Hey Element Church! Today is day 7 in our One Prayer journey. The prayer for today is “Lord make us dreamers!” Man, I want to dream big for Element Church. I want God to plant BIG dreams in my heart that only HE can think of. Please pray for the churches listed as well. Today we’re reading Acts 7. You can read it online HERE.
Acts 7:1-50 Basically most of the chapter is an impromptu sermon. I am jealous of the knowledge of Stephen to rattle off all this history and detail from the top of his head. He basically uses the Old Testament (What those leaders would have been VERY familiar with) to reveal Jesus Christ to them. Extremely smart move on his part. He was being relevant. hmmm
Acts 7:44 — The very first portable church. lol They carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness.
Acts 7:51-53 — He lays it all out here doesn’t he? Again, NO FEAR! “You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth.” He reveals to them here how they are actually the ones disobeying God’s laws by missing the promised Messiah. He even pins his death on them.
Acts 7:54-56 — Stephens gaze was fixed on Jesus. Sound familiar? Read THIS.
Acts 7:58 — Unbelievable the marvelous grace of God isn’t it? Here, the man approving ALL of this is Saul, whom we later know as Paul. Here God allows a seemingly HORRIBLE event to happen (the stoning of Stephen) because He knows that through this He will ransom a man who would become the greatest apostle of all time. Let us be reminded of this: That is the APPARENT inactivity of God, there is ALWAYS a plan. God is NEVER inactive. The disciples must of thought “Why didn’t God save Stephen?” Without Paul we wouldn’t have most of our New Testament. Most of the early churches were founded by Paul. I wonder how much Paul thought of this moment through His life? How much it played into his conversion? Hmm, God is NEVER inactive, even when it looks like He is. We need to hear that sometimes when we face hard times and think God isn’t there. He IS, we just don’t see what He’s up to all the time.
Trusting,
Jeff
