Acts 7:56 - 58

Sunday morning I posted a VOM podcast of sister "Amber" and would like to make further comment about it in reference to the verses posted here. That post can be found here.  In that post it was mentioned that very often the only way those who persecute will hear the gospel and experience God's love is to persecute Christians. An example of this is the stoning of Stephen. He stood faithfully with the Lord and shared a strong testimony about Jesus. Those who heard rushed together and cast him out of the city and stoned him. Those witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a strong persecutor of Christians, a young man named Saul. As Stephen gave his life, Saul watched watched with approval, but I believe what Saul experience there touched him deep inside his heart. I believe God chose Stephen to be a witness before Saul to occur before Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus when Saul became a believer named Paul. Do you realize that Stephen's witness and death prepared Saul to meet Jesus a short time later who become Paul who God used to write much of our New Testament. Do you realize that since Paul had a type A personality, God arranged for him to spend considerable time in prison so he would have time to devote to the writing he did? How do you suppose God might use your sacrifice to reach others for Jesus? How much are you willing to surrender for him?

Prayer 

Father, I find it interesting to see your hand involved with those who are faithful to stand with the Lord. Saul, the great persecutor of Christians witnessed the testimony and death of Stephen and then he had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and became one of the great Christians of all time, who went on to write a big portion of the New testament while in prison. Father, today you still use the witness of those being persecuted to touch those harden hearts of persecutors. The witness of love and forgiveness has more power than the force of evil. A life may be lost, but like in the case of Stephen and possibly in the case of Amber, others come to Christ. Father, I pray for the man mentioned by Amber.