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was sharing the word of God and they didn’t receive it well.
Acts 7:54-60, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the
quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him, but being full
of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the
glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and
he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of
Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with
a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him
with one impulse. And when they had driven him out of the
city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their
robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they went
on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, ‘Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit!’ And falling on his knees, he cried out
with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’
And having said this, he fell asleep.”
Do those words sound familiar? When Stephen was
dying he said, “Father, forgive them.” When Stephen was
dying he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Those were the
words of a crucified man. It sounds a lot like Jesus. When
angry men are throwing stones at you, you don’t say, “Father,
forgive them.” You know the natural heart like I know the
natural heart. How could he do that? Was he saying, “I’m a
Christian and I’m supposed to turn the other cheek. I better act
like a Christian because I am a Christian.” That was not
possible.
Stephen’s heart was full of forgiveness. Stephen was
not repeating the words of Jesus. It sounds like Jesus because
it was Jesus. Jesus was in his heart and he now had the character
of the Lord. That’s fruit; when you are made like Jesus and
when you are conformed into His likeness. That takes a
miracle. Stephen was not some puppet that the Lord was
putting words into his mouth.
I’m sure Stephen was so focused on Christ that he was
distracted from being stoned. This is an amazing miracle. Acts.
7:58 says that they laid the robes of the ones who were stoning
him at Saul’s feet, “And when they had driven him out of the
city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their