Greetings, dear ones.
Since I’m feeling a good deal better, I need to get to work. First on the list is hooking up my equipment trailer and running to a property in Aurora to prepare some logs for loading and hauling off. Then I may be able to do a rather technical tree drop for another guy. We’ll see. The adventure constantly unfolds.
May you be found faithful—and your day go as it should.
Love and prayers. Ray.
This whole violent fiasco began with Stephen being transformed by the redeeming grace of God through Christ. He became a sincere believer, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and remained consistent and faithful to following Christ and promoting the Biblical Gospel. What a terrible crime! At least that’s how this whacked group called the “Men Set Free” viewed Stephen. They interrogated him with some of their antagonistic questions, which he answered with Biblical objectivity and poise—answers they could not refute. That made their blood boil—and made them blood thirsty. So they then resorted to starting a riot by hyping up the crowd along with the professional RELIGION guys, then appointing knuckleheads to come forth with false accusations. It worked! Hatred prevailed—like a feeding frenzy among sharks (I’ve seen many—I’ve even come close to being involved—reminding me again that it’s not my fault I’m still here!).
Allow me to make a modern day parallel between Stephen and Billy Graham—who just left this world a couple days ago. It’s hard for me to comprehend that anyone could unashamedly hate Billy Graham. But Becki has reported to me stuff she’s gleaned from FACEBOOK indicating that that is not the way it is. There are apparently many who are immersed in liberal political correctness and hatred for God that hated Billy Graham—even calling him evil. His crime, in their eyes, is about the same as Stephen’s. As a young man he was truly BORN AGAIN, filled with the Holy Spirit and a passion to share that life-changing Biblical Gospel. He never altered that course. That is his crime! Wow! Can anything be more up-side-down?!
Notice again the references made to fullness—“ violent rage filling their souls”—compared with Stephen—“But Stephen overtaken with great faith, was full of the Holy Spirit.” Every container will release what it is full of. As a living container/vessel, the question I need to raise for myself is, “WHAT DO I CHOOSE TO BE FULL OF.” It really does boil down to a matter of choice.
Becki showed me a photo that came in via FACEBOOK showing a big billboard that someone had put up on a busy highway back east. It featured a photo of Billy Graham with the simple words, “GONE HOME.” I love it! The same could have been accurately done for Stephen—and anyone else, for that matter, who is truly born of the Spirit.