Psalm 119:113-120
People with divided loyalties are unstable. The psalmist hates this characteristic because unstable people will eventually fall. He knows that if he loves God's Word, considers it his source of hope, if he lets it sustain him, and finds refuge in it, he will be stable and he will not fall. He ends this section by expressing a healthy fear or reverence for the Lord.
Acts 6
Well, well! Trouble in the church! I guess that's nothing new because Acts 6 records "rumblings of discontent." To solve the problem, the Apostles chose seven men who were respected and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to take over the responsibility of distributing food to the widows. Of the seven who were chosen, we will hear from Stephen and Philip again. The Apostles "laid their hands on them" (as a formal sign that they were chosen for this task) and prayed for them. Because the Apostles were now free to pray and teach the Word, the message spread and the number of believers increased and even many of the Jewish priests were converted.
We see in the verses beginning with v. 8, that Stephen began doing more than handing out food. We learn that he was full of God's grace and power and that he performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. Some people began to oppose him, and since they could not refute his message, they persuaded some men to lie about him saying he was a blasphemer. So they arrested him and brought him before the Jewish Council. "At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel's." Chapter 7 will tell us more of Stephen's story.
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