Daily Reflection Verses

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Thursday – 26 December 2013

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Verses:         

Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59

Psalm 31:3-4, 6, 8, 17

Matthew 10:17-22

Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59

⁸ Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Psalm 31:3-4, 6, 8, 17

³ Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
⁴ Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.

⁶ I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.
⁸ You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.

¹⁷ Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.

Matthew 10:17-22

¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils

and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to receive them. For it is not God's way that great blessings should descend without the sacrifice first of great sufferings.

-- St. Augustine

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Source:

New International Version (NIV)

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