Thursday, September 24, 2015

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ # 32

The Riches of His Glory: The Pathway of the Glory (continued)

God's Glory Is Reached Through Adversity (continued)

Well, Herod thought that it was a good thing he had done when he smote James, because it pleased the Jews; and so he seized Peter, and put Peter in prison. Now, if Peter goes, this is going to be something tremendous. Well, he takes all the precautions that a man in his position could take to secure Peter. Oh, he throws him, or has him thrown into the inner dungeon, his feet made fast in the stocks, and four quaternions of soldiers to guard the prison. It seems as though there is no hope for Peter so far as hell and men are concerned, but what does the Glory say? The Lord of Glory is interested in this matter, and He simply says to the whole thing, 'Oh no, oh no, not a bit of it!' The angel of the Lord, as you know, visits Peter, and his chains fell off. He was bidden to gird his garment about him, and told to follow, and the iron gates opened (Acts 12:7-10). What has happened to the four quaternions of guards? They are hardly mentioned, they are as though they did not exist, and out comes Peter.

Now here is something very strong on the part of the evil powers against the Lord of Glory, and how simply the Lord of Glory answers it, for "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." The Church was tremendously stirred and concerned that night, giving itself to prayer in a stretched out way before God. The word says that "prayed was continually and earnestly being directed by the Church to God concerning him. The word "ceasing" means "stretched out." The Church was fervently praying by the taking of this matter seriously. The Lord of Glory moves in and solves the big problem so simply. Infinite power can work in such a simple way, as shown in Peter's deliverance from the evil powers.

And next, in the Book of the Acts, Saul of Tarsus in his rage, he calls it rage himself, a choleric anger, wrath, hatred, like a boiling caldron overflowing against those of "this Way" (Acts 9:2; 18:25, 26; 19:9, 23; 22;4; 24:14, 22). Saul of Tarsus goes to the High Priest and says that, 'If you will give me documents of authority, I will go the the furthest city and I will have arrested all who are of this Way. I will bring them to prison and judgment and, if needs be, to death.' And he obtains the documents, the parchments of authority, the warrants of arrest, and starts out on his way to the distant city of Damascus, where he knows there is a company of these people of "the Way." Saul, "breathing out threatenings and slaughters," went to Damascus; and the Lord of Glory stepped across his path. And the Glory smote him to the ground. (Acts 9:4). Forever afterward, this man Paul, knew the meaning of the glory and could speak about it so fully.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 33)

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