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Hand signals

Hand signals

Acts 12:17

 “Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.”
There was so much noise. The place was full of incredulous excitement at the news that God had answered the prayers of the church, Peter was indeed amongst them!
It was so noisy that Peter had to use a hand signal to quieten them down. Can you picture this? I wonder if Peter put his hand horizontally across his throat in a cutting action. I know it’s not a nice motion but it’s effective. Or what about a more sedate hands been pushed down to indicate the volume needs to go down. Or was it simply a vertical finger against his mouth?
Hand signals are great aren’t they?!
I don’t think I have ever spent a devotional time thinking about hand signals! And before I go completely off track as my brain tends to do, what Peter was trying to do was to get the church to shut up.
I like that message.
I love the loudness of church, the music, the dancing, the excitement, don’t get me wrong I am definitely a clapper and a toe-dancer, in fact get me into Africa and the white man becomes something else altogether!
But sometimes I just want to give the Church a hand signal!
Sometimes I just want the noise to stop, I don’t want the loud promotions of what the church are going to do next, I want quietness, I want to listen to the sound of silence.
Like right now. I am awake, it is very dark, everyone is asleep, it is me and I know God is here, my Bible is open and I quieten the voices tempting me to open emails, or to look at my list of things to do, I glue myself to my chair and I remain in quietness.
I am ready for the explanations of life to begin.
Speak Lord.
This is a word for you today, “Shut up” and I motion with my hand and you can make it up what hand signal I am using!
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Who is knocking on the door?

Acts 12:16

“But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.”
He kept on trying to get them to open the door.
Patiently knocking maybe or was he getting more and more frustrated, did he knock harder as the minutes went by?
But he didn’t give up nor should you. Just keep on. Get through today. Do what you did yesterday. The addict wakes up today and knows they have to repeat it all again. Persistence pays off. You may not be an addict but you are trying to stir the Church perhaps. Maybe you are trying to get the Church to open the door.
Maybe this is not about Peter, maybe this is about Jesus who knocks on the door of our hearts and wants us to open the door to him, He wants fellowship with you, He wants you.
Welcome Him today.
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Three nouns

Three nouns

Acts 12:15

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
There’s only 2 possible answers:
Rhoda has lost her mind or Peters guardian angel (everyone believed each had one) was at the door appearing to look like Peter.
Rhoda you have either made this up or its a fake!
This is not the non believer saying this. This is the praying Church!
Cynicism is believing people are motivated by their own interest.
Scepticism is doubting that what has been presented is true.
Unbelief is having an absence of faith.
These three nouns are still found in the Church today. Let’s be rid of them. If we do, then maybe we will actually see more answers knocking on our door!
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Look outside for the call from inside

Look outside for the call from inside

Acts 12:14

“When she recognised Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
Rhoda knew it was Peter knocking on the door and was so excited she kept him waiting.
The answer to the prayers of the praying Church inside was outside trying to get in!
So often the answer to our prayers are found outside the prayer meeting.
We need to be active and alert outside as well as inside.
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Is there someone at the door?

Is there someone at the door?

 

Acts 12:13

“Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.”

 

Rhoda the servant girl of Mary. She was used to obeying her mistress. Tonight her task was to watch the outer entrance. Inside a special prayer meeting was taking place. With the doors locked, tension was in the air as the Christians gathered not knowing how big the persecution would be and whether Peter would die tomorrow or not. Rhoda was unaware that night that the most important place was not only in the prayer meeting but at the outer entrance.

Rhoda was ready.

Many years ago I had just come out of bible college and in my church I had a dear old man called Harry. He was my doorman. I appointed him as doorman because he had the nicest smile and the most welcoming handshake. He took his job seriously, this was his place, God wanted him at the door. The only problem I had was I never knew if he would actually turn up to do the job, well not for certain anyway. When I asked him ‘Harry are you going to be on the door on Sunday?’ He would reply ‘Yes God willing’ or even ‘Yes DV’ (which I later found out meant the same thing!) However, there was no greater doorman than Harry.

Let me ask you this.

Are you ready?

Are you ready to receive the provision of God? Are you ready to welcome what God wants to give you? If he knocks on the door will you go near to open it?

Are you a doorman, a doorwoman? Are you ready?

Are you listening? Are you waiting in anticipation? Maybe Rhoda wasn’t anticipating, but she heard. She heard the door knock.

Can you hear it today?

I stand at the door and knock ….

 

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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.