To Live Like Stephen
So we can surmize that by the time we come to chapter 7, these men were feeling psyched. They were strong with confidence. They felt like triumphant warriors. This mood was no different than what we find in ourselves. Imagine a time when you have come through a battle of some kind and are still on your feet. But then the atmosphere begins to change. Stephen is being stoned. Can we imagine that these men are looking puzzled at each other? "Wait a minute!" They are thinking."Hey! Peter got off, John got off. What is going on here?! This isn't supposed to happen." Then they see Stephen fall to the ground, dead.
The Apostles may have been momentarily confused. But all who were there that day saw Stephen's great faith, even in the shadow of death. He went trustingly into eternity. What a tremendous witness! Can we look into the crowd that day? Look at the faces there. Some shocked, some saying in bitterness, "Ah good, another one is dead!" Others deeply moved. What story did they tell to their families? Whose faith was strengthened or weakened by this? But, what happens when the storms come? Do we pull out our pocket sized, divine credit card called prayer? Is this the only time we commune with our Heavenly Father? When it begins to hurt, do we doubt God is God? Or, do we stand like Stephen, knowing that this is unpleasant, but we can persevere to the Glory of God,because of God!?
and lessons from Paul A Person Named Paul, To Live Like Stephen,It's Not About Us!,Christian Liberty,When Differences Cause Strife
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