January 4, 2015

Persecution & Prayer

Acts 12: 1-5  

 Luke

About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.  He had the apostle James (John's brother) killed with a sword.  When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter during the Passover celebration and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.  Herods' intention was to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.  But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

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Thoughts....

King Herod Agrippa, the nephew of Herod Antipas and Grandson of Herod the Great, began to persecute the believers in the church.

Have you ever been persecuted? 

There are those who seek power by persecuting, negating and destroying....or attempting to destroy....others.  They believe that showing a display of negative force translates as power, believing others will believe they are greater, better, stronger, more powerful - like God. 

Have you ever persecuted others?

However, God chooses to exhibit his power in love, giving, sacrifice, embrace with grace, mercy, acceptance and life.  This is the true mark of a master, leader, overseer, manager, supervisor, president, king, everyday Christian.  Clearly King Herod Agrippa chose NOT the path of God or Christ, but that of the adversary, Satan.  See Galatians 5:16-26.

Also see John 10:10.  Jesus said "THE thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy".  To whom was he referring?  Satan.  Had he said "a" thief, we could surmise he was referencing all who answer to Satan or his assigns....those who choose the negative choice to follow him and do as he dictates.  Jesus' purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

King Herod Agrippa didn't just persecute some believers in the church.  In reality he was a tour de force.  He had the apostle James (John's brother) killed with a sword. 

Has anyone killed someone you love or attempted to?  Or your spirit within?

'When Herod saw how much killing James pleased the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter during the Passover celebration AND imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.'

Have you ever felt imprisoned or been imprisoned?

Herod must have feared Peter greatly or feared his strength and convictions, else why so heavily guard him?

What are your fears?

What or who is your strength?

What are your convictions?

Did the King think Peter was an epic escape artist?  Maybe he did.  Jesus kept aphantos'-ing', vanishing, from the midst.

Have you escaped from Satan....or Jesus?  

Or did the King fear Peter would be 'loosed' and wreak havoc all over the King himself?

Have you been 'loosed' - set free by Jesus to follow him and do the will of the Father, God? 

Will you wreak havoc against Satan and his assigns?

Or have you been set free by Jesus because you have bonded with Satan and his gang?

(Jesus does give us freedom of choice as well as prune the tree of life.  See John 15) 

Most assuredly, Satan does not easily let anyone free.

'Herod's intention was to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.  But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.'

What are your intentions for your life? 

What are God's intentions for your life?

'But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.'

Have you a church that prays earnestly for you?

Do you earnestly pray for others?

What do you think might happen next as a result of the church praying for Peter?   Stay tuned!  Next week we'll learn about yet another mighty miracle.  

Pray that God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit will bless you with miracles in your life in the meantime!

'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'  Job 28:28

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  Let Us Pray

Dear Heavenly Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I praise you and thank you for the lesson today to remind me how best to live my life....with you, in your midst, and you in mine.  I have been persecuted.  Tho' I've never persecuted, I certainly have chastised.  It may bear the need to request forgiveness, so please forgive me of this sin and others which may be still hovering in my life.  Thank you.  I wish to be a cleansed vessel in which you may flow freely through me that I may be less and you may become more in my life and flowing through me to others.  Someone has attempted to kill beloved pets of mine....the children you have given me.  And some have succeeded under the guise of being a Veterinarian or Vet Tech.  I have helped some reach your arms to relieve their suffering.  Is this killing....or a gift mercy from you?  My spirit has been broken many times in my life and I fear I have broken the spirit of others by not nourishing more hope.  I have felt imprisoned, been downtrodden, and been imprisoned in unhealthy relationships.  I have been freed.  I am free to be solely yours.  And gladly I continue to fly to your arms of love.  Embrace me fully....still.  My fears are not as great as they used to be, but not totally diminished yet either.  Yet I know you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You are my strength.  I am convicted by you and my convictions are those of yours....to love you with my whole heart, my soul, my mind, and love my neighbor as myself.  I continue to battle Satan and make every attempt to escape his attacks.  I do need to be better clothed with your whole armor, God.  I wish to fully escape from Satan's attacks for once and all.  I have been loosed by you, Jesus, set free from Satan for ever to do the will of our Father in heaven. I praise you and thank you.  I am so grateful.  My intentions are to follow you more nearly, love you more dearly, see you more clearly day by day.  And never let you go, as I go forth for and with you in love (Jesus) for love (God).  This is the will of our Father, God.  I do have a church that earnestly prays for me.  May I be a better steward of your money to better tithe - give 10% of my earnings - those gifts you give to me from your storehouse for doing a job well for you and others.  In doing so, you will more richly bless me....and them.  I do pray for others.  I need to pray more earnestly for others, giving of myself through time, as you have given to me.  May I be a better steward of the time you have given me on earth...in my life...for my life.  I pray now for all those I've asked to pray for me.  May you create miracles in their lives, Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and please create even more miracles in my life as well.  Thank you for answering all prayers.  Thank you for being so faithful in always being there for me and others.  Without you we would perish.  You know our needs God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  Please fill all of us who are yours to overflowing with love for you and with everything we need.  Help us Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, in all the ways we need help.  You know how great those needs are.  Help me to help others onward with their burdens, so that we become an endless circle of your love.  May what I and others do bring you to never ending heights of glory.  Thank you....so very much.  I praise you!  I thank you!  I love you!  Amen.  

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This message was typed on a library computer because the church computer ceased to function.  It would mean the world to me, and to God, were you to make a donation today to enable me to purchase a computer, and hopefully be able to draw from the old computer all 'Thoughts' written for the Lord to complete the book he has slated for publishing.  Thank you in advance, and, may God bless you.   

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Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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BesidesBesid  ***

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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 I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!

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