Text : Acts 7,59

I suppose we all do not know what it means to be stoned. It is the opposite of a "good feeling". It is very painful, but in that difficult moment Stephen lifted his eyes above people to the living God (Psalm 121). With a true trust in God you do not rely on witchcraft or fortune telling. In your own life, marriage or family situation storms can arise. It is necessary to lift our eyes to God.

Where a child of God has to suffer, the heart of Jesus is touched. In the text it says Jesus is "standing at the right-hand", which may  mean that Ge welcomes Stephen as he enters heaven?

Jesus saw that Stephen was not ashamed about his Lord; he stood with the truth.

1.) Filled with the spirit.

Christian must be filled with the Spirit of God. This is a commandment from God, to be filled with the Spirit. All of the Christian's life - thinking, feeling and what he is seeing, needs to be Spirit-filled.

The first Christians had to deal with a problem when murmuring arose. That is a sad thing if complaining and murmuring is creeping into the congregation. Just imagine we were all filled with God's Spirit and could focus our strength on reaching the world. Bur very often one gets the impression we Christians are filled with many other spirits (egoism, worldly spirit, …).

Seven deacons were elected to deal with that problem. They had to fulfil the condition of being filled with the Holy Spirit. In the first place, they did not seek for worldly skills and competence, but Spirit-filled people. To serve at the table required the same spiritual authority as the ministry of preaching. Otherwise these serving people could have spoiled the work of God after the word was preached.

2.) Stephen used by God.

The influence of a Spirit-filled person cannot be limited and restricted by the walls of church-buildings. God used Stephen, the deacon, mightily.

When Stephen testified to the Pharisees, they even blocked their ears. They did not want to hear him. "No one is as blind as the person who does not want to see".

Some listened attentively, others only wanted to hear what they liked and others didn't want to hear. It is still today like this when the word of God is preached.

A certain bishop had, as a young man, intended to change the world. Later on he saw the world did not change. He tried to change his country which also did not work.  Then he thought, let me try to change my family at least. It did not work either. Only on his deathbed he thought, "I made a big mistake, if I only would have started to change my own life first. Maybe I could have changed my family, country and the world.

This is our privilege to start to change our own life first.

3.) Stephen cried out

The word used to express his cry is the cry of a person in pain. Like the cry of a wounded animal. The same expression is used when Jesus cried out at the cross. Stephen prayed with all his heart. He was not only filled but also driven by the Spirit, to pray for his enemies.

The conversion of Saul/Paul can be the fruit of that short prayer. He was amongst those who stoned Stephen and gave approval to his death. Imagine the reward Stephen received in heaven. Maybe it was that little prayer that worked in Saul's life to his conversion.

This should be a motivation for everyone of us to do the highest minstry - to pray.

I think there is no other man besides Jesus like Paul, who influenced the world as much as he did. His past life of mocking and persecuting the Christians did not hinder him, no, it was like oil on the fire that burned afterwards in his heart for Christ.

Don't revenge those who are your enemies, but pray - "Lord, forgive them ..". God can work amongst them as he did here with Stephan.

This was the last wish of Stephen in his life, "do not hold this sin against them." What an attitude, if there was one person who had reason to be full of resentment it was Stephen. But one is amazed to read how similar he was to Jesus in the last minutes of his life.

Maybe later on, Paul often thanked the Lord for Stephen's short prayer in that moment. People who cannot forgive cannot be used by God.

Here we see the Fruit of the short Prayer of a spirit filled Person.