Tag: Acts 7
Resisting the Holy Spirit
Scripture reading for May 14: Acts 7
“”You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, Whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”” Acts 7:51-56
From this account in Scripture, we see Stephen, one of the appointed deacons in the early church, confronting the Jews who had condemned and crucified Jesus Christ. He spoke plainly to them concerning their ‘stiff necks’ and ‘uncircumcised’ hearts. He told them plainly how they were doing the same things that their fathers had done when they persecuted the prophets who announced Christ’s coming. He told them how they were breaking the law that Moses had received from God through angels for them. Truth can have one of two results. Humble repentance and a change of mind is the best and the life-giving choice. But these men became enraged and ground their teeth in anger at the truth.
It is the Holy Spirit that confronts each person with sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment. (John 16:8-11) When we are filled with the Holy Spirt, we become vessels that God uses to share truth and the Good News of grace and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit exalts Jesus and gives redemptive vision. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, preached truth. He also shared a vision of Jesus Christ, exalted to God’s right hand. Those resisting the Holy Spirit became angry and killed God’s messenger! (Acts 7:58)
Have you ever been guilty of resisting the Holy Spirit when He was speaking through a witness to you? Are you asking Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you can effectively witness to the lost? How do you now understand and process Stephen’s stoning at the hands of those he preached to?
Prayer: Father God, have mercy on those who have and are currently resisting the Holy Spirit. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and bring truth into my life first of all. Drive out any stiff-necked attitudes or actions in me. Empower me with boldness to speak the truth in love to others in need of repentance. Amen.
Forgiving persecutors!
Scripture reading for May 13th: Acts 7
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Acts 7:59-60- 8:1 “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.”
Stephen preached the Gospel to those who had crucified Jesus. At the end of his message, they were under strong conviction but instead of repenting and believing, they chose to stone the messenger! Stephen committed his spirit to the Lord Jesus and then prayed for those who were stoning him, asking the Lord to forgive them! What grace and courage from this first martyr! Notice it says that Stephen ‘fell asleep’! This was after he saw heaven opened and Jesus standing to receive him! (Acts 50:55-56) God answered this prayer by later touching Saul and bringing him to repentance and forgiveness and making him into the mighty Apostle Paul!
Observations for over-comers: Our acts of grace and forgiveness show the heart of Jesus towards the lost and open the door for God to work in and through their lives. “So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died; ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ “Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.” (Genesis 50:16-17)
“I see heaven open!”
Scripture reading for May 14th: Acts 7
One of the new ‘deacons’ was Stephen, a man “full of God’s grace and power.” (Acts 6:8) Stephen served the widows but also used the anointing he received to do great wonders and miraculous signs! This caused controversy among the Jews and Stephen began to fall under persecution and false accusations. Finally, they seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin on false charges of blasphemy against Moses and God. (Acts 6:11-14)
As Stephen stood before this hostile group of Jewish leaders, they noticed that “his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) They asked him if the charges against him were true and as he opened his mouth to speak, he presented an anointed teaching about God’s grace to the Israelites to lead them and speak to them through the Patriarchs and Moses. He told how the Israelites had rejected Moses the first time questioning his authority! They also rejected him again when they refused to obey him at Mt. Sinai. Stephen told how God had judged them for their idolatry and eventually sent them to Babylon. (Acts 7:39-43)
Stephen’s final point from his explanation concerned those present to accuse him falsely: “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? The even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him–. . .” (Acts 7:51-52) This speaking of truth made the crowd furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. . .” (Acts 7:55) As they rushed him and began to stone him, Stephen gave his spirit to the Lord and prayed for their forgiveness!