Happy Aloha Friday and welcome to another day of the 5 minute challenge. I pray that your 5 minutes in God’s Word every day is bringing you closer to Him through the power and glory of His Word. I’ve been on the 5MC now for 90 days in a row and it has changed my walk with Jesus and how I walk in this world. Before I would binge read the bible. Maybe once a week when it struck me I would sit down and read for an hour or so and then maybe not read for several days. Very sporadic. When you think about the purpose of spending time in God’s Word it’s to hear from Him and learn about Him, it makes no sense to hear from Him only a few times a week. I wouldn’t dare to only talk to Margie a few times a week! If I did that it would immediately affect our relationship and if I continued that pattern long-term it would destroy our ability to relate and understand each other. The same is so true with God, I hope your spending time in His Word everyday, talking, listening and learning of His plan for your life.
Now lets talk about apples. Huh? Let me explain. My new company gave me a brand new shiny Apple AirBook laptop for work. Sounds great right? Well it is, but I’ve never had a Mac before so there’s a little bit of a learning curve compared to PC which I’ve used, well, forever. I found out that the Apple store offers free classes to help you learn the Apple operating system and well as other useful tips. So yesterday I truck over to the Apple store to take a class on basics as well as intermediate operating. Now is it just me or is the Apple store always like visiting another planet? No matter the time of day or the day of the week the place is always standing room only. I mean you’d think with all these people they were GIVING this stuff away, not charging top dollar for it! Now, I think Apple stuff is great, the products look cool and sleek adn they're easy to operate, but what really impresses me so much is their marketing. I would have to say that up to this point in history we have never seen a company and family of products marketed better than Apple. People are beating down the doors of these stores to wait in line to buy their VERY expensive products. Pure Genuis. Oh, by the way, the classes went well, I learned quite a few cool ‘apple’ tricks. I also have a strange urge to buy a Prius, become a vegan and write a book while sitting at Starbuck's. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Oh yeah, funny side note about Apple. Margie points out to me that the logo is an Apple with one bite taken out. Symbolic of the original sin of Eve taking the first bite? Who knows.
On to the 5MC. This morning is Acts chapter 12 and we see the persecution of the church really dialed up by Herod the king. ‘Herod the king’ is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great who attempted to kill baby Jesus. This family hated Jesus, Christians and the church. The family legacy continues here in Acts 12.
We start out the chapter with verses 12:1-3, “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.” Here is a guy with hatred in his heart for the church, has no value for human life and is a master politician willing to do it all for selfish ambition. Not the kinda guy I wanna hang out with alot.
He locks Peter up and put tons of guards around him. Why tons of guards for little ol’ Peter? Remember back to Acts 5:19, they locked up all the apostles and an angel let them out and the next day when the council called for them they didn’t find them in their cell but out in the temple preaching! Wow, talk about looking foolish. And lets not forget Jesus. His body was guarded by Roman soldiers, sealed with the highly respected and feared Roman seal and of course had a huge stone rolled in front of it and they of course could not find His body….ever! God had a way of constantly embarrassing the Roman guard by breaking out His servants. So this time Herod ‘over guards’ him and we see in Acts 12:6 that Peter was even sleeping between two guards, chained to each! This guy was guarded!
But God has plans for Peter and it doesn’t involve him sitting in jail another minute, so God is gonna bust Peter outta the clink. I love how specific God’s Word is, He leaves no question here about the details. An angel wakes up Peter by poking him in the side. The angel tells him to get up put on his cloak and sandals and follow him. Peter thinks this is a dream he doesn’t even think it’s really happening. So they walk past the 2 guards in the cell, out of the cell past 2 more guards and then come to main gate of the entire prison and “it opens for them of its own accord.” (Acts 12:10b) Now about this time I would like to think that as they’re busting outta this place that maybe the angel is piping in the theme music from Mission Impossible. I mean wouldn’t that be awesome!
Once out on the street, the angel disappears and Peter high tails it over to Mary’s house. Now, for the 1st 150 years of the life of the church it was held in homes and Mary’s house was one these homes. Peter lets them know He is OK and then he split out of the city. God has spared him and at this time he uses the common sense God gave him to get out of town.
The next day as the guards all start stirring and find Peter gone Luke eloquently says in Acts 12:18, “there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.” I’d say it was no little disturbance. It was huge! A guy that was locked in a cell, chained to two guards, guarded by more guards and locked inside their best prison just disappears? They had a massive manhunt for Peter all over the city and of course He was long gone. Herod questioned all the guards and when they couldn’t explain it he killed every last one them. Ouch.
So in the midst of this huge debacle what does Herod do. What any suave, slick politician would do. He leaves town and heads down to the coastal, resort town of Caesarea for a little vacation. Talk about running from your problems.
While in Caesarea Herod is holding court, dressed in his royal robes and delivering a flowery oration to other politicians. The politicians seeking his favor claim his speech is, “the voice of a god and not of a man.” They’re really pouring it on thick and Herod is eating it up. But God is not. God will not share His glory with anyone. “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another: neither my praise to graven images.” (Isa. 42:8) Herod refused to acknowledge God through Peters escape and now he is willing to accept praise from the people as a God. God is done with Herod. “Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.” (Acts 12:23) Not only did God strike him down but it was a undignified death.
Luke beautifully sums up the glory of this entire chapter in one short sentence, Acts 12:24, “But the Word of God increased and multipled.” My friends, no matter what the world can do to God’s church and God’s people, He can increase it and multiply it. This morning we see James murdered and an attempt to do the same to Peter but throughout all of this, God’s Word increased and multiplied. We serve a mighty God that will prevail through the persecution of His church and His people. Even today as Christians are being killed all over this planet, His Word is still being increased and multiplied.
God wants everyone on this globe to be able to hear, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
Share that message today.
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