Peter, Peter, Prison-Breaker
Ever since breaking the picture frame glass on New Year's Day at IKEA I have been thinking through some issues.
The first thing is the brokeness of the world; it is like glass. Especially, the cracked image of God in man. But, everything else is broken, too. There is a beauty yet still here but one must see the brokeness to then see the beauty.
Second, I thought about how fire can remelt broken glass--or destroy it. Any self-repair with tape or glue is like "works" salvation. Makes it look worse. We don't have the skill or the tools to fix what we have broken. We can admit it is broken and that is a start.
Third, that took me to the Epistle of Peter where he writes of the elements melting upon the return of Christ...melting, like glass. The glass itself is not sinful but it has been broken, like a precious gift on Christmas, by unappreciative brats. Many will remain cracked for eternity...eternally broken, "always dying, never dead" as the quote goes. The sanctified are fully restored as God's image bearers, like a flawless mirror-glass.
Then, fourth, I read Acts 12:1-17 where Peter is imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa. KHA wants to execute Peter and toys with him like a cat with a mouse. The night before the execution is planned, Peter is sleeping in prison and is awaken by an angel and he is bailed from jail. Up until then, with the prior execution of James by KHA, it was looking like KHA would triumph. Instead, it is KHA who is the feral beast who is about to be trapped.
That Peter would be sleeping already indicated Peter's complete victory and trust in God. KHA's plot is decimated...and he soon is struck down like a rotted tree by lightning. He looks all good on the outside with leaves in bloom but his soul is termite infested. He revels in the praise of wicked men.
I take from this that trials come to Christians yet God is in charge of when and how we shall meet death. Man only is the tool that God employs. If it is not in His plan for us to catch the next flight to eternity, we will stay here doing the work that He has called us to do. It may get hot but it won't get hot as hell.
The first thing is the brokeness of the world; it is like glass. Especially, the cracked image of God in man. But, everything else is broken, too. There is a beauty yet still here but one must see the brokeness to then see the beauty.
Second, I thought about how fire can remelt broken glass--or destroy it. Any self-repair with tape or glue is like "works" salvation. Makes it look worse. We don't have the skill or the tools to fix what we have broken. We can admit it is broken and that is a start.
Third, that took me to the Epistle of Peter where he writes of the elements melting upon the return of Christ...melting, like glass. The glass itself is not sinful but it has been broken, like a precious gift on Christmas, by unappreciative brats. Many will remain cracked for eternity...eternally broken, "always dying, never dead" as the quote goes. The sanctified are fully restored as God's image bearers, like a flawless mirror-glass.
Then, fourth, I read Acts 12:1-17 where Peter is imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa. KHA wants to execute Peter and toys with him like a cat with a mouse. The night before the execution is planned, Peter is sleeping in prison and is awaken by an angel and he is bailed from jail. Up until then, with the prior execution of James by KHA, it was looking like KHA would triumph. Instead, it is KHA who is the feral beast who is about to be trapped.
That Peter would be sleeping already indicated Peter's complete victory and trust in God. KHA's plot is decimated...and he soon is struck down like a rotted tree by lightning. He looks all good on the outside with leaves in bloom but his soul is termite infested. He revels in the praise of wicked men.
I take from this that trials come to Christians yet God is in charge of when and how we shall meet death. Man only is the tool that God employs. If it is not in His plan for us to catch the next flight to eternity, we will stay here doing the work that He has called us to do. It may get hot but it won't get hot as hell.
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