Stephen was a man who was full of the Holy Spirit. When it came to appointing people to handle the responsibilities and functions of ministry he was the obvious choice because of this qualification.
Acts 6:5 ‘And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.’
When we begin to operate under the influence of the Holy Spirit we become an asset and we bring value into the situation where we are. In the situation in the book of Acts, we see the early day of the New Testament church. As the church grew and developed, pressures and responsibilities arose and these needed to be attended too. As a plan was devised to attend to these practical and important aspects. The plan was to appoint seven people who would pick up these responsibilities. The qualification for these positions was that these people should be ‘full of the Holy Spirit’. It is such an awesome thought that no matter what needed to be done regardless of whether if it was menial or practical, the qualification was the same: ‘Full of the Holy Spirit’. The truth of the matter is that there is something holy and sanctified about the practical issues of life. The job you do, the parental role you are playing, the aspect of being a provider or simple the example that you set by the way you live your life is important, holy and sanctified. Sometimes we write off things because we feel they are ‘small things’, but I have discovered that there are no such things as ‘small things’. We need the Holy Spirit in every way and in every aspect of our daily lives. Stephen was a man who was like this and as a result he was the obvious choice and the door was opened for him to become a recognised role player. I believe that as you and I seek to live our lives ‘full of the Holy Spirit’ it will open doors for us too. When we operate under the influence of The Holy Spirit and we are faithful over our everyday responsibilities, further doors will open.
Matthew 25:21 ‘you have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things.
WHEN WE RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT WE ARE WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS ‘STIFF-NECKED’
Acts 7:51 ‘You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!’
We should never resist the moving and the working of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He may move in ways we don’t like or in ways we don’t prefer, but we should not allow that to upset us.
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