Acts 8:1-13 -- The Heart of a True Disciple: facing death gladly

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In Acts 8:1-13, we are shown one of the many things about the heart of a true disciple--facing death with no fear! Right after Stephen was killed, there was a huge push to persecute the early church (Paul being the figurehead of this movement), yet, the disciples did not stop preaching the message, instead they took the opportunity to preach the message wherever they went! While it is horrible that so many disciples of Jesus were killed, beaten or worse, their hearts did not waiver and more people than before were able to hear the message of Jesus crucified! This is what Proverbs 14 means when it says, "Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain;it offers escape from the snares of death." We are still going to die, but we will not fear death because in death, we receive the presence of the Lord. Those who want this kind of peace and strength must pursue the Lord wholeheartedly and seek to be His disciple. The problem today is we want God to bless what we are doing now, but not really change anything. The heart of a true disciple is facing death and persecution with no fear, because we know that it will only lead to the name of Jesus becoming more famous. For me, I do not know if I will face death so bravely as Stephen and the members of the early church, but I will seek the Lord with my whole heart so that when the times come, I can stand and having faced all the hardships, still stand.

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