Sep 12
11
Reader feedback on Acts and deacon Stephen
Reader feedback on Acts and deacon Stephen
Subject: Did Deacon Stephen commit suicide?
WOW! Amen to your unpolitically correct analysis of Acts… – QC
Really enjoyed your commentary on Stephen. Every time we, who love our Lord and Saviour, read the scriptures with a right heart, it is like reading for the first time. Our God is an awesome God! He gave us the scriptures to encourage, enlighten, strengthen and give instruction for daily living. It is with shame, I admit to too often neglecting the wonderful gift of the scriptures. May our Lord bless you with even more insight and wisdom as you study God’s holy scriptures, brother. – IT, ON
Hi Tim, Read this doc…cool stuff. Can I use some of it …? It would be good material to stimulate the troops into action. Blessings – TS, QC
I liked the bit about Stephen. However, how things were done by leaders of the church at that time and that place with those people is history. History is not necessarily ‘how to’. Prudence, not following examples that are not presented as ‘you are to do things this way’, should be our guide. But I liked your take. – PC, CO
Responses after distributing the 2nd part of the commentary:
Hi Tim, What can I say, except that your right on target. Would be great to see Christian’s with some Holy boldness even starting to pray for people publicly. Christ died and gave us ALL DOMINION, when we pray we receive, unless of course your sitting in front of the TV watching your favorite Soap Opera. That Frog is starting to feel the heat, Obama and Rae can’t save him, but we can give him the good news, Christ Is Alive In Us. Your Article on Acts is great, read straight to the bottom. My gosh keep preaching and teaching like this who knows, maybe Christians will get the Message to die to self. God Bless. – KC, ON
Hey Tim, I think that is the most powerfully motivating piece you’ve ever written. Would that we could walk in their commitment and devotion to our Lord and King. God helping us we can. I’m sure the coming increased persecution will separate the men and women from the boys and girls, as I’m sure it did in their day. – LB, ON
From a posting of the article at Christendom Restored:
Sir, I am in agreement with you and the truth you are seeing in the book of Acts. It is exciting to find a fellow co-worker in Christ who is able to express his revealing experience as Peter experience when Jesus ask this question, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter’s response, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”…Jesus said, Blessed are you Simon BarJonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven”…this “revealing” is what the church (Jesus said I will build My church, body of believers…Jesus is the rock…revelation of Jesus…from the Father is the “revealing” of truth……I see in that time period, that “this generation”…had been judged, the Jesus had spoken to….the same ones the Apostles and Stephen had spoken to…these leaders did not “recognized” their visitation from Father God, the promised Messiah and judgment came upon them as a nation in that time period and only that generation according what Jesus had spoken. So, God’s grace and mercy was extended until the prophecy Jesus spoken had been fulfilled….in the meantime, “the Way” message was going out to everyone Jews first then the Gentiles. No longer was the Temple. All of the old testament had been fulfilled in Jesus, nothing was left out. And not only that, when Jesus resurrected, all the saints of old were here on earth was well, 40 days and 40 nights and they all went with Jesus when He ascended…the great clouded of witnesses….so much was going on, a new testament life in Christ Jesus….a new mankind had come….Jesus with many brethren….a whole new way of thinking and living…no longer living under the blood sacrifices of animals….this came against every religious teaching, especially traditionals that would not see the truth in Jesus (the fulfillment of all scriptures and God’s visitation). Even today, there are many religions that have the flavor still of the old testament teachings negating “the Way” Jesus fulfilled and gave us the victorious life today, now, here! on earth as it is in heaven….Kingdom of God is here in us, temple not made of hands but of God…God dwelling in us, no longer in buildings….I am sorry for rambling on sir. There are not very many people I could share with in what I see in the bible. There are some and we do keep in contact but there is not yet a large volume of believers that see this…too caught up in escaping and not completing what God got started. I need to stop here. I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading your heart and thoughts on the chapters in the Book of Acts..our history. Thank you. – CharK