Acts 12:1-19
Wednesday May 2, 2012, NBC News reported this interview with our President, and the title was, President Obama: Bin Laden’s raid is 'the most important single day of my presidency' and what was not said was that it was a very popular thing, the people of the USA wanted this evil man who had declared war on the United States and killed 3000 people in 9/11, removed from the face of the earth. Over night it was reported that the President’s numbers went up in the polls.
It was
not the first cowardly attack on our nation,
the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese
attacked the United States without warning. The attack lasted 110 minutes, from 7:55 a.m.
until 9:45 a.m. A total of 2,335 U.S. servicemen were killed and 1,143 were wounded.
Sixty-eight civilians were also killed and 35 were wounded. The day following the attack on Pearl
Harbor, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that December 7, 1941
would be "a date that will live in infamy."
The
United States declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941, the day following the
attack on Pearl Harbor. "Remember
Pearl Harbor!" became a rallying cry for the U.S. during World War II. I do not believe we took polls back then in
order to do what needed to be done, but this we know that the decision was very
popular and we won that war and Japan paid a great price in the destruction of
it homes, land, and people.
I
listed these two cowardly accounts by our enemies to make this statement;
leaders, Kings, Presidents and so on, look for things that will increase their
public acceptance. And that was true in
this account by Dr. Luke, of Herod the king on people who belonged to this new
group called Christian. This is Luke’s
account: “He
killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it
pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the
days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison,
delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after
the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but
earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” (Acts 12:2-5
ESV)
When
I was younger, being a Christian was not only acceptable, it was in vogue, how
times have changed. What can happen is
recorded in history in this account a group of people in a culture become the
not so popular group. But God, I’ve
become such an admirer of that phrase in Scripture, and look at what God did; “Now when Herod was
about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the
prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone
in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up
quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress
yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap
your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did
not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was
seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came
to the Iron Gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord,
and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left
him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent
his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish
people were expecting.”
(Acts
12:6-11 ESV)
Much later in his ministry Peter writes this to the churches
scattered throughout various provinces in Asia Minor. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God
so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him,
because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him,
firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being
experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have
suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and
establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever.” Amen. (1
Peter 5:6-11 ESV)
As a follower of Christ always remember, “But God”, as you
recall Dr. Luke’s account of the night God rescued Peter. You may once again find it is popular with
the masses to do harm to Christians!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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