Monday, March 20, 2006
A spirit-filled businessman
By Tim R. Alanib
Great Bible Character
STEPHEN is one of the seven, commonly called deacons, in the early church as recorded in Acts 6:5; 7:59; 8:2; 11:19; 22:20.
As a spirit-filled businessman, Stephen was elected to supervise benevolence (Acts 6:5); went beyond the limitation of his task and became a powerful preacher (Acts 7).
Stephen possessed a sevenfold fullness: full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5); full of wisdom (Acts 6:3, 10); full of power (Acts 6:8); full of light
(Acts 6:15); fullness of vision (Acts 7:55, 56); fullness of love (Acts 7:60); and a martyr for the faith (Acts 7:56).
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was a very godly man. His rebuke of the religious leaders of his day was too much for them, so they stoned him to death.
It is regrettable that many persecutions heaped upon some of the godliest persons across the Christian centuries have come from the cold-hearted and sinful within the professed pale of the church itself.
Unbelieving Jews killed Stephen, but it has often been professed Christians who have persecuted the more devout ones among them. It is sad but true that the church has done herself great harm in the eyes of the world by this evil.
One must never allow persecutions in any form to hinder his progress in true Christian living.
* Stephen was a man full of faith... The Bible tells us about some wise and foolish people. Moses sent 12 spies to check out the Promised Land, a land of fabulous fruits and blessings. Ten of them feared the "scarecrows" - the giants and the walled cities. Two wise "birds" Caleb and Joshua, believed God had given them the land. They weren't fooled. They said, "Let us go up at once and take possession" (Numbers 13:30). The foolish see giants when troubles appear, they tremble in weakness, their hearts filled with fear; the wise are undaunted when trouble they scan, thy go forth to battle, for God's in their plan.
* Stephen was full of wisdom. "The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). Don't squander your time merely acquiring facts. It's far better to study the truth God has given us in His Word. Remember: "The Lord gives wisdom." We can get information online, but wisdom comes from on high.
* Stephen has fullness of love. "If you love those who love you, what reward has you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" (Matthew 5:46). Herbert Vander Lught said that being a "good-for-nothing person by repeatedly going out of our day to be nice to someone who doesn't return even a smile of appreciation isn't easy. But that is what Jesus expects from us. And it becomes easier when we remember His continued goodness in spite of our selfishness and ungratefulness. It's easy to be kind and good to those who show us love, but loving those who won't respond takes grace from God above. Love helps those who may never return the favor.
* Stephen was a very godly man. I'm reminded of this story by Tonne to illustrate the point. A young man in Scotland hired himself out as a helper to a well-to-do farmer. He seemed to be doing a fine job, but after two weeks the young man quit. A friend asked, "Was the work too hard?" "Not at all," replied the lad. "Was it the wages?" "No," answered the youth, "Good wages." "Perhaps you didn't like the food?" "Food was the best," admitted the farmer's helper. "Well, then," insisted the friend, "why did you quit?" "I'll tell you," said the young man firmly, "there was no roof on the house." In Scotland that expression is applied to a home where there is no family prayer.
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