A Defining Moment

Acts 7:1

"Then the high priest asked him, 'Are these charges true?'"
Thoughts for Today:

Imagine Stephen's predicament, here he was standing alone before the high priest having just heard numerous witnesses lie about what he had said -- they testified that he spoke words of blasphemy against Moses and God. Stephen knew Jewish law, so he knew the penalty for blasphemy was stoning, and he knew these people were looking for an excuse to punish him severely.

This was Stephen's "defining moment" -- the high priest asked the question, "Are these charges true?" Don't miss the significance of this moment -- there are always two paths or choices at times like these -- the one you choose will define who you are in Christ. The first choice is toward safety (reduction of tension, finding common ground, peace making, and blending into the crowd), as Peter did when he denied Jesus 3 times; the other requires the courage to stand firm in the face of adversity.

Questions to Ponder:

What would you do if faced with the same choice? How would you answer the question? Not always do we face such direct opposition or dire consequences as Stephen did here; however we still regularly experience moments when we have an opportunity to either stand up and answer in Christ, or walk away. When was the last time you had such a choice? How did you answer the question?

Let Your Face Reflect Your Thoughts

Acts 6:11-15

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 customs 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.

Thoughts for Today:

Previously, Jews of various synagogues within Jerusalem were arguing with Stephen's teaching. But when they couldn't "stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke," they began to lie about what he said and influenced other people to testify against him as well. How did Stephen handle this? "They saw that his face was like the face of an angel."

The famous pastor C.H. Spurgeon once said when teaching students regarding ministry, "When you teach on heaven, let there always be a glow on your face, a gleam in your eye, and a smile on your lips. When you teach on hell, your normal face will do just fine."

I think Stephen saw a glimpse of heaven as he was persecuted. During my most difficult trials, when I've been attacked from every corner, that is when I've had my most riveting and awakening experiences with God -- when I've had my own personal glimpse of heaven. God has used my most difficult times to reveal Himself to me and make my faith alive and vibrant.


Questions to Ponder: 

Are you going through a difficult time right now? Stephen's expression reflected his thoughts: "his face was like the face of an angel." What does your face reveal about what you are thinking? Pose that question to a good friend -- you might be surprised at the answer.

Weeeeeeeeeeeee're Baaaaaaaaaaaack

That's right my precious brothers and sisters, you heard it here first.  Or maybe you heard it on our website first.  or maybe you heard it on FaceBook fcirst.  Or maybe someone else told you first.  Or maybe... aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggg!!!!!  Well what's important here is that G.L.O.V.E. Ministry is officially a reality once again after almost a year of being gone.  Due to bad health and my loss of vision there are some definite changes but we will sill be working as hard as we can to share the great news of Jesus Christ and what it means for all of us.  Our goal is still to prove that God's Love Offers Victory Eternal!!!  So sit back and dig in my friends, it's going to be a blessed  ride.