09 February 2025

What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 5 (TMF:2550)

Friday, February 14, 2025

Peace to Live By: What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 5 (TMF:2550) - Daniel Litton
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“When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (Acts 12:11, ESV). So, God rescues Peter “from the hand of Herod,” from, interestingly enough, the established governmental leader. So, Herod, again, was working through the invisible powers to work to accomplish what God did not want. Of course, as we’ve discussed in the past, a great passage to see these interactions is also Daniel 10, where we have an angel held up by a fallen angel in the unseen realm. That also gives a blatant picture of some of what goes on behind the scenes. And that would be a good passage to read, or reconsider, for further insight into this subject matter. Going back to the text in Colossians 1, and let’s re-read the verse, now focusing on the end of it: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (verse 16, ESV).

What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 4 (TMF:2549)

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Peace to Live By: What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 4 (TMF:2549) - Daniel Litton
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Note verse 10: “When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him” (Acts 12:10, ESV). Consider and take note of the invisible power of the angel. To appear, to save (to get around the guards), to lead out (passed all the guards), and to have the gate open by its own accord. These are beings God has established to help us, as the writer of Hebrews will later tell us. They work against the evil powers—the satanically aligned powers—and what they want. For Peter himself concludes, in verse 11, “When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (ESV). So, God rescues Peter “from the hand of Herod,” from, interestingly enough, the established governmental leader.

What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 3 (TMF:2548)

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Peace to Live By: What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 3 (TMF:2548) - Daniel Litton
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But we are told that while Peter was asleep, and even chained to a couple of guards, that what? Let’s read the passage. “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands” (Acts 12:7, ESV). Now we are seeing the invisible interacting with the visible. The invisible powers. Satan had been using the physical government and the chained soldiers to show his invisible power, making it become visible, Now, the Lord brings about his invisible power making it become visible through the angel. After Peter is dressed, the angel of the Lord leads Peter out. Note verse 10: “When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him” (Acts 12:10, ESV). Consider and take note of the invisible power of the angel.

What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 2 (TMF:2547)

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Peace to Live By: What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 2 (TMF:2547) - Daniel Litton
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Notice that Herod, who was the leader of people, was evil, and acted in an evil manner, going against the church. We are so used to the government usually leaving us alone in our day and age, but not so during this period of the early church. The government at this point was against the church. If we continue we read there in Acts 12, we see Peter in prison. This obviously was not what God wanted—God didn’t want Peter in prison. It would be nice if that that fact shouldn’t have to be stated, but it can clear confusion in this area of understanding. We know that it isn’t what God wants, because what does God do? Just like we’ve seen in the past (whether in Daniel 10 in the Old Testament, or even Matthew 1 in the New, we see God intervening to bring about what he wants—and interestingly enough, what the church wanted, what believers wanted, for they had been praying for Peter (hence, the difference prayer makes in the invisible realm, and this also in Daniel 10).

What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 1 (TMF:2546)

Monday, February 10, 2025

Peace to Live By: What is Going on Behind the Scenes, Part 1 (TMF:2546) - Daniel Litton
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What is less clear are the invisible powers. We are told that too, just like in the physical realm, there are invisible “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.” We obviously know that, given a brief review in our minds of world history, that visible rulers and authorities do not always follow what God wants—that needs no real explanation. There are countless examples that could be cited in that regard. Going to the Scriptures, in we go to Acts 12, we can see a detailed interaction of how the visible interacted with the invisible, and how things played out in this instance. We are told, right at the beginning of Acts 12, that “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (Acts 12:1-3, ESV). Notice that Herod, who was the leader of people, was evil, and acted in an evil manner, going against the church.