Wednesday, August 15: Acts 6- Pressure to conform.

Including today's reading, pressure on the church is ratcheting up. In chapters 4 & 5 apostles are arrested and marched before the Sanhedrin. Now in today's reading Stephen is arrested. Stephen is a non-apostle as well as a Greek speaking Jew. Living in Jerusalem he likely knew Aramaic as well.

The Sanhedrin seems to be going on the offensive and the suggestion of trumped up charges show that they are willing to break rules to break this new movement. This caused me to think that the world –possibly fueled by Satan's designs against the church –doesn't play fair when it comes to trying to shut down the church and the advance of God's gospel.

The pages of history are littered with Christ-followers enduring various levels of persecution for their faith. Recently I told the story of Jim Elliot martyred with 4 others in 1956 trying to advance the gospel in Ecuador. A friend of mine attends the home church of Andrew Brunson a missionary being held in a Turkish prison. She regularly sends out updates. Friends in Nigeria regularly face varying degrees of persecution.

As the USA culture grows more and more secular traditional Christian believes are being viewed more and more frequently as intolerant. I can't say we are persecuted but I am feeling marginalized. I wonder if that might tilt more aggressive?

Pressure on the church to conform is ever present in every society.

I am reminded of Chapter 4 when the church in the face of first imprisonment prayed for more boldness (see Acts 4:29-30). Oh that I would pray for the same... Oh that we –the church universal –would pray for more boldness especially in the face of threats and persecution. Boldness to witness to Jesus, not our political agenda or demand fairness but that Jesus would be heralded to the world, if need be through our faith-filled suffering.

God the words I have just written are scary for me. My life and faith-life has been easy. Are you preparing me for some kind of change? Oh God what I do know is that I need your strength for Your call, whatever it might be and I know I need more and greater amounts of boldness to speak of Jesus to my world. In His name I pray. Amen.