Standing.

Our early family in the bible book of Acts is showing us about the guts of following Jesus. There have been great outpourings of power from God's Spirit. People are speaking boldly with renewed passion and courage because of the work of the Spirit of God. People are being healed in the name of Jesus. One who denied Jesus days ago has a blazing tongue of truth.

And.... there are problems. I both respect this and appreciate getting to know this. The power of God at work in the lives of His followers doesn't remove the reality of problems and things to work through. Widows in their community are not getting their food as they should. And so this new, thriving community is also living in practical realities. Things need tending. This is helpful for us to see. Our roots show a group of people processing, planning, proposing and praying about the issue at hand.

Process: Widows aren't getting their food. Plan: We can't shun the proclamation of the word. We need help. Propose: Let's pick men who are full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace and power to tend to this. Praying: The apostles prayed over them. You can find all of this in the Bible book of Acts, chapter 6&7.

Stephen was one of the men chosen.

Strap in. Here we go.

Stephen did great wonders and miraculous signs as a man full of the Holy Spirit, grace, faith and power. And opposition arose against him. Always opposition. It's a battle. They were falsely accusing him of blasphemy against Moses and God. And I love what it says. "But they could not stand up against his wisdom of the Spirit by whom he spoke."

Their hatred, fear and jealousy lead them to intentionally stir up trouble for Stephen, having him seized. The leaders drum up false witnesses to testify against him. And right in the midst of the trouble we read this declaration. "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." He is full. They only had to behold his face. Yes Lord. Please.

It just keeps cooking. Stephen is asked a simple yes/no question in the beginning of chapter 7. "Are these charges true?" Yes or no will suffice. Just one word will do. Just answer the question. He then speaks 1,294 words. One thousand two hundred ninety four words. He has lots of words. Oh the longing for words that matter. You know, we live in a time when there are lots of words about many things. And many of those words are about absolutely meaningless things. I know that I contribute to that meaninglessness at times. Not Stephen right here. He is asked a question and he begins to review their history. Abraham to Joseph to Moses to the Tabernacle.

As he closes his fresh recounting of 1294 words of history, he then speaks pointedly. "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!"

Pause. Let it simmer for you and I. "Always resist the Holy Spirit." It's not just for them. Such pointed words pointing heartward.

God help me. God help us. Are you and I history repeaters or history interrupters, history makers? Will it be the same old things or will there be new, healthy history?

He continues. "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him."

Them? History repeaters. This trail of history repeaters has led to this current killing. May it not be so by the power and grace of God in my life. In your life. In our lives. May God interrupt history in us and make new history with us. Stunning power and possibility. Please Lord. Please.

At Stephen's words, the scripture says they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. Down right dirty sinful, the way it always is. In the face of that dirty, now let this song of scripture sing it's beauty over us.

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

They can't take it. The love and power of Father, Son and Spirit all present in this moment is driving them mad. "At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he fell on his knees and cried out, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he fell asleep."

Dying full. Raising fuller. Perfectly, forever full. The gripping, demonstrative power of God in the life of a history maker, a history interruptor. Affecting our history. Power of God, clearly pulsing through a life, in life and death. Inspiring and maddening all at once. Jesus Christ.

Upon the ascension of Jesus and recorded in the words that we now read on our page, He is regularly depicted as being seated at the right hand of the Father. Seated. A place of rest. A place of not striving. A place of not being caught off guard. A place of authority, rule and reign. As it should be and as we want it to be.

Notice here however with your heart hushed with awe, the posture of Jesus as one of his beloved children prepares to die from the earth and meet him face-to-face. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit looks up to heaven, sees the glory of God and.... sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

The normally seated Jesus, standing. Seen standing.

There's more.