Acts 16:16-18

"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.' She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her."

When Paul was preaching, a demon-possessed slave girl severely hindered the spread of the Gospel. When Paul commanded in the name of Jesus, the fortune-telling spirit within her was cast out. She was no longer able to tell fortunes.

The power of God overwhelms the power of Satan. When doing the work of God, Satan interferes greatly; however, when we pray, the power of God manifests to block Satan's hindrances. God's power causes all things to work together for good. At that time, the owners who employed the fortune-telling girl were furious because their means of making money through her fortune-telling had ceased.

Today, in places where the Gospel is actively preached, wicked and decadent industries disappear. As many souls hear the Gospel and are revived, the forces of evil that dominated those areas are weakened. Therefore, the forces of evil desperately obstruct the spread of the Gospel to prevent this phenomenon, creating forced excuses to accuse and report God's workers to the authorities. However, there is no need to worry. God makes all things work together for good. The Holy Spirit eventually causes those who opposed the Gospel to kneel before those who preach it. Through such incidents, God's Gospel spreads even further.

Acts 16:25-26

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose."

Paul was beaten unfairly and imprisoned. However, they praised the grace of the Lord's presence. At that moment, the handcuffs and shackles bound to their hands and feet were loosed, and the prison doors opened.

Acts 16:33-35

"At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: 'Release those men.'"

The jailer who had oppressed Paul was astonished by God's power and knelt before him. He was transformed in an instant. He immediately washed Paul, applied medicine to his wounds, prepared a meal, and hoped to be saved through Paul. When Paul preached at his house, his entire family accepted Jesus, received salvation, and rejoiced. Misfortune was turned into a blessing.

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Acts 17:2-5

"As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,' he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd."

Apostle Paul went to the Gentiles and preached the Gospel. What does the Scripture say he preached? He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to make them realize that Jesus Christ was coming to the world and that this Jesus is the Creator God Himself.

God the Father came to the world in the name of the Son; that Son is Jesus Christ. What was the reason the Creator God had to take on human flesh and be born into the world in the name of the Son? The Bible clearly states that the purpose was to save sinners and make them children of God. God had the name called "Jesus" before the Son was born. The name "Jesus" means that God saves His people from their sins. Jesus was crucified, shed His blood, and died. That blood cleanses the sins of humanity.

The blood of Jesus is the blood of God. That is why the blood of Jesus cleanses the sins of humanity. A human cannot be the savior of humanity; only God, who created humans, is the Savior of humanity. God came as Jesus, and Jesus alone is the Christ. "Christ" means the unique Savior. The Old Testament recorded all these things before Jesus was born. Therefore, Apostle Paul interpreted the Old Testament to witness and preach Jesus Christ.

Hearing Paul's Gospel, many Gentiles were moved and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. However, the Jews, who read the Scriptures daily in the synagogue, did not accept the Gospel Paul preached and instead rejected it. Rather, they mobilized wicked people to systematically follow and persecute Apostle Paul. The people of God had fallen into becoming servants of Satan. One is not saved simply by attending church for a long time or reading the Bible often. One must realize and believe the words of the Bible.

The Old and New Testaments are books that witness only to Jesus Christ. One is saved by realizing that Jesus is God Himself and by obeying the words of Jesus. Obeying the words of Jesus means discarding all idols. Furthermore, following the words of Jesus to repent of sins and to forgive and love one another is true faith.

The Jews were automatically "God's people" from birth, but God and love were not in their hearts. This is because they did not believe the words of Jesus, but believed in human doctrines and maintained only a formal religious life without repentance and obedience. They only diligently observed religious rituals.

Today, there are many in the church living religious lives like the Jews who persecuted Apostle Paul. Before perishing, one must discard human doctrines and return to the words of Jesus. This is not about memorizing many Bible verses, nor is it about just receiving water baptism or diligently participating in Holy Communion. It is about discarding pride and filthy thoughts, forgiving neighbors, understanding one another, and practicing the love of Jesus in daily life.

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Acts 17:11-14

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea."

When Paul preached the Gospel to the Bereans, they believed in God with an earnest heart, verifying if Paul's sermon aligned with the Scriptures. This is a very correct attitude of faith. It is the way to avoid falling into the deception of Satan. Preaching the Gospel is preaching the words of the Bible.

A preacher delivering human thoughts or knowledge is not preaching the Gospel. Satan and demons deceive church members through miracles, signs, and prophecies to preach a false gospel. The only way to distinguish between a false and true gospel is through the words of the Bible. Even if a preacher performs many miracles, signs, and prophecies, if his words do not align with the Bible, he is a false prophet. False prophets do not have the purpose of saving souls; they seek to deceive church members to gain money, fame, and pleasure.

Today's church members should act like the Berean believers when listening to sermons. If the sermon aligns with the Bible, they should say "Amen"; if it does not, they should not. Many sermons are heard today through Christian broadcasting. Among them, there are many pastors giving sermons that do not align with the Bible. Preaching human doctrines is not preaching the words of the Bible.

The Bible always speaks of the one and only God. Claiming that the one and only God is two or three is a human doctrine that does not align with the Bible. God, who created the heavens and the earth by His word, came to the world in human flesh to die in place of the sins of humanity. God in human flesh is Jesus Christ. This is recorded many times in the Old and New Testaments; the God of the Word came to the world in the flesh. One is saved by believing in Jesus and obeying His words. Jesus' words are to repent of sins, forgive neighbors, and do good. This is bearing the fruit of love.

Christians who do not bear the fruit of love are eventually judged as chaff and thrown into the fire of hell on the last day. When a preacher practices and cries out this truth, it becomes the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. Performing false gifts and prophecies while forcing people to give only large offerings is the behavior of false prophets.

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Acts 17:24-27

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."

God alone created the entire universe, all things, and humanity. Because He possesses the almighty power to create something from nothing, He has no need for the help of creatures in accomplishing any task. God alone gives life and breath to all people and provides the daily bread they need. God is not a being who can only exist if humans serve Him as if He lacked something.

God created Adam and Eve and allowed all of humanity to be born through them; thus, all races are formed of one blood. God determined the times of humans and set the limits of the regions where each race would dwell. God's purpose in doing this is so that humans might perhaps grope for and find God.

The Creator God is not far from humans; He is within the lives of humans. Because God is a spiritual being, He is within the hearts and thoughts of humans, He is within all of nature, and He always governs and rules over all things. To forgive the sins of humans, God was conceived in Mary's body through the Holy Spirit and was born into the world as Jesus. Jesus is God clothed in flesh; that was a time when He lived in human form, touching skin with humans.

Whether God exists as Spirit or in the flesh, He is always among humanity. God examines every individual's life with eyes like a flame of fire. Those who believe in Jesus, repent, and obey, He makes citizens of heaven. Those who do not believe in Jesus, He judges and throws into the fire of hell.

God is one and is always accomplishing the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He saves all who obey His will on this earth. God's will is for all humans to repent. He leads those who repent and obey to heaven. In heaven, where there is no death, God lives happily forever with the redeemed people.

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Acts 17:28-31

"‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."

That humans live is by the power of God. That the entire world moves and changes in an orderly fashion is according to the plan, power, and purpose of the Creator God. There are those who vaguely perceive the Creator while looking at such a world. However, because they do not clearly realize the Creator God, they make idols of gold and silver and serve them as if they were God.

God widely tolerated and did not hold accountable those who did such things because they did not know God. However, since Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He urges all of humanity to repent. The way to salvation is open to everyone. For both the people of Israel and the Gentiles, the way to heaven has been opened wide for everyone who believes in Jesus and repents.

However, those who do not want to hear this Gospel and refuse a life of repentance and obedience will all perish. The blood of Jesus atones for all the sins of humanity; the Creator God came to the world in human flesh to save humanity. Jesus is the unique Savior who saves all people from sin and destruction. Yet, those who do not believe in Jesus or refuse to repent and obey through human doctrines are not saved; rather, Jesus will judge them.

Jesus alone is the Judge of the righteousness of the world. Therefore, anyone who repents anywhere lives, and whoever does not repent receives the judgment of Jesus. That Jesus died and rose again is a public proclamation to the world that Jesus possesses this power. When this Gospel is preached, some people accept Jesus as their Savior, repent, and are saved. However, some ridicule this Gospel, regard it as a joke, and perish.

Human doctrines are distortions of this Word of life. They say they believe in God, but in reality, they do not believe God's Word and do not repent.

John 12:47–48

"If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day."

Because Jesus, clothed in human flesh, came to save sinners, He did not judge anyone at that time. He did not even judge the woman caught in the act of adultery. However, the words Jesus spoke become the eternal standard, judging all who are disobedient and do not repent.

Yet, those who believe in human doctrines accept the first half of this verse but do not accept the latter half. How can such an interpretation stir the repentance for salvation in people's hearts?

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Acts 18:4-6

"Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.'"

Because the Jews gathered in the synagogue every Sabbath, Paul reasoned the Gospel with them every time. The core of the Gospel Paul preached is that Jesus is the Christ. The name "Jesus" carries the meaning that God saves His people from their sins. And the name of Jesus was a name predetermined before He was born into the world.

The deep meaning of the name "Jesus" is that God was born as Jesus, died on the cross, and saves humanity from their sins. Jesus died on the cross according to His name and atoned for all the sins of humanity. As a result of this, anyone in the world who repents is saved from sin and enters heaven.

However, for those who do not believe in Jesus, the atoning blood of Jesus can play no role. Furthermore, even Christians who lived in repentance for a long time will not enter heaven if they stop living a life of repentance from a certain day. This is because Jesus said that only those who keep their faith until the end of their life on this earth become citizens of heaven.

However, there are far too many church members who have abandoned repentance and obedience. Those who initially obeyed God's Word and repented have, over time, accepted human doctrines and given up a life of obedience and repentance. Such church members are in a situation like a grape branch that has fallen from the vine, withered, and cannot receive the sap of the vine.

The Bible states that Jesus alone is the Christ and that Christ is the only Savior of humanity. However, many Jews, while calling themselves God's people, rejected this Gospel of life. Thus, Paul left the Jews and preached the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Jews who rejected Jesus chose the path of destruction for themselves. They missed the opportunity to be forgiven. Therefore, the guilt of their sins fell upon their own heads.

No other savior exists besides Jesus. All humans are sinners; the only way to have sins forgiven is to repent to Jesus and wash one's sins with the blood of Jesus. Jesus is the Almighty God Himself clothed in human flesh. Only God, who created humans, can forgive and save humans.

There is no salvation at all in foreign religions, and even those who attend church will not be saved if they do not repent. Only those who believe that Jesus is God, repent, and obey are saved.

Luke 13:23-24

"Someone asked him, 'Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?' He said to them, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.'"

The Jews who resisted and rejected the Gospel preached by Apostle Paul also believed in God. However, they did not follow the path of salvation spoken by God. They were proud, did not repent of their sins, and did not bear the fruit of love. The faith of the Jews who perished themselves is the same as that of formal church members today who believe in human doctrines and just attend church without repentance and obedience.