Good morning. The congregation selected seven men to be what we now call deacons. My Bible says that they all had Greek names. Remember that they were to take care of the Greek widows. One of them was Stephen, who would soon be martyred. Another was from Antioch, which is the city from which Paul and Barnabas were sent out. A third one of the seven was Philip, through whom later great signs and wonders would be performed in Samaria. They didn’t just vote for them and immediately put them into office. They brought them before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. As a deacon, he wasn’t just a glorified janitor. But some rose up and argued with Steven. When you’re doing God’s work, it brings opposition. In fact some people say that if you’re not being opposed, you must not be doing what God wanted you to do. Father help this to be a glorious day and for us to fully realize all that Jesus did for us.

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