RE Verse reading–Acts 6:8-15, 7:1-60 (day two) “Then the hight priest asked Stephen, ‘Are these charges true?’ ” It would have been easy to side step the charges. They were, afterall, false (cf vs 13) Stephen could have simply denied the accusations and preserved his life, but he didn’t because his goal was the salvation of his accusers rather than his own safety. His attitude reminds me of a man who probably traced his own awakening back to this event. In Romans 10, Paul writes, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation”. With similar passion, he writes in 1 Corinthians, “I have become all things to all men so that I may by all means win some” Like Stephen and Paul, life becomes a very different thing when the goal is salvation for others rather than safety for us. In this grand enterprise, we seize opportunites, we accept the risks. We are playing to win!
Wow! What a fantastic insight! Playing to win…
I agree personal safety has nothing to do with the Kingdom… we are, after all, already dead.
Personal safety is the way I lived most of my life… but now I see it differently. I see the amazing privilege of following in the steps of our Lord and laying down our lives for others. I was given a visual this week of what that looks like to purposefully get down on all fours and allow someone else to step on my back that they might be elevated into all that God has for them. Absolutely ridiculous from a world point of view. Who would do that?
However, it has been amazing to watch God’s response as I came in agreement to this arrangement. He actually placed me on the heart of someone who has no reason to remember me from a brief encounter years ago, had this person contact me and offer to help me with my ministry. I laughed…. because I do not have a ministry… yet the Goodness of the whole situation amazes me. The world says climb yourself to the top and lord it over people to stay there. The Lord says give your life for others and I will cause others to have the opportunity of “promotion” into true greatness by laying down their life to serve/help you to come into your own true greatness (service to others). His ways are definitely not our own. May He be praised forever!