Hi, I am Claude and welcome to Acts.net.

This topics "Stand up for Christ" has 16 chapters that we will be walking through together.

Acts 6:8-15, Acts 7, Acts 9:1-35, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Philippians 4:1, Philippians 1:27, Galatians 5:1,
James 1:12, 2 Timothy 3:12, 6:12, Ephesians 6:13, Galatians 1:24, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Timothy 2:1-13, Joshua 1:9, Colossians 1:23-29

How far will we go when we get into a place where we will have to make a sacrifice and stand for Christ?

What could happen if you could see a devil coming at you? Some people might tumble or fold into a tiny package where you hope no one will see you. You are not ready for that kind of fight. When you are ready to make a decision then you might have a chance to succeed. That is what we are going to attempt to guide you to get ready for anything.

Let's start this teaching with Stephen in Acts 6:8-15. You will read that he did good work and helped people with his generosity. When you do the right thing, and you do not keep your eyes open all around you, there will be a chance for the devil to come in and start doing what he likes to do. In this case, these people wanted to have a word fight. They even got some other guys to lie so they could get Stephen arrested. See how easy it was for the devil to go from chaos to take control of the situation. The elders and the expert in the law seized Stephen. After that, he was in front of the council. That moment is similar to what Jesus went through.

While he was in front of the council, Stephen started to be like Moses when his face became so bright that Moses had to wear a veil over his head. In this case, Stephen's face was looking like an angel. Stephen could not stop speaking. In Acts 7, he defended himself. Stephen started his story from Abraham and quoted words from the Torah. Then he went through the prophecy of the foreign country and that God will revenge them. Then he continued down the lineage of Abraham until he got to the Holy Spirit.

Here are a few words from Acts 7:54-60.
"You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did! Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! You received the law by decrees given by angels, but you did not obey it.”

At this point, they had enough of Stephen. They rushed him out of the city and started to stone him. While they were throwing stones, Stephen said: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!". They kept throwing stones, and Stephen fell to his knees and said: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" and he died.

How this story affect you? Did you feel how small you are or how big you could be? That is one way to glorify God and for you to get your reward. We are here on this planet Earth, and it is to bring the gospel to everyone and let them decide. Same with Stephen, he brought the gospel by helping people, then challenged them. He made that decision a long time ago, and now he will be putting this knowledge to the test. The Holy Spirit guided him through the whole time he was in a debate with those unrighteous people. Jesus was there watching from Heaven, and he heard every word that Stephen said until he died.

After Stephen died, many Christians decided to move away, and they dispersed throughout the region and into other cities. Some stayed behind because they learned other languages and were able to keep helping other Christians who could not leave. While everyone was in fear, they were still spreading the gospel. Have you thought about what you might have to do when we are in tribulation, and we must stand for God our only Master?

The devil will not stop looking for Christian so he can devour them. That is our next teaching, and it is about Saul. He was a priest, a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin.

Here is something about the Pharisees from OverViewbible.com:
"By preserving and advocating for the importance of oral tradition, which was believed to have been handed from God to Moses along with the Torah, the Pharisees played an integral role in giving us both the Talmud (the written record of the oral tradition) and the Masoretic Text (the original Hebrew Bible, which relied on oral tradition to correctly identify and pronounce ambiguous words).
So at least in part, Christians can thank the Pharisees for ensuring the Old Testament was so carefully preserved. But beyond emphasizing oral tradition, the Pharisees also helped Judaism prepare for life after the Romans destroyed Herod’s temple, and they helped Jews apply and obey the Mosaic Law in everyday Jewish life."

Even though Saul had a good reputation as a Pharisee, he was against the Christian because he missed the most significant part of the scripture. Before his conversion to Christianity, he was not aware of who would come to deliver Israel. That was his main reason to bring Christians to the counsel to be judged.

Have you read that the devil is always around, and you will never know when he will attack? That is one reason that Jesus said that mothers and fathers would be against their children, and children will be against them in the end time. There will be war from within the church, family and friends. Do not be alarmed for this will take place. You need to know what is about to happen, so you are ready for this war.

After Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus, he knew what to do next. He changed to help bring people to God. Now the devil once again did not like this. It took the devil a few years to catch up with Saul, and he got him killed.

There is no escape from doing what God asked each one of us. "Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong. Everything you do should be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)." "So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58)." "So Then, my brothers and sisters, dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends (Philippians 4:1)!" "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that -- whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent -- I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of their destruction, but of your salvation—a sign which is from God. For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him, since you are encountering the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing (Philippians 1:27-28)."

You can imagine what connection these people are trying to bring to all Christians. The relationship with God that nothing can separate us from Him. Stand fast in front of evil, ask in Jesus' name to help, Jesus will not leave you. He knows what to do. Now He has a reward for us; "Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love Him (James 1:12)."

Here is another thing that you should remember, and that is the armour of God. Read Ephesians 6:13 for more detail on this armour. We also talked about this in a previous topic.

Another uplifting gift from God: "Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters,by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:1-2)."

Can you feel the love God has for you and how He is looking forward to seeing you and giving you that crown? (Joshua 1:9: "I repeat, be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.")

This life on Earth is temporary, and the next life with God is forever. That is what you are battling. This world wants you to die and be away from God. Always have someone that can help you be strong. Also, God is there to give you strength during any hardship.

That would be my best encouragement from God. It is from 2 Timothy 2:1-13. Let me read this for you. "So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well. Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him. Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner unless he competes according to the rules. The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops. Think about what I am saying and the Lord will give you understanding of all this.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned! So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy:
If we died with him, we will also live with him.
If we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we deny him, he will also deny us.
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself."

We are in two worlds, and we must decide before we die in which one we wish to stay. This world that we want to be in for a time and no hope for after this life. Or do we want to go to the next world with God and be there forever with Him? It is tough to decide when you see this word and what it has to offer, but it is only for a time. The hard part is to have faith for what we do not see but what we hear from God through the bible—knowing that there is more after we die here. You have to make the biggest decision of in your life, and it has to be before you die in this world.