Acts 6:1-8:3
Stephen, the first named Deacon of the Church, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), becomes the first Martyr for Christ. Our word “martyr” comes straight from the Greek, “μάρτυς” (“mártys”), which simply means “witness”. It is because so many Christians have subsequently borne witness to Christ in like fashion as Stephen — laying down their lives — that the word has taken on the meaning it has today.
May we all be like Stephen!
No, I do not desire that any of us be stoned to death by an angry mob, but would that it could be said of us all that we were full of faith and of the Holy Spirit! How would it be if we’d all serve one another as the first Deacons served? How would it be if we knew the Scriptures as well as Stephen? (By the way, Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 is a pretty good overview of the Old Testament.) How would it be if we had Stephen’s boldness and courage? How would it be if we had Stephen’s faith? How would it be if we’d forgive others, even as they murder us?
Yes, may we all be like Stephen!
See also:
One more thing…
Happy Thanksgiving!
That, of course, is our standard greeting for this day, but it seems to me to be exceptionally shallow. It presupposes a fine feast in a warm place filled with pleasant company and beautiful traditions. But we all know that such a scene is often just a façade masking deep pain and scars. Sometimes that pain can make it difficult to feel thankful, but the truth is that we all have plenty for which to be thankful, including those things that we think of as “negative”.
…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Ephesians 5:20
So give thanks today, even if it’s hard to hear “Happy Thanksgiving!”