God's Soveriegn Plan...

I am going to be preaching a series of messages from the book of Acts, beginning next week. So my personal study has led me to reread and then reread this powerful, historical book of the christian church in it's infant stage.

As I was reading last night in chapter 12, something really struck me as "hard to understand". Chapter 12 of Acts begins with the account of James, the brother of John, one of the disciples... being put to death, martyred at the hand of King Herod. "When he saw this pleased the Jews, he had Peter arrested as well". What struck me as hard to understand, was the fact that James' ministry was cut short because he was martyred for the cause... where Peter was miraculously led from prison, chains falling off... passing unnoticed by the guards... through a miraculously open city gate... and led to freedom. With our limited understanding, we are left to ask, "What's the Deal?"

And as I continued to read, the Spirit of God gave me a clearer understanding of Acts 12. Earlier on I called it James' ministry... when in fact it is the Lord's ministry that James is fulfilling. The greatest desire for James, Peter, Stephen, or any of the men that gave their life for the Lord's work... was not to complete their calling in life, but to also complete it in death. I believe that God's soveriegn plan was accomplished... why James? Why in Jerusalem? Why so soon? Quite possibly it was because James was willing... maybe it was because in Jerusalem it would be the center of attention for all of the believers... maybe it happened so soon, to spur on the efforts as a rallying cry of the other disciples and believers. Regardless what we can or can't understand, it was ultimately to fulfill God's Soveriegn Plan.

Think about the resolve Peter had knowing his life had been spared... how much more determined was he knowing that James paid a price so that he could continue to live and reach others. Oh that our resolve would be so strong to fulfill God's plan, whether it be in life or death.