“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church” (Acts 12:1).
TEXT — Acts 12:1-5,18-24
Message
The kings and rulers of this world hardly realise that because they are “ordained of God”, they are expected to mirror His qualities correspondingly. The Lord is Lord over all rulers. He loves peace, mercy, righteousness and has compassion for all. His justice is without partiality and His general goodwill is to all His creatures. He is not like an ill-tempered monarch taking pleasure in misery, disorder and violence among His subjects. Herod was destitute of these characteristics. He proved he did not deserve his exalted seat as he ran riot, imprisoning and extra-judicially murdering innocent citizens in Jerusalem, notably the followers of Jesus Christ. Not satisfied with killing James the brother of John, he went ahead to arrest Apostle Peter. He imprisoned him, deferring his fate to a later time. Now, God did not only outwit Herod by miraculously freeing Peter but also slew him for his pride.
The King of kings and His saints will always have the upper hand when arrogant lesser lords decide to go against His will. If these mere mortals refuse to acknowledge that the power they have is derived from heaven and that they are not to be oppressive, the greater Power steps in to annul their authority and deliver their victims. God never allows them extra space to desecrate the throne and position He allows them to hold in trust.
As believers, we should not fret when wicked rulers appear to be triumphing in their wickedness. Even if we are harassed by the authorities and their agents. We should maintain our peace as we live for the Lord and serve Him faithfully. We should have faith in His word that He will not hesitate to put an end to the evil system of the world.
Thought for the day
Every reign of wickedness comes with an expiry date.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Every reign of wickedness comes with an expiry date. True!
Every reign of wickedness comes with an expiry date. True!