Brother Gary Sunday Evening 7/8/12

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 7/8/12

Act 12:1  Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

Act 12:2  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

Act 12:3  And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Act 12:4  And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Act 12:5  Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

With the prayer requests we’ve received this evening, the key is to pray without ceasing.  Our morning and evening prayer are vital to our spiritual life.  The morning and evening sacrifice is taught in the Bible.  The Bible also teaches to pray without ceasing and that is more than just the morning and evening devotions.   When God lays a burden on your heart you can lift up that burden to God. 

God is hearing prayer and God is answering prayer.  God builds our faith and God always comes through.  Stay true to God and He will come through. 

Act 12:6  And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Peter was well locked up and was chained down.  Peter was sleeping.  The church may have been awake praying but Peter was sleeping.

Act 12:7  And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

You and I don’t need to calculate how God can work.  In the past, I have said, “Now God I don’t know how you could do this.”  God has a million ways to answer prayer and if He needed to He could invent a brand new one.  He is God.

We can see this account in words:  The angel of the Lord came upon him and smote Peter on the side and raised him up.  The angel told him to arise up quickly. 

May God increase our faith.  There are millions of people in the United States of America that need to be awakened by an angel.  God can use whatever He wants to, He can use a storm, He can use an experience in the ocean, or He can use a child or a grandparent.  In this account God chose to use an angel. 

As Peter arose his chains fell from his hands.  We serve a mighty God.  This is a literal account that really happened but we can look at it as spiritual.  There are people that are locked down by various chains.  Some have yielded to Satan in such a way that they are bound by spirits, evil, and uncleanness.

Act 12:8  And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

Peter was having quite a time getting it together.  Sometimes God has to help me to get it together.  The angel had to tell Peter to get dressed and put on his sandals.

Act 12:9  And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

Peter didn’t realize what all was happening.  Maybe he thought that he was going to be a martyr and die in that prison.  It wasn’t God’s time for him.  Let’s not limit what God will do for a man that will trust and pray.

Act 12:10  When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

Act 12:11  And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

Act 12:12  And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

Act 12:13  And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

Act 12:14  And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

Here they had been praying that God would deliver Peter and God had answered prayer.  Rhoda came to answer the gate but left it locked and ran back to tell those gathered praying.

Act 12:15  And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

 Act 12:16  But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

Act 12:17  But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

Now we see that the events turn:

Act 12:18  Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

Act 12:19  And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

If you need an angel, God has one ready.  If you need an innumerable company of angels, He is God.  The Bible teaches us that we have come to an innumerable company of angels.