It is sad sorry tragic scene. My friend, Peter, is in prison. His friend and colleague, James, has been killed - James (or Jacob, the brother of John) - and famine has been prophesied.
Humanly speaking, things were not looking at all good for The Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. It appeared a bit of a disaster and in one sense it all looked like total failure, as Herod’s intention was to pick off the leadership one by one.
But, someone called the Church to prayer. The recognised leader was in jail, and another leader was aware of the precarious situation and called The Church to pray.
The first wave of persecution got the Church on the move. This current persecution against the leadership got the Church of Jesus Christ praying.
Who was it? We are not told. The Account is recorded in Acts Chapter 12 in the New Testament, but could do this and would you be prepared to do it necessary?
That night when Peter is in prison, the church meets in various homes in Jerusalem and prays to God for Peter, and they prayed in earnest.
Prayer is serious business. Perhaps that is why so few people pray and intercede.
This was very much a crisis, so they hold a night vigil of prayer, and nobody was absent. The Church was at prayer - not just a part of it - not just certain selected disciples. This was one of the marks of the early Church. There was no choice of being present or not being present offered. It was NOT an option, and it is exactly the same today. The option is to obey or not to obey. That continues to be the choice.
When the Church meets for prayer can you be relied upon and depended upon to be present?
King Herod is preparing to kill Peter, but it is futile to attempt to oppose the work of Jesus Christ, and Jesus has much for Peter yet to do. All this is going on and Peter is sleeping in a Jerusalem jail.
An angel of The Lord appears and the light of God is shining in that prison.
The angel touches Peter, awakens him, and says, “Quick - get up” - and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. “Dress yourself. Put on your shoes. Follow me.”
How is that for giving commands! The gates and doors open. Chains and gates at times are no problem to our God.
Peter just couldn’t take in everything that was happening, and when he was outside - safely away from the prison - the angel left him - and he realised that God had delivered him out of the clutches of Herod.
This is where it becomes a little amusing, but so revealing too.
Peter goes to Mary’s house, John Mark’s mother. Many had gathered there for prayer, and Peter knocks at the door, and a young servant girl named Rhoda leaves the Prayer Meeting and goes to the door. “Who is there?” “It’s me, Peter.” And rather than open the door, she ran in and told them that Peter was at the door.
Look at how they reacted - “You’re daft - out of your mind - it can’t be - it must be his angel.” They could believe in angels more than they could believe that Peter was at the door.
Sometimes you have got to keep on knocking! Peter did. He kept on knocking. This time they opened the door, and when they saw it was Peter, they could hardly believe their eyes.
Peter told them to be quiet and he described and explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison.
Then he said - Now go and tell all this to James - probably the James who was the brother of Jesus - and tell all the other brothers. The Prayer Meeting wasn’t just in one home. Everyone would not squeeze into one home. Various homes would have been used for prayer.
Do you use your home for prayer? If not, would you be willing to open up your home for people to come together and pray together? And, of course make sure that you are using your home for personal prayer - are you?
Sandy Shaw
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled “Word from Scotland” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com
Tags: attitude, inspiration, Leadership, motivation, Positive, Practical, Prayer, Spirituality
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