Marian
Scriptures:
John 16:33
Acts 6 and 7
Acts 8:1
As I sit reflecting on all that has happened throughout the world in the past four years it would be easy to fall into deep despair, and on occasion I have wept because I’ve felt helpless in the face of all I’m witnessing, especially within the Church of England here in the U.K. It is heartbreaking.
Since the 1960’s I’ve watched the world slipping deeper into a place where the margins of right and wrong, good and evil, began to develop a blurring around the edges. This has been deeply disturbing, and voices of reason who have bravely warned against this tide have been publicly ridiculed by the media. Those of us in the older generation will remember Mary Whitehouse, a brave and outspoken woman who saw the damage that wrong teaching and practise was causing in young lives. Throughout the years there always seemed to be one anchor – one place to where we could go in order to escape the madding crowd – and this was the household of God – His Church. Even differing denominations began to work together in bringing social justice, and preaching and teaching was founded upon the Word of God by most Church Leaders. Many had a big heart for reaching the lost with the Good News of Jesus.
Sadly we now see that in the past few years even Church Leaders in the highest places of office have been tempted into the “wide road” as they deny sections of Scripture that don’t “tickle the ears’ to meet the “wants” of our sin-filled world. It has been heartbreaking to witness as our national Church leaders, who were called by God to be shepherds of His flock, and most especially to our little children during their formative years, have wandered far from sound Biblical teaching. As ordinary citizens without status in the church or the world, it is easy to quickly lose heart in the helplessness we feel against the current tide that has left us breathless as we seek to swim against it.
Therefore, Annie’s chosen topic this month – STILLNESS AMID TURMOIL – is most appropriate, especially at a time when we are experiencing the dire affect of climate change, an ongoing worldwide pandemic, unwanted wars, as well as hearing reports of horrific persecution against Christians in many parts of the world. Amid such massive turmoil that is beyond our ability to control, it would be easy to despair and give up.
However, it is in these times we must continue to walk on with our Saviour, keeping firmly in His footsteps, obeying all He taught us, enabled by Holy Spirit as we faithfully bear our own cross along His narrow path that will one day bring us into His beautiful paradise. In the last few days as news reports have torn my heart into ribbons, I wearily turned my eyes to look again at Jesus, and through all the noise, confusion, unfairness and tribulation in this troubled and broken world, I heard His beautiful words echoing across the ocean of time, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
This month Annie and Mike have shown us encouraging biblical examples to help us through troubled times, pointing us always to our dear Saviour. These have greatly blessed and inspired me to look again at biblical characters who show us the way by their words and example. As I waited on God in prayer for inspiration He led me to look again at the life and death of Stephen, the first Christian Martyr. The Bible tells us little about Stephen’s background, but we do know that he was among the growing number of disciples following the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Scholars believe he was most likely a Hellenistic Greek-speaking Jew, probably born outside of Israel. But, more importantly, we need to look closely into the kind of sincere and genuine disciple Stephen was. We find this account in Acts 6 and 7. Acts 6:5 tells us that “Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” Acts 6:8 says Stephen was “a man full of God’s grace and power” and that he “performed great wonders and signs among the people.”
Clearly Stephen was a remarkable disciple who truly knew God. I find this man inspiring in his determination to push on in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even against the tide of opposition that came against him. I love verse 6:10 that tells us, “...but the Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom that when he spoke they could not refute him.” “They” were “some of the men from the Synagogue of the Freedmenwhich included Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria. These, and some other Jews from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia, began to twist Stephen’s words, when they found they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave to Stephen as he spoke. Stephen is proof that when we walk with the Lord, inviting Holy Spirit to speak through us, He directs our words and our ways and gives us courage in our own weakness. Acts6:15 tells 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.” Wow!
Stephen’s amazing teaching sermon can be read in Acts 7 and I would encourage us all to read it again.
Stephen is fearless before them. Even though the New Testament had not yet been written in words, Stephen was illustrating that Jesus, their promised Messiah whom they had put to death, was not a separate story to their Scripture (known to us as the Old Testament), but one story – His story. As Stephen finished teaching, and despite the anger and threats that rose against him, he looked up and saw Heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (This commands another WOW! )
What follows bears amazing likeness to the way our dear Lord Jesus died. Truly Stephen was His disciple, in life and in his earthly death. What an example to each of us. Acts 7:58 to Acts 8:1 tells us, “they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul..” (another story for another time!) “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
What an amazing saint Stephen was, and what an example to us all to continue to push on in the power of Holy Spirit against anything that opposes our dear Lord’s teaching.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, when I look closely at the life of Stephen, I see the purity of a mere man who truly took up the commission and was willing to become a martyr rather than deny his love for You. I see similarities to the words our dear Lord Jesus spoke from the cross and I am reminded that we are all called to grow more like You as we walk through the turmoil of this life alongside our Saviour. Stephen didn’t focus on the turmoil in the world in His day, but turned to see You majestically in Heaven, watching over hm, even as He walked boldly and bravely through the doorway of earthly death into your eternal Kingdom. May, I – may we all – learn from Stephen’s example and fearlessly continue to stand firm in the day of trial. Holy Spirit grant us the courage and faith that Stephen’s had, so that we might bring glory to Your Holy Name. Amen.
Comments