Happy Monday!

Good Morning Girls!! Happy Monday too you! Let's get started...

Acts 6:8-15

Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen-Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom of the Spirit by whom he spoke.Then they secretly persuaded some men to say,"We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified,"This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law." For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customes Moses handed down to us." All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Reflection:

What do you think it was about Stephen that infuriated the religious leadership of Jerusalem and the surrounding regions?

We enjoy being liked by as many friends as possible. But what does it say about us if we don't have any enemies at all, no one who is ever at least somewhat offended by us?

Acts 6:8 says Stephen was a man full of God's grace and power who "was performing great wonders and signs among the people." When Saul arrived, his fellow Jews were trying to debate the follower of Christ, but Stephen's passionate love for Jesus was tying a group of empty, legalistic Pharisee's in knots.
Many of us remember our own agony of emptiness. And right here on earth's miserable sod, Stephen was full-not just because he'd accepted Jesus as Savior, but because he had surrendered his whole life to Christ's will and purpose. The more Stephen poured out his life for Christ, the more Christ poured His life into Stephen. Stephen was full of faith, full of God's grace and power. Only a person full of the Holy Spirit can possess that kind of power Stephen displayed and yet remain full of God's grace. A person full of the Holy Spirit cannot be full of self. Pride never accompanies power in the fully yielded life.

When I think of the last 10 years of my life, I think of all the Christians that have helped "shape" me. When I get to heaven, I know first off, I want to see my Savior, but when I have spent a few centuries at His feet, I wonder who else I will want to see...I would like to take a basin and a towel and wash the feet of those who have meant so much to me here. I betcha that Stephen has a high place on the "wash list" of Saul of Tarsus!

Let's pray:

Heavenly Father, you are so precious to us Lord. I thank you so much for your Word Lord. Help us Father to live out our lives for you in a way that would be pleasing to You. Help us to always bear witness to Your Name during times of persecution and use them as an opportunity to praise You always. In Your Holy Name We Pray...Amen

Have a blessed day Ladybugs!

In Him I Remain,
Shana