James - ordered to be executed by Herod Agrippa; martyred for preaching the gospel
Peter - imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, the very same man that murdered James; Herod was the ruling and reigning king in Judea
Miraculous deliverance - A ministering angel delivers Peter out of prison. God has heard the prayers of the saints, of the church, and answers their pleas of mercy for Peter
Herod cut off - The stroke of an angel kills Herod at the height of his pride. A minister of God's justice does his bidding
Barnabas and Saul - Barnabas and Saul are in Judea on a mission to deliver relief to the brethren. A famine is foretold by a prophet named Agabus, and in anticipation of there being no food for the poor believers in Judea, funds have been collected and sent to ensure their survival and maintenance when tough times of lack occur.
Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch
Dear reader, some things, never change. That was my thought early this morning. The some things I considered are these:
1. Christians will always be persecuted and martyred/murdered for loving God and speaking of him
2. Christians will be imprisoned and miraculously ministered to, and also released, by the Authority that determines what he wants them to do next, upon their angelic deliverance
3. The prayers of the saints are a sweet savoury scent and holy sacred sound, that rise to the nostrils and ears of God
4. Prideful men that accept praise from other men as though they are God, are cut down, cut off, and dropped low in the most obvious of ways when they least expect it. God is forever just, and he meads out justice without prejudice.
5. God's people hear his voice, heed his warnings, and share their visions and prophetic instructions with other believers for their mutual safety and benefit. Agabus warned of a coming dearth, a famine that would result in death via starvation. Provision was made for God's people, and dear reader, The Bible has many a times repeated this very theme: God's people, in life, in the afterlife following death of the body, are always provided for. The Bread of Life ensures our continuance.
In my heart of hearts I long to live like the early Christians. Recently I read the idea that our purpose is to get to heaven. If our work is to believe in the one whom God hath sent, namely Jesus Christ as Saviour, and our purpose is to get to heaven, as stated by Charles Spurgeon, then I feel as though I have my marching orders. And yet ... in my human heart, there appears to be invisible and massive logs strewn hither and thither when I attempt to proceed forward; I slam into these chunks of wood with both shins, and fall face first over top of them, far too often. Is that how the splinters and motes get into our eyes, dear one?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5)
It is Herod that has me hankering for justice. The Herod's of this world have me wanting to fight back with my female sized fists. I want to pound them in the face, knocking them off the high horses they ride while trampling the people that cannot defend themselves. There are many self-aggrandized Herod's; they are self-appointed kings, that smirk and side-eye cast disparagement on those they perceive to be beneath their consideration. They believe they have the right to choose who lives and who dies; who eats and who starves to death. They are the rulers that currently reign, but alas, I need not do the work of the Almighty: he determines what justice looks and sounds like, at his appointing and with his perfect timing.
I am a non-violent person. The thought of punching someone in the nose or stomach does not appeal to me. One time, I held my little sister down while laughing at her. Somehow she got loose from my grip, ripped the chain from my neck, and punched me in the gut. I still laugh at the thought of it, but man alive, that hurt: better still, it shocked and surprised me.
Here is what happens to Herod, in the Book of Acts 12:20-24
And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sion: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
But the word of God grew and multiplied ...
There is a comparison we can make at this point dear one. God's people are provided for by Province. Those that belong to earthly kings as surfs and suck-ups, look to mere men for their meat. The dirge, the famine, the want, the need for filling, is either the stomach that resides within the human body, or the soul that hungers and thirsts for the manna that falls wafer light from heaven. When you are with people, do you search their eyes for signs of life; a flicker of feeling and understanding of the essence of our existence? I do ... I try to make eye contact and look for a way to ask, Do you know Him?
Herod was turned into worm meat just after receiving praise as a god, from people that filled their bellies by feigning their devotion to, and appreciation of, him as king. He was a proud man that believed he had the right to decide who got fed, and who got imprisoned and killed, based on who bowed deeply before him while denying God as Almighty. For shame: he made a massive murderous fool of himself publicly after a speech in all his pompous kingly array, and the Herod's of this world ought to heed the warning, that this too, will be their fate, soon enough.
What hurts more, dear one, a punch to the gut, or being eaten alive by worms? I will leave you to ponder the question, and make of it what you will.
PS: I found a halo effect picture ... how much fun is that?
Also, it is not hypocritical to want justice. I pray for people to repent and if they will not, I pray for their removal. The logs I sometimes stumble over can be called impatience and irritation, when I witness the suffering of souls. More prayer, plus more prayer on top of that, is required; never ceasing, always beseeching, our God as Ruler that reigns forever and ever more, AMEN.
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