating food sacrificed to idols. This is the teaching of Balaam, who lived according to the lusts of the flesh and perished.

Today, too, there are very many pastors and church members who believed in Jesus well at the beginning but fell away later. Human doctrines and Calvinism, which claim that "once saved is eternally saved," are the teachings of the Nicolaitans.