<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 6;8-15<div><br></div><div><b>8. &nbsp;And Stephan, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.</b></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephan.</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”</b></div><div><b>12. &nbsp;And they stirred up the people and the elders of the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,</b></div><div><b>13. &nbsp;and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law;&nbsp;</b></div><div><b>14. &nbsp;for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”</b></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>It was not Stephan alone who did great signs and wonders, while he went about tending to the care of the Church’s&nbsp;widows. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Our text records, <i>“Stephan, </i><u>full of grace and power”</u>&nbsp; grace and power are the marks&nbsp;of Christ in-dwelling Stephan,&nbsp;<u>and</u>&nbsp;Stephan’s having sacrificially&nbsp;presented himself, his body,&nbsp;to God in loving obedience to the Gospel. &nbsp;For the Gospel is more than the gift of forgiveness, it is newness of life in Christ. &nbsp;It calls us to&nbsp;love and sacrifice, done by faith in Christ in-dwelling.</div><div><br></div><div>The charges and the process of this persecution are all too familiar to us, for we see it mirrors how Jesus was falsely accused and condemned. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This account is part of&nbsp;the ongoing&nbsp;fulfillment of Jesus’ words to the disciples (and to us)&nbsp;on Easter evening, when he breathed on them and said, <i>“Peace be with you. &nbsp;As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” &nbsp;</i>(John 20;21)</div><div><br></div><div>Not all of us are sent to be stoned, but we will certainly face the&nbsp;opposition and hatred of the world.</div><div>Being one with Christ means sharing in the hatred the world holds towards Jesus. &nbsp;As we are hated by the world, we <u>are</u>&nbsp;sharing in the sufferings of Christ. &nbsp;(Please read, Romans 8;14-17)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Those who are full of grace and power, do not yield to fear. &nbsp;They partake of the peace of Jesus and it shows on their face, as it did with Stephan.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;O most merciful and gracious Father, grant that we be surrendered and dedicated to our calling to, <i>“Go, and make disciples.” </i>(Matthew 28;18-20). Bless us with the sublime peace of knowing not a hair of our heads will perish. (Luke 21;18).&nbsp;Grant our souls to be filled with your love for those who hate us for a Jesus’ sake. &nbsp;Deliver us from all temptation to fear and inspire in our hearts prayers for our enemies. &nbsp;<span>We pray in Jesus, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</span></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 6;8-15
8.  And Stephan, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.9.  Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephan.10.  But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.11.  Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”12.  And they stirred up the people and the elders of the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,13.  and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; 14.  for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”15.  And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
It was not Stephan alone who did great signs and wonders, while he went about tending to the care of the Church’s widows.  
Our text records, “Stephan, full of grace and power”  grace and power are the marks of Christ in-dwelling Stephan, and Stephan’s having sacrificially presented himself, his body, to God in loving obedience to the Gospel.  For the Gospel is more than the gift of forgiveness, it is newness of life in Christ.  It calls us to love and sacrifice, done by faith in Christ in-dwelling.
The charges and the process of this persecution are all too familiar to us, for we see it mirrors how Jesus was falsely accused and condemned.  
This account is part of the ongoing fulfillment of Jesus’ words to the disciples (and to us) on Easter evening, when he breathed on them and said, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”  (John 20;21)
Not all of us are sent to be stoned, but we will certainly face the opposition and hatred of the world.Being one with Christ means sharing in the hatred the world holds towards Jesus.  As we are hated by the world, we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ.  (Please read, Romans 8;14-17) Those who are full of grace and power, do not yield to fear.  They partake of the peace of Jesus and it shows on their face, as it did with Stephan.
Prayer:  O most merciful and gracious Father, grant that we be surrendered and dedicated to our calling to, “Go, and make disciples.” (Matthew 28;18-20). Bless us with the sublime peace of knowing not a hair of our heads will perish. (Luke 21;18). Grant our souls to be filled with your love for those who hate us for a Jesus’ sake.  Deliver us from all temptation to fear and inspire in our hearts prayers for our enemies.  We pray in Jesus, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”

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