Date: June 30, 2009 9:46 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Serious About Faith
Serious About Faith
“Stephen . . . did great wonders and miraculous signs. . . . Opposition arose, however . . . but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (Acts 6:8-10).
Scripture Focus: Acts 6:8-15
There are times in life’s spiritual battle when the heat is turned up and the opposition becomes more aggressive. When that happened to Stephen, he proved that he was willing to give his life for his Savior. We meet Stephen in the book of Acts along with others who are given the task of managing fairly the distribution of food among Christians in Jerusalem. He was not only a servant, but also a powerful speaker “full of God’s grace and power.” While speaking he was harassed, but he calmly, logically devastated the arguments against him. He was hauled before a tribunal that eventually condemned him to death.
Here was a man serious about his faith. As his persecutors were throwing stones at him to kill him, Stephen was asking God for forgive them. His life and death demonstrates that the most important prerequisite for Christian service is to be filled with faith and the power of God’s Holy Spirit who gives strength and courage, even in the hardest moments of our lives.
Insight: We dare not ignore God’s command to make the Gospel of Jesus available to all of mankind. The world has no other hope!
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