“But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:33 NASB
Will you be ready when that seminal moment in your life arrives?
One of, if not my favorite person in the Bible is Stephen. A young man who was a deacon in the early Church, who cared for the widows, debated with Jewish scholars, helped set the tone and trajectory of early Christianity and the first recorded martyr. By the way, none of these are the reasons why I like Stephen so well.
He was ready. Every time I read Acts chapter 7 when Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin with bogus charges, I marvel at his response. I marvel that the descriptions of Stephen included “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” and that “his face was like that of an angel.” I marvel that in the moment when he was charged unjustly, when he could have been defensive, when he could have pled his case, he seized the opportunity to boldly speak of the history of the Jewish people and the corruption of their leaders. He quoted scripture, the murder of Jesus, the rejection of the Holy Spirit and the corruption of the law, divinely given.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV
I read through numerous translations of 2 Timothy 2:15 and nothing spoke to me quite like the King James Version. We are told to study and be ready. Prepare for the coming moments in our life where our faith will be challenged and need to reflect Christ. Study. Submit. Be a workman. Have no shame. Be a source of truth.
Are you ready? In the life moments that will surely come your way, be prepared as Stephen was. A trauma doctor does not say “let me look at the medical teachings on how to close a wound” in the moment of administering life-saving aide. She has prepared for years, if not decades, so in that moment her learning, her practicing, her abilities flow naturally through her with the result being a life saved. Equally as Believers, we need to have studied, have prepared, have ingrained in our minds and hearts those things that are the truths of Jesus Christ and the Word that existed in the beginning.
Are you ready? In those final moments of Stephen’s life, he was fully prepared to deliver the truth of misdeeds and sin and the assurance of eternity through salvation. Prepare to show yourself a worthy son or daughter of the Most High God. Someone’s life may depends upon your preparation.
“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 7:59-60
You’ve got this.