WHAT IF STEPHEN HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. (Acts 6:8)


Do you ever stop to think much about Stephen? He is mentioned only one time in the Bible, and his one act of obedience cost him his life. If you are familiar with the story, you know he was a table waiter, that’s all. And his one chance to get to preach in the Holy Ghost caused him to be dragged to the end of town and be stoned to death. Stephen’s moment in time was very small and insignificant some would say. But if it had not been for Stephen, 2/3rds of the New Testament would not have been written!

You see, Stephen’s preaching and subsequent execution was witnessed by a certain man, who would hold the coats of the ones who would stone him to death, Saul of Tarsus. We know him better as the Apostle Paul! Watching Stephen’s stand for Jesus, Saul would go on to finally meet Jesus for himself on the Damascus road, but what if Stephen had not been there? What if he had never been there to be a witness in front of Paul? What shape would we be in today?

I pray you receive this in your spirit today. It is not the ones who have the big time ministry in front of the cameras, not the ones who preach to thousands or sing to millions on the radio that are the most important! These people are the final link in the chain of a plan that belongs to God. It is the ones, the unsung heroes, the ones like Stephen, that to me are the most people in God’s plan.
Without Stephen’s witness, we would not have a Paul, without Esther’s small act of obedience; the nation of Israel would not be here today! If it wasn’t for a suit tailor named J D Prevatt leading a young boy to Christ at the altar, we would not have had a preacher by the name of Billy Graham.

You think because you are not leading thousands, singing to millions, working in some big time ministry that you are not important, WRONG!

It is the Stephens, the J D Prevatts, the people that obey God’s call on their life, that we may never know down here, that produces the greatest warriors, the powerful ministries. And without these people, these ministries and these warriors for God would have never been born! No man or woman lives and dies unto their self; you effect a change in people all around you, even when you don’t know it. One of the greatest things I love about Jesus’ kingdom is this; one person CAN make a difference!

The reason you are fought by the enemy, the reason strange and hard trials happen to you, is because Satan knows you can make a difference in this world.
He knows if you get this in your heart, you would be a danger to the kingdom of Hell. I encourage you, lift up your head and raise your hands in worship to God! You, and what you can do for God, are important! Your obedience might be the reason the next Billy Graham or Apostle Paul rises up! It doesn’t matter that everybody doesn’t know your name, the God of heaven does. And he has trusted you with his greatest, most important work! Every time you witness, pray, fast and obey God YOU make a difference! Be encouraged child of God, he loves you, and you are important. You don’t even know how much you are!