Above the Ordinary

January 3

They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. — Acts 6:5

Scripture reading: Acts 6:8–15; 7:55–60

God has privileged us in Christ Jesus to live above the ordinary human plane of life. Those who want to be ordinary and live on a lower plane can do so, but as for me, I will not. The same anointing, the same zeal, the same Holy Spirit power is at our command as it was at the command of Stephen and the apostles. We have the same God that Abraham and Elijah had, and we do not need to lag behind in receiving any gift or grace. We may not possess all the gifts as abiding gifts, but as we are full of the Holy Spirit and divine anointing, it is possible, when there is a need, for God to make evident every gift of the Spirit through us as He may choose.

Stephen, an ordinary man, became extraordinary under the Holy Spirit‘s anointing until, in many ways, he stands supreme among the apostles. “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). As we go deeper in God, He enlarges our capacity for understanding and places before us a wide-open door. It is not surprising that this man chosen to serve tables was later called to a higher plane. You may ask, “What do you mean? Did he stop taking care of his responsibilities?” No, but he was lost in the power of God. He lost sight of everything in the natural and steadfastly fixed his gaze on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), until he was transformed into a shining light in the kingdom of God. May we be awakened to believe His Word and to understand the mind of the Spirit, for there is an inner place of purity where we can see God. Stephen was an ordinary person, but he was in the place where God could move him so that he, in turn, could affect those around him. He began in a humble place and ended in a blaze of glory. Dare to believe Christ.

Thought for today: Chosen for menial service, Stephen became mighty for God.

超凡

1月3日

他们选了司提反，就是一个满有信心和圣灵的人。——使徒行传 6:5

经文阅读：使徒行传 6:8–15；7:55–60

神在基督耶稣里特别赐福给我们，使我们能够超越普通人的生活层次。那些希望平凡、过低层次生活的人可以这样做，但就我而言，我不会这样做。我们掌握的膏油、热情和圣灵的能力，与司提反和使徒们掌握的完全一样。我们有与亚伯拉罕和以利亚相同的神，我们在接受任何恩赐或恩典上不必落后。我们可能不会拥有所有恩赐作为持续的恩赐，但当我们充满圣灵和神圣膏抹时，在有需要的时候，神可以凭祂的选择，通过我们显明圣灵的每一种恩赐。

司提反，一个普通人，在圣灵的恩膏下变得非凡，以至于在许多方面，他在使徒中居于至高地位。“司提反充满信心和能力，在百姓中行了大奇事奇迹。”（使徒行传 6:8）当我们在神里更深时，祂会扩大我们理解的容量，并为我们摆开一扇敞开的门。不足为奇的是，这位被选来侍奉桌上事务的人，后来被呼召到更高的境界。你可能会问：“你是什么意思？他不再照顾自己的职责了吗？”不，他没有，而是沉浸在神的能力中。他在属世的事物上失去了视线，坚持不移地将目光固定在耶稣身上，“那位信心的创始成终者”（希伯来书 12:2），直到他变成神国中的光明之子。愿我们醒悟去信靠祂的话语，并去理解圣灵的心意，因为有一个内在的纯净之地，我们可以在其中看见神。司提反是一个普通人，但他处在神可以动他的地方，以便他反过来影响周围的人。他从卑微之地开始，最终在荣耀中燃烧。敢于相信基督。

今日的思考：被选来从事卑微的服侍，司提反为神变得强大。