Saul Guards Coats as Stephen is Killed

In the book of Acts, Stephen hadn’t done anything wrong when he was stoned by his persecutors. All he did was preach a message about Israeli history. Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). This statement infuriated the Jewish religious leaders. 

They took their coats off and laid them at Saul’s feet before they picked up rocks to stone Stephen. (Before the apostle Paul was converted, his name was Saul). Saul was absolutely convinced that he was correct in his beliefs and despised every follower of Jesus.

Saul wholeheartedly approved of their stoning of Stephen and was “watching out for the coats of those who were killing him” (Acts 22:20). Saul must have felt honored to be put in charge of the important task of guarding the coats, making sure no one would steal them.

He probably thought, “Out of all the people here, they chose me to protect their robes!” He thought guarding their cloaks was more important than guarding an innocent man from being killed. He believed commandment #8: “You shall not steal,” was more important than commandment #6: “You shall not murder.”

As Stephen was dying, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:54-60). Not long after this, the Lord struck Saul down on the road to Damascus and opened his spiritual eyes. After Saul “saw the light,” he realized he had been wrong about what he believed. Saul became the apostle Paul and wrote most of the New Testament.

Could there be a link between Stephen’s prayer for his persecutors and Saul’s conversion? I believe God revealed Himself to Saul in answer to Stephen’s prayer. Jesus said, “Pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28). He didn’t tell us what to pray, but something supernatural happens when we pray for our enemies. The Holy Spirit softens their hearts, which makes it easier for them to yield to God than to keep resisting Him. They might not be struck down like Saul, but He will cause them to see the light—if you’ll keep praying.

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Making Life Count Ministries
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Signs From God

Every day we see signs telling us what to do. A Stop sign tells us to hit the brakes. The Yield sign says to let others have their way. No U-Turn means no turning back. A Slow sign instructs us to proceed with caution. A green light means go, a yellow light means slow, and a red light means no. The signs are placed at those locations for our own protection, and we can suffer harmful consequences if we ignore them.

In the spiritual realm, God also uses signs to point us in the right direction. Since He is in control of all things, He manages the circumstances in our lives to show us whether or not we are on the right track. Rejection is a Detour sign to redirect us to a new place. God gives a No U-Turn sign when we’re tempted to return to a forbidden place. He shows a Yield sign when we need to let others have their way.

Another kind of sign is when God does something in a highly unusual way to confirm His will. Moses (Ex. 3:12, 4:1-8), Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:8-11), Gideon (Judges 6:17-40), Abraham’s servant (Gen. 24:12-21), Jonathan (1 Sam. 14:8-10) and others in the Bible all received miraculous signs of affirmation. Sometimes God initiated the signs, while at other times people asked God for them.

A sign could be a door of opportunity opening, or a set of circumstances miraculously coming together. Keep in mind that a sign should not be your primary way of discovering God’s will. The Lord reveals His will through Scripture, godly counsel, and prompting in your heart.

Although it may be assuring to have solid proof through confirmations, signs are often followed by a severe testing of faith. Paul said a wide door was open for him and “there are many adversaries” (1 Cor. 16:9). Moses had to lead over a million people through the wilderness. Gideon had to fight the Midianites with his army reduced to just three hundred men. There’s also a danger of wrongly assuming that God sent you a sign when He hasn’t. Use discernment.

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Will There Be Mansions in Heaven?

Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions (KJV), if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). The Greek word translated “mansions” is monai, which means “dwelling places.” For lack of a better word, the King James Version calls them mansions. 

The idea that some will live in big mansions and others in shacks isn’t true. Are there dwelling places in heaven? Yes. Will they look like mansions here on earth? No.

Jesus often used earthly things to teach us about heavenly things. He said, if I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). Comparing earthly things with heavenly things gives us a concept of what lies ahead of us.

He compared earthly money with “true riches” in heaven. (Luke 16:11)

He compared a perishable wreath (which was a crown awarded to winners of Olympic-type events) with an imperishable wreath—which is an eternal crown in heaven (1 Cor 9:25). 

He compared earthly jobs with heavenly assignments (Matt. 25:21, 23)

He compared earthly houses with eternal dwellings (Luke 16:9)

Are these eternal dwellings like houses on earth? Let's think about that. They won’t have BEDROOMS because we will never get tired and will never sleep for all eternity. Life in heaven will be very different than life on earth.  

They won’t have BATHROOMS. I can’t imagine this room will ever be needed in heaven.

They won’t have ROOFS because the weather will be perfect—no rain, hail, or snow.

KITCHENS? We know the tree of life produces twelve kinds of fruit (Rev. 22:2), but I don’t think we’ll be cooking or cleaning dishes. 

What about a GARAGE? Cars in heaven? Traffic lights? Speeding tickets? We won't need garages in our eternal dwellings.

What exactly are these eternal dwellings? Good question. Just as earthly homes serve an earthly purpose, our eternal dwellings will serve a heavenly purpose. Everything in heaven is far more advanced over what we see on earth, so we won’t understand their purpose until we get there.

Are they literal structures? Yes. Jesus said, “If it were not so, I would have told you.” Normally when Jesus emphasized a truth He would say, “Truly I say to you…”  Here He turns it around and says, "If it were not true (i.e., if they were not there) I would have told you they don't exist.” They are called ETERNAL dwellings because they will last for all eternity.

Jesus adds on more thing: “For I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). He tells them WHY He’s leaving them. He was going to PREPARE a place for them AFTER He left earth. When you are saved, your name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20), but how you live after being saved will determine your rewards in heaven (see Bible study below). Your eternal “place” is currently under construction! For more about heaven, read Making Today Count for Eternity.

BIBLE STUDY: Rewards in Heaven

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Making Life Count Ministries
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7 Steps to Fulfill a Prophecy

The Bible is filled with hundreds of prophecies—many already fulfilled in the past and some that are waiting to be fulfilled in the future. Most people don’t think about the 7 steps that must take place for it to happen. Where do the prophecies come from? How do we know when they are fulfilled? Here are the steps:

1. God must know everything that will happen in the future. God says, “There is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:9–10).

2. God communicates His message to a spokesperson on earth, who was a prophet. Peter said, “God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets.” (Acts 3:18).

3. The prophet records the prophecy in the Scriptures so future generations can verify its fulfillment.

4. God makes sure the Scriptures are copied and preserved for hundreds of years until the prophecy is fulfilled. Many prophecies pertained to future generations and wouldn’t come to pass until many centuries had passed (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

5. God orchestrates the people and events to come together at the right time to fulfill the prophecy.

6. Another prophet recognizes when an Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled and records the fulfillment in the Scriptures. The gospels will often point out when the prophecy came to pass by saying, “That the Scripture may be fulfilled” (John 19:24, 28).

7. God preserves the record of the prophecy and its fulfillment so future generations can look back on both to verify them. Because the Scriptures have been preserved for thousands of years, and we can look back at when the Old Testament prophecies were given and when they were fulfilled.

These seven factors are only possible if an eternal God is overseeing the process. It is astonishing for even one prophecy to make it through all seven steps. But for hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament to make it through all seven steps is nothing short of mind-boggling! Jesus said, “I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe.” (John 14:29). 

This is indisputable proof the Bible is inspired by God. (from The Sure Cure for Worry, Chosen Books 2013, pp. 52-55).

NEW BIBLE STUDY: Fulfilled Prophecies by Jesus

LISTEN TO ENCOURAGING SONG: BY FAITH (with lyrics)

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Making Life Count Ministries
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Getting Stronger When We Get Weaker

When my daughter was five years old, she came to me crying. “Daddy, I’ve got a sticker in my finger and I want you to pull it out.” I grabbed some tweezers and held her finger as I attempted minor surgery. She pulled her hand back and said, “I’ve changed my mind. Leave it in!”

The apostle Paul was tormented by a “thorn in the flesh,” which produced a great deal of suffering. He had received so many incredible divine revelations and insights that he could have thought he had “Most Favored by God” status. The thorn in his flesh was a “messenger of Satan” to torment him (2 Cor. 12:7). It was a fallen angel—a demon, which incited tremendous persecution against him.

Paul asked God three times to use some heavenly tweezers and remove it. He probably believed this satanic messenger couldn’t possibly be permitted by God and that he would receive immediate relief. After asking three times, Paul had to wonder if the Lord heard his request. God did answer him, but differently than Paul had asked. Instead of removing the thorn, the Lord gave him thicker skin to endure it. He told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

God’s power actually becomes GREATER in our lives when we become weaker. When we surrender ourselves to God, the Lord is able to fill in the areas of our weakness with His power. As we empty ourselves and completely depend on God’s strength and power, that’s when we become strong with His power. 

God’s power is connected to our dependence on Him. Paul said, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.....for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

NEW BIBLE STUDY:  When is “the Last Day”?

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Why Did Jesus Sweat Blood in Gethsemane?

Jesus lived one day at a time, and managed His stress on an hourly basis. He stated many times that His hour had not come (John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20). 

The stress didn’t seem to affect Him until the time had arrived for Him to be betrayed. In the Garden of Gethsemane, His stress level hit its peak because His hour had come. “And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood” (Luke 22:4). Luke describes a condition called hematidrosis, where sweat and blood are mingled in extreme cases of stress.

Jesus always knew He would die for the sins of the world, but you don’t see Him sweating blood every day of His life. That’s because He handled each stressful situation as it came to Him. Stress comes from handling too many responsibilities at once. In our minds, we think about all the duties that we must accomplish, and the stress becomes overwhelming. The answer is to tackle one problem at a time.

Suppose 365 toothpicks represent responsibilities for every day in a year. If you bundle 365 toothpicks together, you won’t be able to break the bundle in half. If you put 30 toothpicks together, which represents one month’s responsibilities, you won’t be able to break them in half either. But if you unbundle the 365 toothpicks and deal with each toothpick one at a time, you’ll be able to break all 365 toothpicks. 

Jesus said, “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time” (Matt. 6:34). That’s how God wants us to live. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One toothpick at a time.

FASCINATING VIDEO: Shocking Evidence About Shroud of Turin

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Making Life Count Ministries
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