Acts 7:55-56

Acts 7:55-56 - But Stephen, full of faith and 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.”

This man, Stephen, is the first recorded martyr for Jesus. When He was first appointed to his position in the church he was said to be “full of Faith and the Holy Spirit.” He, along with six others were given the task of caring for the widows and the poor, in regards to food distribution. Now he was on trial before the Sanhedrin. All the religious leaders of the day were questioning him and he was given boldness and spoke from the Spirit that which was within him.

As he began, he told of Abraham and then continued with the story of the Israelite's through Isaac, Joseph and Moses. Then He brought it all the way around to Jesus. He told of how they had brought Jesus in and had Him killed. This made the leaders angry. These men could not handle the truth because it cut straight to their hearts. It convicted them and they didn't want to hear it.

At this moment Stephen had a vision. He saw heaven and the glory of God, with Jesus standing at His right hand. This man was so in tune with the Spirit that he was given the privilege of glimpsing into heaven while still here on earth. God opened up his eyes to see what was in store for him and it was glorious.

In our lives it is easy to live by what we see and hear. We need to surrender our lives to God and let the Spirit flow through us and lead us as Stephen did. He may have been the first to die for Christ, but he died in the arms of Jesus. God may not be calling you to die for Him, but He is calling you to live a life of worship to Him. Take hold of all that Christ has done for you and speak with boldness the message of His grace.