Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Before I awkwardly stumble forward with the scripture for the day, please allow me to make a note from the verse immediately preceding. Acts 6:15 “…all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel”. Now I am a strong believer that nature has a way of saying, “Do not touch!” The rattle of a rattlesnake, the quills on a porcupine, and a skunk’s raised tail - they all scream, “Do not touch!” One would think that a guy you are questioning exhibits the face of that of an angel (bright, shining, radiant, usually accompanied with the phrase: "Do not fear") would probably fall under the category of “Do not touch”. I wasn’t there but I’m just saying.

In chapter 7, we see Stephen giving a concise review of the Israelite’s history as he has been summoned before the Council. Nothing new. Everyone in attendance was well-versed in the accounts that he spoke of. Jewish History 101. I can see them now, all sitting smug, just nodding their heads in agreement and wondering where this history lesson was going. Until he called them stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart, and having ears always resisting the Holy Spirit. It was on then. He had crossed the line. Do you feel anger rising in your spirit as you read this? Mine too. How dare they treat him like this? But(usually not a fan of that word), I learned a lesson recently. Let me share with you so you might avoid my blunder. My men’s group was reading through a book by Timothy Keller called "Rediscovering Jonah."  It was a great book. The first four or so chapters were terrific. We read about what a sorry prophet Jonah was, and each Sunday we would meet to talk about that. What a healthy way to spend an afternoon. I always felt better about myself. Of course, we ended in proper Baptist fashion by reminding each other how God could use even Jonah. All was going exceedingly well until about the 5th chapter when we realized Keller wasn’t really talking about Jonah; he was talking about us (me). What a bait and switch. Where is my Amazon return tab? Wow! We didn’t see that coming but it was such a reminder of how we easily view these stories as spectators instead of characters in the story. By the way, good and kind Pastor Jeff suggested this book.

This Council that Stephen was brought before certainly had it out for him. They were evil and hid behind religion for personal gain. But just like my book about Jonah, I must check my spiritual inventory and see what the condition of my heart is. How many times have I been stubborn and stiff-necked wanting my own way? How many times has my heart not been right about a situation? How many times has the Holy Spirit nudged me only to have my deaf ears refuse to listen? Don’t answer that for me. I know. The answer is plenty of times. And for me, it’s just another reminder that the Cross was for me, not somebody else.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Do you have trouble seeing the areas in your life that need some work?
  
• Does religion get in the way of your personal relationship with God?
• Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, on the Cross.  Help me to not only see You as a read scripture but also how You are trying to speak to me.  Convict my heart each time I open the Bible and meet with You.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Reclaimed:

Have you experienced the life-changing grace and mercy of the Cross in your life? Do you have questions about following Jesus? If you or someone you know has questions about salvation or baptism, Venture’s Salvation & Baptism Booklet is a written guide to walk you through an understanding of who God is and what He did for us. To learn more or contact someone from our staff about baptism, go to www.venturechurch.org/baptism.