A Lesson from acts 12

Church and the way it’s done is changing rapidly in our culture.  All of us have learned during the covid crisis of 2020 how versatile the church had to be as they scheduled online services, reached out to its members and created new models of ministry that will exist far beyond the crisis.  One would think the church should be flexible all the time.  Just like believers, we can assume that the way the society rolls now is the way that ministry, worship and work has to persist into the future.  The Bible however tells that our God is up to something outside our frame of reference.  Consider the story of the disciples in Acts 12. If you are familiar of the story of Herod’s increased persecution, you might recall that God delivered despite what the church was expecting. God shows up sometimes when we least expect Him.  This passage is a powerful reminder that even those of us who have seen miracles in the past, do not need to get into the habit of assuming we know what God is going to do next.  To our knowledge, the first disciple of the original 12 had just been murdered by Herod. Now Peter was in prison. Anyone with critical thinking skills might assume Peter’s fate to be inevitable. But God had different plans. You may have no idea what God is going to do in your future.  It's my prayer that you will resist the temptation to think that we know what is inevitable in the Church and God’s Kingdom.  He still reigns over all this world and nothing is impossible for Him.  As the book of Acts moves forward, we see the Acts of the Holy Spirit going all over the world, and the infant church adjusting to His sovereign ways.  Let’s believe that God knows what He’s doing in our lives and expect Him to show up and lead His Church to victory!  Praise God!