Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen had just preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the religious leaders. The religious leaders acted like a bunch of five year olds and plugged their ears trying to stop from hearing that which they had already heard. These religious leaders who were supposed to be leaders instead acted like a bunch of lemmings.

Stephen was about to be killed for his faith. However, rather than ask for fire to come down from heaven as Elijah did twice when the king had sent 50 men to come and arrest Elijah, Stephen chose to pray. Stephen could have asked God for the power to walk through the crowd just as Jesus had done when the people had tried to kill HIM once. Stephen could have prayed to God for deliverance like Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah experienced when they were not burned by the fiery furnace.

Rather than take the time to ask God for deliverance, Stephen was ready to meet HIS God and he chose instead to spend his last words asking God to forgive those who had done him wrong even though these individuals had not asked for forgiveness.

It is easy to become bitter at those who have done you wrong. It is easy to focus upon all the bad things that others have done to you. However, you need to understand that these people could not do anything to you absent God allowing them to do it. We serve a God who can do the impossible. We serve a God who protected the nation of Israel by parting the Red Sea. Nonetheless, this same God allowed the ground to open up and swallow a group of people who were trying to take a leadership role contrary to the will of God.

We must understand that it was God who allowed Job to lose everything that he owned. We must understand that it was God who allowed Saul to chase David all over the kingdom and try to kill him. We must understand that it was God who allowed Stephen to be stoned.

Stephen understood that his life was in the hands of the Lord. Stephen was content to die that day for the cause of Christ and spend eternity in heaven. We must learn to be patient with God and be content to allow God to direct our lives as HE desires. God has a perfect plan for our life but we do not have to choose to follow HIS perfect plan. We may not have a choice about what trials we face but we do have a choice in how we respond.

How are you going to respond to others around you? Are you going to seek revenge or are you going to allow the grace of God to flow through your life and see how you can love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. It is much easier to think evil thoughts about those who have done us wrong, but that is not what Stephen did and we need to follow his example.

The next time we catch someone not telling the truth about us, we need to understand that God is allowing this to happen. We need to exercise patience so that we do not allow our sinful man to dictate how we respond to the things God has brought into our lives. We need to trust in God and allow HIM to direct our paths. If you were hiking in the woods and you came across a big rock in the trial, you would go over it or around it, you would not sit there and curse the rock for being in your way. The same is true in our own life, when we face obstacles, we need to continue on the path God has called us upon and not allow the world to distract us from serving God.

Acts 7:25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

Have you ever had a time when someone did not understand why you did something? You had good intentions why you did something and they attacked you accusing you of all sorts of bad motives. How upset where you? Most likely you tried to defend yourself but the other individual just would not listen to you, they had reached a determination based upon what they saw and nothing you said could change their mind.

This is what happened to Moses. Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite and so Moses came to the aid of his brethren but his brethren did not see Moses’ actions for what they were. Rather than thank Moses for what he did, this brethren ended up getting Moses in trouble and forcing Moses to flee for his life. Moses thought the Israelite would understand that Moses was being used of God to help the Israelites but this ended up not being the case.

This was actually what was going on in the life of Stephen as he was sharing with the religious leaders as to why he had not committed blasphemy. Stephen had pure motives towards God about preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The religious leaders were jealous of Jesus Christ and as such, they were persecuting all those who preached HIS name.

The religious leaders did not see nor understand the good intentions of Stephen. They did not understand that Stephen was actually doing the perfect will of God. Because of the sin nature of man, these religious leaders accused Stephen of blasphemy and eventually killed him.

Moses had to spend 40 years in the wilderness because his actions were not understood by his brethren. Stephen ended up being killed because the religious leaders were unwilling to change their perspective of Christ. We should not be surprised when someone does not understand why we do something. We should not be surprised when someone accuses us of having wrong intentions.

Joseph’s brothers did not understand the importance of the vision that God had given to Joseph. Because they did not understand, they were jealous and they eventually sold him as a slave. People do not always understand the message that God is creating in us. Because they do not understand what God is doing, they are quick to be jealous and say all sorts of evil things about us. However, rather than becoming discouraged when these things occur, we need to give glory to God and allow God to receive the glory from our life.

It is hard to be patient when we are falsely accused. Nonetheless, we need to understand that no one is perfect and that God allows people to misunderstand our motives so that HE can get us where we need to be. God used the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers to get Joseph to Egypt. God used the jealousy of the religious leaders to kill Stephen so that HE could show to Paul the face of a martyr. God used the jealousy of Moses’ brethren to send Moses to the wilderness where he met his wife, and learned to rely upon God rather than his own strength.

It was not God’s timing for Moses to deliver the nation of Israel. Moses understood the will of God, but he did not understand God’s timing. Moses needed to go into the wilderness for 40 years so that God’s timing and God will could be fulfilled. Moses had to be patient and wait for God so God allowed his brethren to misunderstand why he killed the Egyptian.

Acts 7:19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

Stephen has just been given the opportunity to speak before the religious leaders to explain to them why the things that he is saying are not blasphemy. In order to show how the gospel of Jesus Christ is not blasphemy, Stephen had to go back through the history of the nation of Israel and explain how Jesus was the Messiah that the Jews were waiting for.

In this passage, Stephen reminds the religious leaders how Jacob took his family to Egypt to live there. For many years, the nation of Israel enjoyed being in Egypt because Joseph was second in command. However, after the death of Joseph, there came a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph and all he saw was a nation within his nation that was growing real strong. This Pharaoh decided that the only way he could control the nation of Israel was if he set task masters over them and basically, make them his slaves.

The nation of Israel had gone from a time of great blessing in land of Egypt to a time of great persecution. The nation of Israel did not like what Pharaoh was doing, especially now that he was killing their children. Nonetheless, God had not forsaken the nation of Israel just because they were suffering much. God was still with them and this time of suffering was a part of HIS plan for the nation of Israel.

It is much easier to look back on the history of the nation of Israel and see how the persecution in Egypt is a part of God’s plan. However, if you were a Jew living in the land of Egypt, you could imagine just how upset they were regarding the treatment that they were receiving. You could imagine how upset they were at God and many of them probably asked the question about how could a loving God allow such evil to happen to them.

God’s ways are not always our ways. God desired that the nation of Israel suffer much so that when HE delivered them, the entire world would know that HE is God. After the nation of Israel had wondered in the wilderness, we hear that the people of Jericho are afraid of the nation of Israel because of what God had done 40 years before in Egypt. It did not matter that the deliverance occurred 40 years before, Jericho was afraid of the God of Israel and they did not want to tangle with the nation.

When God allows us to go through a time of great trouble, we need to understand that God has a purpose for it. God does not make a mistake. We may sin and fall short of the glory of God, but that does not mean that God has forgotten about you. The nation of Israel, HIS chosen people were suffering not because they sinned against God, but because HE desired to show HIMSELF strong. While there are other times that the nation of Israel suffered because they had sinned, this is one of the examples of how they suffered so that God could be magnified through their lives.

When we are going through a time of suffering, we must understand that it is not always because we have done something wrong. If you have examined your heart and found that God does not want you to clear your conscience of any wrong doing; then you should be prepared to be patient and watch and see how God is going to use your time of affliction for HIS glory. It is not easy to be patient when things are not going the way you desire. Nonetheless, this is God’s desire for our lives regardless of the obstacle that we need to overcome.

Acts 7:11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

Stephen is sharing with the religious leaders how the things he has spoken of are not blasphemy. Stephen is going through the history of the nation of Israel and showing how God directed and protected Jacob and his sons. In this passage, Stephen is reminding the religious leaders how a famine entered the land and how God directed Jacob and his family to Egypt.

If you were Jacob and you saw all your provisions dry up, would you blame God for not blessing you? We often get so caught up in tangible possessions that we fail to stop and look at what God desires to do through us. If Jacob had become mad at God for not blessing him and had stopped listening to God, he never would have heard God tell him to go to Egypt.

Long before Jacob ever knew that there was going to be a famine in the Promise Land, God sent Jacob to Egypt to prepare a way of escape for Jacob. God not only provided for Jacob and his family but HE also directed them in the way they should go by withholding a blessing of food from Jacob. God could have provided food for Jacob in the Promise Land but this was not God’s plan, it was time for Jacob and his family to leave the Promise Land.

There are many lessons that we can learn from the life of Jacob in this passage. First, just because we are fulfilling the promises of God, it does not mean that God does not have something better for us. Jacob was in the Promise Land but he still was not being blessed by God. We need to understand that God is greater than all of our plans. We need to understand that just because we think we understand God in one area, it does not mean that God has something much greater for us to understand.

Jacob did not allow the lack of provision to stop him from listening to God. Rather than become focused upon provisions and the things that God had blessed him with, Jacob focused upon God and allowed the difficult times to be a reminder that God was in control and that God would direct him where he needed to go.

When things get tough, it is not the time for us to throw a little pity party for ourselves. Instead, when things get tough, we need to turn our focus upon God and be patient with HIM because HE always knows what is best for our life. Do not retract like a turtle when trials come, instead, run straight towards God and jump into HIS loving arms just as a little kid who just heard thunder will jump into his parent’s bed.

We need to be patient with God. God understands what is best for our lives. It is very easy to look back at your life and see how God works everything together for good just as Stephen is doing with the religious leaders. Nonetheless, it is much harder to live by faith and trust that God knows what is best when you are in the midst of the storm. Nonetheless, if we want to increase in faith, this is what we need to do; when things get tough, we need to turn to God.

It is very easy to become impatient with God when things do not go the way we planned. However, our ways are not always HIS ways. When things do not go our way, we need to turn to God and we need to allow HIM to direct our paths. We need to wait for HIS perfect timing so that HE can be glorified in our life. Stop and allow God to direct your steps. Turn to HIM and learn to listen to HIS still small voice.

Acts 7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

Stephen is given the opportunity to share with the religious leaders why the things that he has been preaching are not blasphemy. Stephen starts by sharing the story of Abraham and how God promised Abraham a great inheritance even though Abraham had no children. Abraham had received a great promise from God but he had to wait for the perfect timing of God in order to receive that which God had promised HIM.

We understand that Abraham tried to fulfill the will of God in his own strength and that ended up being a disaster. Abraham teaches us much in the area of patience. We should desire to have a relationship half as solid as Abraham had with God. God appeared with Abraham on multiple occasions and encouraged him to remain faithful. Abraham had heard these great promises from God but earthly speaking, there did not appear to be any real way that they could be fulfilled.

The entire nation of Israel was formed upon the promise of God to one man, Abraham. Because Abraham was willing to listen to God and was willing to do as HE commanded, God was glorified and a new nation was established. What would have happened had Abraham chosen to ignore God and stay at a place where he was comfortable? What would have happened had Abraham heard the promise of God that he would have many children and he went out and married hundreds of women so that he could have many children?

Abraham understood that he had to trust God and wait patiently for God’s perfect timing. God asked Abraham to do a difficult thing and sojourn in a strange land. Nonetheless, Abraham was faithful and God blessed him.

Do you desire to be blessed of the Lord? Then do as HE has said. If you have not heard the voice of the Lord recently, maybe you are not putting yourself in a position that you can hear God. We need to take time every day to get alone with God so that we can hear HIS still small voice. We cannot afford to allow the distractions of this world to disrupt our time with God. The world has a way of getting its hands around our time, talent, and treasure and depleting our resources for its own selfish purposes.

God does not work on our timetable. Instead, God likes to do the impossible in us so that HE receives the glory. As long as we are able to do difficult things in our own power, God is not glorified and there is no testimony coming from our lives. Instead, when we are able to be patient like Abraham and allow God to do the impossible through us, a testimony is created that enables the world to see God in a new light. God did not create this world revolve around us, God put us in this world so that we might draw the world’s attention to HIM and HIS perfect love. We will not fully understand God’s perfect love until we learn to fully trust HIM.

Stephen understood the importance of the story of Abraham in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stephen was being falsely accused of committing a crime. Rather than allowing himself to become upset at what was being said about him, he used this as an opportunity to share with others the truth of who God was. Stephen used the story of Abraham and his patience to reveal how the God of Abraham was the Father of Jesus Christ.

Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

The Grecians came and complained that the widows were being neglected. The twelve apostles asked all the other followers to find seven men who lived a life that was pleasing to God. The apostles desired to appoint these seven disciples to be in charge over the ministry of taking care of the widows.

These seven disciples would probably have loved to been praying and been dedicated to the ministry of preaching the word. They had already demonstrated that they had the fear of the Lord in their life, why were they being chosen to only do menial labor.

These seven disciples had to first learn to be faithful in that which is least in order to be used of God to do great things for HIM. Yes they had already proved that they were faithful in order to be selected for the position to minister unto the widow. Nonetheless, they still had to be patient with God regarding HIS perfect timing for their lives.

Have you ever been impatient with God? You may have justified your impatience by claiming that you were impatient because you wanted all that God could give you. Most likely you desired God to use you more than what HE was doing so you were constantly praying that God would hurry up and give you the desires of your heart.

God has a perfect plan for you. If you are careful and you spend time listening to HIS still small voice you will know the promises of God for your life. However, just because you know the promises of God, that does not mean that God will fulfill these promises in your timing. Instead, you may have to spend many a night in prayer trying to discern God’s perfect timing. There may be many years of waiting as you learn to faithful serve God where HE has placed you today.

It is not fun waiting on the perfect timing of God. You can spend hours in the Bible finding all the promises of God regarding the desires of your heart but if it is not God’s timing, you will have to patiently wait for HIS timing. You must learn to serve God exactly where HE has placed you today. Steven and the others had to learn to be faithful in serving the widows before they were ready to see God expand their ministries.

Likewise, you need to be faithful in serving God right where HE has placed you. When was the last time you spent an hour in prayer asking God how you could faithfully serve HIM today? When was the last time you gave thanks to God for the opportunities that HE has given you to serve HIM today?

While there are many promises that God has for you in the future, one thing we need to be careful of is that we do not become so focused upon the future that we fail to serve God right where HE has planted us today.

Learn to give thanks for the opportunities that God has given to you today. Do not forget about the future promises of God, but learn to enjoy the place where God has you today. Yes it will be wonderful when God’s timing and God’s perfect will match. However, do not stress yourself with thoughts of discouragement just because God’s perfect timing is not today. Learn to be faithful in that which is least.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

It is real easy to think more highly of yourself than you ought. It does not take very much effort for your mind to think about how important you are. However, you can do nothing apart from the gift of God. It is by God’s grace that you even have the ability to take another breath. It is God that has given you the talent to do the things that you do.

When David saw Goliath, he understood that it was not his strength that was going to destroy the giant. Instead, David had seen how God had worked in his life in the past and David understood that by the grace of God he could defeat the giant. The problem is, that even though David understood that it was God through him that enabled him to defeat Goliath, the people started to sing the praises of David over the praises of Saul. Satan knows how easy it is for us to take our eyes off of God working in us to get us to the point where we start seeking the praises of man.

Pride has a way of catching up to you and causing you to lose focus of who God is and what HE has done for you in your life. Every day we need to die to self and to learn to have an attitude of gratefulness to God so that we can see the victory over our pride. As long as we are looking for what is best in our own eyes, we will fail to exercise the grace that God has for us. However, when we lay aside our pride, God is able to be glorified.

God does not make everyone the same. HE opens some doors for some people and HE opens other doors for others. When Stephen was first called into the ministry, he was called to take care of the widows. However, because Stephen remained faithful to God, we soon see that God used him in a mighty way to preach a powerful sermon.

God does not call all of us to be missionaries to Africa. God does not call all of us to be wealthy and to give thousands of dollars to various Christian ministries. You must understand that God has a special calling for your life. If you remain focused upon HIM and what HE desires you to do, then you can give God the glory for what HE does through you. However, if you are so self-focused that you fail to see God working in your life, then you will soon see pride destroy your ability to be all that God desires you to be.

You have heard that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. God has given you certain talents to use for HIM in the furtherance of HIS kingdom. You must learn to cry out to God for HIS strength so that you can have victory over the pride that Satan wants to use to destroy you. By adding temperance to your life, you can focus upon what God is doing through you and understand that HE is the one who should receive the glory.

Are you going to allow Satan to distract you from the perfect will of God for your life? If you are focused upon yourself, it will not take too long before you start thinking more highly of yourself then you ought. However, by the grace of God you can keep your focus upon the things of God and watch HIM do even bigger and better things through your life.

As long as you think more highly of yourself then you ought, you will fail to see God’s bigger picture for your life. By changing your focus to praise God for what HE has done, you can have victory over your mind so that God can use you in a greater way.

Matthew 5:44 do good to them that hate you,

If someone does not like you, your natural response is to avoid them or to do things to them that cause them to understand that the feelings are mutual. However, this is not the way that God desires you to live. Instead of hating those who hate you, Christ commands us to go out of our way to do good to those that hate you.

God holds us to a higher standard then HE holds the world to. You may be the only light that some people see of the love of God. If you demonstrate hate to those who hate you, they will not see the light of God in your life. It is easier to avoid those who demonstrate hate towards you, but those individuals need the love of God and by your doing good unto them, they will realize that there is something different about you and God will be able to prick their conscience and maybe one day, this will open the door for them to be saved.

When Stephen was stoned to death, he asked God to forgive those who were about to kill him. Stephen understood that these last words that he spoke would be remembered by those who were gathered. Stephen could have cried out in pain or cried out to God to spare him the pain of his death; Stephen did not do this but instead he did good to those who hated him and he asked God to forgive him.

David was another individual in the Bible who did good to those who hated him. King Saul clearly hated David and sought to do him harm. Rather than take the opportunity to kill King Saul on two different occasions when Saul was alone in the cave, David chose to do good to Saul and allow him to live. Furthermore, one night David was able to sneak into Saul’s camp past all the guards, rather than kill Saul, David chose to allow Saul to live.

One of the greatest examples of doing good to those who hate you was done by none other than the One who commanded us to do good to those who hate us. Right after Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter took a sword and cut off the ear of one of those who was there to arrest Jesus. Jesus chose to restore the ear of the man who hated him so much that he desired to kill Jesus.

Doing good is always a choice. You may not be able to choose how those around you respond to you but you do have a choice how you respond to those around you. Every day you have a choice to make, you can do good or you can do evil. The natural man does not want to take the effort to do good unless there is some reward for such good behavior. Nonetheless, you are to put off the old man and pursue the perfect will of God.

It takes great self-control to have dominion over your emotions so that you can do good to those who have done evil to you. Your mind naturally wants to think of all sorts of ways that you can do in order to get even. However, even if you never do any of the things that you are thinking about, you are not doing good and you are giving Satan a great victory over your mind since you are not filling your mind with good thoughts.

The next time someone does something evil, you should take the time to think of all the ways that you could do something good. It will take great temperance to eliminate all the evil thoughts in your mind and instead fill it with thoughts of doing good. Nonetheless, by winning this battle in your mind, you will open the doors for God to be able to use you in a mighty way. Until you start doing good to those who hate you, you will not be able to fully reflect the light of God.

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Have you ever wondered what the will of God was for your life? God has a specific plan for your life. However, God does not always reveal to you all the details of HIS specific plan for your life in advance. Nonetheless, God does not hide from you HIS general will on how HE desires all Christians to live their lives.

In Ephesians 5:18, Paul exhorts us to understand what the will of God is for our life. Paul then goes through a list of items which are general requirements on how a Christian is to live their life so as to properly reflect the light of God. In this passage, we are instructed to submit to one another in the fear of the Lord.

Jesus taught us that he who is first on this earth will be least in Heaven and he who is least on this earth will be greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus was the example to us of how we are to submit ourselves one to another. Jesus was the Son of God and worthy of our worship, yet HE was willing to humble HIMSELF and wash HIS disciples feet. Jesus had every right to demand that his disciples wash HIS feet, but instead, Jesus desired to demonstrate to us the importance of submitting ourselves one to another.

The teaching of submitting ourselves to others is similar to the teaching to love your neighbor as yourself. What God desires us to understand is that if we are living our lives for ourselves, we are missing the bigger picture. We are not here for what we can obtain but we are here to reflect the light of God and show to the world that there is a path that leads to everlasting life. If we continue to live for ourselves, we are no different than the world and the world does not see the light through our lives.

It is not easy to yield your right to put yourself first. Naturally, we desire to take care of our own needs. We understand what we need and it is easy to take care of the needs that we know. However, in order to submit to others, it means that we must take the time to understand who they are and to understand what their needs are. We will have to spend time getting to know them and take time asking God how we can help them meet their own needs.

You are not the most important person in the world. It does not matter if you are a world famous evangelist which has reached thousands of souls for Christ, you still must learn to submit yourselves one to another. God does not care who we are or what we have done or what talents we possess, it is a part of HIS perfect will for our lives that we learn to put the needs of others first in our lives. Until we learn to start serving others, we have not learned how to live our lives in a manner pleasing to God.

It takes great restraint to put the needs of others first in our lives. Nonetheless, God has given us the grace to submit one to another. By adding temperance to our life, we can chose to refrain from doing that which is right in our own eyes and instead seek the Lord’s grace to serve those whom God has put in our path.

The more God has given you, the harder it will be for you to submit to the needs of others. However, just because God has given you great talents, it does not excuse you from obeying HIS will on how Christians are to live their lives. Stephen was not great until he first learned to serve the widows, so also, until you learn to submit, you are not ready to fully serve God.

Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

You are saved by faith, not by works. It does not matter how many good works you do, you will never earn your way to Heaven by your actions here on this earth. James tells us that he “will shew thee my faith by my works.” What James was saying is that a byproduct of your faith and your changed relationship with God will be a bunch of good works. Those good works never save you but they are a manifestation of what God has already done in your heart.

Feeding the poor will never get you to Heaven. Nonetheless, if you are saved, one of the manifestations of your being saved may be that you are feeding the poor. Visiting prisoners will never get you to Heaven. Nonetheless, if you are saved, one of the manifestations of your being saved may be that you are visiting those who are in prison. Taking care of strangers will never get you to Heaven. Nonetheless, if you are saved, one of the manifestations of your being saved may be that you are taking care of the strangers.

God makes perfectly clear to us that our works will never earn us the right to be in heaven. However, just because works do not earn us the right to be in Heaven, it does not mean that we forsake doing works. Stephen was a man full of faith. Because of his faith, he was called to take care of the widows. This was a good work that Stephen did not because he was trying to be saved but because it was something that needed to be done.

God blessed Stephen and we soon find Stephen preaching a powerful messaged that pricked the hearts of the religious leaders. Just because Stephen was taking care of the widows, this did not stop him from continuing to live by faith. Stephen understood that his works with the widows was a result of his faith but that he had to continue to live by faith so that his relationship with God would grow.

It is very tempting to become so focused upon the works that you are doing for God that you start to think that because of your works, you are earning favor with God. Nothing you do on this earth will earn you favor with God; it is the blood of Jesus Christ and the work that HE did on the cross that enables you to have fellowship with the Father. The works that you do should be a gift of love. You should be doing works as a result of your faith and your love of the Father. Because you love HIM, you desire to share that love with others so that they might see HIS light through your life.

Satan will often try to tempt you by focusing your eyes upon works. Satan knows that man desires to earn his salvation and as such, Satan will constantly be reminding you of your works as an attempt to get you to stumble and take your eyes off of God and put them upon yourself. You cannot manufacture faith and it is by your faith that you are saved. When you feel that you are starting to focus too much upon your works, it is time for you to add temperance to your life and change your focus from your works to your faith.

Do not fall into the trap that so many before you have fallen into; you are saved by faith and not by works. Most if not all false religions require that you do something in order to earn favor with the gods. Even the cults that pretend to be serving the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob require that you do works in order to earn your right to be in Heaven. God’s ways are not the ways of the world. God has saved you by faith and it is a manifestation of your faith that you do good works.

Acts 12:3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Herod killed James, one of the apostles. Herod did not fear the Lord, but he did desire to remain a popular leader. Because Herod understood that Jews did not like the Christians, he used his authority to gain public approval, not to do justice.

The Jews did not like how the Christians were preaching about the salvation of Jesus. They were use to their power, and this turned their whole power system upside down. They did not care what happened to others, all they were concerned about was their power base and their importance.

The Jews did not have a proper perspective on life and what was right in the eyes of God. As such, they made up their own standards. Because they were following their own path, it did not faze them that killing James and then killing Peter was wrong. The crucifixion of Christ and the stoning of Stephen were now but a thing in the past.

These were the Jews, the chosen people of God. These were the people who claimed to follow every aspect of the law. Yet while they followed every small aspects of the law, they were allowing themselves to fail in some of the major commandments like, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not bear false witness, and thou shalt not covet.

Just because you claim to be a Christian, it does not mean that your actions are pleasing to the Lord. The Jews thought they were living in a way that was pleasing to God, but it is clear that they were violating the laws of God. They were able to violate the perfect law of God because they really did not take the time to understand what was important to God.

You cannot afford to be like the Jews. You need to take the time to understand who God is and how HE desires you to live your life. If you are spending your time doing that which is right in your own eyes or pursuing the things of this world, then you will not have the time to pursue the things of God. The more time you spend drawing closer to God, the easier it will be for you to say no to the things of this world.

You must daily add temperance to your life. By saying no to the things of this world, your spiritual life will be different. If you continue to pursue power, prestige, and popularity, you will have your focus in the wrong place and eventually it will open the doors so that you are doing things that you never imagined you would do.

As long as you are serving yourself, you will be no different than the Jews. God desires that you live your life by a higher standard. This means that you must be willing to say no to the temptations of this world. The world makes you think that you are giving up so much in order to follow God, but the world never shows you the costs to your life when you do that which is right in your own eyes.

You will be the one who eventually suffers as a result of saying yes to the things that this world has to offer. You will be the one who will destroy your own life with sin. If you want to be used of God to do great things for HIM like Peter, John, and Paul, then you need to start saying no to the things of this world and start saying yes to the things of God.

Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Saul had set in his heart that he was going to persecute the disciples in Damascus. Saul had received his authority from the religious leaders and was traveling to Damascus to arrest any who professed the name of Christ. Christ showed HIMSELF to Saul that day on the road to Damascus and told Saul that it is hard to fight against the perfect will of God.

Christ gave Saul a visual analogy that Saul could see to help him understand what he was doing by persecuting the Christians. An animal that was kicking against the pricks was simply continuing to add more pain to its life. The master had placed the pricks where he did so that the animal would remain calm and controllable. Yes the animal had the choice whether or not to kick against the pricks, but if it chose to do so, it was only harming itself.

God has a perfect path for us. When we fight the perfect plan of God, we are simply doing more harm to our life then if we simply submitted to God. Saul had heard the sermon of Stephen, however, rather than confess his sins and repent, Saul chose to destroy those who preached a sermon that pricked his conscience. Saul was fighting God, but as a result of his fighting, he ended up being blinded by God on the road to Damascus. Saul realized that he could not fight against God forever and he eventually submitted to the perfect will of God and started to serve HIM rather than do what he wanted when he wanted to. God then changed his name form Saul to Paul.

We too can often be like Saul. We fall in love with the things of this world and as such, we start to do what we want when we want to. God has set obstacles in our life to drive us back closer to HIM, but instead of seeing what God is trying to do in our life, we choose to continue down the path we have chosen regardless of the consequences to our own lives.

When things become difficult in our lives, we need to wake up and realize that God may be allowing us to suffer a little so that we wake up and return to following HIM. We have a choice to make, we can continue to kick against the pricks and continue to cause greater trials in our life, or we can repent and return to God so that HE can use us the way that HE desires.

When you start facing trials, do not assume that God is not trying to get your attention. Maybe you are kicking against the pricks and God desires that you start adding temperance to your life and you stop pursuing the things of this world and start pursuing the things of God. You have made a profession with your lips that Christ is your Savior; why do you have such a problem with submitting to HIS perfect will for your life? You cannot have it both ways.

Saul was seeking his own glory while rejecting the truth that God had placed in HIS heart; are you doing the same? Is God trying to talk with you and you are finding all sorts of excuses to keep from doing HIS perfect will? Are you like Saul kicking against the pricks of doing the perfect will of God?

God desires that you learn to understand the perfect will of God in your life. God will place trials in your life to encourage you to do that which is right in HIS eyes. You do not have to obey HIM, but you will be choosing to make your own life harder than it needs to be. By yielding to the perfect will of God, you can have true contentment and experience true peace.H

Acts 7:3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.

Stephen is on trial for his life. Stephen sees this trial as an opportunity to share the truth of Jesus Christ with the religious leaders of his day. He starts out at the beginning with the story of Abraham. Abraham was asked of God to leave his home and go to a country that God would show him.

If you have moved recently, you will remember all the choices you had to make as to what is important to keep and what should be sold, given away, or destroyed. Moving has a way of causing one to reevaluate their priorities and to determine what is the most important.

When God called Abraham, HE started by calling Abraham away from everything that was familiar to him. Abraham was not told where he was going, he was simple told to start traveling. In the same way that if you were to move today, you would have to make choices about which possessions to keep, so likewise, Abraham most likely had to leave many things that he treasured back home in order to obey God.

In order for Abraham to be a man of faith and to be the father of a new country, God had to separate him not only from those whom he loved, but God also had to separate him from his possessions. God needed Abraham to relinquish the things of this world so that the things of God might control. Abraham needed to release his ties to this world so that God could work through him to do even greater things.

Just as Abraham had to give up many possessions and relationships in order to be all that he could be for the Lord, so to must you make certain sacrifices so that God through you might be glorified. We are told that we are to add temperance to our faith, virtue, and knowledge.  Temperance requires us to voluntarily give up the things of this world so that we can be free to serve God. Until we are willing to give up the things of this world, we are never truly ready to have God and the spiritual things that HE desires to give us.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul teaches us about meat offered to idols. Paul did not say that eating meat offered to idols was wrong, but he did command that if eating that meat would cause a brother to stumble, then Christians were to willingly sacrifice the things of this world for the greater glory of God. Jesus told us that the second most important commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself. This means you ought to be more concerned about the needs of others than you ought to be about yourself.

If you desire to be used of God like Stephen and Abraham, then you must start in your home to make choices that are glorifying to God. You must daily make decisions as to what is the most important thing to you. You must choose to serve God or choose to serve the things of this world. God may not ask you to move to another country to test your loyalties to HIM, but HE may ask you to give up something that is important to you.

What are you willing to give up in order to serve God? Actually, it does not matter what you are willing to sacrifice, the true question is what is God asking you to give up in order to serve HIM? Your walk with the Lord will require personal sacrifices. The giving up of the things of this world in order to do the perfect will of God should be a great joy to you.

Acts 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Stephen was on trial for his life, but when those who sat in judgment of him looked upon him, they saw the face of an angel. What does it mean that they saw the face of an angel? Most likely it means that the light of God was shining so brightly through Stephen that people knew that there was something different about him.

Stephen had made many choices to serve God. The more he chose to do that which is right in the eyes of God, the more God was able to use the life of Stephen for HIS glory. When people looked at Stephen they knew that God was pleased with Stephen.

Why should the light of God brightly reflect through you if you are doing that which is right in your own eyes? If you are making your own rules, why should you expect others to see your life and desire to have what you have? It is only when you are choosing to do that which is right in the eyes of God that God can take the testimony of your life and cause people to desire what you have.

Angels were messengers from God, used to help direct others in the way that they were to go. Angels are heavenly beings which were often quickly recognized as something that was so different, people naturally feared the angel.

When those who sat in judgment of Stephen realized that God was touching the life of Stephen, they had two choices, either they could change their ways or they needed to rid themselves of the presence of the one who was convicting them of their sin. Stephen did not have to tell them that they did not have a right relationship with God, their conscience and seeing Stephen was all they needed to know that something needed to change.

Your life may be the only example of true Christianity that many people will see. If you are living your life according to your own standards, why should your life make an eternal impact upon this world? You must yield your desire to do what you want when you want so that you can fulfill the perfect will of God. Then you will learn the true power of life as Stephen did.

You will not be great in the eyes of God if you continue to make soft choices and indulge yourself with the pleasures of this world. Every day you must add temperance to your life by refusing to allow the things of this world to control you. Every time you refuse to yield to the pleasures of this world and instead chose to put the things of God first, your relationship with God grows. The closer you are to God, the more the light of God will reflect through your life.

You can never be all that you can be for God until you stop allowing the things of this world to control you. Temperance is an important aspect of the life of a Christian who desires to grow in their relationship with God. Until a Christian learns to demonstrate self-control to the lusts of the flesh, he will never experience the full power as Stephen demonstrated in this passage.

The choice is yours, you can either yield the lusts of the flesh or you can demonstrate temperance and see the power of God in your life. The power of God that Stephen experienced did not come from making many soft choices to look out for himself, the power of God came when Stephen chose to do what was right in the eyes of God.

Acts 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

Stephen was one of the men who had been called of God to help minister to the widows. However, God had more for Stephen then just taking care of the widows. We are told that Stephen was known as being a man full of faith. Because of the faithfulness of Stephen, we see that the wisdom of God was in him. The scholars of the day attempted to debate with him, but they found themselves fighting a losing battle.

When the world is faced with a situation that they are losing, they find a way to win regardless of the cost to others. As such, the scholars grew tired to seeing the wisdom of God demonstrated through the life of Stephen and they thus found men who were willing to lie in court so that they could take the life of Stephen.

These men did not care that they were disobeying the commands of God. These men did not care that they were failing to love their neighbor as themselves. All these men cared about was themselves and what they could get for themselves. As such, they were willing to lie even though it would cost a man his life.

Stephen understood that just because he had wisdom of God and was full of faith, it did not mean that his life was free of persecution. Stephen understood that God was in control of his life and that regardless of what was going on around him, he had to remain faithful to God to use the opportunity God had given him to reveal to those around him the Good News of the gift of life.

We all have a sin nature and it is because of that sin nature that we fall short of the glory of God. These men who lied about Stephen were simply yielding to their sin nature. They did not have to lie, but they chose to allow the lusts of their flesh to control their decision making.

Paul, who was called Saul at that time, was one of the individuals who was involved with the death of Stephen. Saul could have intervened, but it was easy to get along with the mob and watch the murder than it was to stand alone and go against the flow. Saul like everyone else did not demonstrate self-control but instead did that which was right in their own eyes.

God desires that we learn to add temperance to our life. This means that we must daily die to self in order to do that which is right in the eyes of God. As we die to self and put ourselves into a position that we are doing the perfect will of God, we will find that our lives are naturally reflecting the love of God. The more we reflect the love of God and the more that HE is a part of every aspect of our life, the more the world will feel uncomfortable around us and the quicker they will be to persecute us for righteousness sake.

Stephen was a man who yielded his right to do what he wanted and as such we see the power of God was flowing through his life. Scripture does not glorify the men who were willing to lie in order kill Stephen. Instead, we give honor to the man who was able to forgive those who wrongfully were taking his life.

The choice is yours, are you going to die to self and live for God or are you going to live for yourself and kill your spiritual relationship with God. To live for God, you must daily demonstrate temperance by saying no to the things of this world so that you can say yes to God.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

How do you respond to others around you? Do you show them mercy when they are going through hard times or do you judge them and cause them to feel worse than they do? When was the last time you heard about a famous Christian who committed a major sin which caused great damage to the kingdom of God. How did you respond? Did say things about how much he is damaging the kingdom of God, or did you pray for him asking God to help heal the individual.

You are not perfect. There will come a time when you will make a major mistake. How do you want others to treat you? Do you desire their wrath? Do you long for them to kick you when you are down? Most likely, you desire the mercy of others when you sin and fall short of the glory of God. In your mind, while you know you did the wrong thing, you also know the circumstances around what you did, and you feel that if someone else were facing the exact same problem, they would have done the exact same thing.

If God is willing to forgive you for sinning and falling short of the glory of God, why should your fellow man not do the same? The answer to this question begins with you. If you desire others to show you mercy and to restore you when you fall, then you must first extend your hand and help those around you. As you show mercy to others, God will bring others into your life who will show mercy unto you.

Jesus tells us in this passage that not only will you obtain mercy by being merciful, but that you also will be happy. The word blessed can also be translated as happy. When you go out and do something nice for someone who probably does not deserve it, there is something that happens inwardly that causes you to feel better about yourself. When you are judgmental, while you may feel vindicated for your actions, you know deep inside that you are not doing the right thing and you do not have the peace that passeth all understanding.

The world is very judgmental. It is a dog eat dog world, every man for himself. However, the ways of God are not the ways of the world. You will never have true happiness as a Christian if you are trying to apply the systems of this world while living for God. If you desire to have the benefits of living for God, then you must first take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God so that you understand exactly how God expects you to live. Once you start living the way God desires you to live, then you can receive the true benefits of being a child of the King.

Stephen was a man just like you and me. However, as he was being stoned, Stephen did something that was not very typical for a man to do. Rather than get mad at those who were killing him for righteousness sake, Stephen demonstrated mercy and asked God to forgive those who were harming him.

Too often, we are more like Judas than we are like Stephen. Judas saw the sinful woman anointing the feet of Jesus with a costly perfume. Judas was judgmental of this woman and scorned about how the money would be better spent on the poor. Judas allowed his bitterness to destroy him and to affect all those around him.

The ways of God are not our ways. We need to learn to show mercy to those around us so that we might also receive the mercy of others. Until we learn to live our lives the way God expects us to live, we will never be happy as the child of the King.

Acts 21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

In the early days of the growth of the New Testament church, there arose a problem that the widows were not being ministered unto. Seven men were appointed unto this ministry so that the apostles could continually give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. Stephen was the first of the seven men chosen and Philip was the second one.

These seven deacons were chosen by the people because they had an honest report and were full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. Philip demonstrated these great character qualities and God expanded his ministry. However, just because he was chosen to tend to the needs of the widows, it does not mean that this is what he did the rest of his life. This was just the stepping stone of the ministry of Philip. Once Philip had proven himself faithful in that which many of us would consider little, God expanded his ministry and called him to the ministry of evangelism.

Scripture tells us that not only was Philip used of God to touch the lives of others, but we also know that Philip had four daughters who also chose to serve God. Scripture tells us that these four daughters were virgins and that they did prophesy. Even though Philip was used of God to be an evangelist, this does not mean that he forgot about his family and left their spiritual needs unmet. Instead, we know that Philip trained up his daughters in the way that they should go so that when they were old, they would not depart from them. Apparently, his daughters served God in the local church.

When Philip accepted the challenge of feeding the widows, did he know that someday he would be known as Philip the evangelist? Probably not. Philip was asked to serve the widows so as to help free up the apostles to continue to serve the people. This was not a glamorous position, but it was a ministry that needed to be fulfilled. However, God used Philip and as Philip remained faithful to God, God blessed his ministry and expanded it. The characteristic that the people saw in Philip were the characteristics that Philip lived his entire life. The fact that he was full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, he remained true to God and now many years later, we see the fruit of his life. God had not only blessed his ministry but HE had also blessed his family.

You may not have a ministry for God right now but that does not mean that you cannot prepare yourself for God to use you later. You can be like Philip who concentrated upon his relationship with God so that when the time came, he was chosen. Maybe you have a ministry, but you feel like God can use you to do even more. Be patient, as you demonstrate your faithfulness in that which is least, God will be able to expand your ministry beyond your comprehension. Be faithful to God, but do not forsake your family in order to serve God. If God has blessed you with a family, do not forsake their needs so that someday, when they are older, you can see them being faithful in church.

It does not matter what stage of life you find yourself in, it is important that you have a close relationship with God. Be diligent to seek a closer relationship with HIM. Be diligent to learn to understand the will of God for your life. Be diligent to continue to add to your knowledge. You can never learn too much about God. You will constantly be facing trials and it will be your relationship with God that will help see you through.

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul was speaking to the believers about his trip to Jerusalem. Paul did not know what would happen to him when he got there. However, Paul was not concerned about what would happen to him, but instead he was more concerned about doing what God had instructed him to do. Paul understood that he could not control the results; results were in the hands of God. Paul however had a duty to God to do HIS perfect will.

It is easy to lose focus on the will of God by becoming bogged down by concentrating upon the results. If you become focused upon results, Satan will easily be able tempt you to give up because your focus is upon the wrong thing. Instead, if you follow the example of Paul and simply focus your attention upon the next thing that God desires you to do; then you will have the blessing of knowing that God is pleased with your life.

Imagine that you were running in the New York City Marathon. Only one person is going to finish with the fastest time. However, how many people will be running the race for the first time and their goal is to just finish. In addition, there are many more who are not racing to be the first across the line but instead are just trying to beat last years time. These runners exemplify the message that Paul was teaching. These runners are running the race that is set before them. They are not as concerned about who is around them; they are running their own personal race.

You cannot compare your spiritual race with others if you care to live a prosperous life. David ran a different race than his son Solomon. Joseph ran a different race than his father Jacob. Elijah ran a different race than his successor Elisha. Each had their own calling from God and they were responsible to God to do that which is right in the eyes of God. Each one made their own mistakes that they were accountable to God for them.

What is the race that God has set before you? You must understand that just because things do not occur the way that you think they should occur that God is not with you. Remember that God is with you when you are in the valley of the shadow of death. God will allow you to go through difficult times in order to prepare you to for even greater challenges. God knows the path that you are on today and the path HE desires you to be on ten years from now. HE knows what trials HE must bring into your life today to help you properly run the race that HE has for you tomorrow.

Paul understood that his life was a tool in the hands of God. If God took his life in order to bring many to HIM, then Paul was willing to die. Remember, Paul was at the execution of Stephen. Paul understood how the death of Stephen touched his life. Paul understood that God could use his life even in death and as such, Paul was able to live his life understanding that as long as he was living for God, God would control the results.

What is your focus on in your life? Are you looking at the results or are you looking at making sure that you do today what God desires you to do? When you take the time to diligently add knowledge to your life, you understand what Paul was saying in that the most important thing is not the results but is the fact that you are obedient to the perfect will of God.

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen is being stoned to death for his boldness in preaching the gospel of Christ. As he is about to die, he asks God to forgive those who were killing him. Stephen did not just preach the gospel of Christ; he followed the example of Christ. When Christ died on the cross, HE asked God to forgive those who were crucifying HIM. Stephen understood that Jesus forgave those who did HIM wrong and as such, Stephen also needed to do the same.

How many times have you seen the letters W.W.J.D.? They represent a common phrase used today, what would Jesus do? Stephen understood what Jesus would do and not only did he understand what Jesus would do, he did it.

If you really knew what Jesus would do in your present situation, would you do it? It is one thing to talk about understanding what Jesus would do; it is another thing altogether to do it. Too often, we claim to desire to know what God wants us to do, but our lives do not demonstrate that desire. The will of God is discernable for all those who are willing to seek and find. You must be willing to be diligent to discover the direction that God has for you. You cannot simply say that you desire to know what God wants you to do; you need to put action to those words and demonstrate to God and others that God really is the center of your life.

Stephen understood that forgiveness was to be a part of his life. He had probably heard that Jesus had commanded us in the sermon on the mount to Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:44). Stephen also understood that Jesus had taught that we are to forgive everyone who does us wrong. Stephen did not just have head knowledge as to the ways of God, but he allowed that knowledge to change his life. Stephen did not just have head knowledge but he also had heart application.

The brothers of Joseph did great evil to him when they sold him as a slave to Egypt. However, Joseph did not live for revenge; but instead, he was quick to forgive his brothers because he understood that God was in control. God could have spared the life of Stephen. Stephen was bold to preach the gospel and God could have reached down from heaven and caused the stones to bounce off of Stephen as if they were simply pillows. However, whether or not God spared Stephen did not matter in the mind of Stephen whether he was going to follow the perfect path of God. Stephen understood that God was in control and he lived his life for the glory of God.

Does God really apply to every aspect of your life? Do you take the time to seek knowledge of how God desires you to live your life and then follow in HIS footsteps? Adding knowledge of the ways of God is not something you do simply to be smart. Adding knowledge of the ways of God should change your life so that God might be glorified through your life.

You would think it foolish for a person to spend seven years going to medical school only to get out of school and obtain a job as a sanitation worker. Most people would consider that a waste of education not to practice in the field that one has received training. So likewise, it is foolish to spend time understanding the will of God and then not allow that knowledge to change your life. You must learn to follow the example of Stephen who walked the walk.

Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

This passage is the conclusion of the sermon of Stephen. Upon the conclusion of this sermon the hearts of the listeners were convicted of the truth. Stephen used the history of the nation of Israel which was known by the listeners and used it to reveal how they were being deceived by their traditions. The religious leaders who should have so quickly embraced Jesus Christ had allowed their knowledge of traditions to blind their knowledge of the ways of God. Because of their blindness, they were persecuting the messengers of truth who they themselves should have been.

The religious leaders were well educated men but their education blinded them of the truth that they had been waiting for. They knew that the Messiah was coming; however, their Messiah had already come but they had missed HIM because HE did not come as they desired. Now the religious leaders were persecuting those who dared to preach in the name of Christ and they did what they could to shut them up. Stephen was one who was on trial for preaching the name of Christ, but he was not going to keep silent about the message that God had given to him.

Both Stephen and the religious leaders knew the history of Israel. Stephen understood the history of Israel and used it to draw him closer to God. The religious leaders used that same history to set up traditions that they were then able to teach to the people so that they became powerful. The religious leaders used their superior knowledge of history not to draw people to God but to make themselves necessary and important.

The religious leaders were very well educated but they allowed their education to cloud their vision of the ways of God. We are supposed to diligently add knowledge to our Christian life, but we first need to be careful that we are adding the right kind of knowledge. There is much knowledge out there, but the knowledge that God desires you to add is the knowledge that draws you closer to God.

When the queen of Sheba came to Israel to see for herself the wisdom of Solomon, she recognized the God of Israel. The wisdom of Solomon naturally drove her to see that God was with Solomon. When the ambassadors of Babylon came to see Hezekiah, Hezekiah was quick to show them all the wealth that he had obtained. Hezekiah had been healed by God and he could have used this opportunity to draw the Babylonians attention to the powerful God of Israel. God was revealed to the queen of Sheba but HE was not revealed to the Babylonians. The difference reveals what was most important to the king when people arrived from foreign countries.

What is the most important thing to you? Are you more concerned with the blessings of God then you are about your relationship with God? When you speak with others, are you trying to draw attention to yourself or to God?

It is not always about what you know; it is how you use that knowledge that is important to God. If you use your knowledge to glorify yourself; God will not be pleased with your life. Instead, God desires that you be like Stephen who was able to take HIS knowledge of God and use it to draw the attention of the world back to God. Stephen used the basic truths that all Israelites should have known to reveal to all that the Messiah had come. You do not have to spend years receiving a degree in the Bible in order to share with others the truths that God has revealed to you. Be faithful to God and God will use you to touch those around you.

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

The Grecians were murmuring because they felt that the widows were being neglected. The twelve apostles understood that they could not be responsible for every aspect of the ministry. They had been called by God to preach the gospel. Because of the calling of God on their lives, they did not want to be bogged down by taking care of other ministries that God did not call them to.

The apostles understood that they needed to find seven men who were called to take care of the widows. The apostles knew that everyone was not called to the same ministry. Just because there was a need, it did not mean that they were the ones responsible for fulfilling that need. The apostle Paul later teaches how we are the body of Christ and how we have different callings. The apostles understood that they needed to continue to study the word of God; they needed to continue to keep a close relationship with God so that they could fulfill the will of God.

Stephen was one of the seven men who was chosen to take care of the widows. However, just because he was chosen to take care of widows, it did not stop him from preaching the word of God. Stephen still had the responsibility to obey the commandment of Christ to preach the gospel but his calling in ministry was to take care of the widows.

Knowledge in the ways of God requires that you understand that not every Christian is called to the same ministry that you are called. What you have been called to do is not what everyone has been called to do. We are the body of Christ. Paul gave us the picture of the body. The foot cannot do what the hand can do, and the hand cannot see like the eye does. God gave us different talents and abilities so that we can fulfill the purposes of God. If God called everyone to be a missionary to Africa, who would be left to reach the lost in your hometown?

What has God called you to do? Are you fulfilling that ministry? Too many of us are easily distracted by the ministries of others. We hear a need and we quickly volunteer to meet that need before we take the time to pray and determine if this is the ministry that God desires us to fulfill. A close relationship with God is crucial if you desire to hear the still small voice of God. If you desire to be in the center of the will of God for your life, then you must have a relationship with God that enables you to not be distracted by the callings of others.

Not every ministry offered to you is one that God has called you to. Not every need that you hear is your responsibility to meet. If you are going to be satisfied in your Christian life, then you must learn to understand the ways of God for your life. Do not let Satan distract you by becoming so busy meeting the needs of others that you fail to fulfill the calling God has for you. You have seen those people who are so diligent in meeting every need that arrives at the church that they fail to take care of the needs of their own family.

A close relationship with God will enable you to say no to some opportunities to minister that comes your way. Just because an opportunity to minister is offered to you, it does not mean that it is the will of God that you take that ministry. Instead, learn to be wise like the apostles who understood what the calling of God was and they proceeded to be faithful. The apostles did not let the need go unmet, they found others who had been called, and they let them met the needs.

Acts 12:6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Herod had just killed James the brother of John. Herod saw how it pleased the Jews to kill the apostles so he had Peter arrested. Herod had every intention to kill Peter also. Herod was a man who did that which is right in his own eyes; he did those things that would cause him to gain popularity with those around him. He was more concerned about having people like him then he was about being a just ruler.

Peter was in prison; he knew Herod intended to kill him. Peter was not found weeping and pleading for his life. Peter was not found worrying about what was going to happen next. Peter was found sleeping in-between two guards. The storms were tossing in his life yet Peter calmly waited to see what God was going to do.

Remember when the disciples were in the boat and they thought that the sea was about to destroy them. Peter along with the other disciples woke Jesus up to ask Jesus to save them from their impending death. Peter had changed. Peter understood that God knew what was going on in his life. Peter understood that Herod could do nothing absent it was God’s will for his life. Peter understood that worrying about his problems would not change the circumstances that he found himself in.

Peter understood the power of God. Peter understood that God was able to rescue Daniel’s three friends from the fiery furnace. Peter also understood that God choose not to save Stephen or James from being killed. Peter simply desired to please God and to live his life so that God was magnified through him.

The believers stayed up all night praying for Peter yet Peter slept. You might ask why Peter was able to remain so calm in the midst of the storm and Peter’s reply would most likely be that God’s grace was sufficient for him. God gave Peter peace and Peter pleased God by not worrying about what tomorrow was going to bring.

It is not always easy to do, but God desires that in the midst of the storm that you lay aside the cares of this world and learn to rely upon HIM. God’s strength is sufficient for your daily life. Jesus taught you not to worry about what tomorrow will bring. Instead, cast your cares upon HIM for HE does care for you.

You need to follow the example of Peter who when trials arose in his life, he did not allow his trials to control him but instead, he allow God to show HIMSELF strong on his behalf. Peter had changed. Peter no longer worried about his life. Peter simply desired to do the will of God so he waited for God to make HIS will perfectly clear.

Worry is a natural reaction when things are out of your control. However, when you add virtue to your life, you put on the mind of Christ, you have now changed the way you think so that God receives the glory for your life. When you learn to think upon the things of God, your actions will be different and God will be glorified through your
life. You cannot afford to allow worry to control your mind, instead, learn to follow the example of Peter who allowed the storms to rage while HE set his mind upon the things of God.

Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

Saul saw how the teaching of the disciples was destroying the traditions of the Jews. Saul was filled with himself and he decided to do something about it. Saul had been trained in the law of Moses. He did not want to see his power and the power of the priests destroyed because these disciples were teaching a different doctrine.

Because of Saul’s training, he thought he was doing the will of God by destroying those who where harming the traditions of the Jews. Saul was well educated but his knowledge was only superficial because he was more concerned about the power he derived from his knowledge rather than how close of a relationship he could have with God. Saul knew the truth since he was there when Steven preached the sermon using only the Old Testament scriptures. However, Saul rejected the truth of Stephen’s words.

Saul served religion and traditions rather then serving the Living God. Saul was religions not because of how it changed his life, but because of how it caused him to be esteemed in the eyes of those who were in authority. Saul was more concerned about himself then he was about the things of God. He was busy attempting to serve God but because he did not have a proper relationship with God, he was guilty of fighting against God’s will.

Saul’s mind was not filled with virtue. He was not thinking about those things that were True, just, and lovely. Saul was not thinking about those things that were praiseworthy. Saul was only thinking about himself Instead of filing his mind with truth, Saul filled his mind with tradition. Instead of filling his mind upon justice, he filled his mind with greed. Instead of filling his mind with love, he filled his mind with revenge

It does not matter if you are a religious individual. If you have not filled your mind with virtue, your work will be in vain. When you fill your mind with virtue, it means you are taking on a whole new mindset that enables you to have a closer relationship with God. You are able to have a closer relationship with God because you are putting on the mind of Christ. Rather then finding ways that you can serve yourself, you are seeking for ways that God might be glorified through your life. If you do not have virtue in your life, you are going to do that which is right in your own eyes because you are not thinking about those things that God desires you to think upon.

Religion will never save you. It does not matter how many good works you have done in your life. You are saved by faith, when you acknowledge your depravity and allow the blood of Christ to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You must add to your faith virtue which enables you to put on the mind of Christ so that you think upon the things God desires you to think upon and so that you do God’s will for your life.

Christ may have cleansed you from all unrighteousness, but until you learn to take on the mind of Christ by adding virtue to your life, you will be constantly going to the cross to seek forgiveness for your violations of God’s perfect law. By taking on the mind of Christ, you will not guarantee yourself of being sinless, but you will sin less and you will develop a closer relationship with God.

Acts 7:59 – 60 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen was being martyred for his belief that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that HE died and was raised from the dead and now sitting at the right hand of God. Stephen had preached the simple gospel and it had been rejected. Stephen understood he was about to lay down his life for the cause of Christ. Rather then struggle and fight for his life, Stephen understood the hope that resided within him and as such, he was able to go to his death with great peace.

As Stephen was being stoned, he had two final prayers. The first prayer was to God asking HIM to accept his life. Stephen then kneeled down and he made one last prayer for his enemies. Like the example of Jesus, Stephen asked God to forgive those who were killing him. What would you be thinking about if you were being plastered with stones? Would you naturally be thinking about forgiving those who are injuring you?

Stephen had the ability to forgive those who were taking his life because he had filled his mind with virtue. Stephen had taken the time to study how Jesus lived HIS life and Stephen strived to follow the example of the Master. Stephen never could have forgiven his enemies had he be fighting for his life. Instead, because Stephen understood that his life was in the hands of God, Stephen was able to yield his right to live and instead focus his attention on being a witness for God during his death.

You could just imagine that if it was one of the counsel that was being stoned how they would be yelling, kicking and screaming all the way loudly proclaiming their innocents. However, Stephen’s attitude of forgiving his enemies left them pondering what kind of man this was that they killed. Because Stephen had taken the time to prepare his life for pursuing the things of God, when a difficult situation arose, he was able to have the peace that passeth all understanding.

Life may be normal for you today. You may not have any great needs for God to address. However, you do not know what God has for you tomorrow. God may desire to use you in a mighty way but HE cannot because you have not been preparing, you have not been taking the time to develop your relationship with HIM. A firefighter would not be useful if when he heard a fire alarm he had to go to the store and purchase a fire hose, go to another store and purchase an ax and then go to a third store to purchase a ladder. The reason the firefighter is called to put out the fire is because he has already been trained and he already has the tools to help the individual who has the need.

God is looking for individuals who can help HIM spread the good news throughout the world. God needs you to change your life so that you are striving to develop a closer relationship with HIM. Your relationship with HIM will grow when you take the time to add virtue to your life. You must learn to change your course of thought. This means you must learn to think upon the things of God. You must put on the mind of Christ and follow HIS example as Stephen did. Change your mindset to think about the things of God and do HIS perfect will, then you will be in a place that God can use you.

Acts 6:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Stephen had just finished sharing with the counsel the gospel of Jesus as confirmed by the sacred writings. It was obvious to Stephen that his message was not received with open arms and Stephen looked towards heaven. When Stephen looked up, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen understood that he was the only person who saw this vision and while he could have kept his mouth shut, Stephen proclaimed the truth that was revealed to him.

Stephen knew that the counsel was not pleased with the words that he was saying. At this point it was possible that if Stephen kept his mouth shut, the trial would pass and he would be permitted to continue his ministry for God. However, Stephen received a good report from God. Stephen saw Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. It was important for the disciples and the followers of Jesus to hear the report that Jesus did in fact sit at the right hand of God just as HE had promised.

Stephen understood that by sharing this truth, he was adding fuel to the fire of hatred that burned within the counsel. The counsel hated Jesus and the followers of Jesus because he convicted them of their sins. When Stephen shared the good report that Jesus was sitting at the right hand of God, he knew that this message would not be received and that it would further provoke his audience. However, Stephen was not living this life here on earth for his own comfort and convenience; he was living his life for the glory of God, he was living his life so that God might be glorified through him.

By sharing this truth that Jesus was sitting at the right hand of God, you might argue that Stephen was casting his pearls before swine. Stephen knew that his audience was not receptive to the truth of the gospel so why should he share pearls of truth with these individuals who would not accept his words anyways. The simple truth of the gospel while it is a pearl is never wasted when shared with unbelievers. Stephen planted seeds that day that while they resulted in him losing his life, God used when HE brought Saul to the realization that it was time for him to become right with HIM.

Virtue requires a change of thought. You must understand that you are to think upon and share with others the good report that God has given you. Yes there are going to be times that God will give you a special word from HIM and these pearls of wisdom should not be shared with those who will reject them. However, you should never be ashamed of sharing the simply truth of the gospel. God’s goodness to you should be so alive and powerful in your mind and heart that the simple sharing of the gospel with others should be routine part of your every day.

If you are going to change the world, you must first be willing to change your mind. You must learn to change what you think on, you must add virtue to your life. As you learn to put God first in your mind, God will open your eyes to allow you to see more of HIM. The deeper your relationship with God, the more HE is able to use you to fulfill HIS purpose for your life. Your relationship with God will grow as you add to your faith virtue, as you change your thoughts to be thinking of the good things HE has given you.

Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Hoy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Stephen had just preached a message that convicted the high priest and the counsel. The men who just heard his message where gnashing their teeth in such a way that signified that Stephen was in big trouble. Stephen did not respond to these men, but instead he looked to God. Stephen looked to heaven and God gave him a glimpse of heaven.

Stephen had filled his life with faith and virtue and as such, he understood that his security was not here on this earth. Stephen understood his life was in danger. Stephen had great faith; he had performed many mighty works of faith for God. Stephen had studied the scripture and he understood that if God desired to save him, there was nothing these men could do to him. Instead of reacting to his situation here on earth, Stephen looked to God to see what God’s will was for him in this situation. God showed Stephen heaven which helped Stephen prepare his heart to die in such a way that helped convict those who watched his death.

Stephen understood that HE was a servant of God and that it was God who chose whether he lived or died. Stephen had filled his mind and heart with the things of God that when a difficult situation arose; his natural response was to go to God to see what God’s will for his life was. Stephen’s response demonstrated the peace of God in his life.

How you respond in crises will reveal to the world what is in your heart. The world is watching you and you have an impact upon those who do not believe. When trouble hits, do you look to God or do you rely upon your own strength? Your answer should be that you look to God as Stephen looked to God for direction during his trials.

When crises hit, you rarely have time to think about what is right and what is the wrong way to handle the situation. Instead, your response to the crises will have already been determined based upon how you prepared for this situation. If you desire that your natural response is to turn to God, then you must take the time to fill your mind and your heart with the things of God. You must take the time to pray, you must take the time to read God’s word. The more time you spend filling your heart and mind with the things of God, the more likely your instant response to a crisis will be that of Stephen.

Virtue is filling your heart and mind with the things of God. It is ensuring that you are thinking of things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and a good report. Virtue is taking the time to find ways to praise God for the things that are occurring in your life. In order to incorporate virtue into your life, it starts with you changing your mindset. As you work to change your mindset, God will change your heart so that when crises arise in your life, you can thank God for the testimony that HE created in your life.

You need to start preparing today for the testimony God is going to be giving you. Set the time aside to change your approach to life so that God is the center of your life. Do not allow the cares of this world crowd out the things of God. You must diligently add virtue to your life if you desire to have a testimony that when a crisis strikes, your natural response is to turn to God. If you do not prepare, you will not respond properly.

Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Stephen had just finished sharing the truth with the high priest and the counsel. They had given Stephen the time to speak but now that he was done, they openly rejected the message that they had heard. Stephen was fully committed to the cause of Christ and the priests rejected the truth and the messenger.

The sermon of Stephen along with the reaction of the counsel is an excellent example of how there is no gray area. Jesus said HE is the truth. Either the counsel accepted the truth or they rejected the truth. The counsel heard the clear, crisp, clean message of the gospel yet they openly decided to reject the truth. The truth had been presented to set them free, but instead, they chose to live a life bound by their law and sacrifices. They were not willing to admit that they were wrong and that they killed the Messiah.

Stephen’s security was not wrapped up in what others thought of him. Stephen was out to do the will of his Savior. Stephen had filled his heart and mind with the message of truth. Out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth spoke. Stephen knew that if the counsel was going to be saved, they had to hear the message of the gospel and they had to understand the errors of their ways. Stephen was bold enough to share the message to ensure that the counsel fully understood the errors of their way.

The counsel did not want to believe that because the Messiah had come, they were no longer needed to help people get right with God. They were proud of their traditions, they were proud of their importance, and they were proud of their supposed position with God. The counsel rejected the truth because they were unwilling to believe the truth.

You must follow the example of Stephen and fill your life with the truth. As you go about your daily life, God will give you opportunities where you will be allowed to share with others the truth. If you are speaking the truth found in God’s word, people can either accept the truth or they can reject it. You are not in charge of results; all you can do is present the truth as clearly and concisely as you can. The duty is yours to share the truth and results are in the hands of God.

While results are in the hands of God, there is one thing that Stephen did and that you must do if you desire for God to use you. Stephen could not have shared the truth had he not first fully integrated the truth in his life. So must you take the time to fill your mind and your heart with the truth so that when the time comes, the message God desires for you to share has been fully prepared.

God can do the impossible and can use a rock to convict a sinner. Nonetheless, God’s plan is to use you to share HIS truth with others. It is your responsibility to ensure that the message is in your heart so that God can use you and so that you can fulfill your duty to share the truth. When you demonstrate to God that you are filled with virtue, then be prepared for God to open some awesome opportunities where you are able to share. Do not be discouraged when people reject the truth, it is only your duty to share the truth and it is up to the listener to accept or reject the conviction that occurs as a result of the truth.

Acts 7:1-2 Then said the high priest, Are these things so? And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran.

Stephen was doing good works for God and God was blessing him. However, not everyone appreciated the message that Stephen preached. Some men claimed that they heard Stephen speak blasphemy against Moses and God. Because of these men’s accusations, Stephen was brought before the counsel. Before the counsel, these men now said that Stephen was guilty of blasphemy against the holy place and the law.

Stephen could have remained silent since it was the duty of the witnesses to prove the accusations against him. So far, all they had made was general accusations; their own report was contrary to their testimony. Nonetheless, Stephen was given the opportunity to speak before the High Priest and Stephen was not going to remain silent. Stephen opened up his mouth and the words of truth flowed from his mouth.

Stephen’s message was so powerful that it convicted his listeners. Stephen had filled his life with the truth. At this time many priests had been converting due to the message and the works of the early church. Stephen was given the opportunity to share before the counsel and Stephen was not going to waste this opportunity. Stephen shared the truth of the gospel by walking through the writings that the high priest and counsel accepted.

Stephen understood the scriptures. He had spent the time filling his heart and mind with the stories of the Old Testament. Stephen understood his audience carefully studied and lived their lives by what was written in the Old Testament so Stephen preached the gospel to the counsel with a message that they fully understood. Because Stephen had filled his heart with the truth, when given the opportunity, Stephen was able to share a message that convicted the hearts of his listeners.

You never know when your opportunity will come, that is why you must be ready always. Stephen was chosen because he was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. However, he was chosen to serve so that the apostles could spend the time praying and studying scripture. Steven did not take his lower status and do nothing but instead, he took every opportunity given to him to share the good report of Jesus Christ.

You should never be content to do little for God. Instead, you should always be looking for opportunities where you can share with others the truth of the gospel. It does not matter what your job is, you have a duty to be looking for ways that God can use you to spread the good news. Today, you are more concerned about getting along with the world rather then being concerned about the world’s lack of a relationship with God.

Stephen was used of God because he had taken the time to fill his mind and his heart with the truth. Virtue was in Stephen’s life. You too must take the time to fill your mind and your heart with the truth of God’s word. How do you expect God to use you if you do not take the time to fill your life up with the truth of HIS word? It is important to understand that God will use those who have demonstrated they are ready by properly preparing their minds and hearts. God will use those who have added to their faith virtue.

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen understood that there was one thing he could give to those who were killing him prior to his death. Stephen cried out with a loud voice and asked God to forgive those who were killing him. This was not a novel concept, Stephen learned about forgiving those whom did him wrong from Jesus Christ. Stephen understood that when Jesus died, HE forgave those who killed him. Stephen understood that he was being persecuted for Christ’s sake and if Christ forgave those who killed HIM, then Stephen who was trying to walk in Christ’s footsteps must also forgive those who were killing him.

You will never be able to ask God to forgive someone who is doing you wrong until you first understand that they were not persecuting you but where persecuting Christ in you. Jesus told his followers that they would be persecuted for HIS namesake. The trials that you face for Christ are a blessing not a curse. They are a blessing because your relationship with God is so close that it caused those around you to be uncomfortable.

You need to follow the example of Stephen and Joseph. They both understood that while others did them wrong, the wrong that was done to them never could have happened absent God’s consent. Since these men understood that God was in control, they understood that God was using the evil of these men to finish HIS perfect work in them. Because God was using these wicked men to further the work in them, they desired that God forgive them since their evil resulted in much good.

It takes faith to forgive those who do you wrong. It takes faith because you have to understand that God is in control and that HIS hand is directing your life. If you fail to live by faith, then you will become bitter over the evil that others do to you. If you fail to allow God to control your life, then you will not be able to forgive those who do you wrong when God is trying to bring you closer to HIM.

A child does not always understand why his mother makes him eat vegetables while not letting him have as many cookies as he desires. The mother is looking at the entire picture and she desires that her child live a healthy and long life. The child can either obey or rebel. If the child rebels, he is rebelling against that which is best for him.

God allows many things to happen to you because you are HIS child. God allows good and evil things to happen to you to draw you closer to HIM. You cannot afford to allow your relationship with HIM to grow to distant because then HE will be required to do things that draw you closer to HIM. God desires to see you living by faith and walking according to HIS will for your life. When you have this close of relationship with God, you will then be in the position to forgive those who do you wrong because you understand that God allowed this to happen for HIS glory.

Your life is to be lived for HIS glory. The trials that you face are designed to bring you closer to God. Faith requires that you look at life through God’s perspective. You must see that the evil that was done to you was really done because of Christ who lives in you. Jesus forgave those who did HIM wrong and now HE expects you to do the same.

Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

The word full means replete, covered over, and complete. Stephen was full of faith and power. This means that his faith and power completed him in Christ. Because he was complete in Christ, God performed many miracles through him. Stephen’s ministry expanded because he sought to be complete in Christ.

Stephen had a choice to make. He either was going to be full of God or full of himself. If he chose to be full of himself; he was the one responsible for his life and he was the one who deserved the praise and glory for the things he had done. However, Stephen did not seek his own, but instead, Stephen sought to be complete in God. Stephen understood that it was God who would receive the glory for the things that he did. Stephen was able to do many wonders and miracles because he was complete in God.

You too have a choice to make. Are you going to pursue God so as to be complete in HIM. This means that you are no longer your own. This means you are no longer free to do your own will but are now the servant of God and are constantly seeking to do the will of God. This means that you are living your life so that God receives the glory.

In order to be complete in God, you must first understand that you are not perfect and that you have deficiencies. God created man in HIS own image but sin caused man to fall short of the glory of God. Stephen by faith desired a closer walk with God and as such, he spent his time seeking God and learning HIS will for his life. It was Stephen’s faith that completed him in Christ.

Stephen did not do many mighty things for God because he was good looking. Stephen learned to do many miracles because he sought the power of God in his life. Stephen not only sought the power of God in his life, but he sought for opportunities to use the power of God to draw attention to God.

How would you like to have so much faith and power that God says of you that you are complete in your faith? Stephen’s testimony is not only reserved for Stephen but is something that you too can obtain. It is a choice that you must make. Everyone loves to take matters into their own hands. There is a worldly philosophy of being a self-made man; however, this not the way to be complete in God.

Stephen’s miracles were a result of his being full of faith; he was not full of faith because of the miracles that he performed. Stephen first desired a closer relationship with God and from this relationship God was able to use him to do many miracles.

God is looking for those who will draw close to HIM; those who are willing to lay aside their own personal agenda in order to be used of God. We all have the same amount of time each day. The difference is how you use that time. If you desire to be complete in God, then you must choose to draw closer to HIM and do what HE has said regardless of how impossible it seems. God is waiting to complete you. In order to be complete, you must first be willing to allow HIM to have every aspect of your life. If you desire to do great things for God, you must first allow God to complete you through faith and power.