Hit the Mark

Let’s imagine persecution. One may think, “This doesn’t happen today. Why imagine persecution? Why imagine being persecuted physically and/or mentally and facing death. That doesn’t happen today.”

My response, “Oh Yes! It most certainly does!”

Some Christians are facing physical persecution in some places of the world. However, all over the world, most Christians have faced verbal persecution at some point in time in their Christian walk for the Lord.

Let’s look at one account that might encourage us all, this year, to take persecution like a grain of salt.

Let’s take a trip down imagination lane. “Friends and people you know, in your town, have been lying about you and now you are facing a horrible physical persecution that you are sure death is imminent.”

Envision further, “People are congregating around you, screaming and hollering at you with slanderous words, and throwing stones at you. One stone hits your head. One hits an arm. So many stones are hitting your body in places, you can’t figure out where they are all landing. All you know is that your torso is in terrible pain as you feel blood dripping down your flesh. Blood runs into your eyes, your mouth, and down your neck. Your bones are aching and surely some have broken. Tendons and ligaments are ripped from joints. Your legs give out and you fall to the ground in a kneeling position in agonizing pain. There is no way out, you know death is forthcoming, and all you can do is wail out one last thing. What would words would come out of your mouth?”

I probably would howl out, “Why Lord?”

But not Stephen. Questioning the Lord was not even in his mind. The last thing he cried out, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”

Then he died.

Acts 7:60 “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

In this new year, I’d like to encourage all Christian ladies in an area that I myself am very weak in. Let me further explain.

In the past couple weeks, I’ve been reading the account of Stephen. I have always looked up to Stephen as a great, super hero of the faith. I’ve read the following phrase many times; but recently, this phrase truly hit home. If you know what I mean.

Since I’ve been reading about Stephen, I’ve read further back in Acts Chapter 6 that he was chosen with 6 other men to tend to the needs of the widows.

Acts 6:5 “..they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas…”

What has always amazed me is nothing is said about the other men, but there is much to be said about Stephen. I particularly like these verses about Stephen:

Acts 6:8-10 “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue…disputing with Stephen.10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.”

Can you imagine being able to speak with such Godly wisdom that stubborn people around you can’t resist the Godly words of wisdom you speak with? That is how Stephen spoke.

Can you also imagine being so full of faith and power that through God you can accomplish many miracles? Now, we know the gift of miracles is done away with; but that is another blog post for a preacher to explain in further detail. However, let’s focus on the phrase “full of faith?” Wow! To be so full of faith your name is mentioned in God’s Word with that phrase. Imagine if all Christians were so “full of faith” in 2021 what grand mountains could be moved?

Matthew 17:20 “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

So in conclusion, let’s be like Stephen in 2021. Let’s aim towards Paul’s mark mentioned in Philippians. Let’s forget the many things in 2020 we’d like to forget and aim for “the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.”

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Forget the things that are behind us in 2020. Let’s aim towards “the mark” of the two things taught to us by Stephen. Let all of us in 2021:

1. Be so forgiving of others that have persecuted us and done us wrong, that we would say, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” instead of what we women like to say “Why me God”
2. Also let’s be knows as women “full of faith” and see mountains moved in our lives in 2021.

Note: After reading this, if you wish to leave a comment, scroll all the way to the bottom past my photo and other links to articles and you will see a place to leave a message. Thanks and Happy New Year.