Stephen Got It. Do You Get It?

"⁵⁸ Driving him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out, “Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After he said this, he died.  (literally fell asleep)  Acts 7 Tree of Life version


^"7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace—not by foods that have not benefited those occupied by them. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those serving in the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals—whose blood is brought into the Holies by the kohen gadol as an offering for sin—are burned outside the camp. ^{[c] 12} Therefore, to make the people holy through His own blood, Yeshua also suffered outside the gate. ¹³ So let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing His disgrace. ¹⁴ For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come."  Hebrews 13 Tree of Life version 


The message spoken by Stephen through his powerful, miracle laden life was clear.  Spoken to the  self-appointed leaders of the chosen people, his strong message was Yeshua is Messiah.  That message does not leave wiggle room, and his audience knew it.  The message demands humble repentance.  Stephen was what the community of Messiah (no way I can use the word "church" here, this is too holy and that word is too screwed up) is called to be a body with no rights, a body willing to die that others may live, followers of the Way. 
Can we admit we are far removed from this reality? 
Can we acknowledge the need for humble repentance?
Can we put aside the gathering that frequently coddles self and promotes a self-centered prayer to get me to heaven?
Can we go out of the city and join Yeshua on His cross and Stephen in his stoning?
His life in us is a sacrificial love that cannot be defeated, even in death. 
And a man named Saul was watching...

The Body of Christ (Messiah)

Post-tribulation is true because the body of the Messiah went to and through the cross to display the invisible attributes of God, and the current body of Christ (Messiah) on this earth is called to do the exact same thing.  The cross of tribulation is ours to cling to as it is His good pleasure to carry us through incredible difficulty in order to reach those who are lost.  (Isaiah 53:10 "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;<sup>"  )


If only we could see it is a high calling. 
It gives purpose and meaning to our current struggles
and it releases us to have the proper attitude toward God and man,
as we see the unseen principalities and powers begin to rise up and speed up.</sup>

Be Still, Cease Striving, Drop Your Hands,

Day 5 at camp.  God kept it very simple, by referring to Psalm 46, and taking us to a place of rest.  Maintain the relationship with God at all costs.  Rest and trust in Him to work through your yielded vessel.  Micah 6:8 clearly states what God expects.  "do justice" only He knows all the background and history of any situation, only His life can do it.  "Love kindness" His love flowing through us, "walk humbly with your God".  The beginning, middle and end of the answer to the question, Now what? for the person who is newly born again is, maintain your close relationship with God.  From that place of relationship, His life will flow through you. 


Day 6, my last day, because God had me give away Friday to a woman who is working on staff who has been specifically named, by at least 3 other staff in their testimonies as a person they relied on during a hard time. We looked at the ways that Satan works in his kingdom as contrasted with how things work in the Kingdom of God. 
The Loser rules through, power/control, threat and manipulation.
The Kingdom of God is about weakness, surrender and trust.  Deut. 32:36, "When He sees that their strength is gone".  Daniel 12:7, "When they come to the end of their power."  Rev. 12:11, "They love not their lives unto the death." 
It is a blessing to come to the place, the knowledge of our absolute weakness, because it is from that place and only that place that God can work.  Refusing to use our own power, and by faith connecting to/trusting in His power and life, all the glory goes to our faithful God.