Daily Dose of Hope

November 27, 2025

Scripture - Acts 7

Prayer: Amazing God, thank you for giving us life in Christ Jesus. This Thanksgiving, we ask you to continue to strengthen us in Jesus Christ, driving roots deep into the soil of who he is, your Son. In the days following this celebration of your awesome provision, may the Holy Spirit well up thankfulness in our hearts to overflowing every day. Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus. Amen

Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. We are currently walking through the book of Acts. Today, we working through all of chapter 7. This chapter covers the stoning of Stephen, which seems a strange thing to talk about on Thanksgiving. Or, maybe it's not. We'll get to that.

If you remember, yesterday, the Jewish leaders were trying to get people to slander Stephen. They were threatened by his wisdom. So, they have him dragged in front of the Sanhedrin. It's there that Stephen gives a long, eloquent history of how God worked through his people, leading up to Jesus. Stephen doesn't mince words. He is pretty clear that the Jewish leadership has persecuted all the prophets who have come before and then persecuted the Messiah to the point of execution.

Not surprisingly, the Jewish leaders are offended by his directness and they get really worked up when he looks up at heaven and declares that he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Keep in mind, this would have been blasphemy to the strict Jews who sat on the council. There was no real trial, no real discussion. They simply drag Stephen out and start throwing stones.

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. This was, of course, a sign of what was to come. But Stephen also offers all Christians a beautiful model of how to live and die, trusting fully and completely in Jesus Christ.

This seems pretty foreign to us and for that, we should be thankful. But this is truth: Christians around the world deal with this kind of persecution every single day.

We don't think about it much but over 360 million Christians around the world suffer persecution or discrimination for their faith in Jesus Christ. Roughly 5,600 Christians were murdered in 2022, more than 6,000 were detained or imprisoned, and another 4,000-plus were kidnapped. In addition, more than 5,000 churches and other religious facilities were destroyed. Most of us have seen the horrors that Christians in Nigeria are currently experiencing. For other Christians, it means being denied economic opportunities or simply living under the threat of violence. American Christians talk of persecution, but that is what real persecution looks like. It's not being made fun of or worrying about offending someone, it's risking all for Jesus.

Every year Open Doors USA releases its World Watch report of the 50 states most likely to punish Christians for their faith. Last year 11 nations were guilty of "extreme persecution." Afghanistan took the top spot this year. It is impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Leaving Islam is considered shameful, and Christian converts face dire consequences if their new faith is discovered. Either they have to flee the country or they will be killed. North Korea is next, as Kim Jung-un wages a war against any foreign influences. Then, we have countries like Somalia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria.

On this Thanksgiving Day, let's give thanks for our ability to worship freely without fear of persecution. But let' also give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are staying faithful no matter what. We pray for their safety, but also their perseverance, resilience, and faithfulness. May we have even but a small amount of their courage and strength.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. Please know, I am grateful for everyone of you and count you all among my blessings.

Pastor Vicki