Waiting To Welcome Us Home

  

Scripture For The Day 

August 8, 2023

"Waiting to Welcome Us Home" 

Stephen was one of the first deacons in the Bible.  The Apostles were needing help with the aid of the widows and the poor in the community. A complaint had been made against the Hebrews for not taking daily care of their widows. So, the twelve apostles got together and summoned up the full group of disciples and said that they shouldn’t give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.  The solution was that they needed seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom to be in charge of this duty.  Among those seven was Stephen.  The discipleship body prayed over this group and laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.  

But Stephen did more than look after those in need. He did what he did- He spoke about Jesus. He preached The Word of God, everywhere he went. And the Jews began to get angry. Stephen was unknown. So, it wasn’t necessary to bring him in front of the Roman rulers. They brought him to their council leaders, who began to question him.  As they looked upon Him, the face of Stephen was shining, as though it was the face of an angel. He answered their questions. He brought up their history. He showed them how their people had not been faithful to God and then he hit them with the harsh truth that they must have known was coming “You are a people with hard hearts and stiff necks, who will not obey the words of God and His Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you do, also. Your fathers killed the prophets whom God sent to them; and you have slain Jesus, the Righteous One!’ Of course, this made them angrier until they snapped. They rushed at him in a mob frenzy and began to gnash on him with their teeth, like wild beasts. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up toward heaven with his shining face and saw the Glory of God, and Jesus STANDING on God’s Right hand he said “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God!” That was the last straw for them. They dragged Stephen outside the wall of the city and began to throw stones at him to kill him.

Standing… always gets me. That’s the only time the Bible says Jesus is standing by The Father. That means a lot. Jesus is right there, comforting Stephen, giving Him strength… waiting to welcome him home. God didn’t save Stephen from this ending. But He gave Him the strength to get through it. He gave Him comfort by getting to see The Son standing right next to The Father.  We don’t know why things have to happen the way they do. But we know Who’s right next to The Father, waiting to welcome us home. 



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