Happy World Penguin Day!!! What? Really? You don't dig penguins? Ok, I'll try again. Happy DNA Day!!! Oh, so you're not into genetics either. Ok, maybe this will grab you!
IT'S TUESDAY!!! Yeah? Me Too!!! Welcome to The Notes!!!
April 25th is an interesting date and a very personal one for me. Let's get to the historic, then we'll move to the personal, shall we?
In 404 B.C., the Peloponnesian War came to a close, halting the fighting between the Spartans and the Athenians.
In 1792, Nicolas Pelletier was the first man ever to be executed by guillotine. Paris, France was the site of his losing his head. (sorry, I should have resisted...)
In 1901, the state of New York became the first to require license plates on cars.
In 1947, pins rolled at the White House as President Harry Truman had a two-lane bowling alley installed.
In 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the double-helix structure of DNA. Happy DNA Day! Oh, wait, we've done that already...
and in 1946, she was born...
I must confess that April 25, 1946, has always been very special to me. My mom, Peggy, was born on that day. We always tried to celebrate her special day, even if it was just with a "Happy Birthday" phone call. Her favorite gift was having us all together, enjoying a meal that she had inevitably cooked. She wasn't one for too much fanfare, but on her special day, she allowed it.
Mom's birthday was the last of 3 that we celebrated in April. My Great-Aunt (we called her "Aunt Bee", her real name was Vera) celebrated her birthday on the 18th, one week ahead of Mom's, and mine was exactly 3 weeks ahead of Mom's on the 4th. We liked to tease that we partied for the whole month. Cherry Chip cake on my birthday, fried catfish and all the fixin's on Aunt Bee's, and the strategically planned full-course meal that she rarely accepted any help in preparing on Mom's special day. Are you jealous of our party month yet?
I had many incredible influences in my life, both male and female, but these two ladies, especially Mom, had things that to this day continue to provide direction and reflection as I come to decisions and the pathway that my life takes. One of those was her intense love of music, specifically Country and Pop. And in 1991, a Country song debuted that pretty well summed up the way that she and Dad had raised my brother and me. Mr. Tippin offers some pretty sage advice in his debut single:
Co-Written with Buddy Brock ("Watermelon Crawl" #4 Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart), "You've Got To Stand For Something" quickly became a Country hit in the Spring of 1991 for singer/songwriter Aaron Tippin. It peaked at #6, the first top ten single for Tippin and the only single of the three released from his debut to make it into the top 20 on the Billboard Country chart. (#40, "I Wonder How Far It Is Over You", and #54, "She Made A Memory Out Of Me") "You've Got To Stand For Something" would be covered and released as a single by Charlie Pride (a legend in Country music with 30 #1 Country chart songs) in 1992, but despite his longevity and success in Country music, Pride's single failed to chart.
The song came at the time of the Gulf War and became increasingly popular with the troops who were serving. It was so popular that it drew the attention of entertainer Bob Hope who after hearing the song invited Aaron Tippin to perform it in his USO shows that were appearing in the region at the time.
The strong performance of the title track spurred the entire album to a Gold certification as it also became an anthem for blue-collar workers across the US and served as the set up to Tippin's first #1, the wildly popular, "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong With The Radio".
9 studio albums, (6 Gold and 1 Platinum), and 30 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart (3 of which went #1), all stand on the foundation of that debut single and our feature song of the day. And quite honestly it states a platitude that more and more folks should embrace. It certainly was an ideology that my Mom could back pretty quickly! The good news is that she had gotten it from an example that she had read about years before...
In today's passage, we are introduced to Stephen, one of the men chosen to tend to the physical needs of the growing number of disciples of Jesus. The apostles were finding this a task that began to distract from their opportunity to preach repentance and salvation and determined that it would be best if they developed a team of men to see to the daily physical needs of the Jesus community. Many consider this the first selection of the role of Deacon in the church. Specifically, the men were to ensure that there was no one neglected nor any favoritism shown during the dispersal of food to the widows. Everyone thought this a good idea so seven men were chosen to serve. The Bible says that the ministry continued to grow, so much so that even some of the priests, who had been some of the most vocal opponents of The Way, became obedient to the faith.
Stephen served as an enabler to the new Jesus movement in its growth and is described in a couple of ways in Chapter 6. Verse 5 describes him as a "...man full of faith and the Holy Spirit..." as he is being selected for service. Verse 8 later describes him as being "...full of grace and power..." as he was performing great wonders and signs among the people. Sounds like Stephen was an excellent selection for the apostles. Not everyone, however, saw Stephen in such a lofty status.
As Stephen was beginning to see the results of his personal ministry to the people, pushback ensues. The source of the resistance is a synagogue that contains a variety of ethnic backgrounds as its members. These men challenged Stephen. They were perplexed to discover that they could not refute what he was saying or how he was saying it as he spoke with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Inflamed by their frustration, they set up "witnesses" (all of whom provided false testimony) who spoke of Stephen speaking blasphemy. These sources noted how Stephen had spoken against Moses and God and in so doing, they stirred the crowd against Stephen. This crowd now included religious rulers whose lifestyles were already being threatened by the fact that the Jesus community was blossoming at a fast rate. This "legal" presence realized that if they were to have any curtailment of Stephen's actions it would have to take place with the ruling religious Council's blessing.
The false accusations continued in the presence of the Council. As they watched the actions of the accusers unfold, they took notice of Stephen. "Now Daddy didn't like trouble But if it came along, everyone who knew him knew which side that he'd be on..." Stephen was showing no sign of fear. No anxiety etched across his face as the accusations were growing against him. Verse 15 says that the council stared at him as his face had the appearance of an angel.
Remember that these rulers had 3-5 years earlier had to deal with Jesus who had been the reason this entire group started. One would imagine that they were a little hesitant to go down that same pathway. Here's an interesting article that sheds some light on why they approached Stephen somewhat differently than they did Jesus. The stoning of Stephen - Why were the Jews allowed to stone Stephen but had to go through Pilate to kill Jesus? - gotquestions.org Unlike Jesus, who remained silent for the bulk of his trial(s) when asked about the accusations, Stephen began to take these "scholars" on a history lesson they would never forget. In the next 49 verses, Stephen unpacks the history of Israel. With each passing moment, Stephen disarms his accusers as he relays the stories of Moses and the Prophets. Never once does he blaspheme or disparage these patriarchs of the faith. In so doing, he shows how time and again, Israel failed to follow God's pathway for them. Stephen put on display their history as a treatise on how they did not stand up when they needed to and they fell for any fad that would come along. He sums up his defense by leveling similar accusations at the Council. They too were succumbing to the ways of the world and in so doing were "stiff-necked" towards God and the work of His Holy Spirit. Stephen leans on the example he had from the trial of Peter as he repeats the declaration that the ruling religious Council were the ones who murdered the Jesus whom he follows and in so doing, do not keep the law any better than their forefathers had.
This causes the entire group to lose their minds. Stephen however, remains calm and sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God. When Stephen tells them about this, it is the last straw. In their minds, Stephen is perpetrating the lie about Jesus being alive from the grave. They covered their ears and had a "la, la, la, I can't hear you!!!" moment as they began the mob sentencing of Stephen. The Bible says that they drove him out of town and commenced stoning him.
Luke takes this moment to introduce Saul, a character that will have a dramatic impact on what we will discover as we proceed through the New Testament. The mob is stoning Stephen and in the process lay their outer garments at the feet of Saul. Check out this sneak peek at how we've talked about this moment before Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Blinded By The Light" (Manfred Mann's Earth Band)
As Stephen is being stoned and begins to die, he cries out to the Lord to receive his spirit. In an act of incredible forgiveness, Stephen begs God to not hold the sin of his murder against those who were perpetrating it. Stephen never compromised on what he thought was right and with this last act, he displayed his convictions by following the example of Jesus.
As we see this early example of the persecution of believers in Jesus, the question today is friend, where do you take your stand? If you are a believer, you will face conflict, perhaps even to the level that Stephen faced. How will you react? If you are not a believer, you will face conflict as well. Do you stand up for what you believe? Are your convictions strong enough to sustain you through the intensity of what that may entail? There are many "anythings" waiting for you to fall for as we navigate this life. The enemy plants them along our pathway to confuse, and dilute our opportunities for salvation and restoration. It is only with the power of the Holy Spirit that we can face ALL of these challenges.
Mr. Tippin's song makes a valuable point. It was a statement my mom demonstrated to me as she and Dad led by example. And it's one that Stephen, the apostles, and other disciples since that time have surrendered everything for. Is it one you are prepared to sing? Is your "something" actually the Someone? "You've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything"
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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