Sunday, June 22, 2008

Hnshackled Automatically!

Monday, June 23, 2008: Acts 12:3–5
And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Background: The Lord has risen from the dead and ascended to heaven. He has left His apostles the Great Commission of spreading the gospel. The Jews still reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. Herod probably wanted to finance a project and needed favor with the Jewish leadership. He had arrested James, the brother of John and put him to death. Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he now he arrests Peter.

What was the restriction imposed on Peter? Peter was under arrest and given to four squads of soldiers to guard personally around the clock in prison.
What was the conspiracy to release Peter planning? The believers in the early Church prayed constantly to God for Peter’s release.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008: Acts 12:6–8
And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

What was Peter’s condition that night? He was asleep, chained to two soldiers, with prison guards at the doors of the cell.
What miraculous events took place? An angel stood by peter, a light (invisible to others) shone, and his chains fell off.
In spite of these miracles, what was Peter to do? He was told to get dressed and follow the angel. He did.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008: Acts 12:9–10
So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Did the prison have an automatic iron gate as main door? At that moment, yes, it did. The words ‘of its own accord,’ is automatic, an original Greek word!

Thursday, June 26, 2008: Mark 4:13–14, 26–29
And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word.
And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Background: The Lord Jesus Christ spoke to His people, the Jews in parables about the Kingdom of God. It was a spiritual Kingdom and a parable was a heavenly story with an earthly meaning; an analogy to understand spiritual things with earthly examples. The seed is the Word of God, the Bible.

How does a seed become a plant? Automatically! The words ‘by itself,’ is automatic, an original Greek word!

Friday, June 27, 2008: Daniel 4:35–37
All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Background: Daniel foretells the pride of the King and its consequences. The warning is forgotten. After spending seven years in a brutish fashion, the King recognizes God as sovereign. Recognizing Gods heavenly kingdom, the King repents of his pride and receives his understanding back.

Why should we pray instead of fighting our battles? Because only the hand of God cannot be restrained.

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