Author: missionspaul

A blog by Regional Leader of NorthEast and Midlands Elim UK Churches.
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Updating your intercessors

Updating your intercessors

Acts 12:12

“When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.”
When you realise you are part of a miracle don’t forget to go back to those who are praying you will be, to thank them.
In the gospels only 1 out of 10 lepers came back to Jesus to thank him once they realised they had been healed.
Peter once he came to his senses knew where to go, the house of prayer, the house of Mary, the church’s intercessors. He had to tell them the news.
Do you have people who pray for you? If you do then make sure you keep hem informed. Don’t let them find out from other sources like Facebook that God has given you a breakthrough. Tell them yourself.
It take a lot for people to gather to pray for you. They give their time and their energy as they imagine what it is for you to go through what you are going through. They talk to God on your behalf. They put aside their problems to pray for your problem. These people are like gold. Make sure you thank them, update them, go to them in person.
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What do you know?

What do you know?

 

Acts 12: 11

“Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

 

So what do you know?

Peter knew it was a real Angel and not in a dream.

Peter knew it was the Lord who had sent the Angel.

Peter knew the Lord had rescued him.

Peter knew the Lord had prevented the anticipated public trial.

Today what do you know?

Make some declarations:

“The Lord knows where I am”

“The Lord will rescue me”

“I have nothing to fear”

There are times when you just need to know what you know.

 

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Acts 12:10 “They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.”

How do you pass the 1st and 2nd guards?

How do you walk past those who are there to contain you?

How do you go through an iron gate when it is closed?

How do you walk freely through the same city that you were captured in?

“They passed …They went through … They had walked …”

The answer is Peter kept moving, kept going forward, he didn’t stop, he was not distracted, Peter was focused.

How am I going to get through this? (whatever this is)

By keeping on. One step at a time, moving forward and God will make a way where there seems to be no way if you carry on and do not give up. Amen!

 

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I don’t understand but I am keeping on.

I don’t understand but I am keeping on.

Acts 12:9

“Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.”
Pete followed but he had no idea what was happening.
He obeyed though he didn’t understand.
He did what he was told though his reality seemed unreal.
Walking by faith not by sight.
It is okay, just keep moving!
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Act normally

Act normally

Acts 12:8

“Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.”
Put on your clothes
Put on your sandals
Wrap your cloak around you
Let God do what only He can do.
But He will not do what only we can do.
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The hurt from God

The hurt from God

Acts 12:7

“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.”
He struck.
Did you see that?
Peter had been released from prison before by God, maybe that experience in the past enabled him to sleep peacefully that night, knowing that if he was going to escape death it would be God who would do it again.
But Peter wasn’t staying awake waiting for God to come, he was asleep. He was at peace whatever happened. He was so asleep the Angel had to hit him.
Sometimes God has to hurt us in order to free us.
We often interpret the hurt as from the enemy. But maybe that recent striking was of God. Maybe He is waking you up. Maybe the disappointment and perhaps the embarrassment you felt was a wake up call. No one likes the alarm clock to go off like that. We resist it, we press the snooze button, we say I will get up later, I will change my position but not now.
Now Peter!
Don’t carry on as if nothing has happened. I struck you for a reason.
This is not the time to pray, but to move.
Use the hurt. This is your moment.
Has God been trying to waken you?
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Sleep is possible

Sleep is possible

Acts 12:6

“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.”
It’s the night before your trial, life is looking gloomy and short, your friend has already been killed, others are being mistreated, your worst day is in front of you. You are bound by two heavy chains, you cannot escape and there is a soldier either side of you. No one is coming in and no one is leaving without the permission of the soldiers at the entrance.
How do you cope in that situation?
Peter was asleep.
How is it possible to sleep in this situation?
An 18th century children’s prayer is worded this way:
‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.’
The Psalmist writes:
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
How was Peter able to sleep in such a situation? The same as you are able to. He was at peace in the Lord.
When you know God has you and not the chains that bind you then you can sleep in the arms of your Saviour who has your tomorrow. Peter knew Jesus was not dead but alive and that He was with him in that prison.
The old song says: “Because He lives I can face tomorrow.”
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BUT … prayer!

Acts 12:5

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
Peter was trapped.
Herod had seized him.
The soldiers held him.
The prison contained him.
BUT
THE CHURCH WAS PRAYING!
Prayer more than matches whatever is holding you back today. No matter the challenge, the power of prayer is greater.
That’s it. That’s all that matters.
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Our religious enemy

Our religious enemy

Acts 12:4

“After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.”
Peter is back in prison. He was there in chapter 5, put there by the High Priest, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison door.
Perhaps Herod heard how Peter had mysteriously escaped from the prison and so on this occasion he strengthened the grip on him. Four teams of four soldiers guarding Peter. That was how much Herod wanted to hold on to Peter. He was not going to escape this time.
The enemy doesn’t stop attacking. Even if you have had one victory, he will come again and do all he can to trap you and hold you again. But do not fear. The God who got you out of that first attack will get you out of the future ones too!
Herod wouldn’t bring him out for a public trial during the religious festival of Passover. How religious Herod was! Maybe he wasn’t, maybe he was just pretending to be in order to gain favour from the Jews. However, it shows how it is possible to appear to be very religious and at the same time be a destroyer of the Spirits work. A person can keep the religious duties and hold prisoners all on the same day.
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The enemy cannot snatch what hasn’t already been given.

Acts 12:3

“When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.”
God’s chosen people, the Jews, were pleased that the chosen disciple of Jesus was killed. This pleased the political leader, Herod.
Be very concerned when religion and politics come together in alignment. Not all unity and alliances are signs that God is blessing. In fact the mixture of religion and politics within church has led to many closures and if they haven’t closed they have abandoned their mission.
This was the desire of Herod, that the mission of the Christians would be abandoned even before it had begun. So Peter was seized. He was taken away just like James had, his future was bleak, he wasn’t going to come back, this was his moment to follow Jesus to death.
Then we are told it was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Wow! How incredibly beautiful is this?! Let me explain.
This Feast lasted 7 days, it commemorated Gods people exiting from Egypt. The evening after the Passover, God told the Hebrews to leave quickly, to not even allow their bread to rise, but to grab whatever they could and to run. God had said, “Don’t even let any leaven touch the dough, take the bread even though unleavened and go quickly.” That’s what they did. They escaped to the land God had promised them.
To commemorate this act the Jews would for 7 days sweep their homes of even yeast dust as they remember how the exodus was shocking, quick and impacting.
Now back to our verse …
In the middle of this feast the Jews were celebrating the sudden exit of the chosen people and at the same time, Peter, the chosen disciple of Jesus was suddenly and immediately taken away from the church. Peter was seized for death, he was facing the Promised Land, heaven.
Can you see the connection?
The point is that there are always signs from God to tell us He is always in control.