BLESSED IN BEING STONED

My Dear Precious Child,
    Even though the religious and political leaders had warned the disciples not to preach to the people about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was their mission as pronounced by Him, so they had to obey Me through Jesus' commands instead of the commands of their earthly leaders.  After the Pharisee Gamaliel wisely told the other leaders that they should just ease off on persecuting the disciples of Jesus, and if the ministry was not of Me then it would dies out, for a while things remained calm.  The disciples taught in the temple and also in private homes and were not interrupted for a time.  (Acts 5:34-42)
   The number of disciples of Jesus increased mightily,  However, the Hellenist disciples complained about the Hebrew disciples, saying that the distribution of the commodities for their widows were being overlooked in favor of the other widows.   The original 12 disciples called a meeting of all of the disciples and spoke to them saying that it would not be right to neglect My words relating to the distribution of food, so the disciples must select 7 men of good reputation who were filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom and hand over to them the duty of distribution of food while the others devoted themselves to prayer and teaching the Word.  
     The idea was approved by the other disciples and they elected Stephen, his being filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, along with six other men, to handle the distribution of goods to the widows.  The apostles laid hands on them for the special ministry.  During that time many, many more disciples were added to their number in Jerusalem.  Even a large number of Jewish priests were added to the number of believers in Jesus Christ.  
    Stephen was so full of My grace and anointing that he continued working great miracles and signs and wonders among the people, but certain Jewish Freedmen and other men from Asian countries and decided to challenge Stephen.  They secretly planned to lie and say that Stephen spoke blasphemously about Moses and about Me, exciting the elders and scribes of the temple against Stephen.  They took Stephen before the court and judges and caused men to give false statements accusing that Stephen never stopped giving false statements against sacred places and the Law.  They reported that they had heard Stephen say that Jesus of Nazareth was going to tear down the temple and all of the institutions that Moses had instigated.
    As all of his accusers looked upon his face, Stephen's face was transformed into looking like an angel.  In answer to the high priest's question asking if the accusations against him were true, Stephen launched in a complete dissertation of My plan for the temple beginning with Abraham's covenant with Me and speaking about all of My works relating to the temple through Solomon's gift of wisdom, Solomon having been responsible for building the temple.  Stephen called attention to the fact that I had had the Jewish temple built according to My design, and he accused the men of always resisting the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 7:51)  Stephen reminded the men that their ancestors had persecuted the very prophets whom I had sent and they had killed the prophets whom I had sent.  He also accused them of killing My Son Jesus Christ whom I had sent.
   Stephen told the Jews that they didn't even obey the law that I had sent through angels to protect and guide them.  At that accusation the Jews became even more furious at Stephen.  Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw My glory with Jesus standing at My right hand.   He proclaimed to his persecutors that He was seeing heaven open and Jesus standing at My right hand.  His persecutors became his killers at that point, shouting loudly and putting their hands on their own ears in order not to hear any more words about Stephen's observations about heaven.  Stephen was stoned outside of the city and witnesses put Stephen's clothes at the feet of a young Jewish officer named Saul who was to become My apostle to the pagans.
    While Stephen was being stoned, he asked the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit.  Then he also asked Me not to fix the sin upon the people who were killing him, mirroring Jesus' request that I not hold His own killers responsible for His death. (Acts 7:48-60; Luke 23:34) Stephen's memory was that the resurrected Jesus had told him and the other disciples, after they were born of the Holy Spirit, that whose sins they forgave are forgiven and the ones whose sins they retained are retained.   
    Stephen made sure that his persecutors understood that I do not live in earthly buildings made with human hands.  I opened the heavens and allowed Stephen's spirit to leave the earth while his body was still being stoned.  He entered into My heaven with me because My grace is always sufficient.   Even in your day My children need to know that I do not live in buildings made of earthly materials.  I live inside of My children of promise who are born of My Holy Spirit and baptized in My Holy Spirit generation after generation after generation. (I Corinthians 3:16)
    Your Father of Loving Grace