"You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are alway resisting the Holy Spirit; as your forefathers did so do you." Acts 7:51 (HCSB)
Those are some harsh words. Those are confrontational words. Or in the south "Them is figthin words!"
This where we find a man named Stephen. A man who was selected with six other men to serve the neglected widows. He had something to say. He had something that the people needed to hear. He wasn't afraid to speak out. We know nothing other than Stephen's characterisitics (Acts 6:3). He obviously knew his history, he knew what the prophets said, he knew his Old Testament. But the one thing I admire about him is that he was not ashamed to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. He was not ashamed where they had fallen short. He was not ashamed to point out their history. He was not ashamed to stand and speak out his faith. Because he did, he was stoned to death.
In your faith, do you speak out? Do you speak out in your actions? Do you speak words of encouragement or love? Do you speak out when you worship God? Because Stephen spoke out, an important man was somehow impacted by this event. Will you be impacted by your faith? Will you be impacted by the faith of other Christ followers. Make a decision to not be ashamed.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, and then for the Gentile."-Romans 1:16 (NIV)
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