Acts 7:45-60 KJV
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

I backtracked a few verses for today's lesson. Starting at verse 45 what would of made the religious leaders angry enough to stone Stephen the deacon of the church in Jerusalem. Defilement of the Jewish state began with actually King Saul when the people desire a king, but most leave Saul out of the picture and place on the gentile nation entering at the time of King David into their nation. Yet King David was a man who worshipped God and was said to have a heart that worshipped God. David however did not control the people like Moses in regards they must worship God alone. Moses lead the people with a iron fist and only the worship of God was allowed in the wilderness. Most would agree it seems God invoke the commanded of worship on his people in the wilderness. The word was the Messiah would bring the gentiles in to the knowledge of the Gospel. Jesus being the word in verse 45 reference New Testament John 1:1-14. The need to build God a house began with King David and continued with King Solomon who built a temple, but in truth God is not a God in need of a house, Heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool. What then they began to burden the people with legalism of mosaic law, and for that reason Christ came to do away with the law. The cop pulled a man over and did not give him a ticket he deserved, he was allowing him forgiveness without punishment, but not without correction. Another cop pulled a man over wrote a ticket to make quota. that same cop continue to work on his quota by writting ever offender of the law of the land a ticket, even if just a minor offense that usually a correction worked. He was become more like the religious leaders of legalism and not the cop of correction and forgiveness. Why is this important to David time? David knew God loved sacrifice, but not burnt offerings of correction. In truth would we rather not give someone a gift then to make restitution for something one did. Would not one rather shower a person with gifts, without receiving correction.

Jesus was showered with gifts of a new born king, only to be beaten and crucified for a crime of the Jewish leaders. Blaming someone else for crime that was committed. Jesus was not a king of law but a king of the heart of man. Paid the price of their sin willingly. Now his disciples are defending Jesus. Jesus taught forgiveness of sin. Taught healing not persecution. Yet God is a God of chastisement or correction when sin reaches the heighth of heaven his wrath will fall upon the people. We have to wonder why God's wrath has not fallen with the corruption of our world then we look at the time of Noah and ask that question how high was the sin of Noah generation or was God being merciful.

When our leaders care more about war then babies, I have to wonder is our nation in a crises. Since Cov-19 the world has been turn upside down and inside out. However it started before then it just getting blame because of drastic changes that occurred all over the world. People coming back to Nato? Did I miss something in the news? I know I did, but what concerning me more is the world's new population of our time, how has it changed with the pandemic. I realize something have not changed and some people felt only the economic changes in our world and were not touch by the disease as other families have been bonbarded with death. The other day I felt my own economic crisis as I left Walmart. I wanted to scream can we go back five years, can we go back to what seems like some type of normacy. And still walking across the parking lot I know our world has changed, as if we stepped into a twilight zone and can not undo it. How did these Jewish religious leaders feel about Christ crucifixion and the blame game after 30 years about the time of Stephen and Saul. Did they not see their own guilt, did they not feel that guilt, how can we get the people heart back to the temple so our economics can improve. There own popularity returned to them. Yet for some that had not witness the events at the time of Christ, it had to be like how come these people that know our history be teaching against us concerning the law of sacrifice for sin. Had the religious leaders not realized they were not under legal law but under spiritual laws of their God. That they were under the rules of Rome. They were not out of exile, though they lived in their own land. It is feeling like one is imprisoned by their circumstance, but not imprisoned by a crime, though the sentence seems to be as long.

It would take 40 more years for the temple to be destroyed, but in the mean time religious leaders of the jewish faith would begin to persecute the church because of their anger, because what they did wrong was being corrected by Christian leaders. Stephens words of calling the leaders stiffneck(stubborn heart)and uncircumcised of heart) probably did not help. Told the Jewish leaders they did not have faith in God. This was enough to cause Stephen full of the Holy Spirit to be stoned to death by the Jewish law. Yet Stephen full of the Holy Spirit actually said do not lay charge to their sin. Ask God to forgive them. The message of love and forgiveness once more offered to those that persecuted. Then you have Saul of Tarsus standing there holding the robes of those throwing stones. Watching the way Stephen died. This was where a seed was planted in the life of young Saul, who was a soldier and persecuter of the early church, whose name upon conversion of faith he would have his name changed to Paul. Stephen demonstrating the love of Christ but Stephen could not died for our sin only because of sin of the Jewish council. Stephens death could not take away the sins of the religious leaders, but he had the power to forgive. He could not raise himself up, but he could forgive the action done to him. Stephen in true Christ like fashion knelt down and prayed, asking God to receive his Spirit and forgive those who stoned him.

Can we tell those that persecute us that we forgive them. Can we show forgiveness. Is there a drawing of lines when people persecute or abuse others. We might talk about the longsuffering of Christ and God the Father, but do we fully understand his grace for all generations. Can we treat someone has if nothing happened. I will be honest, if there is no punishment for certain crimes only forgiveness, man becomes corrupt by their actions and plotting. Yet at the same time I believe in God's judgment for sin that continues, meaning leaving the judgment to God. Yet at the same time I believe our laws of our land work to a degree for those that follow it. Stephen was persecuted for the Gospel message of Jesus. Stephen was killed because of the Gospel. Each believer must decide if they can love like Jesus. What crimes actually has to do with our laws. If I have freedom of faith in America, then I should not be persecuted for my faith. If I break a law and kangeroo court judges me, then they are in violations of my rights as well. Lines drawn by our four fathers of our nation in our land.

Stephen could not fight back, he could have, but he submitted to the religious leaders. I can not help but think Saul(whose name was changed to Paul) wrestle with this when he wrote Romans. Paul intead of facing his persecutor in Jerusalem escaped by aid of the disciples. How many times had Jesus not been taken to his cross and spread the message of love and forgiveness, only to one day face persecution for a crime he did not commit of murder.

The teaching of love and forgiveness should not cause persecution in our world today, only going against the laws inside another church or institution not of Christ. For example Christian going into the synagogue, churches of the antichrist, beware persecution may follow. If you are teaching Christ, love and forgiveness, and not going against doctrines of the church, you should not have a problem. However in some churches they have a waiting period before being allowed to speak in their group. In West Virginia the state has inacted no prayer in government meetings. This is out cry for many. Yet with many faith's within a state how do you decide which God the group of people will pray too. Yet a few minutes of silence should never be prohibited, because it allows all to pray to God their way. I am not West Virginia but I found the news interesting after all these years that this is on the table in that state. To say no prayer at all would be constitutional wrong by our laws of freedom. Especially many people believe God does influence legal matters and business of our government. In truth if you are in a community that most that show are of one faith and others may not believe, does prayer hurt? I think it can be decided by the group of people with understanding if other people of a different faith come, they may have to submit to equal time of prayer or silent prayer, to keep peace. As a believer only God(Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is taught in a true Christian church. There are no other god within the christian church world. Separation of church and state is definitely needed in our world.

Dear Heavenly Father, you see the pain of the early church also became a blessing, because it also showed the reason why Christ was crucified and did not deserve it. Let see the sacrifice of the disciples of the early church as a blessing not a curse. As a lesson to protect ourselves in the world we live in. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Colossians 3:12-13 KJV
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.