I learned this week that Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I’ve always picture Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, which is true because after His death and resurrection Jesus did indeed sit down, as an act of finishing the work on the cross (Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 10:12, Hebrews 12:2). But Jesus stood up to greet Stephen! I can’t fully express what God’s message is in this, but it is amazing to realize Jesus is not always sitting at God’s right hand. Jesus sometimes stands up. He is alive and is working and takes notice of His little ones. 

I really don’t think it will be an angel or Peter we first meet at Heaven’s gate– it will be Jesus.

Acts 7:55-56  “55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”   

Jesus extended love and grace even to a Gerasene demoniac, and do we say such things to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?!?

You’re not ruining the party (but yes are touching on some subjects that have been taboo for over 50 years). In fact, you raise some very important questions that need to be asked and discussed openly, and most importantly, addressed in light of Scripture.

Some of this discussion has taken place elsewhere: http://coveringandauthority.com/covering-and-apostolic-authority/difficult-questions-about-covering-and-authority/

I hope we could all find some life-transformation from Scripture by discussing such things honestly and without people like me being labeled as “rebellious sinners who have demons”. Personal mediation of Scripture is necessary, but just as necessary is group discussion where differing opinions are allowed. 

Welcome to ubfriends. I am glad that you expressed something that disturbed you. I have become convinced that the things that disturb us or confuse us are opportunities for the Holy Spirit to teach us as we seek to clarify and learn.

In fact, getting back to the topic of this thread, about Scripture that transforms us, we should not forget that it is the Holy Spirit who transforms us. I am convinced that we need both Spirit and Scripture to be truly transformed, if we are to look anything like Christ’s image.

I would be willing to bet that less than 1% of UBF members understand the election process or are aware of the UBF by-laws and official hierarchy structure. And even as a director in UBF, I knew almost nothing about this.

Sorry for the tangential topic comment, but I don’t want to give our readers the impression that Dr. Kim’s election was the same as the election process in America. It was very different. I and 99% of UBF had zero say in the matter. 

Were we always this proud? God may not have chosen Dr.Abe, or he may have. But it is disrespectful to just assume he has, and just assume that God is on our side for everything we do. That is being proud, that’s what the Pharisees were like. The Pharisees probably thought they were always right, that God is always on their side..their pride obviously blinded them.

The fact is, people had Dr. Abe elected as the new leader. PEOPLE..in UBF. That’s as much as we know, and that’s as much we can say! Let’s stop being arrogant, and be honest with ourselves, so that we can be free from unhealthy pride.

John 11:36 (Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”) – This passage really stuck with me when I first began to personally encounter God. I was amazed that God cried for one dead friend. It began soften my heart to the gospel. Within a matter of weeks I went from “all religions are true” to “every knee should bend and declare Jesus Christ is Lord!” The Holy Spirit was powerful in my life during that month. 

Jeremiah 20:7 (You seduced me O Lord and I let myself be seduced) – This passage was running through my heart constantly when I first started grad school. I felt like there was so much work to do and felt like my faith was always under attack by my lab mates. It was one of the loneliest times in my academic career. I even sometimes blamed God for seducing me and making it hard to concentrate on my studies. I was both overwhelmed with work but overwhelmed with how much God had done for me. 

Luke 22:19 (And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”) – During my second year in grad school, I began to finally take seriously the differences that divide Christians and ask myself where I stood. I debated faith+works, bible alone and many other points of contention and even though I found myself agreeing with the Catholic Church, I wasnt ready to go back. I remember posting on a Catholic forum my concerns about becoming Catholic. One of my concerns was, “but there are no potlucks after Mass.” I am not joking. Eventually, one anonymous member pointed out something that hit me like a lightning bolt: “The Catholic Church offers you the Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. Nothing is above that.” Next thing you know, I am a Catholic revert. 

Matthew 26:6 (“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’) – It is difficult to consider a passage verse that has defined my faith life as of yet. But I think Matthew 26:6 comes close. I have gone though so many changes in the last year. I got married, had my first baby and published some of my research. These things take much time in my life but each one reminds me of my responsibilities before God. My work reminds me that while I have certain duties in this life, they must not come above my duties to God. My wife reminds me of what it means to enter a marriage covenant with God and makes me appreciate how God is always calling me to recommit myself to him. My baby teaches me that I am responsible for making protecting the spiritual condition of another human being! This fact makes me consider how important it is that I prepare my own spirit to meet Jesus when he comes. I want to be like a beautiful bride for my husband. 

1peter 1:24-25 has always stuck in my mind and especially powerfully so when I visited ground zero in New York.

1John 4:10 taught me the meaning of LOVE

Isaiah 55 is one of my favorite chapters for a variety of reasons so is Romans 8 and Genesis 44-45 always makes me cry

I think that it not all…

The most potent was John 16:7  “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”  

For the first time, I realized the Holy Spirit is a person and the Trinity suddenly made sense.  And the Spirit is my Counselor and my Director. The chains of fear were broken by this verse. Then the unbinding of my conscience (which had been tightly bound to legalism and elitism) began as the Holy Spirit began teaching me many things.