Remember Stephen

 Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Oh, the venom! The reaction that we are seeing to the overturning of the Roe V Wade decision in the streets and on social media is both frightening and eye opening. These are going to be difficult days, but they are also going to present opportunities for the church to give witness to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

 

Remember the story of Stephen in the Bible? He had accused the crowd of murdering Jesus, the Son of God, note the crowd’s reaction:

 

Ac 7:54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

 

As he continued, they “stopped up their ears,” hauled him out of the city, and stoned him to death! As he was dying, he prayed, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”

 

Just think about these things. Understand the crowd’s reaction to Stephen and you will understand the crowd’s reaction to the overturning of Roe V Wade. If you take the position that life begins at conception, you are basically accusing the “pro-choice” crowd of being murderers. You are cutting deep into their heart.

 

A person has two choices when cut to the heart. He either repents or gnashes his teeth and starts tossing stones.

 

Be prepared for the latter, but pray for the former.

 

As the level of venom increases, instead of lashing out in kind, pray, like Stephen did, ask for God’s mercy on them. More to the point pray as Jesus did on the cross. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

 

And always remember, that as you experience the “cutting to the heart for your sins, that there is no sin, that Jesus did not pay for on the cross! Ask for His forgiveness and receive it!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.