Saint Stephen

STEPHEN—THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR




Do you know
Who the first
Christian martyr was


His name was Stephen


In those days
Some of the Jewish women
Were being overlooked
In the distribution of the food


The apostles gathered
And chose seven men
To oversee the food distribution


One of those men
Was Stephen


Stephen was a man
Full of God’s grace and spirit
And performed many miraculous signs


Some opposition
Arose to Stephen
But since
They couldn’t fairly battle Stephen
Because of his wisdom and spirit
They persuaded some men to lie
And say—Stephen was blaspheming
About God and Moses


Stephen then testified
To the whole Sanhedrin
About the Lord’s covenant through people
Like Abraham and Moses


Stephen said to the Sanhedrin,


“You always resist the Holy Spirit”
And about Christ,


“Was there ever a prophet
Your fathers did not persecute
They even killed those
Who predicted the coming
Of the Righteous One


And now you have
Betrayed and murdered him
-You have received the law
That was put into effect through angels
But have NOT obeyed it” Acts 7:52 & 53


The religious community
Became furious at him
And gnashed their teeth at him


But Stephen remained full of the Holy Spirit
And said,


“Look I see heaven open
And the Son of Man
Standing at the right hand of God” Acts 7:56


At this
They began yelling at him-rushed him
And began stoning him


Stephen prayed,


“Lord Jesus-receive my spirit
Lord-do NOT hold this sin
Against them” Acts 7:59-60


At this-he died


Dear Lord-we pray
That when people lie about us
And betray us
During the ordinary course of our lives


That we have
The FAITH of Saint Stephen
And clutch even tighter to you
And have the courage
To live that faith
Just as your humble servant-Saint Stephen


In Jesus ‘name-we pray


Robert P. Wallman

5-16-12