"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
Acts 7:51-53.
Stephen gave a great speech before the religious leaders of Israel, and by the end he concluded that they were the ones who needed to repent and renounce the ways of their ancestors who had been resisting God ever since they were delivered from Egypt. This is an amazing statement, and shows me that true prophets do not pull their punches in terms of speaking what God has to say about sin. God is calling these men to repent and be delivered through Steven by exposing their double-mindedness, but instead they lose control in their anger and kill Stephen. This is a sad story, but it is happy overall for Steven, who goes to be with the Lord. These men had an opportunity to repent at his preaching, but they refuse in the worst way. Please help me Lord to listen to your prophets and preaching. Please help me to come away from my fathers and follow you as Stephen did. I want to know you, belong to you, and listen to those whom you put in authority over me.
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