Daily Bread - Dec 30 2006

Acts 6:5 - "And the word was pleasing in the sight of all the multitude and they chose Steven a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Pharmenas and Nicolas a proselyte from Antioch."

Stephen was not only a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, but he was full of faith. The Greek phrase "pleres pistis" (full of faith) is only found two times in the New Testament, and in both instances it is used of Stephen in this chapter (6:5, 8). Stephen serves as an example to us of how much faith God has made available to us.

God has made all of the fullness of Jesus available to whosoever asks (John 1:16; Ephesians 3:19; 4:13; Romans 15:29; John 14:12). The faith that comes by Jesus Christ and functions in our lives by the Holy Spirit is so full of power that a very small amount will empower a person with the ability to move mountains into the sea and makes nothing impossible (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6; Mark 11:22- 23; 1 Corinthians 13:2; Matthew 21:21) .

The power of faith is revealed in Hebrews 11:2 as the operation of God at work when He framed the ages by His spoken word. When Jesus ministered healing, He revealed that it was by their faith that they were made whole (Matthew 9:22, 29; Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 7:50; 17:19) The result of Stephen being full of faith and power was that the Holy Spirit worked great signs and wonders through his life.

Stephen was an account of an ordinary man who was willing to believe all that God had promised. He was not an apostle nor was he called a presbyter but simply a man who had taken a hold of the power of God that is made available to everyone who will believe. God who is no respecter of persons who is gracious to all and desires to do for you what He did for Stephen.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org