“Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some of the devout men came and buried Stephen with great muring). But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.” (Acts 8: vv. 1-3, NLT)
“Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started a debate with him. ……None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.” (Acts 6: vv 8-9a, 10, NLT)
“”The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking agains the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. we have heard him say that the Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
At this point, everyone in the high counsel stared at Stephen, because his face was as bright as an angel’s.”” (Acts 6, vv. 12-15, NLT)
“”You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One – the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from angels.”
The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man is standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.!”
They put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and lad them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord, Jesus , receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, Don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.”” (Acts 7, vv. 51-59, NLT)
“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them , even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostle’s work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed baby evil spirits, and they were all healed.” (Acts 5: vv 12-16, NLT)
“”So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, “Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom? “
He replied, “The father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After saying this He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they cold not longer see Him. As they stay strained to see Him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here an staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go.”” (Acts 1: vv. 6-11, NLT)
“”I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me and through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one – as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me.
I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be One as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You love Me even before the world began”
O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me. I have revealed You to them, and I will continue to do so. Then Your love for Me will be in them, and I will be in them.”” (John 17: vv 20-26, NLT)
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and raised to life gain, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise form their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. There we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, NLT)
“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come close to God and God will come close to you. Wash your hands you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up in honor.” (James 4: vv. 7-10, NLT)
“”But now I am going away to the One who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. and when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever he receives from Me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever comes from Me.”” (John 16: vv. 5-15, NLT)
“”Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. It this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you , so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord, ” Thomas said. “We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told them,”I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!” (John 14: vv. 1-8, NLT)
“”But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in Him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:
“Lord, who has believed our message? To Whom has the Lord revealed His powerful arm?”
But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
“The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts- so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and have Me heal them.”” (John 12: 37-40, NLT)
“”Jesus shouted to the crowds.” If you trust Me, you are trusting not only Me, but also God who sent me. For when you see Me, you are seeing the one who sent Me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear Me but don’t obey Me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject Me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on My own authority. The Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. And I know His commands lead to eternal life; so I say it. And I know His commands lead to eternal life; so I say wherever the Father tells me to say.””
