Whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him (Moses) from them and in their hearts turned back into Egypt, Saying to Aaron , Make us gods to go before us; for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. Acts 7:39-42

Sitting before Stephen are a group of father and brothers on the council who disrespect Stephen. Stephen points to a group of our heritage fathers with Moses who stirred up some of the people when Moses was on Mt. Sinai with God –they were impatient, self-serving, and had determined to return to the Egypt slavery-oppression. Preparing for the journey back they made a golden calf to worship then make god figurines. God can get angry and He did. God turned from them in anger.

Sitting before Stephen are a group of father and brothers stirring up trouble for Stephen. They do not want him to succeed in leadership, refer to Christ Resurrected, nor do they want Stephen to refer to their faith failings. These are proud self-loving men who sit before Stephen. They are ‘suits’– what they show outwardly is not what they are inwardly. Jesus knows and cares. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Heavenly Father except through our Savior Jesus Christ.

You have given yourself to Jesus and He gives you the same Holy Spirit which is within Stephen. Stephen’s witness in Acts 7 is awesome. Holy Spirit is not a spirit of cowardice but a Spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Stephen shows you how to use faith, speak with power, and to love even the toughest to love by relying the self-discipline of union with Holy Spirit. And sitting before Stephen are a group of withered hearted souls who anger God again.