Yielded bodies

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Daniel 1-3; Psalm 55

TO CHEW ON: "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,  who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God." - Daniel 3:28

I love the way Nebuchadnezzar spells out what these three rebellious officials have done this day. He says, in effect, 'You thumbed your noses at my law, yielding your very bodies in order to obey God, whom I now see is greater than I am.' Not only had these men  faced the possibility of giving up their positions and reputations but their physical lives to stay loyal to God.

Similar sacrifice is found throughout scripture. In the Old Testament

• Caleb and Joshua followed the Lord to the extent that their fellow Israelites were about to stone them when when they defended Moses after their spy mission - Numbers 14:10; 32:12.

• King Josiah promised and then made good on his promise to follow God with all his heart, soul and might - 2 Kings 23:3,25.

• In the New Testament Paul models that kind of surrender, facing stoning, riots, and imprisonments to spread the gospel.

Surrender to the point of physical pain—even death—is foreign to us, or to me at least. I wonder how I would have done under the pressures of Nebuchadnezzar's edict or the hounding that the first Christians lived with. No doubt the spirits of these stalwarts were first steeled in the mental, emotional and spiritual way Paul talks about in:

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.


Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.


Galatians 5:24
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

PRAYER: Dear God, you are not asking me to yield my body to a fiery furnace, but to honour You and achieve Your purposes in my own setting. Help me to discern what Your purposes are, and to give myself, soul, spirit and body, to You. Amen.

The Bible Project VIDEO: DANIEL - (Read Scripture Series)

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hatred? Terrorism? Fight back!

Twitter users respond to the Kenyan attack

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 15:11-16:4

TO CHEW ON: " ' If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.' " John 15:18


The slaughter by al-Shebaab terrorists of Christian students in a Kenyan university seemed far away with a limited effect on my life until I got this note from my nephew who works as a missionary in Uganda:

"We request that you lift up Christians in Kenya and Uganda as we have been warned of eminent terror attacks on Christians and western interests in the two countries…"

Our sense of security here in North America may be false and short-lived as world travel and communication homogenize beliefs. Whenever, wherever, and however this Jesus-hating force touches us, we shouldn't be surprised. For Jesus predicted it.

In fact, His description of its motivation: " ' … whoever kills you will think that he offers God service…' " seems to describe quite particularly the motivation of those who currently use sword, gun, and explosive with abandon around the world.

But we are not defenseless or powerless against this hatred of Christ and Christians. We defend with love (John 15:12) and fight back with prayer. In his book Love On Its Knees, Dick Eastman speaks of World Prayer Missionaries:

" … a World Prayer Missionary is any follower of Jesus who will go daily in prayer to a specific region of the world to engage in a carefully planned strategy of spiritual warfare."

 He goes on to describe the four-pronged function of such a prayer warrior:

1. He / she is a forerunner—a preparer of the way for missionaries on the ground - Isaiah 62:1,2.
2. He / she is a war club or weapon in God's hands - Isaiah 62:3
3. He / she is a threshing sledge, pulverizing what Satan would raise up to block God's plan - Isaiah 41:15.
4. He / she is a ruling authority - Jeremiah 1:10 -  Dick Eastman, Love On Its Knees, p. 176-8.

As we see the spread of Christ-hating and persecution of Christians let's not take it sitting down. Rather, let's fight it on our knees.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, You died for these people. They are my human brothers and sisters who you love. Please help me to view them through Your eyes and respond to news of such events of terrorism and persecution with increased prayer. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lessons from the life (and death) of Stephen

The stoning of Stephen - Acts 7:58-60

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 6:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. … And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people." Acts 6:5a,8

Stephen has always intrigued me. Here he is, the quintessential post-Pentecost Christian, fairly sizzling with Holy Spirit gifts and power, picked to be a food-bank administrator and table server! The result of his service (and the work of the others appointed to serve in that way) was that the gospel spread and the number of disciples multiplied so that even Jewish priests came to belief in Jesus (Acts 6:7).

It didn't end there, however. Stephen's prominence led to a dispute in the synagogue where he distinguished himself with wisdom. In fact he was so persuasive that his adversaries got people to lie about him. His sermon of defense, where he outlined Jewish history and denounced the Jews for killing the prophets and the "Just One" (Jesus) of whom the prophets spoke, eventually got him stoned to death (Acts 7:1-60).

What lessons can we learn from Stephen's cut-short life? Here are three that come to mind:

1. There are no big or little jobs in the Kingdom of God.
They're all big jobs. The Apostles' ministry of teaching and prayer was essential to the gospel's spread, but so was serving tables and the fair administration of relief to Greek-speaking widows.

2. Holy Spirit giftings are various—and practical too.
The apostles looked for men full of the Holy Spirit to do these service jobs. Of course that makes sense because the gifts of the Spirit include "helps" and "administrations" - 1 Corinthians 12:28.

3. God's plans often differ from ours.
But the right man in the right place at the right time turned out so badly for the early church when Stephen was martyred. It gave the Christians' persecutors a shot in the arm and started a new wave of arrests and killings. We may be tempted to ask, wasn't it all a big mistake?

No. Because the threat in Jerusalem caused the Christians to disburse. They carried the gospel with them, a "virus" that then "infected" regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1) and led eventually to the conversion of Saul/Paul (who, we know, became the early church's main church planter and who wrote large chunks of the New Testament).  And so we see that God's ways consume people and move events according to a higher purpose than the long and stress-free lives that are often our goal (Isaiah 55:9).

Let's learn from and be encouraged by Stephen's life and death today.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Stephen, whose life is an illustration of Your ways. Help me to open myself to the working of Your Spirit through me—no matter what the cost—as Stephen did. Amen.

MORE: Feast of St. Stephen

Today is the church focuses Stephen, Deacon and Martyr.

The liturgy for the day begins with this Collect prayer:

"We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen."

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

In with the new!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 6:8-7:2a

TO CHEW ON: "For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." Acts 6:14

Less than 40 years have passed between today's story and the event we celebrated yesterday (Jesus' birth). It's a relatively short span of time, yet long enough to change the course of history. The council of priests here accused Stephen of the same thing they had accused the adult Jesus of — wanting to change the temple order of worship (Matthew 26:59-61). And though the witnesses against Jesus misrepresented what He said, the coming of Christ did mean the end of the temple order of worship, the foundation of Judaism.

I can understand the resistance of these leaders when confronted with claims that were so earth-shaking. We naturally fear and resist change, especially when it shatters the lens through which we view life. And that's the kind of change Jesus brings:

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17

What new things does Christ bring?

1. A new sensitivity (Ezekiel 36:26).
2. A new Master (1 Corinthians 8:6)
3. A new mind (Romans 12:1-2)
4. A new reason for living (Philippians 1:21).
5. A new guidebook (1 Peter 1:23).
6. A new interest (Colossians 3:1).
7. A new freedom (Romans 7:6).
8. New strength (Isaiah 40:31).
9. A new love (1 John 4:7).
10. A new song (Psalm 40:3).
11. A new destiny (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Reviewing all these new things that Jesus brings gets me all excited again about the privilege of being His child.

Have you invited Him to bring this newness into your life? Such a decision won't be without its discomforts, as you deal with the old: mindsets, values, priorities and allegiances. But it's so worth it!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, again, thank You for coming to earth to bring change and make things new. Help me to embrace and incorporate all these new things into my life today. Amen. 

MORE: Feast of Saint Stephen

The "new" for the disciples also brought martyrdom. Today the church commemorates its first martyr, in the Feast of Saint Stephen. The liturgy for today begins with this collect:

We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Stephen - a kitchen worker's role model

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 6:8-7:2a

TO CHEW ON: "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people .... And they (Synagogue of the Freedmen members who opposed Stephen) were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." Acts 6:8,10

When we recruit for church kitchen volunteers or look for someone to administer our soup kitchens or free stores, are faith, power, and wisdom on the list of qualifications? It has always amazed me that such a talented, articulate man like Stephen was picked to do what we might consider the menial job of overseeing the distribution of food to foreign widows.

The twelve disciples seemed to think this food distribution job was beneath them ("It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables" - Acts 6:2). But Stephen, along with six others, willingly took on the task and, I believe, forever elevated the role of the kitchen volunteer.

• Stephen's position put him in the public eye where his reputation as a man of faith and power was affirmed.

• He had the platform to explain and defend his faith. In this capacity he showed himself someone who possessed irresistible wisdom and was full of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe I find Stephen so attractive because I have spent a fair amount of time serving in our church's kitchen. (In fact, on the day that I'm writing this, I'll be working in the kitchen for some hours, helping with a funeral tea.) The role comes with little prestige. We are often ignored, sometimes bossed around and generally treated like servants. But I think it's a privilege to be in the train of kitchen volunteers like Stephen who, when he was martyred for his faith, was welcomed into heaven by Jesus Himself (Acts 7:56-60).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that no kingdom service is menial to You. Help me to work with the right attitude today. Please gift me with the faith, power, and wisdom of Stephen as I serve. Amen.

MORE: Feast of St. Stephen

Today is the Feast in honor of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The liturgy for the day begins with this Collect:

"We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen."

New Testament star

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 7:51-60

TO CHEW ON: "And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'" Acts 7:59

Stephen is like a shooting star on the New Testament scene — spectacular, bright, but short-lived. He shows us how inspiring a short but well-lived life can be.

Stephen makes his first Bible appearance in Acts 6. There he is one of the men hand-picked to work in the widows' feeding program. He is chosen, along with six others, for good reputation and being full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.

In Acts 6:5 he gets special mention as "a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit." In Acts 6:8 he is singled out as a person of faith, power and the ability to do signs and wonders. Acts 6:9 shows that he is also a gifted apologist, for when members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen debate with him, they are unable to resist his wisdom. They are so humiliated, they set up Stephen with false accusations.

As he stands before his accusers, Stephen takes the opportunity to explain God's plan through Jewish history, concluding with the Jews' recent killing of Jesus. Our reading today is the end of that speech where he is condemning them for this: "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you."

They stone him for that. But even in death he is admirable, asking God to forgive them.

My thoughts, as I read his story, are What a waste! He seems like too gifted a man to merely serve tables. His reasoning and speaking talents could have been so useful in the church. But God had other plans.

What challenges can we take from Stephen's life?

1. To take every assignment, no matter how insignificant and unspiritual it seems, as  from God and worthwhile. It's interesting that the disciples looked for men who were full of the Holy Spirit to distribute food. We can learn from that that for even mundane jobs, maybe especially mundane jobs, we need Holy Spirit fullness to complete successfully.

2. To realize that God's plan for a successful, full and finished life are not measured by our criteria. "It was too soon for him/her to die," we say whenever a young person dies. But God sometimes has different plans.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
      Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
       “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      So are My ways higher than your ways,
      And My thoughts than your thoughts."  - Isaiah 55:8-10

3. To nurture within us a genuine faith that will stand up, even under pressure. Stephen's faith in God never faltered, even as the stones were  bruising his arms and legs, crushing his ribs and smashing his skull. Though God didn't miraculously swoop down to rescue him he didn't exhibit one iota of bitterness, using his last breath to pray for forgiveness for his killers.

PRAYER: Help me to be like Stephen, full of Your Spirit for every job, concerned with Your kingdom more than my own comfort or longevity, and with a heart so in tune with Yours that I can forgive my enemies. Amen.

MORE: Modern Martyrs

Dying for one's faith continues into our time. Check out these sites:

Links to stories about some modern martyrs

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