Watch Him Work

Acts 12:4-11 NRSV

“When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.  Peter Delivered from Prison The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

While there is great power in prayer, there is great power in collective prayer. Get the picture of how God delivered Peter from sure death as he would be executed right after Passover. The thing is that while the church was praying, Peter was resting. With all of the precautions to keep Peter locked up, he walked right out. 

There are times in our lives that we may feel so bound, under duress and in distress that there is no way out. But God. When we are clear of whom we serve, we can rest in spite of - we rest knowing that God is moving. We rest knowing that prayer changes situations. Trust that God is moving on our behalf. Watch what he is doing. 

enough for now.

Change Agents

2 Chronicles 7:13&14 NRSV

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

‘When’ and ‘if’ are subordinate conjunctions. ‘Then’ is a conjunctive adverb which joins the independent clauses. You can’t have a’then’ without the ‘if’.  We have three movements: Our foundation: in our identity (my people) and heritage (called by my name). The action we must take: (humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, turn from wicked ways), if we do that, the we will receive-

The promises from God: He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and heal the land.

When we do that, we become the change agents he created. Our doing, our following him changes everything. The divine formula: humble+pray+seek God+turn from wickedness= God hearing from heaven, forgiving our sins, healing the land. The land needs healing, we need healing. It will happen as we step up as God’s change agents. enough for now.

Stay in It

I Cor 9:24-26 NRSV

“Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.”

After coming out of conference I was reminded of one thing- while that was the business of the church- the responsibility is to advance the kingdom. Our responsibility is to hear from God, wait on God. We are still in this race. It is ours alone, no one can run it for us. Sometimes we may slow down, but at all times we stay in the race. Stay in the race. It has already been secured for you. more later.