May 13, 2015 (Wednesday)
Acts 12:1-24 will be studied tonight when Bethel Baptist Church, Ingleside, meets for prayer.
King Herod started a persecution of the church, even putting to death James the brother of John. Then he arrested Peter, put him in prison with 16 guards, and promised to give him a trial after Passover. At the last minute, however, Peter was rescued by an angel, who came into the prison, removed Peter’s chains, and led him outside all the gates. They walked together to the end of a street, where the angel disappeared. Peter thought it was all a dream at first, but upon realizing that it was really happening, went to the house of Mary (the aunt or sister of Barnabas), the mother of John Mark. The church had gathered there to pray for Peter’s release, but upon hearing that he was at the door, found it hard to believe. The church was encouraged by these events. Meanwhile, Herod had Peter’s guards executed, and appeared before his people with great pomp. When the people called him a god, and he did nothing to refute that, he suddenly died a horrible death. “But the word of God continued to spread and flourish” (Acts 12:24).
Miracle followed miracle in the early days of the church at Jerusalem. All were signs that this movement, considered heretical by the Jewish leaders, was from God. And now it was beginning to spread to Samaria, Gaza, Lydda, Joppa, and even Antioch of Syria. These were exciting days, as the gospel of Jesus Christ, the “new wineskins” that Jesus described, was being spread by witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and soon to the ends of the earth, just as Jesus had predicted.