Dear Reader
"And all that sat in the council…saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15).
Some years ago an older Christian asked a group of young people this question: "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" He asked how many people would testify that I was guilty of witnessing to them concerning my Savior? How many unbelievers would say that my godly conduct and Christ like spirit put them to shame? Would unsaved individuals charge that the influence of my life constitutes a menace to their cause?
Stephen was on trial because of his devotion to Jesus Christ, and the evidence was indisputable. In fact, the reason for his arrest was that his adversaries had become infuriated when "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." They had been silenced by his arguments and confounded by the Christ-like attitude he evidenced. They hated him so much they resorted to bribery and perjury to destroy him. However, as they looked upon him, their faces angry and their eyes flashing, they saw Stephen’s countenance glowing as if reflecting the very presence of God. The radiance was too much for his antagonists, and they soon hustled him out to the stoning ground. However, one of them, Saul of Tarsus, never forgot that scene. The remembrance of it burned in his soul until he accepted Jesus as his Master and, like Stephen, became a Spirit-filled Christian witness.
Dear Christian friend, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"
May the Lord use this issue of Toward the Mark to help you grow and be established as you read it. Thank you for your e-mails and notes of encouragement. Please keep us in your prayers.
Yours in our soon-coming Lord,
Emil Nashed
Please send your questions and comments to:
Toward the Mark
C/O Wayne Christian Assembly
60 Smith Lane
Wayne, New Jersey 07470
Attention: Emil S. Nashed
