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Help Me to Understand Your Love More!
Carl HigashiActs 12:1-3
Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.
2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.
3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
As the church was spreading, king Herod clearly had a dislike to what was being spread. His laying on of hands was specifically to mistreat, murder, and imprison those in church leadership. He had James put to death and as he saw that he was pleasing the Jews, he then proceeds to arrest Peter.
Seems that he felt so threatened by the church and turning to cruelty and murder was all he could think of to try to preserve his power and authority.
The rulers of this world will have the character qualities that will tend to fear the spreading of the gospel. They will use their own justification and reasoning that will allow them to be “like god”, as they speak of things they will do, as if they have all the control to do so. They will self justify instead of lay down their lives for the sake of their constituents, they will try to manipulate the hearts of the people by their words or provisions that they may have some controls over.
When they start realizing that their power is being jeopardized, here is what happens, people die or are persecuted for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Prepare to be persecuted for the sake of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
The best preparation that I can do is to know how much God loves me! Continue to increase of the knowledge of God’s love, continue to increase in my acceptance of His love, and share that love with those He brings to me by preaching the gospel and building disciples for His Kingdom!
Lord, this prayer by the apostle Paul is for me and for all of us in Christ and those yet to come…
Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Lord help me to understand your love more fully like Paul, that this understanding and acceptance of your love overflow from my heart unto others that people be saved and transformed by your love through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and the Holy Spirit! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!
