Kid's Good News
Vol 2-issue 2         March/13 /2003

Bible Story
Story of Stephen

In those days after the resurrection of Jesus and after His ascension to heaven, when the number of the disciples multiplied, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists (Greeks), saying that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.  Then the twelve apostles summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 
So they asked them to seek out from among them seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom they could appoint for the work of food serving and other social works.

They also said that they will give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.  And that idea pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and other six men for this service, whom they set before the apostles. The apostles prayed for them, blessed them and appointed them as deacons.

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.   But some people did not like Stephen and his preaching. So they disputed with him, but they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses
and God." They stirred up the others, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place
and change the customs which Moses delivered to us."

Now all those who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.  And Stephen preached from Old and New testament and when they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

But Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.  And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  Then Stephen knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he
had said this, he died.

Saul, the young man who was among those who killed Stephen, later on accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and he worked for Christ as a mighty man of God. He was later known by the name Paul.

Is Bible Infallible? 8 

Last time we looked at alienation of human being from God. Evil is the direct result of that alienation. A greater evil power works in a person motivating him to plot evil and to kill. You hear lot of incidents where people arrested are interviewed and they say that some kind of spirit guide asked them to kill people. Some times such evil spirits speak directly and some times it influences the mind. But it all fits to the very
pattern of Genesis account.

To find the very meaning of evil and it's origin you do not have to look here and there, it is right there in Genesis. Ok, so now you may be thinking that the terrorists are evil, but I am ok.  But Genesis further confirms the evil nature of human being in Genesis 6:5 and says that every intent of the thoughts of man's heart is evil continually.

Gen 6:5, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

So you and I are included in that. That is why Romans 3:10-12 says that there is no one righteous and again Rom 3:23 says that we have all sinned.

Rom 3:10-12, "As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."

Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Is there any person in the whole world who can say that he or she has never sinned? Can anybody say that he or she has never said a lie? Answer is no not one. So what could we do right now? We have taken the sinful nature of today's human being and just proved that Genesis 6:5 is 100% accurate. It cannot be more true. The very definition of evil nature and the very existence of evil nature has proved the accuracy of Genesis account.

Now let us see what Jesus had to say about evil.

Mat 15:18  "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
Mat 15:19  "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies .

In the words of Jesus it is a spiritual heart problem. You can say Spiritual Cholesterol.  This Spiritual heart problem brings spiritual death. But there is a fix for this heart problem.

Ezek 18:31-32, "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?  For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"

Ezekiel 18:31-32 says that God is willing to give us a brand new heart. Only thing we need to do is turn. We have to turn from our evil ways and turn to Jesus. Jesus is calling all those who are heavy laden with sin, He says come and I will give you rest.

Mat 11:28  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Would you like to get your heart problem fixed? Jesus can do that for you. Just ask Him to cleanse you with His blood. Ask Him to become your Savior and Lord. He will gladly do that. If you want to surrender your life to Jesus Please pray this prayer from the bottom of your heart.

Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner and I need you to take my sins away. Please Lord cleanse me with your blood. Wash me clean and make me a new person today. Please come into my heart. Lord Jesus you be my savior and Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Answer: David
Riddle was taken from Acts 13:22  "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'