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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion Wednesday, January 21, 2004 Witness |
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Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004, by Penny Risen
Bible text:
Acts 7: 1-29
It's a humbling task to lead you into Stephen's eloquent address defending his faith and his life as a Christian. We know few details about his days as a servant or how long he served, but perhaps his example as a witness to Christ is all we really need to know.
He was willing to be first. He was a Grecian Jew in a group chosen by the disciples to minister to his people. With the power of the Holy Spirit, he did wonders and signs among the people, which made him stand out as a threat to the religious establishment.
Unlike others found in Scripture, Stephen chose to be a witness not because an angel visited him, or because he had a vision in a dream. God had not spoken to him as He had to Moses, and the Savior hadn't picked him out during His ministry on Earth. Stephen was asked to do a job for his fellow Christians by the disciples because they considered him wise, to be a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He risked all for his witness for Christ.
He was the first to be dragged before the powerful Jewish council, the Sanhedrin. Accused of blasphemy, Stephen didn't choose to begin his defense with the here and now of the council. Instead he told the story common to all of them: "The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham ..." he began. Stephen saw this history not just the story of the church now, but of the church to come: He saw God guiding His people from Point A to Point B as a fulfillment of the covenant and to give them a Messiah who would deliver them. To Stephen, Point B was Jesus Christ and Christianity was the fulfillment of Judaism.
God's grace and power followed Stephen into the Sanhedrin's chambers, but the ears of the powerful weren't opened to his meaning, his vision for Christians or to God's Spirit in him. In Greek, Stephen's native language, witness translates "martus:" One who testifies. "Martus" came down to us in English as martyr: One who dies for his faith.
Please read Stephen's powerful words in the opening to Acts 7. If someone asks you, "How did you become a Christian?" and you want to offer him or her the amazing story well told, begin there.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, thank you for sending remarkable witnesses like Stephen to pave the way for all Christians. Let his love and courage humble and inspire me as a believer, just as your servants Moses and countless others do. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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