Acts 6:8-15 Stephen is Seized

Stephen was not one of the apostles and yet God used him mightily! This man was full of grace and power. Of course, the grace is God's grace. God poured out his unmerited favor upon him in ways that were evident to the people who knew him. Also, God's power was in operation through his life. This was evident by the signs and wonders that he was doing among the people. It was not his own grace and power, but God's grace in operation working through his life on behalf of those who were in need.

Several Jews came together to dispute or argue with him, but they could not withstand his wisdom and Spirit. How many deacons you know in the church that are able to stop an argumentative Pharisee on his tracks? Not many! If any at all. Stephen's story gives me an inkling of the caliber of the workers of the Early Church. They were not newbies to the faith. They knew their stuff! And this is the product of increasing the Word of God! The Apostles dedicated themselves to their call to preach and teach and the people benefitted from that by growing in the grace of God to the point of being able to use it to preach and teach themselves.

One of my sins is spiritual gluttony. I want more and more of the Word of God, but for what? Do I make good use of it to minister to others in the body of Christ? or is it just to increase my head knowledge and say: "I know that." Packing in the Word of God and not using it to feed others makes me "fat." And I am not talking about faithful, available, and teachable. I'm talking about fearful, apathetic, and touchy. The accumulation of Scriptural knowledge for the sake of knowing alone has disastrous results. Instead of spurring on growth, it makes me stagnate in my spiritual growth. The kingdom of God is about service. Stephen understood this well and that's why the power of God was evident through his life.

But the world got fed up with Stephen and they framed him to bring him down. It was the only way to silence him - to make him a martyr. As he stood before the council listening to the many false testimonies spoken against him, God gave him more grace with the radiant look of an angel on his face. It seems to be a godly intervention on behalf of Stephen. But despite such a manifestation in his countenance, the council dismissed it after hearing his message and killed him anyway. Signs and wonders are not enough  for the world. Ultimately, if you don't befriend the world, it will take your life. We have been warned by Jesus that the world will hate us. We must be ready for this type of opposition and persecution. Am I ready?

Father, thank you for men like Stephen who give us clear example of what it is to live a life of faith in the midst of a threatening world. Grant me his knowledge, courage, and desire to serve at whatever cost.