excerpt from Heavenly Attitudes by Pastor Gerald Thompson

Stephen was a deacon and a preacher. He was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. The power of God was on his life. Because he preached the truth without compromise, he was stoned to death. He died a winner in the midst of losers!

Today, a morally and spiritually bankrupt world considers Christians to be losers. Ted Turner called Christians "losers" and "bozos." He said in a speech to the American Humanist Association, "Christianity is a religion for losers..." But the real loser is Ted Turner. He has been married and divorced three times. He was diagnosed as a manic-depressive. He drinks too much and is a bitter, depressed man even though he has about 5 billion dollars! A few years ago he made 12.5 million dollars in sixty minutes. As a young boy, Ted Turner had intended to become a missionary - instead he is a bitter anti-Christian loser. He even says at times he feels like committing suicide.

Elvis Presley was one of the most popular entertainers in history. He had fame and all that money could buy, but he died a loser of an overdose of drugs. His days were days of great depression and misery. When actress Joan Crawford was near death, her housekeeper began to pray for her. Joan Crawford used a curse word and said, "Don’t dare ask God to help me." Frank Sinatra won the hearts of millions - but said when he died he wanted a bottle of whiskey buried with him. His last words were, "I’m losing," and he died a loser.

But you don’t have to be a loser - you can be a winner like Stephen; like Paul.

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