Jesus - You are My God! Part 516

"They stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7:59 is specific on this point. But why is it in newer versions of the New Testament Bible that the wording removes the words "calling upon God" preferring only to acknowledge Stephen's latter words - "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Is it because these so-called intellectuals -- blinded by their own religious -- trinitarian views -- and institutional traditions prefer not to acknowledge that Stephen knew God by name? Knew God as Jesus -- the King of kings and Lord of lords. Or perhaps, it is because these revisionists do not want people to know that Jesus is the unseen God manifest in the flesh.

The good news is that it doesn't matter what other people think. It only matters that we believe the Word as it is written. This means that yes, Jesus is both human and divine, God and man. Jesus spoke as a man and as God. He is the Father in a Son's body. Jesus - the everlasting Father. Jesus - the only name given whereby men and women today can be saved. 

This is why we as believers are confident that the very God who created us in the beginning loved us so much that He would become flesh and shed His humanity on the cross for us. "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice; I [wisdom] lead in the midst of paths of judgement: I was set up from everlasting."

Note that when Stephen was stoned to death, God's love for His people was extended to the Gentiles. Acts 7:54-60 states: 

"When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on [Stephen] with their teeth, but he, being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and said, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.""

Although the chapter ends here, the significance of Jesus standing does not. 
The Lord Jesus is the I AM -- our light and salvation. In the beginning God. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Collosians chapter one states:

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding ... giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness; and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature; for by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him and He is before all things and by Him all things consist. For He is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell."

Later, in the same chapter but verses 27-29, the Word states: "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

Indeed, allow Jesus to fill your heart with His spirit today. Trust in Jesus for your well-being. Stand in the offering plate!