Do we honestly question God’s power to accomplish supernaturally anything that He deems necessary? Who are we? Mere men, who without the power of Holy Spirit, can accomplish nothing to further God’s Kingdom. We can plant the seed BUT He allows it to grow from a tiny mustard seed to a faith that is larger than our life.
Acts 12:21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied. The New King James Version
God is all-powerful. God is all-knowing. God is all-present. There is nothing in heaven or earth that is not under His control.
1 Peter 5 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Now there is no distinction between male or female, Jew or Greek, rich or poor, slave or free. He gives grace to those who humble themselves before Him. He cares for us. We need to be vigilant and sober because Satan wants nothing more than to destroy our testimony.
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
He cares for us. Enough to allow Jesus to offer His life in exchange for ours .
Acts 15:13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
‘After this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the Lord who does all these things.’
Psalms 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Rely totally on the Lord to sustain you He protects us from evil.
We do not have to be His physical warriors, He is perfectly capable of that. We are to be His spiritual warriors, His hands and feet to show the restraint He uses in dealing with mankind. He desires everyone to come to Him of their own choosing. But He will force no one. The only reason His return and judgment is restrained is His great love for His creation.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If we hold up Jesus Christ and the grace God gifts to mankind in His birth, death and resurrection, others will be drawn to His mercy. Our lives will reflect good works done in His name and in His guidance through Holy Spirit.
According to the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, who offers a parallel account of this story (Josephus, Antiquities 19.344), Herod’s robes on this occasion were made of silver and sparkled in the sunlight. On the judgement seat was the official bench where a ruler would evaluate a judicial case or examine and reward an athlete. The reference suggests Herod may have been in the hippodrome of Caesarea. Perhaps to regain Herod’s favor, the people flatter him.
God, who will not share His glory with any other acts without delay to judge Herod for accepting divine honor and praise for himself. The effect is to judge Herod (Agrippa I) for his pride and to prove that he was certainly no god.
In contrast to the speech of Herod that brought on his destruction, the word of the true God—that is, the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and new life in the Spirit—continues to grow and spread. Faithlife Study Bible
The Jewish historian Josephus also provides an account of this display, informing us that in an attempted appeasement of the king the people confessed that he was “more than a mortal.” Herod, instead of rebuking the address of deity, enjoyed the adulation—until he discovered the consequence of such blasphemy. The NKJV Study Bible
Acts 6:7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts 19:20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
2 Kings 19:35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.
1 Samuel 25:38 Then it happened, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
While evil continues to rise and fall, God's Word teaches us that He is in control through it all. God cares about us personally, and He is at work for His glory and our good no matter our present circumstances or future troubles. Today we can hold fast to the promise that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has come to our rescue, and He will have the victory over evil. When we trust in Him, He secures our future for all time (Luke 21:25-28; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7). First 5
This week we will take to heart Ashley Judd’s reflection, “You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up.”
And we will remember that regardless of our circumstances, life pulls us inexorably toward love and beauty, even though it may be wrapped in aching pain and or delicious hope. To engage this pull, this fuel that feeds life, is the sacred necessity of resilience. Which means that resilience allows us to live with intention. To show up. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus tells the disciples, “You are the light of the world.”
And then adds, “Let your light shine.”
Let. As is, allow. As in, the light is already there.
As in, the light is something we carry. Inside.
Jesus never said, “Create the light.” He never said, “Make the light.” He never even said, “Be good at light shining.”
He simply told us to get out of the way, and let the light that is already there, spill.
So. Instead of light shining classes, let us give ourselves the gift of embracing the light that is alive and well inside... the light of compassion, kindness, empathy, inclusion and hope. Yes, when we shine (or spill) our light, we are wholeheartedly, showing up. Sabbath Moments
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