Like an Angel's Face

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

LIKE AN ANGEL'S FACE

Acts 6:15

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

 Acts 7:1-8

7:1 Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?" 2 To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'   4 "So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: 'Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.'   8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

NIV

Because Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and full of God's grace and power, and did wonders and miraculous signs among the people, those who felt they were in charge became so jealous that they fabricated lies to accuse Stephen of blasphemy against Moses. We will get into Stephen's response, which is full of grace and truth, but first, we wanted to consider his appearance. All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. We wonder how they knew what an angel's face looked like.  This description of Stephen gives us a clue of what someone full of faith and the Holy Spirit should look like. That is not to say that all apostles and the rest of the believers did not have the Holy Spirit; as we know, Peter was full of the Spirit when he got up and preached the best sermon ever, and thousands responded and accepted Jesus. But Stephen was special, and yet only a man, like us. However, he must have released the power of the Spirit to perform those signs and wonders and to be so full of the Spirit and wisdom. That is another clue to his appearance and to how we could appear if we were to actually release the power of the Spirit within us. If we were as full of the Spirit as Stephen was, our faces would show it, and we would be performing great signs and wonders. There is no reason we should not have the power of God in our lives, unless we are quenching the Spirit and trying to be righteous or religious and spiritual on our own efforts. We are told that Stephen was as he had been before he was selected by the people to be a deacon because he was chosen, having been full of the Spirit and wisdom. We can be full of the Spirit, full of the power of God, full of grace and wisdom, for we have the same Spirit that Stephen did. The question is whether we believe it and if we release the Spirit's power. If we allow the Spirit complete access to our whole being, there would be visible evidence to others; even our continence would reflect the glory of God, and maybe, just maybe, our face would look like the face of an angel. 

Grace and Power

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

 GRACE AND POWER

Acts 6:8-15

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)-Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

NIV

We are no sooner introduced to Stephen than men oppose him. We wonder whether the opposition stemmed from Stephen being full of God's grace and power, as well as faith and the Holy Spirit. He also did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. How was it possible that Stephen did such things? He wasn't one of the twelve who walked with Jesus. He was known by the people in the early church as a man full of the Spirit and wisdom, but weren't the other six chosen by the people also supposed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom? Why was Stephen different? Why was he singled out and his story told? He was a special man, yet it was God's grace and power that brought about his fame and opposition. The difference between all those members of the Synagogue and Stephen was that they were hemmed in by their adherence to the law, regulations, rules, and traditions, while Stephen was full of wisdom and truth from God. The men of the Synagogue were most likely schooled by some rabbi or teacher of the law. We do not know what schooling Stephen had, but he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, so we believe he was taught by the Spirit, who leads people into all truth. Ordinary men, without the power of God or the presence of the Holy Spirit, could not stand up against Stephen's wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. That is the clue we should focus on. It was the Spirit who was speaking through Stephen, or Stephen's words were prompted by the Spirit of whom he was full. That truth is what we need to apply to our lives. First, we ought to be full of the Spirit. Is it possible to have been baptized in the Spirit and not be full of the Spirit? Is it possible that we just say we have been baptized in the Spirit, but we are not? We know that if we have the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within, we should be exhibiting gifts and fruit. Can we forge either the gifts or the fruit of the Spirit? It might be possible to pretend, but the truth is that if we are full of the Spirit, the true evidence would show in our lives, such as being full of God's grace and power, even to the point of performing miracles, signs, and wonders among the people. There has to be a major difference between having knowledge of the scriptures and speaking as if we know the truth, and being so full of the Spirit that he speaks through us, or our words are prompted by the Spirit, as Stephen's were. Flow Spirit flow, flow through us with all your grace and power. 

Full Of Faith

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FULL OF FAITH

Acts 6:1-7

6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, 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.

NIV

Here, we are first introduced to Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. We will spend more time with Stephen later, yet we cannot help but think about what he must have been like. What was his personality? Why was he so full of faith and so full of the Holy Spirit? He must have been a powerful believer, having no doubts about his salvation and the resurrection of Jesus. When did Stephen become a believer? Was he part of the first disciples of one hundred and twenty that were in the room when Jesus appeared to them? Was he one of the many who heard Peter's speech on the Day of Pentecost and was added to their number? Because he was full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit, we believe he had to be among those in the room when the Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind, and what appeared as flames of fire settled on each of them. We will ponder Stephen further, but for now, we should focus on why the apostles decided to have the brothers choose seven men to become deacons, who would administer to the physical needs of the widows. Their reasoning was that they should not be distracted from attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This gives us a clue into how the church should function. At first, when the church was small, perhaps the apostles took care of the needs of widows, but as the numbers increased, it would have taken too much time from the ministry of the word, so the introduction of deacons was made. This teaches us that clergy should not be involved in the daily administration of the church, but should spend their time in prayer and the ministry of the word. That is not to say that pastors should divorce themselves from what goes on in the church; rather, they are the spiritual leaders. This does not mean they should not serve the church in various ways, for they should be servant leaders, as Jesus demonstrated throughout his time with his disciples. However, today it seems pastors do need to be part of the church, serving and doing things to build it up. However, pastors should never neglect focusing on prayer and the ministry of the word. However, it seems that in some denominations, within the organization, clergy are hired as administrators. However, the pattern given in this text is for the local church system rather than for the organization of districts, regions, parishes, schools, and denominational headquarters. Within the local church, there should be deacons to administer to the people's needs, while the pastor can serve in an overseer capacity. The first responsibility of the pastor is prayer and the ministry of the word; let the deacons attend to being deacons, full of faith and the Holy Spirit. 

Cannot be Stopped

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

CANNOT BE STOPPED

Acts 5:33-42

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 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. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.  

NIV

The first truth that shines through is in Gamaliel's speech. He is a well-respected teacher of the law, who is honored by all the people. If he is respected and honored for his great knowledge of the law, he would also be very knowledgeable about the prophets and would recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of their words. Yet he was blinded by law, rather than seeing the law as a mirror that showed his sin, and Jesus as the soap that cleansed him. However, in his speech to the Sanhedrin, he stated that if this movement, headed by Peter, John, and the rest of the Apostles, was generated by the mind of men, it would fail, like the others before them. But if what they are teaching is from God, the men of the Sanhedrin will not stop them, for they will find they are fighting against God. We still have people today who would want believers to be silent. They do not want to hear anything that opposes their agenda. They are blinded by their own desires and passions, unable or unwilling to see the truth. The scripture is clear regarding men loving the darkness because the light exposes their sin. However, the truth is that the apostles were not promoting their own agenda but teaching the truth about Jesus and his resurrection. It would not fall apart, for Jesus will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. What the Apostles taught through the power of the Holy Spirit has spread throughout the world and the centuries, becoming the church we know today. Because there is continued growth, someone is still proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ, and people are being added to the church. That is one of our tasks as believers, to proclaim the good news, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. We send missionaries to some ends of the earth, but the fact is, we live in one of the ends of the earth, and here is where we are to proclaim the good news. We should see people added to the local church, maybe even daily, weekly, or monthly, but nevertheless added. The Good News cannot be stopped. 

Never Being Silenced

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NEVER BEING SILENCED

Acts 5:25-32

25 Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead — whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

NIV

This is a great witness to the facts concerning Jesus and the main purpose he came to earth. This narrative is also a judgment about those who rejected Jesus and handed him over to the Romans to be crucified. Instead of the Sanhedrin Judging Peter and all the apostles, they judged the Sanhedrin. That could be our lesson: instead of letting non-believers judge our faith, the Word of God, Jesus judges them. However, everyone has been judged as guilty of sin, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus. We could use this truth about obeying God rather than men; however, that may only apply to speaking up about the resurrection of Jesus, because we are also told to submit to the governing authorities, for no authority exists without the permission of God, or that God establishes. Paul, inspired by the Spirit, has more to say about that in the letter to the Romans, but there is another truth we should focus on. Peter said that the Holy Spirit is a witness to everything about Jesus, whom God has given to those who obey him. What does this obeying God refer to? Does it mean not being silenced by men, but standing up, speaking up, about the resurrection of Jesus? If we take obeying God to apply to all the commands of God, then we would never be given the Holy Spirit, for who has obeyed God completely? On the other hand, we have obeyed in the sense that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have obeyed God by giving him all the praise and honor. Even our gathering together to worship him is an act of obedience to his word. Yet, the point is that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him. This brings us to the two schools of thought about when we are given the Holy Spirit. Some believe we are given the Spirit at the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. How does that apply to those who consider themselves believers all their lives? When did they receive the baptism in the Spirit? The other thought is the gift of the Spirit, or the baptism of the Spirit with fire, which comes at some time after we accept Jesus; it is a second experience, as we can see in the rest of these Acts of the Apostles. Nevertheless, we must understand that the Spirit is a gift from God; in fact, the Spirit is God because God is triune, and thus we live in the presence of our Lord God Almighty, with the Spirit dwelling within, bringing his power into our lives. Let us live in the power of God, standing up, speaking up, and never being silenced. 

The Influencers

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE INFLUENCERS

Acts 5:17-24

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin — the full assembly of the elders of Israel — and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.

NIV

It is no wonder the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled. They put the apostles in jail, the door was locked, the guards were at the door, and yet when they came to get the apostles, no one was in the cell. It is a bit strange that the angel opened the jail doors and brought them out, yet the doors were locked. There was something supernatural that happened: the doors were securely locked and the guards at the doors, yet the apostles walked out because the angel brought them out. Once again, we see the high priest and all his associates, who were Sadducees, filled with jealousy. They wanted to be the leaders. They wanted people to follow their way of life. They wanted to be the influencer. The problem was that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, and the apostles were teaching the full message of a new life, which included the resurrection of Jesus and that all who believe in the name of Jesus will experience the same resurrection. This is not just a hope of all believers, but it is the reality of the new life in Jesus. We know the scriptures talk about hope in Christ, and even the definition of faith uses the things hoped for yet not seen, but we cannot help but think in terms of fact rather than hope. Because we take Jesus's words as absolute truth, we do not hope, but know without a doubt that although we die, we will live. That is when this body finally gives out, and we must leave it behind and be present with our Lord. Someday, our bodies will be resurrected into a glorified form, and we will join back up with them to live in the new city of Jerusalem with the Lord forever. In a way, we feel sorry for those who are like the Sadducees, who do not believe in a resurrection. What is the purpose of life, if not to know Jesus as Lord and Savior? It is sad to think we are born, live a pitiful life, and die, and that is the end of the story. Of course, some non-believers think that because they are a good person, they will go to heaven, but they are sadly mistaken; they will perish, unless they confess with their mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. Anyone who believes in Jesus, who is influenced by Jesus, will be saved. That is the big difference. Who is the influencer of our lives, men or God? The next question is, who are we influencing for Jesus? 

Faith Exercised

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FAITH EXERCISED

Acts 5:12-16

12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.

NIV

There is power in the name of Jesus. Yet it appears that even as Peter passed by and his shadow fell upon sick people, they were healed. How is that possible? Was it because  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit? We are not told that Peter did anything, but we must believe that he touched the sick using the name of Jesus of Nazareth. No man can miraculously, supernaturally heal or drive out evil spirits by his own power. When the crippled man at the gate was healed, Peter invoked the name of Jesus. Nevertheless, all the sick and anyone tormented by evil spirits were healed. This power comes directly from the Lord God Almighty because Peter had used the name of Jesus. We are also told that the early church was filled with so much power that people were in awe of them; they were highly regarded, as we are told no one else dared to join them because the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. We wonder whether the church today generates the awe that keeps people from joining because of all the signs and wonders happening. That cannot be it, because we do not see any miraculous signs and wonders, nor do all the sick people get healed. Why? Do we not have the same name or ability to use the name of Jesus? Is our faith not faith at all, but just pretending to have faith? Do we really not believe the sick can be healed? Maybe we are just doing church without being the church. Maybe that was just for then and not applicable to today. But why is this recorded for us? Are we meant to just look at it as historical, or are we supposed to learn something from these truths? We know the name of Jesus has the same power as it always has, for God never changes. We have witnessed miracles, evil spirits driven out, healings, yet has anything changed? Do we lack that early faith, or have we just settled into the routine of Christianity, not expecting God to do anything, or not expecting any power in the name of Jesus? We know about routines and how they can become ruts, just plodding along, until that ruth become a grave. But there is still power in the name of Jesus; we serve a risen Savior, and God is still in the business of Salvation, doing the supernatural. Have we allowed our faith to become weak, crippled, and useless? Restore and strengthen our faith, Lord, so we can have faith exercised.