少儿圣经故事:受逼迫的司提反/Stephen Is Persecuted

??"Forget about church, You're not going!" Li's mother insisted angrily."You need to concentrate on your education and forget all this talk about religion." Li hung her head sadly and fought back the tears. She knew there was no way she could make her mother understand that Jesus Christ was real, He wasn't just another religion.

??Every day, all over the world, people are suffering and being ridiculed 1 for their faith in the Lord Jesus. Suffering for what you believe in is called ？persecution 2." In our Bible time today, we're going to learn about how to handle persecution. Aunt Dee is going to tell you the story, but Stephen will be your teacher.

??Forty days after the Lord Jesus had died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again, He went back to Heaven. Jesus promised before He left that He would send the Holy Spirit to help believers. Ten days after the Lord Jesus went to Heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and filled the apostle Peter and the other believers with great power. In that power, Peter preached to thousands of Jews who had gathered in the streets of Jerusalem. The same Holy Spirit that empowered Peter to preach with such boldness also convicted the unbelievers of their sin and their need of Jesus. That day 3, 000 people turned from their sin, believing on the Lord Jesus. Stephen was most likely one of the 3, 000 saved that day.

??Every day the church kept growing, but there was also a growing problem in the church. The Grecian believers were complaining that their widows were not getting as much attention and food as the Hebrew widows. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. The twelve apostles advised the church to find seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, who could take care of this problem. Stephen was one of the seven men chosen. Acts 6：8 describes Stephen as a man ？full of faith and power？, who ？did great wonders and miracles among the people." Stephen not only faithfully served in the church, but he was also out preaching about the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit was doing miracles through him. The Holy Spirit is the invisible part of Jesus that comes to live in us when we believe in Jesus. Even though the Spirit cannot be seen or touched, He is real and He gives believers power to live for Him and do what's right.

??Although Stephen was a godly example of the Lord Jesus and helped many people, there were many who hated Stephen."If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you, " Jesus said in John 15：18. The reason some people hated Stephen was only because he preached about Jesus. They especially hated to hear Stephen preach that Jesus was risen from the dead, and that He was the Son of God. As Stephen went out in public places to preach about Jesus, these enemies began to argue with him. But Acts 6：10 says, "They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke 3."

??This caused them to hate Stephen even more, and to make plans to persecute 4 HIM. Do you remember what the word persecution means？It means suffering for what you believe in. If you have believed in the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, you may have already been persecuted 5. Paul wrote to young Timothy in II Timothy 3：12, ？" all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." You may be the only one in the family who has believed on the Lord Jesus, and your family makes fun of you. Maybe other kids laugh at you because you refuse to take part in their dirty jokes, or to look at the sinful pictures on the Internet. Your teacher at school may have even embarrassed you when you said you believed that God created the world.

??No believer enjoys being persecuted. At times you may feel like giving in and doing the wrong thing so people won't bother you any more. You may have thought, "it's just too hard to be a Christian 6, I give up." God's enemy, Satan, wants you to feel sorry for yourself and give up, so you will be a bad example to others. If You're a bad example, then you surely won't lead anyone else to believe in Jesus, which is what Satan wants.

??But don't give up! don't give in! don't let the devil make you sin!" I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me!" Philippians 4：13. Will you memorize that little poem to help you when you are persecuted？??Stephen was about to be persecuted for preaching about the Lord Jesus. His enemies got some false witnesses together to lie about Stephen, then they stirred up the religious leaders so that Stephen was arrested and brought to the Jewish religious court. There in the courtroom, the false witnesses began again to lie about Stephen."This man will not stop speaking against the temple and the laws of God. We even heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth is going to destroy the temple and will change all the laws and customs that Moses taught us."

??How would you react if people were lying about you？Acts 6：15 says, "And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an

??angel." The high priest then asked Stephen, "Are these things true？" The Holy Spirit gave Stephen the words God wanted those men to hear. Stephen began far back in the history of the Jewish people and reminded them about how God had called Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. Then Stephen told about Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and even Moses. Stephen reminded the people how Israel had turned away from God to worship idols 7; and that when God had sent His prophets to warn the people, instead of turning from the idols, they killed God's prophets."You are so stubborn in your heart, and you refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit! You are just like your fathers! They persecuted and killed the prophets who told about the coming of the Just One, " Stephen said, "And now when the Just One came, you yourselves have betrayed and murdered Him!"

??Who was this ？Just One？that Stephen was talking about？You may have guessed Stephen was talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the One the Jewish leaders had hated so much that they had him betrayed and then crucified."Just？means righteous and pure. God is perfectly 8 pure and righteous and so is His Son the Lord Jesus, the Just One.

??How foolish for these sinful people to hate Jesus and want to get rid of Him when they needed Him so much! What they did was more foolish than a person with a dreadful disease throwing away the only medicine that could cure him! The Bible teaches us that we are all born with something more dreadful than a disease and that is sin. Sin is breaking God's laws. When you destroy someone's else's property, when you tease and hurt others, when you think hateful thoughts toward your parents, you are sinning. Ecclesiastes 7：20 says, "There is not a just man upon earth, that does good and does not sin." Sin causes us not only to have die in our body, but also to suffer an everlasting 9 death in hell. God our Creator loves us so much and He does not want even one of us to be lost from Him forever. His great desire is that we be brought back to Him so we can enjoy all the riches of Heaven with God forever. I Peter 3：18 says, "For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." That is why Jesus, the Just One, allowed foolish, sinful people to nail Him to a cross. He had the power to stop it, but Jesus knew He must give His life and His blood to pay for our sin. He died, was buried and came alive the 3rd day. Jesus is alive today in Heaven, and when we believe on Him, He brings us back to God. It would be so foolish to turn away from the Lord Jesus, when He is the only One Who can make us right with God.

??Stephen was trying to show the Jewish leaders how foolish they were to have betrayed and murdered the Lord Jesus, the only One Who could make them right with God! But when the leaders heard Stephen's bold words, the Bible says they were ？cut to the heart."

??Instead of being sorry for their sin, they hated Stephen even more. They began to gnash on him with their teeth. Have you ever seen a dog growling 11 and about to fight？They turn back their lips, and grit 12 their teeth together as they growl 10. The Jewish leaders were like wild animals as they turned back their lips and gritted 13 their teeth at Stephen.

??How do you think Stephen reacted？Let's read Acts 7：55："But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 14 on the right hand of God, And said, Behold 15, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Stephen was not concerned with foolish, sinful men. God was showing him his heavenly reward!

??Matthew 5：11 and 12 says, "Blessed are you, when men shall revile 16 you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad：for great is your reward in heaven." If you are a child of God, you can rejoice and be glad, even as people are persecuting 17 you. God says there is special blessing 18 for you, and a great reward for you in Heaven. In many places in the world at this very moment believers are suffering because they believe in Jesus. God can give His children power to rejoice and praise Him even in persecution. Do you remember our little poem？" don't give up, don't give in; don't let the devil make you sin."I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.？" Philippians 4：13. Ask God to give you strength to be a good example that will help and encourage other believers.

??What a great example Stephen was! He was not giving up! God was giving him power to do the right thing when he was persecuted. The angry crowd cried out loudly to drown out Stephen's voice, they stopped their ears so they couldn't hear him. Then they grabbed Stephen and dragged him out of the city to stone him. Picking up huge stones, they began to hurl 19 them at Stephen to kill him. As they did, still Stephen did not complain or give in. Instead he called upon the Lord saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts chapter 7 ends with, "And he kneeled down, and cried out with loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." The body of Stephen lay beaten and bruised 20 and dead there on the ground, but his spirit, the real Stephen, quickly went to be with the Lord Jesus there in Heaven! Other believers took his body and buried it. They were deeply saddened by the death of their beloved friend Stephen. What a wonderful example Stephen had been to them of how a believer should face persecution. Hasn't Stephen's life taught us how to face persecution!

??You may never have to face death because you are a believer in Jesus, but if you live for the Lord Jesus, there will be times when you face persecution. Can you remember our poem, "don't give up, don't give in, don't let the devil make you sin."I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Philippians 4：13. Ask God for His strength to help you live boldly for Jesus and to do what's right when you are persecuted.

??If you have never believed on Jesus, you are like those who were persecuting Stephen. But remember, the Just One died for the unjust. That means Jesus died for your sin. You can be clean from your sin, and made ？just？or right in God's eyes by believing in Jesus today. Go to ？How To Be a Child of God？.

??"今天你别想去教会, 好好给我在家待著, "小丽的妈妈很生气地对她说："你要好好学习, 别一天到晚又教会, 又信教的。" 小丽忍著眼泪, 低下头。她实在是没有办法让她妈妈知道耶稣是真的, 这并不是又一个什么宗教。

??在这个世界上, 每天都有很多人因为信耶稣而被人嘲笑, 甚至被迫害。因为你的信仰而受到逼迫叫迫害。我们今天的圣经故事就是要讲到受逼迫这件事。今天的圣经人物叫司提反。

??耶稣为我们的罪死在十字架上, 被埋葬, 又从死里复活。四十天后, 他回到天上。他走之前, 应许他要赐下圣灵来帮助那些相信他的人。在耶稣回到天上十天以后, 圣灵从天而降, 充满彼得和其他信徒, 并赐给他们极大的能力。彼得带著这能力, 大胆地向耶路撒冷的犹太人传道。圣灵的能力又让人认识到自己的罪, 让他们认识到他们实在是需要耶稣来拯救他们。在那一天, 有三千人接受了耶稣成为他们的救主。 而司提反很有可能就是其中之一。

??随著教会人数的增加, 教会里也出现了一些问题。有说希腊语的犹太人, 向希伯来人发怨言, 因为在天天的供给上忽略了他们的寡妇。寡妇就是失去了丈夫的妇女。于是，使徒就建议选出七个有好名声, 被圣灵充满, 智慧充足的人, 派他们管理这事。司提反就是七人之一。

??使徒行传6：8说："司提反满得恩惠能力, 在民间行了大奇事和神迹。" 司提反不但在教会衷心侍奉, 他还向人传讲耶稣以及圣灵通过他所行的神迹。

??当我们相信耶稣的时候, 圣灵就住进我们里面。圣灵就是耶稣的一部份, 他是看不见的, 也摸不到的。但圣灵是真实的, 他赐给信他的人能力来为主耶稣而活. 虽然司提反被神的灵充满, 大有能力, 又帮助了许多的人, 但也有很多人恨他。

??耶稣在约翰福音15：18说："世人若恨你们, 你们知道(或作该知道)恨你们以先, 已经恨我了。" 那些人恨司提反的原因只有一个：因为他传讲耶稣。特别是他提到耶稣是神的儿子, 他从死里复活。但司提反传讲耶稣的时候, 这些人就和司提反辩论。

??使徒行传6：10说："司提反是以智慧和圣灵说话, 众人敌挡不住。" 这些人就更恨司提反, 他们准备要迫害他。你还记得迫害是什么意思吗？就是因为你的信仰受到逼迫。如果你已经接受耶稣做你的救主, 你可能已经受到过逼迫了。

??在提摩太后书3：12, 保罗写信给提摩太说："凡立志在基督耶稣里敬虔度日的, 也都要受逼迫。" 也许你是家里唯一一个相信耶稣的人, 也许别的孩子嘲笑你, 因为你不愿意和他们一起讲黄色笑话, 在网上看那些不好的图片。你学校的老师可能批评你因为你相信神创造了世界, 我们不是猴子变来的。

??没有人愿意受逼迫。有时候你可能很灰心, 心想他们做什么, 我做什么就算了, 省得别人找我麻烦。当个基督徒真难啊！神的仇敌撒但, 最希望你这么想了, 他希望你灰心丧气, 不能在世人的面前为主耶稣做见证。这样你就不会领别人信耶稣了。

??但你不要上了魔鬼的当。记住这句话：别灰心, 莫丧气, 不能中了魔鬼的计, 信靠基督加我力, 凡事行出主美意。然后, 记住我们今天的圣经经节：腓利比书4章13节说："我靠著那加给我力量的(基督), 凡事都能作。"

??司提反因为传讲耶稣而受到逼迫。那些恨他的人收买人来做假见证, 他们又耸动了百姓, 长老, 并文士, 就来捉拿他, 把他带到公会去。那些作假见证的人说, 这个人说话, 不住的糟践圣所和律法。我们曾听见他说, 这拿撒勒人耶稣, 要毁坏此地, 也要改变摩西所交给我们的规条。"

??如果有人造你的谣, 你会怎么样呢？来看看司提反的反应。圣经上说："在公会里坐著的人, 都定睛看他, 见他的面貌, 好像天使的面貌。" 大祭司就说, 这些事果然有么。

??圣灵就感动司提反, 赐给他当说的话。司提反就从犹太人的历史讲起, 讲到神怎样召了他们的祖宗亚伯拉罕。他还讲到以撒, 雅各, 约瑟, 摩西。司提反讲到那时的以色列人怎样不肯听从神, 反要拜偶像。当神派先知去警告他们的时候, 他们不但不听, 还把先知给杀了。司提反继续说："你们这硬著颈项, 心与耳未受割礼的人, 常时抗拒圣灵。你们的祖宗怎样, 你们也怎样。那一个先知, 不是你们祖宗逼迫呢？他们也把预先传说那义者要来的人杀了。如今你们又把那义者卖了, 杀了。"

??谁是那义者呢？就是我们的主耶稣基督。我们的神是圣洁公义的, 他的儿子耶稣也是这样。但那些犹太人恨他, 把他出卖了, 并钉上十字架。那些罪人恨耶稣, 要除掉他, 其实他们真的很傻, 因为他们实际上是多么需要耶稣。他们就象绝症病人把唯一能治病的药丢一样。圣经告诉我们, 我们生来就有罪, 罪要比得了绝症更糟糕, 因为罪是违反了神的律法。什么是罪呢？具体一点说, 当你破坏公物, 骂人, 伤害别人, 心里对父母有怨恨, 这些都是罪。

??传道书7：20说："时常行善而不犯罪的义人, 世上实在没有。" 因为我们的罪, 我们的身体不但要死, 我们还要经历地狱里永远的死亡。但神实在是爱我们, 他不愿意我们经历这样永远的痛苦。神愿意我们每个人都回到他身边, 永远和神在天堂, 享受那里的美好。

??彼得一书3：18说："因基督也曾一次为罪受苦, 就是义的代替不义的, 为要引我们到神面前。" 这就是为什么耶稣, 这位义者, 让那些罪人把他钉在十字架上。耶稣有能力制止他们, 但他并没有, 因为他必须要为我们的罪流出宝血, 付出生命的代价。耶稣死了, 被埋葬, 第三天, 他从死里复活。今天耶稣就活在天上, 当我们相信他, 他就把我们带回到神那里。当我们知道主耶稣是唯一可以使我们与神和好的那一位, 我们若不相信他, 不是太傻了吗？

??司提反想让犹太人的领袖们明白, 他们背叛并杀害了主耶稣是多么愚蠢一件事。

??因为主耶稣是唯一可以使我们与神和好的那一位。但是, 当犹太人听到司提反的责备的时候, 圣经里说："众人听见这话, 就极其恼怒, 向司提反咬牙切齿。" 他们不但不为他们的罪悔改, 反而更恨司提反。你有没有见过狗打架的时候, 它们呲牙吼叫的样子。

??这些犹太人的领袖们就象野兽一样对著司提反呲牙吼叫。你知道司提反怎样反应的吗？让我们读使徒行传7：55："但司提反被圣灵充满, 定睛望天, 看见神的荣耀, 又看见耶稣站在神的右边。" 司提反没有被那些愚昧的罪人压倒。因为神正在启示给他那属天的赏赐！

??马太福音5：11-12说："人若因我辱骂你们, 逼迫你们, 捏造各样坏话毁谤你们, 你们就有福了。应当欢快乐, 因为你们在天上的赏赐是大的, 在你们以前的先知, 人也是这样逼迫他们。" 

??如果你是神的孩子, 你就可以在别人逼迫你的时候仍然喜乐。因为这是神对你特别的祝福。不但如此, 你在天上也有一个极大的祝福。此时此刻, 在世界上的许多地方, 有许多人因为相信耶稣而受逼迫。但神可以给他的儿女们能力, 让他们在逼迫中欢赞美神。

??你记得我们那首诗吗："别灰心, 莫丧气, 不能中了魔鬼的计, 信靠基督加我力, 凡事行出主美意。 然后, 记住我们今天的圣经经节：腓利比书4章13节说："我靠著那加给我力量的(基督), 凡事都能作。" 你要祷告神给你力量, 让你在众人面前成为一个好的榜样。

??司提反是一个多么好的榜样。他没有屈服, 神给他力量, 在他受压迫的时候, 仍然为主站立。愤怒的人群大声喊叫, 捂著耳朵, 齐心拥上前去, 他们的叫声掩盖了司提反的声音。他们抓住司提反, 把他推到城外, 用石头打他。他们捡起很大的石头, 想要砸死司提反。这个时候, 司提反没有报怨, 也没有屈服。他向主呼求说："求主耶稣接收我的灵魂。" 在使徒行传第七章结束的时候, 他又跪下大声喊著说, 主阿, 不要将这罪归于他们。说了这话, 就睡了。司提反的身体被打死了, 躺在地上, 但是他的灵魂, 那真正的司提反, 却与主耶稣一同在天上。别的信徒把司提反埋葬了。他们为他们亲爱的司提反深深地哀痛。司提反是一个何等美好的榜样。他用他的生命教导了我们应该怎样对待逼迫。

??你或许不会因为相信耶稣而受到死亡的威胁。但是如果你为主而活的话, 有的时候, 你会遇到逼迫。你记得我们的那首诗吗："别灰心, 莫丧气, 不能中了魔鬼的计, 信靠基督加我力, 凡事行出主美意。 然后, 记住我们今天的圣经经节：腓利比书4章13节说："我靠著那加给我力量的(基督), 凡事都能作。" 求神加添给你力量, 让你能够勇敢地为耶稣而活。在受逼迫的时候, 能够为主站住。

??如果你还没有相信耶稣, 你就象那些在逼迫司提反的人那样。但是你要记得, 那义的为不义的死了, 意思就是耶稣为你的罪死了。你的罪可以被洁净。因著相信耶稣, 你在神的眼中就可以称为义。请你去听"怎样成为神的孩子" , 并照着那里所说的去作。