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Scripture

Acts 12

1 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison

6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”

12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

Observation

If men had written the Bible on their own without God they would have left many parts of the Bible out. God wrote the Bible and it is obvious by the details that He deliberately includes. Here we find that Herod had killed James. There is no mention of him being in prison nor is there is any mention of the church praying for him. It seems that the death of James must have been done very quickly. Herod saw how the death of James pleased the Jews so he decided to kill Peter also.

This time he made the fatal mistake of putting Peter in prison and the church went to prayer for Peter. I think it is funny that as the church is having a prayer meeting for Peter that Peter knocks on the door of the house to tell them that their prayers have been answered, but they can’t believe that it is actually Peter. Only God would include this in scripture, men would have left that part out.

God’s plan for Peter was not going to end just because Herod had placed in him a prison. It didn’t matter how many soldiers were guarding him it could have been a million and they still could not have kept Peter in that jail cell. He was coming out no matter what!

God’s hand was on Peter and nothing was going to happen to Peter that God didn’t allow.

It is the same today! Nothing is going to happen to you if you are in the center of God’s will unless it first passes through the Hands of Your Heavenly Father. There is no safer place to be than in the center of God’s will.

I think James was in the center of God’s will and God used him as a martyr. He will receive a martyr’s reward. Peter was also later martyred as well as almost all of Jesus’ disciples with the exception of the Apostle John. Even Paul was probably martyred.

Application

I will not fear. What can mere man do to me? I will trust in the Lord.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, in old age our biggest temptation is fear. At least that is what Adrian Rodgers said and I tend to agree. We know that bad things do happen and we know that bad things are going to happen, but You tell us not to be afraid. I will hold on to this verse that Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” I know that trouble is coming, help me not to be afraid. Help me put my trust in You. Help me to trust You today with all my heart! Help me to stay in the center of Your will.

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