Stephen was chosen by the apostles to be a servant [deacon] of the Hellenist widows in those earliest days of the Church. Of him we read, “And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” It also says, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8, ESV2011). Not bad for somebody that was given the task of “waiting on tables.” But there were corrupt men of the local synagogue in Jerusalem who were jealous and hated him and they brought false witnesses against him. “But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:10, ESV2011). “And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15, ESV2011). Stephen was facing death by stoning because of the false accusations that were being spoken against him so Stephen gave them a history lesson to show them what was in their evil hearts.
But it was Solomon who built a house for him [the first temple]. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Acts 7:47-53, ESV2011)
Did they repent when they heard these things? Not hardly!
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:54-56, ESV2011)
They were experiencing demons in their hearts, but Stephen was in the presence of Jesus and the Father. You see, this is what happens when we are no longer of this world because we seek God with our whole hearts. We become so heavenly minded that we are despised by those who build temples and religious systems with their own hands and minds and call it “the church.”
An Experience I Had in Alaska
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. (Ps 91:11-12, ESV2011)
Last week I met with eight brothers and sisters in one of their homes and we all shared what the Lord had put on our hearts that evening after we had a meal together. For some reason I shared with them what happened to me while living on a remote island off the west coast of Alaska. I had been going through depression for many months after going through a terrible and ugly church split and on top of that the economy took a dive and there was not work to be found where we lived. I finally found work in Alaska but even that job which I had been hired to do in a wilderness area of Alaska was not going well because of a union dispute.
So one day I left the camp and decided to hike around one end of the island along the seashore. Because the tide was coming in I could not go back the way came so I tried to go over the 1500 foot high ridge that was on the crest of the island. I saw a red fox climbing up this steep mountain side and thought, “I will just follow him and find a way up the mountain and back to where I came.” This was a big mistake. You see, foxes can go where a man cannot.
The little path I was on as I followed him traversed what became a cliff face and it got narrower and narrower as I climbed until it was about half as wide as one of my feet. Below me was a crevasse in which I could see huge boulders that were at the foot of the mountain where it met the Arctic ocean. If I had fallen there, no one would have ever found me. I could not go on any further so I slowly started backing up until the path until it was wide enough to turn around. At this point my foot slipped and I started to fall head over heels down this rocky cliff face, but all of a sudden my feet landed and stuck fast on a rock. All I could do was stand there and shiver from fear. Eventually, I was able to crawl on my hands and knees until I could get down to the narrow beach from where my assent started. Once there, I had to move forward through the boulders that were at the base of the mountain until I found a more gradual tundra covered slope. Walking on foot deep tundra is very exhausting, but eventually I was able to get over the ridge top and back to the camp from where I started.
As I told this story to the group a sister named Holly spoke up and said, “Michael, though you were cutoff from your family and fellow Christians and felt all alone on that remote Island, God was with you.” I had not felt His presence for years after that very decisive church split in 1982, but Holly’s words spoke deep into my heart and I finally saw that though I felt cutoff from God for almost 14 years, He had never left me and even saved my life. It was as though He had sent an angel to stop my fall and help me down off the steep mountain. As I meditated on this and was praying this morning the following verses came to mind.
For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
For justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?
If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
(Ps 94:14-18, ESV2011 – emphasis added)
My feet slipped on that steep mountain, but His steadfast love kept me from falling to my death.
After Holly spoke those words at that home meeting last week, Jesus’ presence flooded my heart. It was like Stephen being faced with the devil in those religious Jews who were about to kill him for his faithful testimony,but he didn’t see the Devil, HE SAW JESUS! Since then I have had no fear of man, only Christ’s love.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. (Ps 37:30-33, ESV2011 – emphasis added)
What a loving and mighty God we serve as brothers and sisters IN Christ. Amen!
A Wilderness Voice 
Dear Michael,
It is good to see a new post from you.
Love in Him,
Louise
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Thanks, Louise! Good to hear from you again. I miss my Idaho mountains and lakes being down here in flat, hot and humid Texas. I hope all is well for you up there in God’s country.
Your brother IN Him,
Michael
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What an encouraging word, Michael. The Lord has had those whom He has called out in a place of isolation for purposes of purging, refinement and preparation for our part in what He is about to do in the world. It can get so very discouraging. Testimonies like yours are so very necessary as this is how we truly assemble (Hebrews 10:25) in the Spirit. It is interesting that the Greek word for “assemble” in this passage is episunogue which suggests something beyond or “higher than” (epi) simply physically meeting. There is a “higher meeting” in the Spirit that we are called to. We fellowship in the Spirit, even when we cannot come together physically and our natural man feels so isolated. Testimonies like yours are that bond which binds us together.
Thank you for this testimony!
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Charles, thank you for your edifying and enlightening reply. I never knew that this word for “assemble” had so much depth. “Epi” in the Greek always means that the word has more depth and power than a word without this prefix. The verse in question reads,
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. (Heb 10:25, KJ2000)
How often have we heard religious souls that this verse says we have to meet together every Sunday in a building or we are neglecting the assembling of the church? Yet, the New Testament is loaded with “one another” verses that describe what the assembling of the body of Christ should be. Even this very verse says that we should be exhorting ONE ANOTHER when we come together. Nowhere does the New Testament imply that we are to sit in neat rows in silence, all facing one man while he does all things “spiritual.” Somehow the early church ceased to be a living organism with many members functioning together for the edification of all and adopted the Greek lecture format. Even the Jewish synagogue system made room for all the men to contribute and ask questions as they felt lead.
There is assembling and then there is ASSEMBLING! I used to work in a small engine repair shop and sometimes a person would bring in what we called a “box job.” They had tried to fix the device themselves but brought it in in pieces because they could not properly assemble it in their efforts to “fix” it. Yes, all the parts were there in a box together, but they surely WERE NOT ASSEMBLED. Welcome to the typical Sunday service. Jesus is the one who must assemble us under the power of the Holy Spirit. Mere man can not do this. It has been so refreshing to meet with this group in a home around a meal and then fellowship together with each one, contributing what the Spirit was saying to them. Invariably when this happens a singular theme emerges from which we all become edified as we see the Spirit move and assemble us around the love and wisdom of Christ.
By the way, someone pointed out that Jesus said that where 2 or 3 come together IN His name that He would be there in the midst of them. Yes, large crowds in the thousands often followed Him and He taught them in parables, but it was the 12 disciples to whom He gave the meaning and spent most of His time with. The larger the crowd that is gathered, the less chance that the Spirit will be in it.
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Very good comment, Charles. Thank you!
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Michael, I am glad that your “dry spells” were flooded with God’s love and another revelation of Himself after such a long time of waiting on Him. This is a very good and encouraging post! ⭐
I too like your “box job” illustration of assembling together in the Spirit. Very enlightening, indeed! I could not help but being reminded of a poem I once wrote as to really assembling together, even without any physical meeting necessary (since we do not meet God in Christ who is Spirit physically while fellowshipping with Him, either). I guess you might remember it… 🙄
The Beloved of God – Poem by Susanne Schuberth
There is a church that is unseen
It has no building, pew or screen
To display things of churchly life
Instead, this church is called His wife
You join that church by entering
Into Christ through surrendering
All that you have and what you are
To Jesus who’s the Morning Star
He’ll strip your self off from the heart
And nakedness will be the start
Of fellowship you didn’t know
As long as you sat in a row
With other human bodies there
In buildings where the preachers care
About the sermon for the crowd
Which beefs up faith and leaves no doubt
This new Church, she has come to us
In secret, without a big fuss
On Pentecost, that long ago
Now she is here, at hand, aglow
With Spirit’s fire, love, and more
For everyone who to the core
Was pierced with arrows of His love
Sent by His angels from above
Assembling there is different – yes
And fellowship so special – guess
You meet there those beloved ones
Who live elsewhere on earth, His sons
His daughters, all His children come
Together by His Spirit’s drum
Which calls them every day and night
To fellowship sheer out of sight
They worship God with thankfulness
In heart and mind and pray He’ll bless
All those who do not join them yet
With life eternal where regret
Is over as is doubt and fear
When you see God and Jesus near
With all your brothers, sisters there
Who His love in God’s Kingdom share
**********************************************************************
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”(John 4:24 ESV)
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 ESV)
Every blessing,
Your sister Susanne
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My dear sister, Susanne,
Thank you for your encouraging comment and the revealing poem you shared. As usual, it was worth waiting for. 🙂 Today, I read a chapter from T. A. Sparks (see below) about how much Mary Mandolin loved Jesus. After his death and resurrection He met with her first before any of the other disciples and her love for Him shines forth in this touching encounter.
It is also interesting that she was the first to spread the good news to the other disciples that He was and IS alive from the dead. Sparks pointed out that the church at Ephesus was only lacking in one thing… their first love for Him (see Revelation 2:1-4). Without this deep heartfelt love for Jesus we will preach and display a very cold and analytical gospel at best.
The gospels say that there were a group of devout women that followed Him wherever He went. What is it about womanhood? I have noticed that the sisters are more apt to show the love and kindness of Jesus than men and I think that this comes out in the scriptures. Paul wrote,
Believe me, there is a lot of NOTHING going on in the name of Jesus these days. Susanne, thanks for sharing your poem on here and for the love of Jesus that you have shown me for more than ten years since we met on this blog. You are truly a blessing IN Christ not only to me, but to your family and those around you. May He strengthen you in His love more and more even as these troublesome days increase around us. Amen. ❤
https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/002148.html
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Michael, your words have touched me on a deep level. Thank you, my dear brother, you have been a treasure from the Lord all along as you faithfully prayed with me through my/our countless trials.
Yes, “there is a lot of NOTHING going on in the name of Jesus these days”, as you so rightly mentioned in your reply to me. There are way too many words without the Holy Spirit as their author. Either you hear empty words that are not scriptural or religious words which tend to ‘kill’ believers with the letter of the law apart from God’s leading. But thank God, some good things can be found in between these two extremes, still.
Just lately I realized that there are, indeed, people who have an enormous amount of theological knowledge – which I admire – but nonetheless, they can be dead wrong when it comes, for instance, to judge people who are deceived. Admittedly, they might recognize the deception and condemn it, yet they do not know God’s heart about the deceived ones (even deceived false teachers). I am afraid that the prophets of the Old Testament just like the apostles of the New Testament had an intimate knowledge not only of God, but also of His heart for man. They had His anointing that taught them what they needed to know at any given moment, just as they saw themselves as an inseparable part of the whole people/nation/church which, at times, was in a terrible condition, grieving God’s and His messengers’ very heart. Even today, I believe, God needs men and women who know His heart, love all men, and “stand in the breach” (Eze 22:30) for those who do not know God yet.
Lately I found no time to read TAS, but now I did. Very good, indeed. Thanks for the link, my brother. It was so good that I dared to paste it (emphasis added). 🙂
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Susanne, thanks once again for your thoughtful and convicting reply. I am glad you shared that quote from Sparks. I am afraid that I have been one of those who have had a lot of knowledge, yet have not shown love to those who have been deceived in high places in Christendom. “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” God is working on me and this latest revelation of His mercy and how He was with me through all my trials and wilderness experiences… How could I not LOVE Him and all those whom He has called His own? The following verses swing like a two edged sword both ways.
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Good Scriptures, Michael. But I did not think of you while writing my response. So I was surprised to read that you felt convicted. 🙄
When I do not feel any kind of love or positive feeling toward God, then He sometimes reminds me of the following Scriptures,
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” (Jn 14:21 ESV)
“Jesus answered him,“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. (Jn 14:23-24 ESV)
Thank God, it is not about our own feelings and evaluation! 🙂
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Yes, it always boils down to our need of a loving and obedient relationship with Jesus and our Father.
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Hi Michael, really enjoyed your post, and the comments from the saints, I’m glad to hear you found some saints to meet with in a home meeting setting, as the brother stated, episunagogen, a full gathering, i.e. gathered unto the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, where God the Holy Spirit is in charge and only Christ is glorified, without the clerical system to dishonor the Lord. You know that chapter in Acts where Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit, when He is speaking to those who rejected and despised, and conspired with the Romans to crucify the Lord Jesus, when He was being crucified He said, ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do’, God gave them a reprive to repent of their sin, and from Peter’s preaching, on and after the day of Pentecost, many repented, and the Lord added daily to the assembly those that should be saved, but later on when they rejected the testimony of God the Holy Spirit through Stephen, there was no more that God could do, and their doom as a people/nation was sealed until they shall say ‘ blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord’, when the Lord Jesus will save a remnant from the 12 tribes of Israel, but in the mean time the Lord has been saving His chosen ones all along, and adding them to His assembly, the body of Christ. Thanks Michael, I was hoping all has been well with you, Amen.
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Thanks for your replay and insightful comment, Jim (kriptokid). As I read it I thought of the synagogue system that still exists today and Stephen’s words,
“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’“ You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. (Acts 7:49-51, ESV2011)
It seems that when men set out to build “a house to meet in with God” the result is no different today than it was back then. Jesus showed up at the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the prophet Isaiah where it spoke of Him what happened? They put him out of the synagogue and set out to kill Him but God saved Him for it was not His time as of yet. How many times have we seen the Spirit start to move only to see the synagogue leader quench the Spirit with his own self-will and agenda? And Stephen’s words once again ring out, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.” How many times have we got “the left foot of fellowship” because we spoke what the Holy Spirit was saying in that setting just as Stephen did that day? And once again the words of Jesus are fulfilled, Not one stone shall be left upon another until it is all torn down.” and “You will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'” Another church dies.
I kept trying to find a “church” where the Spirit was welcome in the love of Jesus to no avail. Finally one Sunday the Lord spoke to me and said, “Why do you keep seeking the Living among the dead?” WOW! THAT got my attention.
Since we moved down here in the Houston area, I have never seen so many church buildings! I have been praying for a gathering of saints where I would find “the place of my [His] rest” among the saints. It took a while, but this home meeting of like believers where Christ is preeminent in His humility and love has been an answer to our prayers.
In our disillusionment we can get like Elijah who said, “I and only I am left…” Yet even today as it was back then, there are over 7000 who have not bowed down Baal” to that false system ruled over by men. If it has not happened yet may the Lord guide you as well into His sweet fellowship with the saints where He is welcome in your area as well. Amen.
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Amen Michael, the Lord Jesus is saving His saints from this present evil age, and preserving us for His heavenly kingdom. Unto Him who loves us, and washed us from our sins, in His own blood, and made us kings and priests unto His God and Father, unto Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of the ages, Amen.
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Wow! Two brothers named “Jim” replying to this blog and drawing out by the Spirit more of the riches of the wisdom of God in all He is doing in our lives.
Love to you both,
Michael
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Good morning Michael, Jim Spradley here. Could this also be a Romans 8:28 here?!?
…for HIS purpose. I did a little digging a few years ago on this word🧐purpose in this scripture, it has to do with the shew bread, that was the 12 loaves in the temple! Each represented the 12 tribes-in that they would become sanctified!
And our purpose in HIM is to become sanctified by and through HIM🙌
I also am blessed to see you posting again ❤️🙌
Jim
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Hi Jim S. If you are referring to what God has done in my life, even saving my life… yes ALL these things have been working together for the good. What is that good? That we might be conformed into the image of His Son, that we might become many sons (and daughters) unto HIS glory and not our own. Like Paul said, we are no longer our own for we have been bought with a price by Jesus on that cross with His own blood. What a wonderful thing to comprehend!
We have been called according to HIS purpose, HIS intention…
Show-bread? I had never seen that before. Jesus is the Bread of Life and we are also called to be like that show-bread on display before Him for His good pleasure.
What a thought! All these things both good and bad that we experience in our lives have been given to us by Him from the foundation of the world where we were chosen IN Christ “that we should be holy and without blame before him in [His] love.”
Thanks, Jim, for sharing this wonderful revelation and expanding to a deeper level the meaning of HIS purposes in our lives.
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wow!! 89An Exchanged Life
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A powerful story.
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Thanks, Anna. Sorry that I did not see your comment until just now. I hope all is well with you. Blessings IN Christ, Michael.
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