Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
We often wonder what in the world our government officials might be thinking. Some of the reasoning that comes out in the form of laws or emergency actions seems bizarre at best. Yet it is nothing new.
In Acts 12 Herod had James arrested and killed. Verse one suggests this action was more or less a test, to see what people would think. Because it was a popular action among the Jews, he then arrested Peter. By this method, possibly he could present Peter to the people after Passover. Perhaps they would decide Peter should die. If not, Herod could look like the good guy who stopped Peter from being executed.
Political pragmatism is almost always a bad idea. It leads to division among the people. It makes leaders appear weak. It plants doubt in the minds of the public, and of other leaders, whether policies are actually heartfelt, whether promises mean anything, and to what level a leader will stoop so as to get his own way.
James the brother of John was executed. Yet there were other Christians who were able to take his place among the leaders of the Christians in Jerusalem. God's kingdom can't be stopped so easily. Moved by the arrests, the Christians gathered together to pray. When Peter was released from prison by supernatural means, he went "to another place" which is not specified. No doubt, he took the Gospel with him. So did all the Christians emboldened by the work of God.
No, Christ's kingdom can't be stopped very easily. It is an everlasting kingdom. Though James lost his earthly life, he was instrumental in gaining a heavenly reward for many others.
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