317 - "We Hold The Proverbial Key" Acts 11-13

                                                      

"And the Hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed." Acts 11:21.

 

The persecution of the church, the harm hurled through threats and brutality---it was meant to destroy and kill the followers.  But this.  The very first preachers of Good News.  Dispersed.  All because of persecution.  What others mean for harm still works for good then and now.

 

And the work of conversion works on all of us, then and now.

 

And the hand of the Lord---God showed them His Favor.  Manifest in Miracles.  

Hearts changed forever.

"Not only his Hand of Providence, which brought them thither, and protected them; and his Hand of love, grace and mercy, which was upon them, and supplied them with gifts and grace, and everything necessary for them; and his Hand of wisdom, which guided and directed them; but his Hand of power, the same with the Arm of the Lord, which when revealed, and made bare, the report of the Gospel is believed."  John Gibbs had no idea how how the story would end in the hands of Herod.  Jailed.  Abandoned.  Bolted.  Then.  An unlocked door.  A free get-out-of-jail pass.  Peter came to himself and said: "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me." Acts 12:11 Some days in your life there will be no hope of getting out of a circumstance---it has already happened for some of you.  Those moments.  When we can hardly believe.  May we see You, God, standing there to rescue us.  We always hold a proverbial key.

PHOTO: A Spot I pass in Dallas just about every other weekend these years. I know there is a proverbial key in the grass.