Have No Fear God Is Here. You Can't Fail.

Acts 12:7

“ 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 rise him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.”

“Luke uses an interesting word for prison. It is oikema, a word that occurs only in the New Testament. It literally means dwelling. The Lord’s continuing presence in the prison cell had converted Peter’s cell into a home. One of which he could sleep! Peter quietly made himself at home.” And the two guards he was snuggled between were his houseguests. “If it was the Lord’s will for Peter to be committed to the jail cell and lead to death.

            Imagine how the world would be if we all had the same obedient as Peter did in his prison cell. Peter had no fear, and had no reason to be. God sent Peter an angel to free him. Peter had the mentality that he was saved regardless.

APPLICATION: What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail. It’s impossible to fail when the Lord is with me. I need to consistently remind myself that because I am in God’s will… so I cannot fail.  

Rest Easy. Don't Live in Fear.

Acts 12:6

“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains a between two soldiers; and the guards before that door were keeping the prison.”

“ The order for execution had been signed. The date was set. Peter was to die tomorrow.” What was Peter doing that “last night” of his life? Was he crying out to God for mercy on him, begging pathetically for a second chance? Was he cursing His name, for his death sentence, preparing himself to deny his Lord’s name to save his own skin... NO! The man was sleeping, getting himself some shut-eye, he had a long day. Peter did not fear what would happen when the sun rose because he knew his eternal fate was in heaven, He had so much confidence, and he slept soundly.

1 Con. 15:55 “ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

            Through the pass few years when it came time in my faith to step up and take a position at my church or reach out to another/ others in Christ’s name, I always assured myself the desire in my heart was good and that I would do eventually. But now wasn’t the time. My justifications were original, inventive and creative. “ I’m not old enough to lead others.” “ I don’t know the bible well enough.” “ I don’t have enough money to tithe.” “ I can’t just pick-up everything and move to Montana in just six weeks!”…

            Don Miller, in his book Blue Like Jazz says “ fear is a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boarding life.” Living in a fear is not much of a life at all. When I live in an emotional state of doubt and fear, I miss out on a world of adventure and fulfillment in the life God intended for me. I didn’t shy away form becoming a girls small group leader truly because I wasn’t good enough to lead them. I didn’t tithe, because I really didn’t have enough money in my wallet as the basket passed over me. Six weeks isn’t too little of a time to answer the call God made to me and move to Montana and the first year of my adult life Him. 

The Power of Prayer. It's So Real. Don't underestimate it Friends.

Act 12:5 

“ Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

When king Herod caught wind of all the good works that were going on and all the people that were coming to the light and receiving the TRUTH in their hearts, he threw Peter in jai, and out of anger and fear of the power of God, he used a small army to keep watch over Peter, during the night. “ All the time the Peter during the night. All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously.

            I met a girl today during my town run. She works at Wal-mart and her name is Rachel. Most recently through a person that is very close to my heart, I have picked up the habit of learning cashiers and people is customer service… I mean they have a name tag for a reason, right, and asking them how they are doing sincerely. So I am putting my old spice Fuji and morning burst face-wash on the convertor-belt… and I suddenly got the conviction to ask Rachel how she likes her job. After she had recovered from the astonishment of the question, she proceed to tell me, that while the job and its tasks are bearable, she is getting cheated out of full-time pay. She works over 40 hrs a week, but Wal-mart will only pay her part-time wages. Because of this she cannot afford to make house payments and she will have to move out of her home. In other words… she is imprisoned by her own situation, due to a corrupt higher power. I told her how sorry I was and told her that I hope things get better, bye and walked out of the store. Thinking about how I wish I could change her situation.

            On the car ride back to the Ranch, I was brought back to this verse in Acts. Peter was in prison “ but CONSTANT PRAYER was offered to god for him by the people of the church”… All Peter’s buddies, people that deeply loved him were in constant prayer for his sake. They cried out to their Father in profound, enduring, emotional prayer for him. The Lord heard those prayers and later on in the chapter an angle is sent to the prison call of Peter and breaks him out with out disturbing one guard on Herod’s small army.

APPLICATION: The power of prayer is REAL, and it’s REAL POWERFUL friends! Most things in my life that need change are too big to change on my own. Calling on the Lord and trusting in His power can move mountains, part seas and… free prisoners in my life…. I will be keeping Rachel form Wal-mart counter 3 in my prayers. I ask the same form you.

Speak Up Friends.

Acts 7:57            

“ When they cried out with a load voice, stopped their ears and ran at Him with one accord.”

Theme: Courage. Be a Witness Speaking-up!

Deuteronomy 31:6

“ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

            The high priests were so angry at what Stephen for what he said, they screamed, they plugged their ears, and they all at once ran at him. When I read this I get a comical vision… Ever babysit a three-year-old? The respected high priest were acting very childish… They screamed, they plugged their ears; they ran at Stephen (I half expected them to hold their breath and stomp their feet). Children can be difficult at times, and for some people they are scary, but even though these people were acting as children. They still posted a great threat to Stephen.            

           

Now we have all gone to the grocery store and encountered the parent that is too scared to SPEAK-UP and reedman their kid. All is well until you hit the check out stand with all the candy bars and silly putty… “ Mom I want THIS!”… “No honey…” Wrong answer, the kid screamed, cries, publically humiliates their mom or dad (quite similar to high priests)… and eventually of fear of further embarrassment, the parent gives up and throws the snickers into the shopping cart. That kid learned that if he acts out long enough he will get what he wants. Because the parent didn’t have the courage to SPEAK-UP and express that NO MEANS NO!   

APPLICATION: Stephen wasn’t scared to tell the priest how it is. He verbally reprimanded them in the name of the Lord. He knew the long -term cost of not having the COURAGE to speak the truth, and he knew that it could be the end for him. It’s hard to stand-up for what is right. But things stay wrong and get worse when we don’t. DISCLAIMER: sometimes things get worse before they get better, teaching people the right thing after years of unruliness can be painful. But when we are doing the right thing by the Lord, He will bless you and keep you save. Don't be scared to turn on the light :)  

Don't Lose Your Faith.

Acts 7:55

“ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

Theme: The power of the Spirit, anything is possible when you have faith.

Wow Stephen saw God, heaven and His Son Jesus! How many people can say that? This verse shows me that everything is possible when you have faith in Him. A prime example of this is myself. Now I am not claiming that I got a seek-peek at heaven, but God is making the impossible, possible in my life. I am in Whitefish Montana! Saturday I saw a pack of wild mountain goats on a snow covered glacier, a few miles from the boarder of Canada! Not more then 12 weeks form now I will find myself in a whole different country, with a foreign language, unfamiliar culture and cuisine, challenging bathroom situations and nothing but the faith I have in My Lord to keep me grounded. Less then a month ago I was in my safe bed in conservative Vancouver Washington, being able to see my whole week unfold without a hinge… Everyday here holds a new possibility.  Everyday I wake up and get out of bed I am taking a leap of faith. I got here because God wants me here, I still don’t know why this is, nor do I wish to convey to you readers that this is an easy task for me and that at times I don’t want to go home and just do what’s easy. Some days are more difficult then others, but when I have a hard time getting out of bed, or leaping off a 40 ft cliff I have to give that fear to God…. Because if I don’t…. I would look over that liege and I would never ever in a million years… Jump. God has put this mission on my heart. Sometimes my mind gets in the way. My heart’s commission is to proclaim His love to the nations. I have faith God is going to do a massive work through myself as well as my fellow interns. And I don’t have to worry about how I will get the money, where I will being going for the next six months, what kinds of things I will face on the field or even what I will eat, because God will take care of me, because I am in His will. For when we are in the will of our Lord, there is no safer place to be.

Psalms 91:15-16

“ He shall call upon me, and I will answer Him;

I will be with Him in trouble;

I will deliver Him and honor Him

With long life I will satisfy Him

And show Him my salvation.”