“Your Chains Will Fall Off!”

“Your Chains Will Fall Off!”(Acts 12:1-11).
About ten years after the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, king Herod arrested many who belonged to the church with the intention of persecuting them. He had James, one of the sons of Zebedee “put to death by the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to sieze Peter also…After arresting him, he put him in prison…”
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
Yes, there are people who – like the Jews – are happy when others are being persecuted, and even executed. Those with such warped up minds concoct false allegations which they use as leverage to further their evil agenda of persecutions.
Reading between the lines, we deduce that Peter would not have been arrested – pending execution – if the execution of John had not pleased the Jews.
Are you of the modern day Jews who are pleased when others are persecuted and even executed? Watch out that nemesis doesn’t catch up with you! The blood of any Abel cries out to the LORD for vengeance.
Our focus in the text is God’s response to the earnest prayer of a praying church. Peter was in prison “but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” God heard their prayer and sent his angel to come free Peter; amidst very tight security.
It was on the night of the eve before Peter was to be tried that an angel came to his rescue. The process of his freedom began when his chains fell off, up to the point where after walking the length of one street, “suddenly the angel left him.”
Until now Peter probably thought he was in a trance, or that he was a somnambulist! But when he came to himself, he said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
No doubt that our help comes from the Lord, but the earnest prayers of the church rises up to him like an inducing incense whose sweet aroma attracts his presence and response to our present predicaments.
May we be that church which earnestly pray to God for the brethren who are imprisoned and in chains whether physically or spiritually. To earnestly pray for them means we should not be the reason why they are in prison. And you my friend who is in chains, do not despair. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and your chains will fall off!
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for rescuing me from the clutches of Herod! Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.