THE POWER OF GOD
W. Schubert
I have been impressed by the help which is proved by those whom the Lord calls “two of you”. He says that their requests will be answered. We have already heard how precious the saints are to God and that He wants to keep them so that they should be in nearness to Him.
Persons who value the light of the assembly and seek to work it out are in the Lord’s thoughts when He says, “two of you”. God desires that all men should be saved, but He also desires that they should come to the knowledge of the truth. What joy it is for God when He finds persons whose hearts are opened to receive the truth of Christ and the assembly. God has immeasurable resources and He is able to bring those who love Him through difficult times.
In Acts 12 we find the saints gathered. In verse 5 we read, “but unceasing prayer was made by the assembly to God concerning him” (Peter). We no longer have the assembly in this way today, but we have the “two of you”. We can clearly see how these saints moved heaven and how God showed His power. This angry king was laying his hands on genuine ones of the assembly, to hurt them, such persons as the Lord had in mind in Matthew 18. In the prophet Jehovah said that he that touched His people touched the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2: 8). How precious the saints are to God! How precious those “of the assembly” are to Him. We see here how wretchedly the devil fails.
This king represents the power of antichrist. He delighted in mistreating the saints. He did not know the power of prayer on the part of the assembly, and he also did not know of a power which supersedes all thought. Beloved brethren, are we not experiencing this at the moment?
Those who know these relations with God experience something of this power. These four quaternions of soldiers, as well as the two chains with which Peter was bound to two soldiers, and the guards before the door, were impotent. Even the iron door opened of its own accord.
What power was working! So long as true believers are here, God will show His wonderful power. God allowed James to be killed, but He did not allow Peter to go the same way. Peter was to prepare the way for Paul.
Let us think about it, what it means for God to find persons today who value His thoughts about the assembly. Here they were beside themselves when their prayers were answered.
They did not believe that their prayers would be heard in this way. He gives more than we ask or think. We should understand that as long as the assembly is here the devil cannot reach the peak of his power. Hades’ gates will not prevail against Christ’s assembly. We experience something of this in our meetings. The presence of dear brethren from different countries proves that the chains will still fall and iron gates open. The enemy tries to separate the saints from each other, but he is not equal to the power which is available to us. The words of Peter were, “Report these things to James and to the brethren”. It would strengthen them; the power of God was working. This should encourage us in the day of small things.
Words in meeting for ministry, Garnsdorf
12 November 1985
From “Neues und Altes”, No.6/87