Today’s Verse – Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. —Psalm 127:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “It’s all up to me!” That’s the prevailing mindset for high achievers in our world. But this assumption is wrong. Our efforts to build and be a part of something great and lasting are ultimately in vain if the LORD doesn’t bless them and empower them. They may flourish for a time under our intense efforts, but if the plans and the construction of great things are not from the LORD, they won’t stand the test of time. However, when we partner with the LORD and seek him and his kingdom first, he is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). My Prayer… Almighty God and Eternal Father, please forgive me for trying to make everything happen by my own efforts and relentless work. You can do far more to advance my work for your kingdom than all my worry and fretfulness could ever accomplish. Please take the lead in every aspect of my life and ministry; defeat me in efforts not in harmony with your will, and please empower those efforts to bring you glory and draw others to your grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. —Matthew 6:33 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Seek first his kingdom”!” “Seek first… his righteousness”!Seeking the kingdom of God first is the primary focus of today’s verse and the Sermon of the Mount where it is found. “Seek first…” is Jesus’ robust, prioritizing command. God’s kingdom must be the passionate pursuit of our lives. Seeking the LORD’s kingdom, and his righteousness must not just be our wish, our hope, our dream — it must be our passion. We will pursue God’s kingdom at all costs. We will pursue it with all of our passion. Seeking God’s kingdom first will be our consuming effort until we find it our home! My Prayer… Forgive me, dear LORD, for letting my passion for your kingdom and your character get pushed to the side in my priorities. I want to make it first. I want to seek your kingdom and your righteousness first! So, please awaken me each morning with a sense of prioritizing focus for your work and your will for each day. Father, I want to be a passionate seeker of your kingdom first, so please make me restless for your kingdom as my home. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Servants to the Nations
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Two powerful themes from the Bible converge in this one story in today’s Scripture about Philip and the Ethiopian dignitary: After My resurrection, I poured out the Spirit at Pentecost and the good news message about Me spread throughout the Mediterranean world, and then far beyond this part of the world. My message spread out from Jerusalem just as I had promised (Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:8). The early disciples reached three of the Mediterranean area’s four major cities to serve as hubs to send My message down the major highways and seaways to the nearby regions and to the rest of the world. The four largest cities at this time were Antioch in Syria, Ephesus, Rome, and Alexandria. Acts tells the story of how the good news of the kingdom of God reached the first three. Just as My disciples took the good news to all the Mediterranean region when they left Jerusalem because of persecution (Acts 8:1-4; Acts 11:19-22), Luke hints that the “dignitary from Ethiopia” took My message with him as he returned home to Ethiopia (Africa). The last half of the prophetic book of Isaiah has a series of prophetic songs calling My people (Israel) to be the servant of the Lord — the servant who would lead the nations to follow the great “I AM” of Israel. In your day, these prophetic songs are called the “Servant Songs” of Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-9; Isaiah 49:1-13; Isaiah 50:4-11; Isaiah 52:13-15 with Isaiah 53:1-12). When Israel did not fulfill the call of these prophetic songs, I came as their complete fulfillment. The Ethiopian was reading from one of these songs (Isaiah 52:13-15 with Isaiah 53:1-12) when the Spirit sent Philip to share My story with him. The passage the Ethiopian was reading has been known to most of My followers over the centuries. They have recognized this song as speaking about My sacrifice on the cross for them. Philip began with this song that looked forward to Me as the suffering servant and taught him about Me and then baptized him. I want you to recognize several important principles from the Ethiopian’s conversion: Long before I came to earth (1 Peter 1:20), the Father had the plan to save the lost world He loves (John 3:16-17). The Spirit inspired the prophets with messages that were intended to convict the people in their time, yet the messages also pointed to the Father’s plan to send Me to the world to save the world (1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:19-21). This plan always included the salvation of all people, just as Israel was to be a blessing and bring all people to honor the great “I AM” as the only true and living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; Genesis 12:1-3). The fulfillment of this world-wide salvation began to unfold through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the willingness of My disciples to share My story with all people (John 12:20-33). The Father has the plan to save the world. As the primary part of that plan, I came as the Savior of the world. After My sacrificial death and return to the Father, the Spirit empowered My disciples to share that message with the world. Acts tells how My story was initially told to the Mediterranean world. Verses to Live As the book of Acts unfolds, you read about the Holy Spirit leading My disciples to share the saving message about Me (Acts 1:8). They began, first, to share that message with those in Jerusalem and then those in all of Judea. In Acts 8, you see the message shared in Samaria. In future readings from Acts, you will see the message go throughout the Mediterranean world. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, nothing had the power to stop that message. As Luke tells this unfolding story, the events in Acts 8 are huge stepping stones in the triumph of the good news about Me. Just as those early disciples fearlessly shared My message with their world, I want you to share that same message with your world. As you do, the Holy Spirit will lead and empower you, too! A heavenly messenger brought this short message from the Lord to Philip during his time preaching in Samaria: Messenger of the Lord: Leave Samaria. Go south to the Jerusalem-Gaza road. The message was especially unusual because this road runs through the middle of uninhabited desert. But Philip got up, left the excitement of Samaria, and did as he was told to do. Along this road, Philip saw a chariot in the distance. In the chariot was a dignitary from Ethiopia (the treasurer for Queen Candace), an African man who had been castrated. He had gone north to Jerusalem to worship at the Jewish temple, and he was now heading southwest on his way home. He was seated in the chariot and was reading aloud from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Philip received another prompting from the Holy Spirit: Holy Spirit: Go over to the chariot and climb on board. So he started running until he was even with the chariot. Philip heard the Ethiopian reading aloud and recognized the words from the prophet Isaiah. Philip: Do you understand the meaning of what you’re reading? The Ethiopian: How can I understand it unless I have a mentor? Then he invited Philip to sit in the chariot. Here’s the passage he was reading from the Hebrew Scriptures: Like a sheep, He was led to be slaughtered. Like a lamb about to be shorn of its wool, He was completely silent. He was humiliated, and He received no justice. Who can describe His peers? Who would treat Him this way? For they snuffed out His life. The Ethiopian: Here’s my first question. Is the prophet describing his own situation, or is he describing someone else’s calamity? That began a conversation in which Philip used the passage to explain the good news of Jesus. Eventually the chariot passed a
Today’s Verse – Psalm 37:28
For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever… —Psalm 37:28 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Don’t you love the term for God’s people when they live for him? They are “his faithful ones”! The LORD is committed to his people. He will not forget his people, those who seek to honor him by displaying his righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful love and justice (Exodus 34:6). God has promised to honor his promises to his people and preserve them with his protecting power, forever. As God has promised, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5-6). My Prayer… Eternal and Faithful Father, thank you for your great promises. I am thrilled at the reminder of your faithful presence in my life. I fully believe I can entrust my future to you and that you will bring me into your presence with victory and great joy. Thank you for my sure and steadfast hope. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The Spirit Cannot Be Bought
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Disciple, One of the great gifts you received with your salvation was the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39). I pour out the Spirit on all who come to Me in faith and are baptized (Titus 3:3-7). The Spirit cleanses you of all your sin as you call upon My name to save you, and you turn from your past sins and from living for yourself (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). When Philip went to Samaria because of the persecution in Jerusalem, he taught and baptized people there (Acts 8:12). The emissaries of the Jerusalem church, My apostles, needed to see that these Samaritans — “half-breeds and heretics in the minds of many Judeans” — received the Spirit so they would include these new believers in full fellowship. When these apostles saw the Samaritan’s faith was genuine, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit because I had not yet poured out the Spirit upon them (Acts 8:14-17). When the Spirit came upon them in a clear and demonstrable way, full fellowship was recognized with these new believers and full fellowship and acceptance with My Samaritan followers were achieved — I will share more about this tomorrow. One of the new believers was a magician named Simon. He had amazed people with his power. However, in the miracles performed by Philip, Simon saw a greater power that wasn’t tied to magic. The coming of the Holy Spirit on My Samaritan disciples when Peter and John laid hands on them and accepted them into full fellowship revealed an unredeemed part of Simon’s character. Simon had grown accustomed to being admired and held in high regard. His lust to be seen as amazing led him to offer Peter money for the power to give the Holy Spirit to others. Peter’s response was clear, harsh, and right on target. The gift of the Holy Spirit is not something that can be purchased. I give the Holy Spirit to My disciples when they come to Me for salvation. The Spirit is My gift to give. The Spirit is My promised presence to be your Helper (John 14:15-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:5-15). He is your assurance that you will share with Me in resurrection and glory (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14), giving life to your mortal body (Romans 8:11). The Spirit’s work is to conform you to Me (2 Corinthians 3:18), not to bring you glory, as Simon wanted. The Spirit works in you to bring about the character and compassion you have seen demonstrated by Me in My ministry (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit intercedes for you even when you don’t have words to speak what is on your heart (Romans 8:26-27). The Spirit joins with your spirit and cries out to the Father using the very same name I used to address the Father when I was on earth — “Abba”! (Mark 14:36) The Spirit empowers you to overcome the very kind of things that were going on in the heart of Simon (Romans 8:13). Thankfully, Simon was willing to see the error of his request and the evil that needed to be eradicated from his heart. He wanted to be My disciple more than he wanted to be recognized as someone important or powerful. He was willing to leave his past glory as a magician using black magic and become My follower. The question for you, My dear one, is whether you are willing to be My disciple more than you want your own forms of recognition or your own sense of self-importance? Verses to Live Is there something that keeps you from fully following Me and being led by My Spirit? Do you wrestle with ways of feeling important other than your great importance to Me? Have you left your past life? Jesus: If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full. Listen, what good does it do you if you gain everything — if the whole world is in your pocket — but then your own life slips through your fingers and is lost to you? (Luke 9:23-25) Look closely at Simon and how, in the end, he offered up everything to follow Me… just as every true disciple must do! Thankfully, Simon turned his heart to fully follow Me. Have you? All those who had been scattered by the persecution [in Jerusalem] moved from place to place; and wherever they went, they weren’t afraid or silent. Instead, they spread the message of Jesus. Philip, for example, headed north to the city of Samaria, and he told them the news of [Christ] the Anointed One. The crowds were united in their desire to understand Philip’s message. They not only listened with their ears, but they witnessed miraculous signs with their eyes. Unclean spirits cried out with loud screams as they were exorcised from people. Paralyzed people and lame people moved and walked in plain view. So the city was swept with joy. There was a fellow named Simon who had a widespread and long-standing reputation as a sorcerer in Samaria. Everyone — not just poor or uneducated people, but also the city’s elite — paid him great respect. Because he had amazed them with his magic, they thought, “This is a truly great man, full of the power of the God of Greatness.” But they were even more impressed with Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Anointed. Both men and women received … baptism — and even Simon himself became a believer. After his baptism, he shadowed Philip constantly, and he was as amazed as everyone else when
Baptism Must Open the Door to Genuine Fellowship
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, The early Christians were greatly encouraged by Luke’s account of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. I joined those two disciples on their journey and shared a meal with them on the Sunday of My resurrection. The two disciples recognized Me when I blessed and “broke bread” with them (Luke 24:13-35). The early disciples believed My promise to them: For when two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) For My early disciples, eating together was very important. Withholding table fellowship from someone signified a very serious loss of fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:9-11). When Samaritans and Gentiles began to become My followers, however, there were significant problems. Most non-Jewish people did not “keep kosher.” That meant that non-Jews ate food and used eating and cooking utensils that were considered unclean by Jews. As a result, Jews avoided non-Jews, especially eating with them, to remain clean according to the Jewish food laws (John 4:9). This “law-keeping” generally remained true among My early Jewish disciples despite the fact that I had essentially declared all foods clean in My earthly ministry (Mark 7:19). I would later have to send My apostle Peter a vision, an angel, and the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit to help prepare him to have table fellowship with Gentiles and baptize them (Acts 8:25; Acts 10:1-29, 48). Even with Peter’s great influence, many of My Jewish disciples were upset. The real problem was NOT that Philip baptized Samaritans or that Peter baptized Gentiles. The real problem was that they entered into full fellowship with them, stayed in their homes, and ate at their tables (Acts 11:1-3). Did baptism mean full fellowship or did Gentiles have to practice Jewish food laws and be clean by Jewish standards to be received into fellowship? That was a huge and enduring question for these early believers. Unfortunately, in almost every age, fellowship across lines of suspicion, fear, prejudice, and language and cultural differences has been difficult at first. But I died for all people! I gave My life to break down every barrier that would separate people from one another. Baptism must open the door to genuine fellowship! I want you to hear two truths from today’s note: True, authentic fellowship between people of diverse cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, races, and languages is hard. Misunderstandings happen easily. Prejudices go away slowly. Fear of others makes friendship hard and genuine fellowship harder. For you to be My disciple, you must find a way to have this authentic fellowship. You must love, respect, and eat with each other. You cannot allow worldly prejudices and bigotry to keep you divided. You are either all one family in Me, or you are not part of Me! Baptism must open the door of fellowship for all people of all races and all cultures to sit at the same table with each other. As Paul told the Corinthians: For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV) Verses to Live The Holy Spirit I sent you as a gift will always be at work to break down the barriers that separate you from other people. The Spirit will work to draw you together with love. As you read the book of Acts, you will see that My promise (Acts 1:8) to give you power through the Holy Spirit to become one family made up of people from all nations can come true. I want you to see how this unity happened through Philip, Peter, John, and the Samaritans. I also want you to see the plain words the Spirit said through Paul to stress that you are all one in Me. I paid a huge price to bring down the barriers that separate people so that I could make you one new humanity in Me. Meanwhile [after many Samaritans responded to the preaching of Philip and were baptized,] word had reached the Lord’s emissaries [the apostles] in Jerusalem that the message of God was welcomed in Samaria — a land of half-breeds and heretics in the minds of many Judeans. They sent Peter and John to pray for the Samaritans. They were especially eager to see if the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit because until this point they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus but had not experienced the Holy Spirit. When Peter and John laid hands on the people, the Holy Spirit did indeed come upon them all. … Peter and John preached to and talked with the Samaritans about the message of the Lord; and then they returned to Jerusalem, stopping in many other Samaritan villages along the way to proclaim the good news. (Acts 8:14-17, 25) It is your faith in the Anointed Jesus that makes all of you children of God because all of you who have been initiated into the Anointed One through … baptism have put Him on. It makes no difference whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a freeman, a man or a woman, because in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, you are all one. Since you belong to Him and are now subject to His power, you are the descendant of Abraham and the heir of God’s glory according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29) He [Jesus Christ] is the embodiment of our peace, sent once and for all to take down the great barrier of hatred and hostility that has divided us [Jews and non-Jews] so that we can be one. He offered His body on the sacrificial altar to bring an end to the law’s ordinances and dictations that separated Jews from the outside nations. His desire was to create in His body one new humanity from the two opposing groups, thus creating peace. Effectively the cross becomes God’s means
Today’s Verse – Matthew 25:37-40
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ” The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “ —Matthew 25:37-40 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus’ parable challenges our frequent preconceptions about those we should help. Building on the teaching of the LORD in the Old Covenant (Deuteronomy 10:17-18; Jeremiah 7:5-7; Malachi 3:5), Jesus emphasizes the essentiality of each of us helping those truly in need. When we help those who can’t help themselves — those who have gotten themselves in trouble, those who have been falsely accused, those who are facing death, widows, the fatherless — we are helping Jesus himself. We see Jesus’ face in the faces of those we bless. Why? Because compassion and grace come from Jesus. He would be among us, helping others experience grace out of their hopelessness and despair. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, please give me wisdom to see my opportunities to serve others as I try to help them understand your incredible grace. O Holy Spirit, please stir my heart with the Father’s mercy, grace, and compassion. I pray this in the name of my Redeemer, Savior, and Friend, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, who demonstrated the principles I want to live. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Near and Far
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, The verses you read below are from Acts chapter 8. They tell of the scattering of My followers from Jerusalem. This scattering began with escalating persecution and the martyrdom of Stephen. The religious leaders in Jerusalem thought this would crush My people and the movement I had begun. However, these oppositional leaders didn’t know the promise I had made to My disciples: [I, Jesus,] said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8 ESV) My promise focused on three important things: Power for the Mission: The Holy Spirit would be with My disciples wherever they went, empowering them. Purpose of the Mission: My disciples would be My witnesses wherever they went, sharing My message with all peoples. Place for the Mission: Their mission was to begin where they were, radiate out to the region, and eventually reach the people of the whole earth. In other words, by persecuting and scattering My disciples, these leaders who sought to put out the fire of faith actually helped ensure that it spread. Eventually, the message was shared all over the world with all kinds of people. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem persecuted and chased My disciples out of the city. This pressure pushed My message outside of Jerusalem throughout Judea and Samaria, and then the message was taken into other non-Jewish parts of the world. As you read the verses below, notice that the attempt to shut up My followers failed. As Luke puts it, “[W]herever they went, they weren’t afraid or silent. Instead, they spread the message of Jesus.” Up until this point, My disciples had not ventured with the gospel very much outside of the area of their Jewish roots. However, the persecution pushed them into non-Jewish areas. I then began to call people, like Philip, to share My good news with other cultures and races of people — with Samaritans and Gentile people, too. Acts chapter 8 is all about sharing My message among the non-Jews. Philip was a great witness and evangelist to Samaritans. The church in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to check on this new group. They confirmed that these Samaritans were Christians when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit in recognizable ways. These important apostles from Jerusalem put the exclamation mark on the inclusion of these non-Jews by stopping and staying with Samaritans throughout the region. My disciples didn’t just go to Samaria. Some disciples went up into nearby Gentile areas along the Mediterranean Sea (Phoenicia) while others headed to Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19-20) taking My message to Jews and Gentiles. This sharing was especially significant in the important city of Antioch. Earlier, the Spirit had called Philip to go and meet an Ethiopian dignitary in the desert. Just as Philip had helped begin the mission to the Samaritans, the Spirit used him to speak to this special Gentile who was interested in following the one true and living God. He was reading from Isaiah 53, a prophetic passage about the servant Messiah of the Lord — Me! So Philip joined the Ethiopian in his chariot and taught this man the truth about Me. This Ethiopian dignitary turned his life around to live for Me and was baptized. Here are some key truths I want you to remember from these events: First, what the evil one intends for harm, I can turn around and use for good. Even when evil tries to snuff out and limit My people, I can use troubled times to spread My message to many others. Second, the power of the Holy Spirit, when joined with My disciples’ commitment to sharing My message, cannot be stopped. You see this again and again in the book of Acts. In fact, you are living testimony to this truth. Third, I want all people — all races, nationalities, cultures, languages — to be a part of My family. My good news is for all people. The Holy Spirit can help make sure the message is spread in every era of My church. Fourth, you may never know all the great witnesses who led untold numbers of people to Me. You can, however, rejoice in being part of an unconquerable and unsilenceable kingdom. Fifth, while I had commanded My disciples to take My message to the whole world, they did not do it initially. However, with the persecution going on in Jerusalem, those forced out did what I had originally called them to do. My purposes will be fulfilled. My will is going to be done. All I desire will occur whether My people do it voluntarily, or it takes hardship to open their eyes to the people waiting to hear. Verses to Live Today there are three sections of Scripture from the eighth chapter of Acts. The first section starts with Christians scattering from Jerusalem and Judea because of persecution. They are forced out, but they leave empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread My message. The remainder of this section talks about Philip carrying My good news to Samaritans. The second section gives the account of Peter and John leaving Jerusalem to minister to the Samaritan Christians. The third section continues the account of Peter and John in Samaria. Luke then tells of another cross-cultural mission effort when the Spirit sent Philip to the Ethiopian dignitary, a God-fearing African Gentile who sought to know Me. Don’t miss the unstated lesson here. Focus on the effect of My message on these disciples. My love flows through My disciples to ALL people. These very apostles reaching out to Samaritans and Gentiles are the same apostles who had previously looked down on Samaritans. They were once surprised to find Me talking
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 3:25-26
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. —Proverbs 3:25-26 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What guards your heart from fear? Only one protector is sure and faithful, his name is the LORD. He is our confidence and protector. Prayer and the Holy Spirit are our assurance of God’s deliverance. In our current afflictions, either we will be delivered FROM death to serve God powerfully or delivered THROUGH death to share with him in eternity (Philippians 1:18-26). Our fates and futures remain in God’s gracious hands! My Prayer… Almighty Deliverer, please give me the courage to live for you with passion, no matter the cost. I trust, dear Father, that you are able to keep me from stumbling and will present me “before your glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 1:24)! In Jesus’ name, I confidently pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The Spirit of Grace Under Fire
Note from Jesus Dear Believer, Today I want to give you a glimpse of My servant, Stephen. In the verses below, you will see how he followed My example when faced with death: He rested his trust in life after death in My hands; he said: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” As he died, he forgave those who murdered him and asked Me to forgive them: “Lord, do not hold this evil against them.” As Stephen died, he was allowed to see Me in all My heavenly glory and know that his faith in Me was worth the high cost he was paying. He said: Look, I see the heavens opening! I see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Stephen had been one of those selected to help the neglected Grecian widows receive their needed food — neglecting these Grecian widows was a problem the early church addressed, and I visited with you about that problem yesterday. He was selected because he was “full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom” (Acts 6:3-5). Notice in the verses below that the power and influence of the Spirit on Stephen and through him continued to grow as he lived for Me and ministered in My name: The Holy Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom in responding to their arguments that they were humiliated. But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. Gazing upward into heaven, he saw something they couldn’t see: the glory of God, and Jesus standing at His right hand. The Holy Spirit not only empowered Stephen but also brought him words to say in the face of those who opposed My message and brought him personal comfort as he faced his death. Following My example as I went to the cross, Stephen faced death with courage and confidence. He ministered by the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit worked through Stephen in his life, the Spirit also worked through him in his death. The Spirit used Stephen’s death to take the flame of faith and spread its sparks throughout the region as My disciples were driven from Jerusalem. My death and resurrection became the foundation for the wonderful things that happened on Pentecost for the thousands of Jewish people who were saved. The Holy Spirit similarly used Stephen’s death as the initial impetus to spread My salvation outside of Jerusalem and eventually throughout the Roman Empire to non-Jews. What the evil one intended for harm, the Holy Spirit turned around and used for good. What the devil tried to use to snuff out the flame of faith, the Spirit used to spread that flame. Verses to Live Stephen’s death was brutal and jarring. Just as My disciples were gaining momentum and increasing in number, Stephen was martyred. So as you read this account of his death, remember how the Spirit used this tragedy to begin the spread of the gospel to all nations. Saul, who was present when Stephen was martyred, later was called Paul and was the great evangelist, especially to non-Jews. The early believers were scattered, taking My story all around the surrounding regions to both Jews and non-Jews. The sparks of grace scattered after the death of Stephen become the spreading flame of grace to the Gentile world. Stephen continually overflowed with extraordinary grace and power, and he was able to perform a number of miraculous signs and wonders in public view. But eventually a group arose to oppose Stephen and the message to which his signs and wonders pointed. (These men were from a group called the Free Synagogue and included Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians, and Asians.) The Holy Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom in responding to their arguments that they were humiliated; in retaliation, they spread a vicious rumor: “We heard Stephen speak blasphemies against Moses and God.” Their rumor prompted an uprising that included common people, religious officials, and scholars. They surprised Stephen, grabbed him, and hauled him before the council. They convinced some witnesses to give false testimony. False Witnesses: This fellow constantly degrades the holy temple and mocks our holy law. With our own ears, we’ve heard him say this Jesus fellow, this Nazarene he’s always talking about, will actually destroy the holy temple and will try to change the sacred customs we received from Moses. The entire council turned its gaze on Stephen to see how he would respond. They were shocked to see his face radiant with peace — as if he were a heavenly messenger. (Acts 6:8-15) Stephen: You stubborn, stiff-necked people! Sure, you are physically Jews, but you are no different from outsiders in your hearts and ears! You are just like your ancestors, constantly fighting against the Holy Spirit. Didn’t your ancestors persecute the prophets? First, they killed those prophets who predicted the coming of the Just One; and now, you have betrayed and murdered the Just One Himself! Yes, you received the law as given by heavenly messengers, but you haven’t kept the law which you received. Upon hearing this, his audience could contain themselves no longer. They boiled in fury at Stephen; they clenched their jaws and ground their teeth. But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. Gazing upward into heaven, he saw something they couldn’t see: the glory of God, and Jesus standing at His right hand. Stephen: Look, I see the heavens opening! I see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God! At this, they covered their ears and started shouting. The whole crowd rushed at Stephen, converged on him, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him. They laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, while they were pelting Stephen with rocks. Stephen (as rocks fell upon him): Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then he knelt in prayer, shouting at the top of his lungs, Stephen: Lord, do not hold this evil against them. Those were his final words; then he