Telling The Story.... Silver Linings....

This does not always happen but have you ever experienced something bad in life which when you now look back,  turned out to be real positive!? Praise God for His intervention....

Now let me tell you the real story...  imagine that you re listening to an "enemy" someone totaly opposed to everything you hold dear. As they talk they speak such words of truth that you have to agree with what they say. how do you feel: confused nervous angry?  rememeber those "feelings"now as i take you through Acts 6:15- 7:53...

Key important we realize here WHO Stephen is talking to: the "very holiest"people of his day. These were the Jews most comitted to serving God, and a follower of Christ was in their opinion, an arch-enemy, someone who believed different in God. Cant help but notice but here Stephen was calling them "brothers and fathers" (7:2) and claiming to hold some heritage. they had seen his godly beauty (6:15) and must sure have been pretty confused not to even mention tense...

Try to count how many times Stephen refers to the ancients as "our fathers"as he draws them in, telling them their own story.suddenly through the tone changes he is saying "your fathers"(7:51) he has just turned the story around and they have become the bad guys! (7:51-53)
This is the worst thing anyone could ever say to them! utterly beyond comprehension and utterly "blasphemous" but it was true...

At times people (includes me, including ourselves!) act as if they are certain they know everything about God. However, sometimes God uses people we least expect (just like me, just like you) and knock us sideways with the truth! in this story it is not easy to associate ourselves with Stephen because he is the hero!

Now can i ask you, is God maybe asking me, you to be a Stephen in some situation in this life? OR, is He asking you/me to hear truth from an unlikely source? I pray He will give you insight and humility.
Remember, Jesus was not messing about when He asked the disciples if they were prepared for the consequences of following Him (see Luke 14:27)

Considering honestly before God how prepared you are to live for Him and what would you be ready to die for. Ask Him to give you purpose and courage to live in the light of that today....