11/15 Reading - Thoughts & Comments DX3

15-Nov Ezekiel 35-36 Acts 7-8, Psalms 91-95, Proverbs 15

They Will Hate The Truth And Seek To Kill The Messenger!

Acts 7:54-60 (NIV)54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

When we take up the Kingdom Responsibility to be a messenger and a watchman on the wall (See 11/14/12 post), we must understand that we will be hated, and our message will be offensive.  Many who hear will attempt to silence us.  You may have heard the old line, "Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger!".  But the fact is that people who hate the truth can't get to God to tell Him. So they will turn to the messenger and try to get him/her to shut up.

Stephen was giving a message of truth and life to the leaders of Israel concerning Jesus Christ the Lord.  They put their hands over their ears, grinded their teeth and shouted against him.  The things they heard him saying were too much for their evil little minds to comprehend.  And even the one of the last things that Stephen said was too much, and got him killed!

56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

I love this verse personally because it tells me that a man did something that caused Jesus Christ, Lord of lords, King of kings to STAND UP!  He is seated at the right hand of the Father, resting from His finished work.  However, something happened that day that caused Jesus to stand up!!  

When Stephen obeyed God, became the watchman on the wall, spoke the truth in love, and risked his very life unto death for the message of Christ, it caused Jesus to stand up as they were stoning him to death!  Indeed, we have a loving and compassionate God on the throne of Heaven who will STAND UP for us when we STAND UP for Him!  Wow.

It was time for Stephen to go.  He laid down and fell asleep and was received into Heaven with a warm welcome and a WELL DONE STEPHEN message upon his arrival.  However, there are times when it's not time for the messenger to go home!  Paul was stoned for his message to the Jews, and they thought that they had killed him.  But he later got back up after the disciples gathered around him and prayed.  Maybe he was raised from the dead!?  Nevertheless, he got up, bloody and battered, and walked back into town.  He went right back to those people who had stoned him and said, "I wasn't finished!"  Can you imagine the looks on their faces when this man came back in to finish his message?  WOW!!

Jesus didn't promise that we wouldn't get bloody.  He didn't even promise that we would not die.  But He did promise that He would STAND UP for you if you will STAND UP for Him, and He will surround you with HIS WILL.  If it's your time to go, you don't want to be late for the heavenly party.  But if it's not time for you to go, you will need to get up and go back in and finish your message to those who stoned you!

The Watchman on the wall has responsibilities.  But he also has AUTHORITY and KINGDOM STANDING all around him.  Most importantly, he/she has a loving savior and Lord who will stand for her as she watches and blows the trumpet!      

What a beautiful observation! when we stand up for the Lord and what is right and speak the truth fearlessly He will stand up for us and cheer us on! God bless! keep up the good Watchman work!!