STEPHEN A LIVING EPISTLE 

      OF JESUS CHRIST

For God so loved the
world that he gave
his only begotten Son
that whosoever believes
in him should not perish
but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)
Abraham believed in the Lord
for this promise of God.
Abraham believed in God to
bless him and the world with
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaac also believed in the Lord
for this same promise of God.
Jacob also believed in God for
this same promise of God.
Jacob can not work for 
the Lord's blessing.
The Lord's blessing is
a gift. 
To receive the blessing
of God , Jacob has to 
accept it with faith
in the Lord.
The Lord Jesus Christ is
the gift of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ
will come from the 
seed of Jacob.
 Love never fails:
 but whether there be
 prophecies, they shall fail;
 whether there be tongues,
 they shall cease;
 whether there be knowledge,
 it shall vanish away.
 For we know in part,
 and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is
 perfect is come, then
 that which is in part
 shall be done away.
When I was a child,
 I spoke as a child,
 I understood as a child,
 I thought as a child: 
but when I became a man,
 I put away childish
  things.
For now we see through
 a glass, darkly;
 but then face to face:
 now I know in part; 
but then shall I know
 even as also I am known.
And now abides faith,
 hope, love, these three;
 but the greatest of 
these is love.
(1Corinthians 13:8-13)
We can see and understand 
only a little about God 
now , as if we were 
peering at his reflection 
in a poor mirror ; but 
someday we are going to
see God in his completeness,
face to face. Now all you 
know is hazy and blurred,
but someday you will see
everything clearly, just
as clearly as God sees
into your heart right now.
And we shall see God in
our pure heart.
And now these three 
lives in us :
 faith, hope, and love.
And the greatest these is
 love.


Apostle Paul wrote, 
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to 
be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, 
written not with ink, but with
 the Spirit of the living God;
 not in tables of stone,
but in fleshy tables of the heart. 
( 2Corinthians 3:3) 
You show that you are a living 
letter of the living Lord God ,
written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human heart.
Clearly you are a letter from Christ .
The living letter is written not with
 pen and ink ,but with the Holy Spirit.
It is carved not in tablets of stone,
but in human heart.
You show that you are a living letter from
the Lord Jesus Christ,
written not with computers but with the
 Holy Spirit of the living God , not in
 computer tablets but in tablets of human heart.
You are demonstrating that you are the
Messiah’s epistle , written not with ink
 but with the Spirit of the living 
God , not in tablets of stone ,
 but in tablets of human heart.
It is clear that you are Christ’s epistle.
You are a letter written not with
 ink but with the Holy Spirit .
You are a living letter written not
 in tablets of stones but in human heart.
You are manifestly declared to be
 the epistle of Christ,
written not with ink , but with 
the Spirit of the living of God,
 not in tablets of stones but in
 fleshly tablets of the heart.
You are the living letter of 
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Your hearts are the substance which 
God’s writing is made.
The Holy Spirit produces the love
 in your heart and the mark of
 love becomes the evident to the world.
You are an living epistle of Christ. 
You are an living epistle of Christ
that speak for Christ .You are an
epistle of Christ that minister
Christ to others.
How much of the Lord Jesus Christ
has been written in you by the
Holy Spirit ? 



ACTS CHAPTER SIX

 And in those days, when the number of
 the disciples was multiplied, there 
arose a murmuring of the Grecians
 against the Hebrews, because their
 widows were neglected in the daily
 ministration.(Acts6:1) 

The Greek believers complained that
 the Greek widows were neglected in
the ministration.
God created the heavens and earths.
All our material substances belong
 to the Lord. All our mind belongs
 to the Lord. All our heart belongs
 to the Lord. All our strength
 belongs to the Lord,
All soul belongs to the Lord.
The sharing of material substances
 should be a  characteristic of
a believer .
Man is given a free will. Man has
 to choose between love and hate.
Love comes from God. Hate comes
 from the devil.
Love gives. Love is unselfish. 
Hate is selfish. Hate takes.
The selfishness of the old nature
 had taken over the hearts of some
 of the followers. The devil took 
possession of the hearts of Ananias and 
Sapphira . The devil gave them
 hearts of beasts. Then death consumed them.


  
 Then the twelve called the
 multitude of the disciples unto 
them, and  said, It is not reason
 that we should leave the word
 of God, and serve tables.
All the members of the body of
 Christ are important.
But each member must do what 
the Lord has called him to do.
Serving tables in Lord is just
 as important as preaching the
 word of God.
You show that you are a living 
letter of the living Lord God ,
written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human heart.
You are the living letter of
 the Lord Jesus Christ.
Your hearts are the substance which 
God’s writing is made.
The Holy Spirit produces the love
 in your heart and the mark of
 love becomes the evident to the world.
Jesus approves of Mary's expression 
of love for Him. Jesus also approves of
Martha's love for Him by serving tables.
When people see Mary Magdalene ,
 the living epistle of Jesus Christ ,
 they are reading the living epistle 
written by the Lord Jesus Christ. 
People see that Mary Magdalene loves
 the Lord Jesus Christ
with all her mind , with all her heart ,
 with all her soul , and with 
all her strength. 
When people see Martha the living epistle of
Jesus Christ, they are reading the
 living epistle written by the Lord Jesus
Christ in Martha's heart. People see 
that Martha loves the Lord Jesus Christ
with all her mind , with all her heart ,
 with all her soul , and with 
all her strength.
Martha gives all heart to the Lord when
she serve the people. 
 We can see the everlasting 
of the Lord Jesus
Christ expressed by Mary and Martha.



 Wherefore, brethren, look you out among
 you seven men of honest report, full of
 the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may
 appoint over this business.
But we will give ourselves continually
 to prayer, and to the ministry  of the word.
And the saying pleased the whole multitude:
 and they chose Stephen, a  man full of
 faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip,
 and Prochorus,  and Nicanor, and Timon,
 and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of  Antioch:
Whom they set before the apostles: 
and when they had prayed,
 they laid their hands on them.
(Acts 6:3-6)
In the Old Testament sacrifices the 
sinner would put his hand on the head of
the animal to be sacrifice . This innocent
 animal was offered in his place.
The offering of innocent animals point to
 the offering of Christ for our
sin on the cross.
When they put their hands on the chosen
 seven disciples, it meant that
the seven will be partners with them in
 the service of Christ.

And the word of God increased; 
and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; 
and a great company of the priests
  were obedient to the faith.
(Acts 6:7)
How much has the Holy Spirit 
written in each of the believers ?
How much has the Holy Spirit written
in Stephen an living epistles of
Jesus Christ ?
How much has the Holy Spirit written
you ? These are real disciples  of
Jesus Christ with the word of God 
written in them.
Each believer is a living epistle 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning
the believer is like a baby in 
spirit matters. Then the believer grows
spiritually with the help of the 
Holy Spirit. Then the believer grows into a
spiritually mature believer. 
When I was a child,
 I spoke as a child,
 I understood as a child,
 I thought as a child: 
but when I became a man,
 I put away childish
  things.
For now we see through
 a glass, darkly;
 but then face to face:
 now I know in part; 
but then shall I know
 even as also I am known.
And now abides faith,
 hope, love, these three;
 but the greatest of 
these is love.
(1Corinthians 13:8-13)
As the believer matures 
spiritually , the word of
God increases.

And Stephen, full of faith
 and power, did great wonders 
and miracles among the people.
Then there arose certain of
 the synagogue, which is called
 the synagogue of the Libertines,
 and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
 and of  them of Cilicia and of
 Asia, disputing with Stephen.
 And they were not able to resist
 the wisdom and the spirit by which
 he spoke.
 Then they suborned men, which
 said, We have heard him speak 
blasphemous words against Moses,
 and against God.
 And they stirred up the people,
 and the elders, and the scribes, 
and  came upon him, and caught him,
 and brought him to the council,
 And set up false witnesses, which
 said, This man ceases not to speak 
blasphemous words against this holy
 place, and the law:
 For we have heard him say, that 
this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy 
this place, and shall change the 
customs which Moses delivered us.
 And all that sat in the council,
 looking steadfastly on him, saw
 his face as it had been the face
 of an angel.
(Acts 6:8-15)

ACTS CHAPTER SEVEN
 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken;
 The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham,
 when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
(Acts 7:1-2)
They have set us false witnesses against Stephen.
The false witnesses made accusations against Stephen.
Are these things so ?
Stephen made no attempt to clear himself of the charges.
In his response ,Stephen does not even mention the
charges that the false witnesses made against him.
Stephen addresses them with respect. He calls the younger
men , brethren. They are his brethren in the flesh. 
And Stephen also addresses the older men with respect.
He calls the older men as his fathers in the flesh.
They and Stephen are Jews .They are descendants of
Abraham.


 And said unto him,
 Get you out of your country,
 and from your kindred, and
 come into the land which
 I shall show you.
 Then came he out of 
the land of the Chaldaeans,
 and dwelt in Charran: 
and from thence, when his father was  
dead, he removed him into this  land,
 wherein you now dwell.
 And he gave him none inheritance
 in it, no, not so much
 as to set his foot on:
 yet he promised that he would
 give it to him for a  possession,
 and to his seed after him,
 when as yet he had no child.
(Acts 7:3-5)
Abraham sees God's plan for
man's salvation.
Abraham proclaims that Jesus the
Lamb  of God  is slain from 
the foundation of the
 world.
For God so loved the
world that he gave His Only
 begotten Son  that whosoever believes
in him shall not perish
but have everlasting life .(John 3:16)
God wants not great men but humble
 common folks who will dare to prove 
the greatness of their God. Before
 God called Abraham, he was a pagan.
 Abraham was not yet circumcised.
 He was not yet a Jew. He was 
still a Gentile. It was not by
 his own human effort that Abraham
 became what he is. Abraham did
 not do it by his own efforts 
and works, God did it. God 
raised up Abraham to be what he is.
 Not by might, or by power
 but by my Spirit  Thus
 says the Lord.
 Man's very best comes far 
short of God's lowest and least
 requirements. Man can never
 save himself by his own efforts.
 Only the Lord Jesus Christ 
can save us. For God so loved
 the world that He gave His
 only begotten Son that whosoever
 believes in Him should not
 perish but have everlasting life.
 Jesus is the way, the truth,
 and the life. No man can come
 unto the Father but by the 
Lord Jesus Christ.
 Abraham was an ordinary person 
just like you and I . God's Word
 clearly tells us that Abraham's
 mighty works were not the result
 of some rare combination of
 personal qualities, but were
 the result of his faith in God.
 There are only two ways. God's
 way is to life. And the devil's
 way is to death and destruction.
 Abraham choose God's way to life.
Many people make a mistake in
 thinking that the mighty people
 of God have extraordinary qualities 
of courage, and strength of body 
and soul. These people of God
 were not any different from 
the ordinary folks , except in 
their faith. what lift them 
above the ordinary people is
 that they have strong faith 
in God. They are obedient to
 God's call. But they did not
 do these mighty works with 
human strength. It was God 
who did all these wonderful
 works through them who had 
faith in God. The message 
that Abraham is saying to us is,
 God did it.
 Abraham did it not by might
 nor by power, but by the
 Holy Spirit. Abraham has faith
 in the Lord. Abraham believed
 God. By faith Abraham , when
 he was called to go out into
 a place which he should receive
 an inheritance, obeyed God. 
And he went out , not knowing
 where he was going. By faith
 he lived as a foreigner in 
the land of promise. He lived
 in tabernacles as did Isaac 
and Jacob, who received the 
same promise from God. For 
Abraham was waiting for a 
city which has everlasting 
foundations whose maker and 
builder was God. Through faith
 also Sarah herself received 
strength to conceive seed,
 and was delivered a child
 when she was past age, because 
judged Him faithful who had promised. 
 Abraham trusted God o keep 
His promise. Through Abraham
 was practically dead of old age,
 from this one man came as many 
descendants as there are stars
 in the sky . There are as many
 as the numberless grains of 
sand on the seashore. 
 Abraham died in faith, not having 
received the promise, but having 
seen them afar off and was 
persuaded of them, and embraced
 them, and confessed that he 
was a pilgrim and stranger on the earth.
 Abraham made it clear that he 
was looking for a real home in
 heaven. He did not keep thinking
 about the country he had left
 behind. If he had wanted to,
 Abraham could have gone back
 to the things of this world .
 But Abraham did not wish to
 fail God. He did not want to
 go back to the things of the
 world. He was seeking the kingdom
 of God and His righteousness.
 And now God is not ashamed to
 be called his God. For God has
 prepared Abraham a heavenly 
city with everlasting foundation.
 It is the same city for us , 
if we have the faith in the
 Lord Jesus.
 Faith works by love. Abraham
 abides in the Lord. And the
 Lord abides in Abraham.
But without faith it is 
impossible to please God; for he who
 comes to God must believe
 that He is, and that He is a
 rewarder of them that diligently
 seek Him.
 By faith Abraham obeyed God
 when God called him to go
 out into a place which God
 has promised to give to him.
 Abraham left his own country
 without knowing where He was
 going. By faith Abraham lived
 as a foreigner in a new
 land. He lived in tents as 
did Isaac and Jacob, who 
 received the same promise from God.
 Abraham did this because he
 was waiting confidently for God
 to bring him to the heavenly
 city which God has designed and
 built, the city with everlasting
 foundation.
 By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as a 
 strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and
 Jacob, the heirs with the same promise. For he looked for
 a city which has foundations, whose builder is God.
 through faith also Sarah herself received strengthen
 to conceive seed , and delivered of a child when she
 eas past age, because she judged God faithful who 
 promised.
 Through faith Abraham was able to become a father. Abraham
 was so old and almost dead. From this one man came as many
 descendants as there are stars in the sky and as many as
 the grains of sand on the seashore.Abraham has faith in
 the Lord to provide a Saviour for mankind.
 Abraham was willing
 to obey God to offer his only son as
 sacrifice.
 God had said,
 It is through Isaac that you will have the 
 descendants I promised.
 Abraham trusted in God. Abraham trusted that God 
 was able to raise even Isaac back from 
death. But God gave  Isaac back to Abraham.
 Abraham was to sacrifice a son , but that son was not 
 Isaac. Jesus was considered to be a son of Abraham.
 Abraham had provided a descendant, Jesus , as a sacrifice
 to take away the sin of the world.
 By faith Abraham blessed Jacob and Issac concerning the
 things God has promised.
The life of Jacob
 is a prophecy.
God uses the life
of Jacob as a prophecy
 to reveal what will
happen to the children 
of Israel.
Jacob wrestles with the
Lord until the Lord 
blesses him.
What is God's blessing
for Israel ?
GOD'S blessing for Israel
is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every breath of Israel comes
from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ is 
a gift from God to 
man.
The enemy of Israel is not
flesh and blood. The enemy
of Israel is the devil.
Satan is the enemy of God.
Satan wants to destroy man.
God wants to save man.
God's blessing for Israel
is the Lord Jesus Christ.
 And Jacob was left alone;
 and there wrestled a man with him
until the breaking of the day.
 And when he saw that he
prevailed not against him,
 he touched the hollow of his thigh;
and the hollow of Jacob's
 thigh was out of joint, as he
wrestled with him. And he said,
 Let me go, for the day
breaketh. And he said,
 I will not let thee go, except thou
bless me. And he said unto him,
 What is thy name? And he said,
Jacob.
And he said,
Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
 but Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power
 with God and with men,
and hast prevailed. (Gen 32:24-28 )
Israel has power with
 God and with men.
And Israel has prevailed.
The children of Israel
 wrestle with the 
Lord until the Lord
 blesses them. 
The children of Israel
 has power with God 
and with men.
 And the children of
 Israel will prevailed.
Jesus said,
Blessed are they which do hunger 
and thirst after righteousness:
 for they shall be filled.
Blessed is Israel who does hunger
and thirst after righteousness:
for Israel shall be filled .
 By faith , when he was about to die,
 Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph ,
 and leaning on top of his
 staff,worshipped God.
 By faith Joseph , when he was
 about to die , make mention of
 the departing of the children
 of Israel ; and gave the 
 commandment concerning the bones 
to be returned to the
 promised land.  
Joseph trusts the Lord. Joseph believes  
that the Saviour will come from 
the seed of Abraham. Joseph beholds 
the vision of the Lord. For God so
loved that world that whosoever believed
in Him shall perish but have everlasting
life.
Now faith is the substance of
 things hoped for , the evidence
 of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)
For by faith , Ruth and Boaz won
 God's approval. For by faith Ruth
 and Boaz obtained a good report. The
 Lord has called Abraham to found
 a nation for the reason of one
 day  bringing a Savior to mankind. 
In Ruth and Boaz we have 
the founding of the family 
within that nation in which Christ
 the Savior would come.
 Ruth was the great grandmother
 of David, Israel's greatest king.


 And God spoke on this wise,
 That his seed should sojourn
 in a strange land; and that
 they should bring them into
 bondage, and entreat them 
evil four hundred years.
 And the nation to whom they shall be
 in bondage will I judge, said God: 
and after that shall they come forth,
 and serve me in this place.
 And he gave him the covenant of 
circumcision: and so Abraham begat
 Isaac, and circumcised him the 
eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob;
 and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, 
sold Joseph into Egypt: but God
 was with him,
And delivered him out of all 
his afflictions, and gave him 
favour and wisdom in the sight
 of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and
 he made him governor over Egypt
 and all his house.
 Now there came a dearth over 
all the land of Egypt and Chanaan,
 and great affliction: and our
 fathers found no sustenance.
 But when Jacob heard that
 there was corn in Egypt, he
 sent out our fathers first.
 And at the second time Joseph 
was made known to his brethren;
 and Joseph's kindred was made
 known unto Pharaoh.
 Then sent Joseph, and called
 his father Jacob to him, and
 all his kindred, threescore
 and fifteen souls.
 So Jacob went down into Egypt,
 and died, he, and our fathers,
 And were carried over into
 Sychem, and laid in the sepulcher
 that Abraham bought for a sum of
 money of the sons of Emmor the 
father of Sychem.

 But when the time of the 
promise drew nigh, which God had
 sworn to Abraham, the people
 grew and multiplied in Egypt,
 Till another king arose, 
which knew not Joseph.
 The same dealt subtilly with
 our kindred, and evil entreated 
our fathers, so that they cast
 out their young children, to
 the end they  might not live.
 In which time Moses was born,
 and was exceeding fair, and 
nourished up in his father's
 house three months:
 And when he was cast out,
 Pharaoh's daughter took him up,
 and nourished him for her own son.
 And Moses was learned in all
 the wisdom of the Egyptians, 
and was mighty in words and in deeds.
 And when he was full forty
 years old, it came into his 
heart to visit his brethren
 the children of Israel.
 And seeing one of them suffer
 wrong, he defended him, and 
avenged him that was oppressed, 
and smote the Egyptian:
 For he supposed his brethren 
would have understood how that 
God by his hand would deliver them:
 but they understood not.
 And the next day he showed
 himself unto them as they strove,
 and would have set them at one 
again, saying, Sirs, you are
 brethren; why do you wrong 
one to another?
 But he that did his neighbor
 wrong thrust him away, saying,
 Who made you a ruler and a
 judge over us?
 Will you kill me, as you
 did the Egyptian yesterday?
 Then fled Moses at this saying,
 and was a stranger in the land
 of Madian, where he begat two sons.
(Acts 7:1-29)
Moses thought that the Egyptians
were his enemies. But the Lord has
shown to Moses that the Egyptians
were not the enemies of Israel.
The enemy of Israel is Satan.
Moses has tried to deliver Israel
from bondage with his human strength.
And Moses failed. 
The Lord has to teach Moses for 
forty years in the desert before
Moses come to understand that the
enemy of man is Satan.  
The enemy of Israel is not flesh
and blood. The enemy of Israel 
is Satan.
 Finally, my brethren, be strong 
in the Lord, and in the power
 of his might.
 Put on the whole armour of God,
 that you may be able to stand
 against the wiles of the devil.
 For we wrestle not against
 flesh and blood, but against
 principalities, against powers,
 against the rulers of the
 darkness of this world, against
 spiritual wickedness in high places. 
 Wherefore take unto you the
 whole armour of God, that you
 may be able to withstand in
 the evil day, and having done
 all, to stand. 
 Stand therefore, having your
 loins girt about with truth, 
and having on the breastplate
 of righteousness; 
 And your feet shod with 
the preparation of the gospel 
of peace;
 Above all, taking the shield
 of faith, wherewith you shall
 be able to quench all the fiery
 darts of the wicked. 
 And take the helmet of salvation,
 and the sword of the Spirit,
 which is the word of God: 
 Praying always with all
 prayer and supplication in
 the Spirit, and watching 
thereunto with all perseverance
 and supplication for all saints; 
 And for me, that utterance
 may be given unto me, that
 I may open my mouth boldly,
 to make known the mystery
 of the gospel, 
 For which I am an ambassador
 in bonds: that therein I may 
speak boldly, as I ought to
 speak.(Ephesians 6:10-20)


 And when forty years were 
expired, there appeared to him
 in the wilderness of mount
 Sina an angel of the Lord
 in a flame of fire in a bush.
When Moses saw it, he 
wondered at the sight: and as
 he drew near to  behold it,
 the voice of the Lord came unto him,
Saying, I am the God of your
 fathers, the God of Abraham,
 and the God of Isaac, and the
 God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled,
 and did not behold.
Then said the Lord to him,
 Put off your shoes from your
 feet: for the place where
 you stand is holy ground.
I have seen, I have seen
 the affliction of my people
 which is in Egypt, and I have
 heard their groaning, and 
am come down to deliver them.
 And now come, I will send 
you into Egypt.
This Moses whom they refused,
 saying, Who made you a ruler
 and a judge? the same did 
God send to be a ruler and a 
deliverer by the  hand of
 the angel which appeared to
 him in the bush.
 He brought them out, after
 that he had showed wonders 
and signs in the land of Egypt,
 and in the Red sea, and in the 
wilderness forty  years.
 (Acts 7:30-36)
Human strength can not deliver
Israel from the bondage of the
devil. Only the resurrection
power of the Lord can deliver
Israel from bondage of the
devil.
Moses brought the children of 
Israel out of bondage after
that he had showed wonders and 
signs of the Lord in the land
of Egypt and in the Red sea,
and in the wilderness for
forty years.
 
 This is that Moses, which
 said unto the children of Israel,
 A prophet shall the Lord your
 God raise up unto you of your brethren,
like unto me; him shall you hear.
 This is he, that was in the church
 in the wilderness with the angel 
which spoke to him in the mount Sina,
 and with our fathers: who  
received the lively oracles 
give unto us:
 To whom our fathers would not
 obey, but thrust him from them,
 and in their hearts turned back
 again into Egypt,
 Saying unto Aaron, Make us
 gods to go before us: for as
 for this Moses, which brought 
us out of the land of Egypt, we
 know not what is become of him.
 And they made a calf in those
 days, and offered sacrifice unto
 the idol, and rejoiced in the 
works of their own hands.
 Then God turned, and gave
 them up to worship the host
 of heaven; as it is written
 in the book of the prophets,
 O you house of Israel,          
have you offered to me slain
 beasts and sacrifices by the
 space of  forty years in 
the wilderness?
 Yea, you took up the
 tabernacle of Moloch, and 
the star of your god Remphan,
 figures which you made to
 worship them: and I will
 carry you away beyond Babylon.
 Our fathers had the tabernacle
 of witness in the wilderness, 
as he had appointed, speaking 
unto Moses, that he should make
 it according to the fashion 
that he had seen.
The Lord blesses Moses by allowing
him to see the original tabernacle
that is in heaven. Moses is to build
a copy of the original tabernacle.
Moses is to make the tabernacle
according to the fashion that he
had seen in heaven.

 Which also our fathers that 
came after brought in with Jesus
 into the possession of the 
Gentiles, whom God drove out
 before the face of our fathers,
 unto the days of David;
 Who found favour before God, 
and desired to find a tabernacle
 for the God of Jacob.
 But Solomon built him an house.
 Howbeit the most High dwells
 not in temples made with hands; 
as said the prophet,
 Heaven is my throne, and
 earth is my footstool: what
 house will you build me? said
 the Lord: or what is the place 
of my rest?
 Has not my hand made all
 these things?
 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised
 in heart and ears, you do always 
resist the Holy Spirit: as your 
fathers did, so do you.
 Which of the prophets have
 not your fathers persecuted?
 and they have slain them 
which showed before of the 
coming of the Just One;          
of whom you have been now
 the betrayers and murderers:
 Who have received the 
law by the disposition of angels,
 and have not kept it.
 When they heard these things, 
they were cut to the heart, and 
they gnashed on him with their teeth.
(Acts 7:37-54)
The natural man is no better than 
the wild beasts of the wilderness. For
all natural man's accomplishment ,
 the devil rewards him with a heart of
a wild beast. 
Wild beasts gnashed on a spiritual
 man with their teeth.
The Lord is Stephen's Shepherd. 
The Lord supplies all his needs.
The Lord knows what  Stephen's needs .
The Lord leads him in the path of righteousness.
Stephen is in the valley of the shadow of death.
Stephen fears not for the Lord is with him.
Death is only a shadow for 
Stephen. Stephen trusts
in the Lord to raise him up.
Stephen loves the Lord with 
all his mind , with all his
 heart, with all his soul,
 and with all his strength.
The Lord is the Shepherd of
 all Stephen's mind . The Lord 
is the Shepherd
of all Stephen's heart. The Lord 
is the Shepherd of all Stephen's soul.
The Lord is the Shepherd of 
all Stephen's strength. 


 But he, being full of the
 Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly
 into heaven, and saw the glory
 of God, and Jesus standing on
 the right hand 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, and 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.
(Acts 7:55-60)
Stephen understands that the real enemy is 
Satan. The people are not the enemy.
It is a spiritual war between God and
Satan who wanted to hinder God's
plan for man's salvation after the
fall of Adam.
The enemy does not want the Saviour to
to come from the nation of Israel.
Stephen knows that we 
wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.(Ephesians 6)
 The folks who were  throwing stones
at Stephen were blind to the truth. They
know not the truth. 
Stephen forgives them. Stephen prays to God,
 Lord, lay not  this sin to their charge 
Stephen has already forgiven Saul.
Saul was the leader of the blind  religious 
folks who were  throwing  deadly stones
at  Stephen. Evil can not defeat evil.
Love defeats evil.
Stephen was wonderful witness to Saul.
Stephen prepared Saul for the appearance
of the Lord Jesus on the Damascus road.
The folks  behold the everlasting love of
the Lord Jesus coming out of Stephen , the
living epistle of Jesus Christ.
Now thousands of years later , Stephen , the 
living epistle of Jesus Christ still shines 
brightly with his Lord's love.
Jesus Christ is the same 
yesterday
today
and forever.
The Word is the same
yesterday
today
and forever.
Stephen has been sleeping and
waiting for his resurrection for
thousands of years. The word
written in Stephen by the
Holy Spirit is the same 
yesterday , today, and forever.
How much of the word of God is written
in Stephen by the Holy Spirit ?
Stephen  is a living epistle of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
The important truth is  that 
the Holy Spirit wrote
 the living epistle of Jesus
Christ.

 And seeing the multitudes, he went up
 into a mountain: and when he was set,
 his disciples came unto him:
And he opened his mouth, 
and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit:
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn:
 for they shall be comforted.
 Blessed are the meek:
 for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger 
and thirst after righteousness:
 for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful:
 for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
 for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
 for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for
 righteousness' sake: for theirs 
is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you, when men shall
 revile you, and persecute you,
 and shall say all manner of evil
 against you falsely, for my sake.    
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
 for great is your reward in heaven:
 for so persecuted they the 
prophets which were before you.
(Matt.5:1-12)



 Yea, and all that will live godly in
 Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
(2Timothy 3:12)


 And he said unto them,
 You shall drink indeed of my cup,
 and be baptized with the baptism
 that I am baptized with:
 but to sit on my right hand, 
and on my left, is not mine 
to give, but it shall be given
 to them for whom it is prepared 
of my Father.
(Matthew 20:23)

 Then he said unto them,
 Go your way, eat the fat,
 and drink the sweet, and
 send portions unto them for
 whom nothing is prepared:
 for this day is holy unto
 our Lord: neither be you sorry;
 for the joy of the LORD is
 your strength.
(Nehemiah 8:10)
 For in Jesus Christ neither
 circumcision avails any thing,
 nor uncircumcision; but faith
 which works by love.
(Galatians5:6)

...............................
Title : STEPHEN AN LIVING EPISTLE OF
        JESUS CHRIST
ISBN 13 978-1-928153-00-9(PAPERBACK) 
ISBN 13 978-1-928153-01-6(HTML)
Author : Anthony Ing
Publisher : Good News Publishing
Publication year : 2015