Acts 7 - 1.5.23

Scripture

Acts 7:51-53

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Observation-What does it say?

Stephen was seized and brought to trial under false accusations against him with false witnesses. He was responding to the high priest who asked Stephen if the charges were true. Stephen answered by laying out the history of Israel and how time and time again the Holy Spirit showed up yet the Israelites resisted God, grew cold, hard and jealous, and turned away from Him. Stephen was calling the Sanhedrin out, showing them how they were doing the same thing people had done for hundreds of years before them.

Understanding-What does it mean?

Don’t resist the Holy Spirit.

All throughout scripture we see how God’s people resisted Him and suffered for it.

Jesus said: “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;  you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

–Matthew 13:13-16

I want to be like Stephen. I want to be someone who sees and hears what the Holy Spirit is doing and saying. I want my heart to stay soft, and I want to be blessed because I see and hear.

Life Application

Keep your heart soft before the Holy Spirit by spending time with God and God’s people.

I don’t want to be like the Sanhedrin or thousands of others who have gone before and have had their hearts hardened, and who have resisted Holy Spirit. I don’t want to miss out on the glory of God that people like Stephen got to experience because they were open to what Holy Spirit had for them and obeyed Him. I want to be open to all that God has for me, my family, community, and world. In order to do that, I need to keep myself in His presence, connecting with him regularly throughout my day and connecting with my family – God’s people – who can continue to encourage me and keep my heart in check should it start to grow cold.

God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for my sins, and thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the times I resist the Holy Spirit, forgive me for the times that I have received your commands but haven’t obeyed them. Thank you for your grace and mercy, and the blood of Jesus that washes me clean. Help me to stay soft and open to you. Help me to stay soft and open to my family of believers. Help me to stay vulnerable before you. I love you! Amen.

-Katie Thompson

Acts 6 - 1.4.23

Scripture

Acts 6:3-7

3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Observation-What does it say?

This chapter covers the appointment of deacons and Stephen being falsely accused of blasphemy. (Matthew Henry’s commentary on Christianity.com)

The disciples needed help with ministry. In order for them to focus on prayer and teaching of the Word, they appointed 7 other men to take on some responsibilities that they didn’t have time for. In choosing these men, they didn’t look for the strongest, most gifted, most talented, or most educated men. They chose

based on 2 things: Being full of the Spirit and wisdom.

The Word of God spread as a result of those men being full of the Spirit and wisdom.

As we fast forward in the chapter, one of the men chosen, Stephen, would be falsely accused of blasphemy. I won’t spoil the next chapter if you are unfamiliar with his story, but those traits of being full of the Spirit and wisdom is what would sustain his faith through the hard tests, trials and persecution he was about to face.

Understanding-What does it mean?

There will be times in our walk with Jesus where we will need to take up our cross in order to follow Him.

I love how the Bible/God’s Word, doesn’t sugar coat anything. The Christian faith is definitely an adventure, which includes bumps along the way. Not only are we made aware of the joys of ministry in this chapter, like in verse 7 where “the Word of God spread and the number of disciples increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Through Stephen’s story, we are also made aware of the trials of ministry, and how important being filled with Him is during those times.

Life Application

Pray to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Plug into the Source who gives the Spirit and wisdom fully and generously.

Our 28 days of prayer and fasting kicks off on Monday, January 9th and meeting with our one on ones started this week.

One of the things we are encouraged to do is pray for our vision and why. Why are we praying and fasting? Answering that question is what will sustain us when the hard times hit.

Prayer and fasting does bring with it many joys and closeness with Jesus, but the enemy hates it! When opposition arises and it starts getting challenging, our why is what will sustain us. In addition, being filled with the Spirit and His wisdom through it is what will sustain us.

Dear Lord, please give us more of Your Spirit and more wisdom through this adventure of faith with You. I want to come out of any trial or test that the enemy throws at me, refined, instead of defeated. Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi

Acts 5 - 1.3.23

Scripture

Acts 5:38-39

“… Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Observation

In Acts 5, the apostles are put in jail for performing signs and wonders. An angel comes in the middle of the night, releases them, and tells them to continue to “tell the people all about this new life” – which they did! They were called before the Sanhedrin, and this time, they were going to be put to death. But one of the Sadducees cautioned in vs. 35, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.” He pointed out other times when revolutionary leaders had a following, and nothing ended up coming of it. He says “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Instead of killing them, the Sanhedrin had them flogged, ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And as we all know, it didn’t turn out as they expected!

Understanding

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. If we have been called by God, then men, or circumstances, will not be able to stop us. It is not our fight – it is God’s! I Thessalonians 5:24 - The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Life Application

Has God spoken to you – a promise or a calling? He is faithful and will fulfill it. One calling He has placed on all of us: Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God, help me to remember that I have been called by You. When I am weak, frustrated with waiting, lacking in faith, or scared to step out, help me to remember that it is Your fight. You are in control of the outcome. It is only my job to obey.

- Debbie Dunn