Stephen Died

He died.   Read Acts 6-7 to know more.
He was a martyr for the faith.
He died asking God to forgive the sin of the people who were killing him.

I read that passage over this morning and I left thinking.....could I have done that?  Could I have done all that Stephen with all the grace that he showed?

Stephen here he was, doing his thing for the Lord.  He was full of 'grace and power' (v8) and he got into a disagreement with the "freedmen".   They " could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." (v10-11)  They lied about him to the leaders because they couldn't win an arguement.
Stephen knew this.   

Did Stephen say... "liar liar pants on fire"?
No...what Stephen did was to give a clear defence of the gospel.  He spelled it out for them from the beginning.   He let them clearly see their history and God's hand in it.

He did end up calling them a "stiff-necked people" because they "resist the Holy Spirit" (v. 51).   They would persecute the prophets even to the extent that they  murdered Christ.

All this did was get the crowd angry.   So angry that they were grinding their teeth.

I try to imagine that deep of anger.  I have heard what mobs can do to people, how people can get so worked up when they are in a group.   So I imagine some mob mentality was going on there...but to be so angry that it goes beyond emotion to physical symptons.   Not sure if I've ever been that angry.   Maybe I have, I just find it difficult to picture.

Stephen was blessed to see a vision of God with Jesus standing next to him.   And he cried out "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (v.56)   But the people couldn't stand it any longer.   They were so angry that they stopped listening (mobs have that tendency).     What they did was to yell and holler and close up their ears.   They didn't want to hear anymore from him.    So they threw Stephen out of the city and stoned him.

I think...man...that's an awful way to kill someone.   To throw stones at them until they die.   Have you ever dropped a stone on your foot?   Then you know what it sorta feels like.   Stones are not pleasant things to have hit you!    I know it was what they did back then, but it still strikes me as nasty.   But Stephen maintained his grace....he prayed to God to take him home and for God to forgive the people for what they did.

I don't know if I could have done that.   

I know from reading stories of martyrs that they wonder the same thing.   Can they maintain their Christian witness in the face of persecution and death?   The answer they give is that it is all the work of God.   God in us, causes us to be able to face this stuff with grace.   

I just pray to God that if I am ever faced with this type of situation that God will grant me the ability to clearly state his case, and to be able to leave this word with grace and forgiveness on my lips.  I know that on my own...it won't happen, but God working in me..... miracles and change and grace will be shown.   :)