According to your prayers” Acts 12:1~19

“ 11/12/06
What goes on when we pray?It starts not at the point of saying “Dear Lord…” or in the space of where we are standing or sitting. It starts in the heavenlies! It really starts in the heart of God and there is very little we really know about it there EXCEPT that if His Spirit moves to touch you to pray about something, that is on His heart. We are to know Him and to enjoy Him forever. Must if not all of that knowing comes first from Him as He gives us the heart, the desire, the will, and the way to hear His Heart on any issues or topics.It really started in His Heart and His Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us on our behalf.

Romans 8:26-27 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the Mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”

Here we have a situation where the Church Body is in one accord—praying for all they are worth, for the life of one of their own. James had already been taken by King Herod and put him to death with the sword. (See Mark 10:39)

Herod really was a lousy leader as he was prone to fits of anger, unjust punishment, murder, and all sorts of things we don't like in a political person. He was the puppet leader set up in Judea to rule and pressure the Jewish nation into some form of order. Interestingly, he was the grandson of the man who tried to kill Jesus after His birth in Bethlehem. He was the nephew of Herod the Tetrarck who killed John the Baptist. He had grown up in the royal surroundings of Rome. When he was sent to Judea, he maintained the Peace of Rome while observed the Jewish practices in a pious mode.The death of James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John was a deep blow to the Christian community.

It was only about ten years after the Resurrection of Jesus that this happened. The Body was pretty tight; mostly Jewish, related tone another, in some situations and had a common history. It seemed clear to the community that Herod has found this death to be pleasing to the Jewish leaders. Remember that some of them felt that mixing with non-Jews was worthy of death. Some felt that even sitting with a non-Jew was worthy of death. Here in Jerusalem, the followers of ‘the way’ were now doing that very thing ALL the time. Herod saw it as a political move to better his chances in lasting out in the death hole of a kingdom.Dr Luke had already showed us that the world of the Satan's control is directly related to political governance.

Luke 4:6-during the temptation of Jesus and later during His arrest in the Garden Luke 22:53. Darkness reigns at these times. We hear about it all over the news when people, who live in darkness, strike out against those who live in the light.Iran: A 19-year-old believer serving in the army was arrested for evangelizing and tortured for two days. They released him after he signed a written confession that he would no longer evangelize. He is emotionally distraught.ERITREA (eratreeya) Police Arrest 150 More Christians – Compass DirectIn a large-scale roundup in late October, Eritrean authorities have detained 150 Christians from at least five of the country's outlawed churches.

Starting October 25, security officers in the town of Mendefera began going from house to house, arresting local Christians from a list they compiled of known members of Pentecostal churches and the Orthodox renewal movement.TURKEY: Hakan Tastan, 37, and Turan Topal, 46, joined the ranks of 97 other Turkish citizens hauled into court in the last 16 months over alleged violations of the country's controversial Article 301, restricting freedom of speech. If convicted, the accused could be sentenced from six months to three years.IRAQ Assyrian Christian Boy Beheaded A news service has reported that Muslim militants in Baqouba, Iraq, beheaded a 14-year-old Assyrian boy, Ayad Tariq, on October 21.This is going on right now in our world. Spiritual darkness is in control of political leaders and law enforcement agencies. Jesus warned us that its power would be used against us. Luke 12:11-12 11 "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.

"Luke 21:12-19 12 "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.When the time comes, will we stand for the Lord Jesus as our Lord, realizing that sooner of later we will pay the dear price so many have already paid for the sake of the Gospel. We have much to learn from those who are going through hard times under the oppression of totalitarian rulers. So, when you pray, do you think about these things? Maybe we should. Luke is a good writer. Look how he hangs two separate items out that really cover each other. “so Peter was kept in prison…but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” This prayer was really not just a short one liner but the text suggests that it indicates duration—fervent prayer!

Like the kind of prayer Jesus used in the garden in Luke 22:44 “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Or the kind of prayer that Peter (interestingly that HE would use that same kind of word in 1 Peter 1:22 “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”This kind of prayer for Peter was deep, it was united and it was long lasting—well into the night.Problem was: they did not really believe in the Power of Prayer!

Here is the story, as I see it: (retell the story)And here is the situation at Mary's house, as I see it: (Retell)There is a non-connect here! Even Peter didn't catch it during the prison escape! And he was walking thru it in real time! He thought he was seeing a vision. He was OK with that. Once he came to himself, he said “Oh, now I can see it all clearly!” So he went to his support team. He knew, didn't he that the Family would be in prayer for him. Maybe, he was at that very house when James was taken. Maybe that is why he didn't stay there after the explanation. (It wasn't like they could really hide!)So when this had dawned on him, he went to the one place he could find support; and the door was shut on him! Been there? It hurts when you think that this friend really understands me and will support me and they don't. That we may feel that by going back to a location that was significant to my growth might be the very thing to jump-start the heart again—and it doesn't. What can we learn from that?

The SS answer is the right answer here. It is only in Jesus that we can find the right kind of ear to hear our concerns and pain. Only Jesus is the one who can really hold you up during the hardships of life. You could say that you tried and the problems are still there. You may have to need to keep knocking. Peter did.Once he was in jail, Acts indicates that the Family started and kept up the prayer support. Peter seemed a little at rest in the jail cell. He was sleeping—and doing that 1) the night before his death and 2) between armed guards who had NO sympathy at all for him or his cause. He might have had some prayer time before light out but it does not say here. The ones who were knocking on Heaven’s doors were the men and women in Mary's house. They kept on knocking in prayer all night long. This kind of prayer is much needed today—even here at ICCS.

When was the last time we spent any deep time in prayer as a church family? If deep, extended, fervent, united prayer is not our Church's FIRST line of defense in times of crisis, the Body might be depending on something or someone other than God for the outcome. Giving, serving, leading, teaching, singing, witnessing —all these are good and have their place in this Chapel, but what about the prayer support. There are times, when I come up to the front, I feel beaten already. It might have been a word of discouragement I heard before the service started, or something I am personally dealing with. I know that my words are not that powerful to keep us all in the Faith. It is my intent to be open and honest with you—as much as possible.

But, I need to know of your prayers for me and for the Work of His Spirit here at ICCS.While outside, Peter was doing another kind of knocking: on the door of Mary's gate. Both were knocking yet both could not get thru. Why?On Peter's side: unbelief that God could release Peter from jail, they could not accept the fact of him being there. “No, it is really me! Let me in or they will find me and jail me again!” And on the family's side: unbelief that God could release Peter from jail, they could not accept the fact of him being there.Same reasons. They were praying but they did not really believe. Can you understand where they were coming from? Of all people, James was now dead! He had taken over as the head person of the Apostles and gave “The Way” some leadership with the question of non-Jewish believers. He was their head Pastor. And now he is dead. They have locked themselves in rooms much like they did back at the day of Pentecost. And like then, the Power of God's Spirit was much bigger and more powerful than they could even dream of. He broke the WOW factor big time back there and He is doing it again with Peter's release.Poor servant girl! Can't you just feel for her? “Wow, it's Peter! And he is just outside the gate! We have a wonderful Lord to deliver him from Jail….” But she forgot to open the door!Ever forget to open the door? Meaning: ever not allow the answer to come in? Meaning: ever not open your heart to the answer you have asked for because it did not look like the answer you were seeking? You were asking for white and you got green! You were asking Him to move the other person and He started to change you! Why?Warren’s quote.He is interested in YOU. Not that we need to get all ME-centered! As the servant girl Rhoda recognized Peter's voice, but did not act on the voice, are we able to recognize God's Voice and respond by opening the door of our heart and will?I find that the last thing Peter said to his Family before he went into hiding again was very significant. Just like when Jesus said to him in Luke 22:31-32 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."I believe Peter remembered those words and he wanted to encourage James, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18) and the brothers with this news. God is still on the throne.In truth, no matter what happens in your life, whatever hardships fall your way; He is still on the throne.

From those in northern Hokkaido who are suffering from the strange wind that destroyed their homes to you in your family pains, He is still on the Throne and IS ABLE to handle ANY situation BECAUSE He is the Lord, Almighty. That is His Name!Next week: When the Bad Die.