CityLight Church’s One Year Bible Reading Plan
Thursday, June 9th, 2016
1 Kings 5:1-6:38
Acts 7:1-29
Psalm 127:1-5
Proverbs 16:28-30
For full text click here: http://bit.ly/1JAF2Ap
Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?” – Acts 7:1
Stephen was accused of blasphemy (Acts 6:11). The penalty for blasphemy was death! Yet when he was put on trial and given a chance to defend himself and save his own life, he chose instead to defend his faith.
Jesus promises that when we defend Him, He will defend us. Stephen died for his faith: he was stoned to death in Acts 7. Yet even as he died, the scene was nothing short of miraculous:
…being full of the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God… – Acts 7:55
Jesus had already ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19); yet here He was, standing to honor Stephen and welcome him into Heaven with open arms.
When Jesus will stand for you, whom do you have to fear?
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. – Matt 10:28
Prayer:
Father, help me to stand for You no matter what! Make me strong enough to defend my faith at all costs, even to the death, in Jesus’ name!
Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014: http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-160-wisdom-and-peace/
See commentary from this day in 2015: http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-160-god-the-builder/
© Michael D. White, 2016. All rights reserved.