Living the Full Life for Jesus
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; Stephen full of grace and power. (Acts 6:5 and 8)
Acts 6:1-8, 7:54-60; Micah 3:8; Zech 4:6; Acts 1:8, 4:31, 11:24; Gal. 5:6; I John. 5:4
What Is God Saying?
Today, we meet an exceptional person whose name is on the Heroes of the Faith roll call. Stephen is named first among the deacons the Apostles chose to care for the growing church. They took seriously the responsibility of doing kind and necessary things for the needy members of their group. The Apostles who taught and preached the Word of the Messiah needed to help families in need of the Messiah's love. Urgent food distribution was one of these tasks.
Stephen, Philip, and five others who were ‘wise and full of the Holy Spirit’ were counted worthy of the task. They were commissioned by prayer and the laying on of hands to carry on the food program. It says something to us in our day, for we need to remember that the practical business of the church, such as feeding the hungry and helping the needy, is a high and holy calling. Stephen must have stood out. He was ‘full of faith, the Holy Spirit, grace, and power.’ He led the infant church through the rumblings of discontent; he did great things among them; he preached courageously even though it cost him his life. He was the first of all Christian martyrs.
How Does This Apply To Us?
We must be careful to reflect the grace we have received. Our lives can diminish, even nullify, the truth we profess if we do not come to others with the wisdom and the Spirit and ‘with the grace and the power of Jesus Christ.’ Be busy witnessing to others, giving a helping hand, feeding the hungry, and doing loving things for the sake of Christ. If we are full of faith and the Holy Spirit, we will be full of grace and power. We may not be called upon to give our lives for the Lord, but we are all called upon to live our lives for the Lord. Saul heard the dying words of Stephen. On the way to Damascus, they echoed in his ears and had a part in his conversion. Let others see faith and grace in us. We may have a part in leading others to conversion.
Pray With Me
Dear Lord, source of all grace and power, there are times when my life lacks grace toward others and the power to live triumphantly. I have not always reflected the grace You show me. Your power is often short-circuited in my life. I have not always shared Your grace as liberally as I have received it. With Your grace, I also want the power that counts-not power over others but power for others and with others. I want Stephen's grace and power not to do ‘great wonders among the people" but to be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ to the end of my days.
I have found the key to grace and power in listening to Your Word today. I don’t need to struggle or strive. I can let the Holy Spirit do His work, believing He is always able and present. I see now that anyone full of faith and the Holy Spirit will be full of grace and power. In the fullness of faith, the Holy Spirit led Stephen to give his life to die for You. Filled with faith and led by the same Holy Spirit, may I, at least, give my life to live for You. For then, I will see the glory of God and find that it isn't the end, but the beginning, for with Stephen, I will see ‘the heavens opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God.’
In the name of Jesus, by whose grace and power I am redeemed. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
The grand and straightforward formula for prayer is found in the words used to describe Stephen. Let our prayer be ‘full of faith and the Holy Spirit.’ Then, the ‘fullness of grace and power’ will flow into our lives. It's a simple formula, but it promises grand results. When we are filled with faith and led by the Holy Spirit, trusting that we will receive grace and power, prayer will take on a new dimension. Try it and see—no, do it and see!
