[Prosperity of the Spirit]
Acts 7: 17-29
While the Sanhedrin members follow the old values of the law and the temple, Stephen continues to testify that Israels history isfollowing Jesus Christ. Today, lets take a look at Moses who describes the prosperity of the Holy Spirit. The most important element for the prosperity of the Holy Spirit is time.
First, God allows times of prosperity and abuse in the world.
God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis that 'Abrahams descendants would be enslaved for four hundred years and afterwards, enter Canaan.' This promise seemed to be achieved in the far future, but it was four hundred years after the Hebrews entered Egypt when the time of the promise was right. The seventy-five families thatwent to the land of Goshen, in Egypt grew intomore than two million peoplein a span offour hundred years. This cannot be explained without mentioning theprovidence of God. The new King that had forgotten about Josephs achievements afflicted the lives of the Israelites with hard labor, making them bake bricks and build Ramses, also killing thechildren to stop the population from growing. Even though the Israeliteswerebeing abused, they still managed to flourish. We call aspiritual sufferingsuch as this,a blessing. In Exodus, we can see that the worldly Egyptians that caused the Israelites to suffer, become worried when they saw the flourishing Israelites.Times of abuse, instead of prosperity, helped them to truly see themselves and repent. Being abused helped them to kneel down to God.In the land of Goshen inEgypt, the Israelitescomplained that they could not speak about their own morals and culture, that they could not speak to anyone in general, had no money, and were not recognized even as followers of Jesus.Human beings are naturally arrogant, so training our egos is extremely good for us. If you meet someone who doesnt understand the grace youve given them and is cunningly abusive, try to understand this encounter as a shortcut to flourishing. The prosperity of the Holy Spirit has allowed physical prosperity and abuse, so God will not stay still.
Second. God sends a savior.
God has promised certain times in our lives. It is the time of flourish and abuse. We cry because there is abuse. In Jesus, it is a faith to know that everything is Gods time. After we believe in Jesus, everything is at Cairos time, or Gods time. So if you have a good faith, just live every day and thats Gods time. By faith, Moses parents saw the beauty of Moses at the time of the abuse. We should be able to see this beauty in any period of famine. We must obey the authority above, but in the end, we must obey Gods law for the best salvation. The reason Moses parents could see this beauty desperately is the prosperity of the Holy Spirit. But here it says, 'after being abandoned.' Moses is also said to have been abandoned by his parents. If you believe in Jesus, you must be thankful for your parents giving birth to you and not killing you. If you resent your parents, you cannot thrive. So we have to throw away all stereotypes. Even though it seems that life has failed, God has raised it even after I have been abandoned. I thought I was abandoned, but God raised it. He was abandoned by Pharaohs power but saved by Pharaohs power. Its so wonderful. So when you say Lord!, It really contains everything you cant help and do. Gods great will is all there.
Third, God gives us the heart to care for others.
Stephen testified that Moses was born and suffered from birth. Gods time is four hundred years and until Moses became forty years old. We must wait until God works, not when we want. We must evangelize, consult and visit because of that one person. The Hebrews were abused for their hard work, which is an important symbolic event representing the suffering of the entire Hebrew nation. God wanted to save the Hebrew nation by using Moses, 80 years old, who did not trust in his capability but rely on God only, but not Moses at the age of forty and full of heroism. Because he did not discerned the will of God, they did not have authority in everything they did, and they worked hard, but thought that not recognizing their work is absurd. Even Moses could eventually leave after the shame and humiliation because the Holy Spirit prospered. However, the Holy Spirit regards and acknowledges his leaving as faith. Dont be too self contemptuous that you were forced out to be with suffering people because God acknowledges that you had faith. Hearing that one man is the beginning of the prosperity of the Holy Spirit.
It is a story of a sister who is abandoned by her mom. This is the story of a girl who is a senior at the University of Minnesota Medical School looking for her mom. She was abandoned by her mother one day after she was born, and she appeared on TV to find her mother in Korea. The reason she wants to find her mother is that her mother could have killed her, but she is so thankful that she gave birth to her not killing her. She said she never has seen a good foster parent like her parents, and she believed in Jesus and always worshiped and prayed for his mother. She said that she respected and loved biological mother so much that she would wait forever. The student preached the great gospel as good as any sermon. How will the prosperity of the Holy Spirit be given If there is no joy of meeting Jesus and blame for giving birth and abandoning us?
The prosperity of the Holy Spirit certainly allows the time of prosperity and abuse in the world. No matter how much I suffer, He gives a Savior. And through this training of suffering, He gives us the heart to care for one person. This is the prosperity of the Holy Spirit and we must live this way.
