Universal Utterings

for April 20, 2026

A Godcast

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04-20-2026 Acts 6 v0815 His Face Was Like The Face Of An Angel

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The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 6 Verse 8 thru 15

8 Now Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, 10 but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, accosted him, seized him, and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They presented false witnesses who testified, “This man never stops saying things against [this] holy place and the law. 14 For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:8-15 introduces Stephen, a man from among the early believers who is described as full of grace and power. He performs great wonders and signs among the people, marveling the crowd and provoking the envy of certain Jewish leaders. In these verses, we see that the Spirit’s presence makes a life of extraordinary outward acts possible, while the heart remains steadfast in truth. Stephen’s wisdom and courage come not from cleverness alone but from surrender to the word of God, living under Christ’s lordship day by day.

The opposition he faces comes from the Sanhedrin, not from the powerless, and his attackers resort to false testimony to undermine him. Yet the story neither exalts his personal achievement nor reduces him to a mere miracle worker. It holds him up as a witness who sees beyond the present moment into the heavenly reality opened by Jesus.

What can two readers take from Stephen’s example? First, seek grace and power by staying near the source: surrender to the word of God in Christ Jesus. Second, let the Spirit guide your steps so that signs and wonders, if God grants them, point toward Jesus and invite others into faith rather than lifting you up. Stephen’s face shone like that of an angel, a visible sign of heaven meeting earth as he spoke truth with fearless love. Finally, realize that persecution may come when truth confronts darkness, yet prayer for mercies and forgiveness remains possible through Christ.

So you too can stand in grace and power, not by striving in your own strength, but by yielding to the word of God in Christ Jesus. May your life bear witness in deed and word, and may God be honored as wonders and signs unfold among the people through you. Let faith rise within. Amen.

Join me as we pray our daily prayer of forgiveness. The Lord’s Prayer.

At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever.

I am sorry Lord. I believe You died and rose for me. Please forgive me as I forgive others. I share You as my Lord and Savior seeking to live your Will in all things. Prayers for wife Toni and my mother Betty pray for our children especially our two oldest Alexandra & Allen Son in Law Mark Stern; Julian, Gabriel and Jeffrey and our grandchildren Oliver, Julian and Elliott. We pray for those we’ve said we’d pray for and those who’ve asked us to pray for them. We pray for the dying as we do each day Lord give them peace in their last breath. We pray for Holy Mother Church. Our prayers for our niece Brittany. In Jesus Precious Blood by His Name we pray. Amen.

I am a poet obedient to Christ,

Catholic Evangelist Thomas Cruz†Wiggins

†Spirit led God inspired Christ fed†®

Ephesians 6:17-20

04-20-2026 Acts 6 v0815

**His Face Was Like The Face Of An Angel**

Stephen, full of grace and power,

moved through the crowd to raise.

Signs and wonders followed,

The Spirit lifting hearts to praise

From the synagogue of the Freedmen,

Rose envy in a haze.

They stirred the people,

While false witnesses crafted their gaze.

"This man speaks against,

The holy place and the law to erase"

"We heard him say Jesus would destroy,

This place and change our face"

They seize him, dragged him to the council,

Where judgment dives in disgrace.

All sit in hush and watchful fear,

As zeal and doubt alike embrace.

Stephen's face shone,

Not a fury's glare,

The face of an angel prone,

Calm countenance truth stood firm prepared. Amen.

© Thomas Joe Cruz†Wiggins

April 20, 2026 @ 04:44 AM EST

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