In The Garden
Sunday
Message
"Delivered! Just in Time!"
Pastor
Wayne Clabaugh
Read Larger Print Devotional by Clicking here
Scripture text: "And when Peter was come to
himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the
Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out
of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation
of the people of the Jews." Acts 12:11 (KJV)
Friend, there is so much anger walking the streets
today and we have become an age when everything is
known in a matter of seconds. I mean, last night I
watched while to of the astronauts in peace worked
on the "outside" of the space station for over 6
hours. Now, I didn't watch the whole six hours but
what few minutes I saw as as clear as if they were
outside my upper balcony... that is if I had a back
balcony. But you get the idea... it was just
breath-taking!
But technology has become so sophisticated that we
can know instantly everything that is going on
almost ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD almost instantly and
much of what we learn VIA the NEWS Media whether
your flavor be Internet, Radio or Television, one
thing for sure is - right now at least... you're
going to get angry, scared or sick with a feeling of
hopelessness. WHY? Because we have been conditioned
in these last 25 years to place all of our power and
all of our trust on men of the Government. Do we
hope we get good men in the legislative branch of
this great land of ours to speak with our voice?
Sure we do. But we have found out here lately that
only God is infallible. Now, is it any wonder that
they're trying so hard to discredit Him?
We here in the states have not been truly tested for
our faith quite like those in other lands who almost
daily put it "on the line" for Jesus. I have had a
couple of emails from some folk that are either
themselves facing great persecution for their faith
in Christ, or they have a brother or someone close
that faces the struggles of just naming the name of
Jesus in other parts of the country. I had one dear
sister write from Africa who told me she wasn't sure
if she would make him home safely that night as
there was such attacks against Christians there in
her country. She told how her husband had already
been taken to jail for being a Christian, and she
knew it wouldn't be long until they came for her. I
never heard from her again.
Here in the States, we're not prone to such violent
outbursts - at least not yet, however it is coming
and even though we have what we call "freedom of
religion", It is getting more and more difficult for
the "Christian", especially the "Evangelical" to
witness for the Lord. Much of our persecution at the
time being is by non-believers, yet, there is a
silent persecution that is beginning by some of
those who hold Doctorates and whose consciences have
become so seared that they believe that the Bible is
only a collection of Folk-lore and fairy tales.
There is something very sinister adrift there and
we've been speaking of some of that in the Prophecy
Notes Messages.
It's interesting how History repeats itself and just
as we had such a spiritual awakening here in last 25
years - so they early church reveled in a time of
wonderful growth, and spiritual glory.
Then one day, out of the clear blue - We find Herod
Agrippa, now King due to His Uncle Herod Antipas
being deposed by one of Agrippa's boyhood chums
stretching out his hand to kill James the Son Of
Zebedee - with the sword. (Beheaded)
Now, in my studies in the Ecclesiastical History of
Eusebius, that the officer who was attached to James
and commissioned with guarding him, was so impressed
with the apostle's witness, that before James was
martyred, this officer confessed Christ as Savior,
and was beheaded with James. Can you imagine finding
Christ to be so real one minute and dying for him
the next? While we could get off deeply involved
with the Martyrdom of the Apostles of Christ and
the early Christians, I want us to see yet another
approach to Martyrdom. Those you and I are
seeing everyday.
As we look at the text for today - we see where the
Bible tells us that
"... when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I
know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel,
and has delivered me ...." Acts 12:11
It has been said, that for James the son of Zebedee,
and Peter to have both been martyred at that time in
the history of the church, would have almost been
irreparable. And yet, it looked as though that was
what was going to happen. Yet if we jump back to
verse 6 we read eight words that not only changed
the course of history for the Church - but should
change the life of every believer today.
"And when Herod was about to bring him out . . ."
You see, Herod had designs on Peter's life - and on
the other apostles as well. He was a crowd pleaser;
and when he saw that his killing James brought such
joy to the Jews of that area, he set out to kill
them all. But God's Word says,
"And when Herod was about to bring him out, that
night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains
between two soldiers; and the guards before the door
were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the
Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison;
and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up,
saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his
hands." Acts 12: 6,7
I wonder, does this story remind you of anything? I
think that it is so clear to those of us who are in
ministry, as well as those who are just trying to
live a victorious Christian walk, that we often are
in a place where we think that nothing "positive"
could possibly come from our situation. We may even
find ourselves just at the brink of the death of our
calling... or at the brink of the death of our
hopes, and dreams. Yet God stands waiting with the
deliverance of all of His Angels to lead us forth as
victors in His name. Friend, God is searching this
very day for men and women who under the strains of
adversity will stand tall, and say,
"Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His
angel, and has delivered me."
It's not time to give in my friend nor to be a
quitter. It's not time to fold up our Bible and put
them on the shelf and say that it's not the
"INFALLIBLE, INSPIRED WORD OF GOD" just because some
PHD wants you to get all jittery when people call
out his name. WHAT TIME IS IT? In a Nutshell I'd
have to answer,
IT'S TIME TO KEEP THE FAITH! IT'S TIME TO BE STRONG
IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT!
Just hold on my friend, keep the faith!
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted
among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psa 46:10 (KJV)
Let's pray...
Father God:
I am often so quick to see the "end of things" when
the pain and adversity begins. Teach me to not be
moved by the report of the enemy - but to stand on
your Word alone as YOU ALONE ARE THE Light, and THE
LIFE, and "YOUR WORD" is health to my navel, and
marrow to my bones." In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen
