THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR
Acts 6:8-14 (NIV) 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia —who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
Acts 7:54 – 8:1 (NIV) 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 And Saul approved of their killing him.
And so it began. Stephen, one of the seven named to be deacons, began preaching under the power of the Holy Spirit, and it was more than the religious authorities could accept. Stephen had delivered a comprehensive account of the history of the Israelites, yet the Sanhedrin lied about him to justify their actions.
Has anyone ever lied about you? How did you react? I must admit that, unlike Stephen, I did not always model Christ. I am reminded of the hymn “In Christ alone,”
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
And then there was Saul. The man who would become the preacher to the Gentiles was present and approved of the stoning of Stephen. In the midst of the stoning, the heavens opened and Stephen saw Jesus, standing beside God’s throne. And, just as Jesus had done, Stephen asked God to forgive his murderers.
May we stay in the shadow of the Savior as we navigate this life, remaining bold in our faith and unafraid of the consequences.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Joy Unspeakable
Acts 5:12-16 (NIV) 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
What an exciting time in the life of the church. The supernatural move of God in the lives of these new believers was wonderful and inspiring. To possess enough faith to expect healing from Peter’s shadow, and then to actually receive it, is something we can scarcely comprehend. Yet, Luke tells us all of the sick were healed.
This extraordinary period in the church served to validate the movement of the Holy Spirit and pointed the people to God. There was an expectation that God would meet the needs of all who came, and He did. Lives were changed and the Church continued to grow.
Let me ask you something. When you enter your church, do you do so with the expectation that you will experience an encounter with God? Are you actively taking part in praise? You don’t like the music? Then use that time to pray. Praise God and offer your whole self to Him. Don’t ask Him for anything except to use you. When the preaching begins, remain fully engaged. Look up the scripture in your Bible. Take notes. Commit to God that your mind will not wander, but you will connect with Him on a deeply personal level. Understand the importance of corporate worship and the gathering of like-minded people who all seek to be in God’s presence.
May we begin to experience the excitement and growth of the early church, and may we never say, “I didn’t get anything out of church today.” Instead, let us enter His courts with praise and leave with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No Honor without Sacrifice
Acts 5:1-11 (NIV) 1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 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.
3 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? 4 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.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
When I read of the account of Ananias and Sapphira, I am reminded of the scripture from Numbers 32 that says, “be sure your sin will find you out.” Why was it a sin for this couple to keep some of the money from the sale of their own land? Their sin was not a financial issue, but a heart issue. It was not a need issue, but a greed issue. Ananias and Sapphira did not just lie to Peter, they lied to God. During a time when the Church was so vulnerable this couple attempted to take honor for their contribution that was not deserved.
God’s punishment of this couple was swift and leaves us wondering why. Why were they not given a less severe penalty? Why were they not given a chance to repent? It is so easy for us to forget the omniscience of God, isn’t it? Perhaps He saw that such a deceitful act could permeate the young church, damaging both its momentum and its reputation.
May we be more concerned with being honest before God than receiving honor from men.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
NO OTHER NAME
Acts 4:5-22 (NIV) 5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 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.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
There is a saying that “seeing is believing.” Yet, the Sanhedrin saw that a man who was lame from birth was healed in Jesus’ name and they did not want to believe. Furthermore, they did not want the news to spread. So, they instructed Peter and John to keep silent. But Peter, still empowered by the Holy Spirit, challenged the panel with the words “what is right in God’s eyes.”
Christians have always been at odds with the culture in which they lived. In Greek culture, the agora, an open space used for selling goods, was often accessed by way of an offering to whatever god was worshipped in the area. Since Christians could not give an offering to a false god, they were not allowed to buy or sell.
What would you do if you were unable to feed your family unless you swore allegiance to a false god? In 21st century America this may seem like an impossibility, yet we are told in the book of the Revelation that there will be a time when only those receiving the mark of the beast can buy or sell.
May we pray that whatever happens in our lives, we will remain strong in the Lord and be of good courage. And may we remember there is no other name by which we can be saved.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Hoy Spirit. Amen
By Faith in Jesus’ Name
Acts 3:11-16 (NIV) 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
It has always amazed me that people who were in the very presence of Jesus failed to recognize Him. Was it His outward appearance? Is 53:2 says He hath no form or comeliness that people would be attracted to Him. Was it His heritage? Perhaps they expected the King of the Jews to be born into royalty. Or perhaps it was simply that they did not realize that instead of a man who could lead a rebellion against Rome, what they really needed was a Savior to lead a revolution in their hearts.
Today we have the chance to acknowledge who Jesus is and respond to Him. How? Through grace and by faith. May we truly see the One who died for us and turn away from our sin and toward Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 