Who Is Lord?
Opening Prayer
Almighty Father, I praise You for Your majesty and Your infinite power which You use to do so much good.
Read Acts 12:19-25
[19] After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. [20] He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. [21] On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. [22] They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” [23] Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. [24] But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. [25] When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
Reflect
Why did Herod die such a terrible death?Do you remember Cornelius falling at Peter’s feet to worship him (10:25,26)? Peter immediately stopped him, saying, “I am only a man myself.” How different is Herod! He allows the people of Caesarea to flatter him (22). Their words may seem odd, but at that time the Caesars called themselves gods and demanded worship. The Greeks, too, accepted that, at times, the gods would appear among men. For us, as for the Jews of whom Herod was king, there is one God and we must worship no one else (Exod. 20:3). To make that point, God’s punishment of Herod was swift and terrible (23). But the believers would soon face a dilemma when their society demanded they acknowledge Caesar as Lord. Proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” would be dangerous for Christians in the early church. Such faith is attractive (24) but can bring persecution, as it would for Saul (9:16). We, too, may face situations where Jesus’ lordship should be affirmed and other gods challenged. Remember that he wants to be Lord of our hearts, and we must submit wholly to him ourselves before we can proclaim his lordship to the world.
Apply
Are you in a situation where you have the opportunity to affirm the lordship of Jesus? Pray for courage.
Closing prayer
Jesus, You are, indeed, The Lord. I want You to be Lord over my life so I can share You with others.
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