God Speaks
Stephen Delivers a History Lesson to the Sanhedrin; God Uses Persecution to Spread the Gospel
Verse of the Day: [May all of Christ’s followers proclaim the word of God wherever they go in their daily lives.] After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. (Acts 8:25 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Acts 7
Reflection: With 60 verses, Acts 7 is the longest chapter in the book. It is Stephen’s defense at his trial before the Sanhedrin. He summarized the long history of God’s dealings with the Jewish people from Abraham down to his current situation. When he got to a discussion of the prophets, he made the point that the Jewish people had generally not listened to the prophets God had sent. Even now they had killed the very Messiah they had been looking for throughout the generations since Moses. At that point, his hearers became angry, dragged him out, and stoned him to death. Stephen’s dying statements were a reflection of Jesus’s words from the cross.
Prayer: Lord God, judge of all the universe, prepare me to be so familiar with Your character and the history of Your interactions with Your people that I can quote, summarize, and apply it when giving testimony in court as Stephen did. Please give me the simple faith and obedience of Abraham, trusting Your promises over time. Please reward those who stay true to You and the dreams You have given them despite persecution, just like Joseph. Continue to send faithful leaders like Moses to lead Your people out of bondage, even though at times we are rebellious. Give us leaders like David who was a man after Your own heart, O LORD. Cause me to value and display wisdom as Solomon did. Keep me obedient to what You said through the prophets, not resisting and rebelling. Forgiving God, enable me and other believers, especially those who are being persecuted, to forgive those who rage against us (and You). Like Stephen, may I ultimately behold Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will study the history of the Old Testament so that I can recite and apply it as Stephen did.
- I will study the life and teachings of Jesus so that I can recite them and live them as Stephen did.
- I will study the fundamental doctrines of the New Testament so that I can live them out in my daily life.
- I will study at least one book on the history of the church from Pentecost to the present so that I can learn from the struggles, victories, and mistakes of believers in the past and present.
Acts 8
Reflection: This chapter gives snapshots of the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria to Ethiopia. First, God used persecution (of which Saul of Tarsus was a leader) to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in Judea and Samaria. Saul dragged both men and women out of their homes and sent them to prison. Philip, a deacon along with Stephen, went to Samaria. There he proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ and performed miracles in the power of the Spirit even though He had not yet indwelt and empowered most of the believers there. When Peter and John came from Jerusalem to lay hands on them so they could receive Him, Peter dealt with Simon the magician’s misconstruing of the work of the Holy Spirit. After that, an angel sent Philip to bear witness to an Ethiopian official, explain the scriptures to him, and baptize him.
Prayer: Father God, please rescue us from those (like Saul of Tarsus) who are ravaging the church. May there be much joy in our area because Christ is being proclaimed, unclean spirits are being evicted, and the sick or disabled are being healed. May those who serve You with wrong motives be exposed and properly chastened. Holy Spirit, make us so sensitive to Your leading that we go out of our way to obey Your direction. May we present the truth of Christ so clearly that people of other backgrounds and/or cultures respond and ask to be baptized. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will pray that powerful people who are harassing and persecuting the people of God will be saved and turned into those who spread God’s word and advance His kingdom.
- I will help in any way I can to send missionaries to people who need to hear and receive the Good News of Jesus’s love for them.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to fill me with all the evidence of His presence so that people may see Jesus shining out in my life.
- I will be prepared to explain the scriptures to a stranger, even one from another country or who may speak a different language.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.