Kingdom Disciples

Disciples of Jesus should expect suffering on account of their faithful testimony. While it may not occur daily or in every believer’s life, persecution is not, or should not be, something unexpected or shocking to the Church. The primary cause is the faithful proclamation of the Gospel; however, when believers fail to preach the Good News to a hostile world, their sufferings for the sake of Jesus diminish, and persecution becomes a distant memory.

Two repeated themes in  Revelation  are closely related - “ Witness ” and “ Overcome .” Beginning with Jesus of Nazareth and his martyrdom on Calvary, his followers are summoned to persevere in his “ Testimony .” In this way, they will “ overcome ” and emerge victorious in the city of “ New Jerusalem .” They must “ overcome, even as I overcame .” Moreover, Jesus is presented to the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia ” as the “ FAITHFUL WITNESS, the Firstborn of the Dead, and the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth .”

In the Second Psalm, the Messiah is identified as the Son of God and the ideal king who is anointed by Yahweh to rule over the nations, the one to whom the “ Kings of the Earth ” pay homage. In the four gospel accounts, he is anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism in the Jordan River, equipping him for the proclamation of the “ Kingdom of God ” to the people of Israel. In turn, he grants the Spirit to his disciples, empowering them to announce His Good News and sovereignty to all nations.

Under the guidance of the Spirit, Stephen gives eloquent and effective testimony to the leaders of Israel .  Early on, the church experienced conflicts between its Greek and Aramaic-speaking members. The apostles instructed the community to select seven men “ full of the Spirit and wisdom ” to take charge of the matter. One of the seven chosen men was Stephen, and  Acts  notes especially that he was “ FULL OF FAITH AND THE SPIRIT .”

The  Book of Acts  begins  IN JERUSALEM  with the ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit. It concludes with Paul preaching the Gospel in the heart of the  World Empire , the city of Rome. Following his resurrection, Jesus ascended to reign “ at the right hand of God .” He then bestowed the Gift of the Spirit on his Assembly to empower them to proclaim his Gospel to all nations.