Acts 7

Acts 7 is Stephen's response to the accusation that he had blasphemed Moses and Jesus. He starts his answer by referring to Abraham when God told Abraham to get out of the land of Haran (Gen 12:1). From there he talks about their time in Egypt and then talks about Moses from verse 20-40. He then ask why do they keep rejecting the Holy Spirit just like their forefathers did when they persecuted/killed the prophets (verse 51-52). After they had heard enough to be even madder at Steven, they took him outside the city to stone him. He proceeds to make them even angrier when he tells them that he sees the Son of Man. Yet while they were stoning him, he prays the same exact prayer Jesus did as He was dying on the cross - Lord, do not hold this sin against them. He then fell asleep.

It appears that Stephen died for the truth and his words did not have any effect on the Sanhedrin judges or the crowd that day. However there was one man among them that must have kept hearing/replaying Stephen's words and action as this man kept persecuting the church. Could it have been that what Saul saw and heard on that day helped lead to his conversion? I do not see where anyone witnessed to Saul since everyone was afraid of him. (I understand that God does not need people to carry out his plan but over and over in the scriptures he does use people.) How did Stephen know that the way he responded that day could have led to thousands being saved? We must be willing to let God speak through us and we need to live a godly life because we never know the effect that we may have on the people watching us. We may never see the results because of life events that take place in our lives. I am reminded of a verse to Ray Boltz'z song "Thank You":

One by one they came
Far as your eyes could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices you made
They were unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed

Are you willing to sacrifice your life just to reach another person?

Randal