Acts 12:7
Sleep is possible
Acts 12:6
BUT … prayer!
Acts 12:5
Our religious enemy
Acts 12:4
The enemy cannot snatch what hasn’t already been given.
Acts 12:3
James
Acts 12:2
“He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.”
James was most probably beheaded.
He wasn’t the first martyr, that was Stephen. However, he was the first of the Twelve to be killed.
The importance of this is that it would have been very shocking that one of the Twelve had been put to death. Where was the divine protection? Surely the Twelve would not be the ones to die?
Jesus never promised protection. In fact he promised these 2 brothers that they would drink from the same cup as Him. James martyrdom was the fulfilment of that promise.
Why did Herod choose James to kill? It was most definitely for his own popularity. This action will gain support for him.
Watch carefully for those near you who are searching for fame and praise of man. They may even resort to your demise in order to gain.
Arrest is not to be feared
Arrest is not to be feared
Acts 12:1
“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.”
This Herod is Herod Agrippa, he was the grandson of Herod the King and the nephew of Herod Tetrarch. Which goes to show that some evils remain within families. Herod the Great wanted to kill Jesus when he was born and Herod Tetrarch was instrumental in the handing of Jesus over for crucifixion.
It makes sense then that Herod Agrippa would follow suit and arrest some believers with the intention of persecution.
If it happened to Jesus it will happen to his followers.
We get alarmed about the rising tide of persecution and all that is happening to Christians.
On my mind is the capture of Jeff Woodke one week ago today in Abalak, Niger. This American YWAM missionary was abducted by Al-Qaeda and no one knows where he is. He has a wife and 2 adult children and we pray for him and them today.
But I could write a list of people who are suffering in similar situations.
I weep with these stories.
Yet let us remember what happened to Jesus.
It will happen to us. We will be arrested. We will be stopped and we will be persecuted. Well, ‘some’ of us.
And if Jesus’ capture and persecution and death wasn’t in vain and in fact brought a greater result because of his death then I truly believe that the capture, persecution and death of his followers will also result in the same powerful result.
Let the enemy arrest all that he wants but it will only serve a greater more powerful purpose. The enemy never wins. He is a defeated enemy.
He may ‘intend’ to persecute but that intention sits in the hand of God’s purpose. Purpose trumps intention every time!
Can you carry?
Can you carry?
Acts 11:30
“This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.”
Barnabas and Saul were trusted with the money. They could be trusted with the money. They had financial integrity. No bank transfer was used. They were handling the offering raised and would carry it to the elders in Judea.
Can you be trusted to carry what man or God has given you?
Can you carry your life with its responsibilities and relationships to the end?
Can you be a good steward of your life?
Giving facts
Giving facts
Acts 11: 29
“The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.”
They gave in preparation of the famine predicted by Agabus.
The proof that they believed this was a message from God was that they raised an offering to help alleviate the suffering to come. Giving followed the message from God.
The disciples gave. Financial giving is part of following Jesus. It is discipleship.
No one gave the same amount. According to their ability didn’t mean that if they had it they gave it. Rather it was probably that they gave the same proportion, an agreed percentage resulting in different amounts depending on what each had.
They decided to give. Determined but not forced or coerced, they made a commitment to meet needs.
Say it don’t change itÂ
Say it don’t change it
Acts 11:28
“One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)”
We do not know how Agabus gave this message from God. But it was clear that something of an upcoming doom would be widespread. A warning to prepare themselves.
It takes courage to bring such a ‘negative’ word.
It was the last Sunday of January 2000 and I was facing a packed congregation during the evening service. They had come to see a special event from a para-church organisation led by a man who had recently joined our church with a ministry that reached out to the vulnerable of society. I had not seen the church so excited for a long time. Even the negative people were ultra positive. God was with the church and leading us into a whole new season. It was all I could have hoped for.
Then I began to receive a message from God during the last song:
“I believe the Lord is saying that this relationship is like an engagement , tonight is that engagement but it is going to get better for it is leading to a marriage.”
However, that is not what the Lord gave me to say. I changed it.
I had kept the singing going for longer, for I was battling with the actual word that was given me, a repeated verse of the song may give me time for clarity. If members only knew that they have sung so many extra songs because the Pastor was just trying to work out what to do!
You see the actual word was:
“I believe the Lord is saying that this relationship is like a marriage, tonight is the wedding but it is not going to last for it is leading to a divorce .”
But I was surely wrong. The signs all around would indicate this was God. He was moving in the church.
So I changed it. I could not give such a negative word. I truly believed God wouldn’t give such a word, it must be me, I was making this up.
I got home that night and after repenting and with tears I promised God I would never change a message He gave me ever again. If He would be gracious to use me with words again I would be honourable to them. The following Sunday graciously the Spirit spoke to me again, again it wasn’t a ‘nice’ word, it was a warning but I was ready to say it exactly as I was hearing it: “The Church would have to walk past a snarling dog but we must know it is chained. The dog is only barking it will not hurt us.”
The next morning I was recording that message through the PA system of the church. I felt I needed to keep it. Though I was on my own I was soon joined by the leader of the para-church organisation. With the sound of my voice going through the speakers I became embarrassed and went to turn it off, but the leader said for me to leave it on.
So there we were, me and this man in the church on our own listening to a message about a snarling dog and the Church not to be afraid.
Within 3 months that man was taking me and the church to the Employment Tribunal. It became the worse 9 months of my life and I nearly ended my pastorate. We won the case but it was a very difficult season. We however walked past the snarling dog, there was much slander, but it was just noise and we survived.
How did I get through this? How did I lead the church through this season? It was because of the original word that God gave me, even though I had changed it.
God had told us it would end in divorce and it had. He then to,d us we could walk past the slander. The word prepared me and the church, we survived because of the word. I survived because of grace.
Sometimes our message from God isn’t all lovely and exciting and positive. It can be quite difficult to receive.
However, we must stay true to what He is telling us. Prophecy encourages, strengthens, comforts and edifies.
But sometimes He wants us to predict a famine.

