READ: ACTS
7:55-60
A vision
from God can transform your entire life. Even a fraction of God’s glory is
worth more than a thousand sermons. A vision draws you like a powerful magnet.
Obstacles on your way become stepping stones to glory. Seeing God’s glory acts
like a powerful drug. In today’s passage Stephen saw the glory of God. As he
was being stoned, he looked up and saw the heavens opened and the glory of God
on high. He saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God.
“Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” (Hebrews 11:35).
Even as his persecutors were stoning him to death, Stephen’s face must have changed the instant he saw the glory that awaited him in heaven. In that riot, he was calm, peaceful and full of expectation as heaven awaited his glorious home-coming. At that point he probably preferred death to being rescued. Beloved, heaven is an epitone of glory beyond any description human prose can come up with. It is a place you should not miss. You may wonder why Isaiah proclaimed woe to himself on seeing the Lord, if the glory is so wonderful to behold? Psalm 140:13 says: “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name: the upright shall dwell in Your presence.”
Not everyone who sees God’s glory will remain comfortable. This is because heaven is too pure to contain a sinner. If there is just on little stain of sin in your life, that alone can make you uncomfortable in God’s presence; that alone can rob of heaven. That is why you should vigorously pursue a life of holiness every day. Some Christians may be holy in ministry, family life and academics, but when it comes to business, they will compromise. They will make excuses, saying God understands that they have to make it by any means necessary, so it is all right if they compromise now and again. Does God really understand?
“Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” (Hebrews 11:35).
Even as his persecutors were stoning him to death, Stephen’s face must have changed the instant he saw the glory that awaited him in heaven. In that riot, he was calm, peaceful and full of expectation as heaven awaited his glorious home-coming. At that point he probably preferred death to being rescued. Beloved, heaven is an epitone of glory beyond any description human prose can come up with. It is a place you should not miss. You may wonder why Isaiah proclaimed woe to himself on seeing the Lord, if the glory is so wonderful to behold? Psalm 140:13 says: “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name: the upright shall dwell in Your presence.”
Not everyone who sees God’s glory will remain comfortable. This is because heaven is too pure to contain a sinner. If there is just on little stain of sin in your life, that alone can make you uncomfortable in God’s presence; that alone can rob of heaven. That is why you should vigorously pursue a life of holiness every day. Some Christians may be holy in ministry, family life and academics, but when it comes to business, they will compromise. They will make excuses, saying God understands that they have to make it by any means necessary, so it is all right if they compromise now and again. Does God really understand?
MEMORIZE:
PSALM 140:13 –Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name: the upright
shall dwell in Your presence.
