Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
October 17, 2022: SOAP #4701: Job 1-2; Acts 6-7

SCRIPTURE:  Acts (NIV) 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God….58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul….
8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

OBSERVATION:  From just reading verse 55 one might get the idea that Stephen was in a great revival!   He was full of the Holy Spirit and having visions of God!  He saw the resurrected and ascended Jesus!   

The verses before and after give us insight into Stephen’s circumstances.  He was not in a revival.  The people around Stephen were furious at what he had just told them.  In a very short time, they would take him out of the city and stoned him to death.  Stephen was discovering that the One inside him was greater than what surrounded him-even greater than what might happen to him!  

And look who was watching.  Not only was heaven taking note of how Stephen was being treated, Acts 8:1 reveals that Saul, the future Apostle Paul, was watching too!

APPLICATION: Praise the Lord, my circumstances do not have to rule my spirit!  I can be full of the Holy Spirit no matter what is happening around me or to me!   Not only is heaven watching me, but people are also watching my life today. 

PRAYER:   Lord, as Saul was watching Stephen that day, there are people watching my life today.  I need Your Holy Spirit.  I want to stay full of Your Spirit. I want a revival in my heart that can be seen by others.  Amen.

Pastor Leon
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