Shabbat Shalom. Let us turn in our Bibles please to the book of Acts. We are moving along in our study of the book of Acts and today we are going to look into Acts chapter 12 and as we have mentioned before the book of Acts is a transitional book. It's a book that shows us how the Lord now was moving along from opening the door to the Jewish community, to the nation of Israel, through using the Apostle Peter, Shimon Petros, using the key of the kingdom to open the door to his own brethren, the nation of Israel. And then later on in Acts chapter 8, using the key to open the door to the Shomronim, as we call them in Hebrew, to the Samaritans.

Acts chapter 10, later on, Peter went to the house of Cornelius and used again the key to open the door to this body of Messiah, to the Gentile world, And then we have talked about chapter 11, and we saw this interesting chapter, and how Peter had to defend what had occurred in the house of Cornelius, and then what's happening from here on now, we see that the development of the church in Antioch, where the central area for the Gentile world, if you will, in the area of Syria, where the city of Antioch became a center of many of the believers from among the Gentiles and some from among the Jewish people.

And from there on, the continuation of the message of the gospel had been proclaimed to the nations of the world. When we come to chapter 12, we are back in the city of Jerusalem, of Yerushalayim, And here we see the additional persecution that happened to the Jewish believers in the city of Jerusalem. And so let's read this chapter, a very interesting chapter. It says in verse 1, Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vax certain of the church. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw, it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also, then were the days of unleavened bread.

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Passover to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the assembly unto God for him and when Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and the keepers before the door kept the prison and behold the angel of the Lord came upon him and the light shined in prison and he smote Peter on the side and he raised him up saying arise quickly and his chain fell off from his hands and the angel said unto him gird yourself and bind on thy sandals and so he did and he saith unto him cast thy garments about thee and follow me and he went out and he followed him and he did not know that it was true which was done by the angel but thought he saw a vision when they were past the first and the second word.

They came into the iron gate that leadeth unto the city which opened to them of his own accord and they went out and passed on through one street and forthwith the angel departed from him and when Peter was come to himself he said now I know of surety that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews and when he had considered the thing he came to the house of Miriam the mother of John whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying and as Peter knocked at the door of the gate a damsel came to hearken named Rhoda and when she knew Peter's voice she opened not the gate for gladness but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate and they said unto her thou art mad but she constantly affirmed that it was even so then said they it is his angel but Peter continued knocking and when they had opened the door and saw him they were astonished.

But he beckoning them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go, show these things unto James and to the brethren. And he departed and went into another place. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers. What was become of Peter? And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the keepers and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Kessariah and their abode. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and of Sidon.

But they came with one accord to him, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain, their friend desired peace because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day, Herod arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory. And he was eaten of worms and gave up the spirit but the word of God grew and multiplied and Barnabas and Shaul returned from Yerushalayim when they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John whose surname was Mark.

Now I would like you please to turn with me to the Psalm 34 please and i would like to read a few verses from that Psalm Psalm 34 and the verse that i want to read is verse 7 15 and 16 listen to verse 7 Psalm 34 and verse 7 the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and deliver them. Verse 15 and 16. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth and i stop here with the connection with Psalm 34 brothers and sisters Psalm 34 really unfold before us what is happening here in act.

Chapter 12 what David wrote in Psalm 34 the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous his ears are upon their cry, and his face is against those that do evil, is exactly what happened here in Acts chapter 12. In fact, what happened in Acts chapter 12 may very well apply to what's happening over the 2,000 years of the history of the Church of the Living God, where the believers around the world are experiencing sometime persecution misunderstanding and rejection by all sort of people around us this is so real and so up to date because we hear of so many things that happen to believers around the world whether it was in China or whether it is in Russia or whether it is in Muslim countries where believers experience persecution by those around them, and they cry to God for help and for mercy, and by his wisdom in his time, he delivers those that belong unto him.

So we see here in Acts chapter 12, it is the fifth persecution of the early. Believers in the city of Jerusalem. What we see here in Acts chapter 12 is how these early brothers and sisters have experienced persecution, but this time it's not only because of the religious community, their own brethren, the leaders of the nation, this time it came directly from this man that is called Herod, the king here in verse 1. Look at this, brothers and sisters, the lessons that we learn here from this chapter the first thing in the first four verses of act chapter 12 we see that God knows the trials that everyone that belonged to him go through God sees it God knows it he's aware of what's going on to his own people just the same as David had said in the Psalm that we just read God in verse 15 the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous his eyes can see what is going on to his own people what the experience that they are experiencing in their own life and so look what happened herod look at this verses one and two we see the killing.

Of James his Hebrew name is Yaakov it says here in verse one and about that time what time it was the time, if you remember, at the end of chapter 11, where Barnabas and Shaul were sent with a gift to the believers in the city of Jerusalem. The brethren in Antioch, the Gentiles believers, have understood that the Jewish believers in Judea and Jerusalem are being persecuted and have suffered much loss so they have sent a gift they have sent a relief to the brethren in the city of Jerusalem and as Shaul Paul and barnabas headed up to the city of Jerusalem and as they're coming there to the city we find out that at the same time there was a persecution that occur against the believers in the city of Jerusalem and you know who did it the man by the name of herod the king by the way this herod is not herod the great herod the great have already caused the persecution to the Jewish people already in Matthew chapter 2 when he sought to.

Kill every Jewish boy under two years old you remember that he asked him to kill all the Hebrews all the Jewish boys, this was Herod, the grandfather of this man, another Herod, this is Herod Agrippa, he is the grandson of that other Herod, and he was an Edomite, he also sought to please the religious Jewish leaders, so what did he do? He was persecuting the Jewish believers in the city of Jerusalem. And so we find out, what did he do? He stretched forth his hand to vax certain of the assembly of the church in Jerusalem. Stretching up his hand meant that he was persecuting them, running after them, seeking to hold on, to take the leadership from among the believers in Israel.

And he was holding his hand, setting his hand against them. And what did he do? He succeeded to kill James, the brother of John, with a sword. Now, we don't understand sometimes why God, on the one hand, chooses to allow a leader like James to be killed, and on the other hand, he allowed another one to remain alive. We don't understand why God allows this, but here we can see that Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, persecuted the early Jewish believers in the city of Jerusalem. He took James, and he succeeded to kill him. Now, James, his Hebrew name is Yaakov. If you remember, in the Gospel, Yaakov was the brother of John, and both of them together were the sons of zebedee in fact in the book of Matthew chapter 4 and chapter 5 they were fishermen and they were living in Galilee and the Lord told them in Matthew chapter 4 and 5 he called them to serve the Lord with him and in other words to follow him he says follow me they left their father's boat they left everything and they follow Yeshua the Messiah to become his disciples later on in the gospel of Matthew in chapter 20 the mother of John and James asked the Lord Jesus if her two sons this is James and John can sit in the kingdom on the two sides of the Lord you remember that story and the Lord asked the two sons the cup that i'm going to drink are you going to be able to drink in other words the suffering that i'm going to experience are you.

Willing to suffer the suffering that i am going to go through and are you able to bear that to drink that cup and they said yes they thought that they were able to go through the suffering that the Lord have gone through and the Lord tell them listen you're going to go through suffering through trials and he showed to them that they will experience suffering in their lives and lo and behold when we come to Acts chapter 12 we can see what happened to James James life was taken away by Herod he apparently it says here that he killed him with a sword he could have been beheaded by Herod and his brother John Yohanan what we know the one who gave us the gospel of John in the book of the Revelation and you remember our John his own brother James brother he became an exile he had been taken and cast into the isle of Patmos from Ephesus and there he received the vision of the book of the Revelation what we see really that these two brothers have experienced.

Persecution by the way the first apostle that had been killed is James and the last apostle that died is his own brother John John died of old age and James Yaakov died as a martyr had been killed by herod himself now can you imagine how the brothers and sisters felt can you imagine when you are in a little group now remember they were not like hundreds and hundreds in that sense in that local assembly even though there was a growth in Jerusalem but they were meeting in homes and can you imagine in this little group of people their leaders and one of them was Yaakov James was already killed and murdered you imagine how the assembly had felt how the brothers it felt when they have been now persecuted not merely been put in prison this time they really took one of their leaders Yaakov and they cut his head and with a sword they had removed him that was king herod have done the death of James we see here in the first two verses.

But on the other hand while James was murdered and killed Peter was arrested and you see in the next verses verses three and four we see in verse three it says and because he this is herod saw that he pleased the Jews again i would like to emphasize every time in this context when you hear the word the Jews, it applied to the Jewish leaders. Because Peter was Jewish, and James was Jewish, and the rest of the apostles were Jewish, but they were Jewish believers. And their opposition was the Jewish leaders of that time in the city of Jerusalem. And so Herod knew, and he saw that it pleased the Jewish leaders.

So what did he do? He proceeded to take Peter also. And when did he do it he do it in the day of the unleavened bread in the Passover time so he captured Peter he may have very well intended to also kill Peter and he have held Peter now he kept him now it says here he apprehended him in verse 4 and he put him in prison and he delivered to him four quaterions of soldiers to keep him intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people so king herod agrippa he wanted now ultimately to kill Peter so he kept him for this feast of Passover and because he couldn't kill him in the beginning of the feast he intended at the end of the feast to bring him before the people and ultimately to destroy Peter as well now this is interesting because the ways of the wisdom of God he allowed one to lose his life and now he began to work in another person's life to deliver him out of all his enemies and so what happening here is that this wicked man by the name of herod apprehended Peter kept.

Him in prison for seven days intending to bring him out before the rest of the nation there ultimately to kill him as well and so we see here the thought that we have in Psalm 34 that God sees it God can see that it says in verse 15 of Psalm 34 the eyes of the Lord are upon their righteous well the next thought that we have here not only that God see what is happening in the life of the believers but also God hears the prayer of his saints that's why brothers and sisters it is so important for us never to stop to pray the Bible many times tells us pray without ceasing always praying without to stop to pray because the prayer of the saints have value in the heart of God and he desire to hear the prayer of the people of God so verses 5 to verse 17, we see that God listening to the prayers of his people.

I know sometimes we feel like God never. Seemed to listen to our prayer. We pray for our family. We pray for our friends. We pray for our health. We pray for our Job. We pray for our financial needs. We pray for so many things in our life. And sometimes it seemed to be that God does not listen or does not hear. But the Bible does tell us that God does listen to the prayer of his people. And so look how he did listen to the prayer of the people. Verses 5 to 17, we see that God does listen to the prayer. Notice verse 5 and 6, we find out the assembly in Jerusalem is going through the time of prayer.

Peter, therefore, was kept in prison. But look at this, how beautiful. Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. So beautiful to see that. While Peter was in prison, the brothers and sisters in the city of Jerusalem, the church, the local assembly there, spent time on their knees in prayer for brother Peter without ceasing. They continually spent time. In praying beseeching from the Lord Lord we beseech you that you will answer our prayer you look at the condition one of us have been already destroyed and being killed they were praying to God for their leader by the name of Peter and look at this the Bible says to us without ceasing one of the shortest verses in the Bible first Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 17 says pray without ceasing it's one of the shortest verses in the Bible the attitude of the heart of the believer ought to be constantly talking to the Lord about the needs that we have personal need fellowship need family need that we will pray for the need of our people the need of our family our own personal need as well in this case the assembly the church in Jerusalem prayed to God for Peter i want you also to notice that it is important that the word church here in verse 5 does not speak of a building it speaks of people of brothers and sisters individual believers notice it says.

And prayer was made without ceasing of the church the word church is ecclesia called out ones and it doesn't speak about building it speaks about people you and i are forming the church the body of Messiah the assembly living stone individuals who belong to Yeshua the Messiah so prayer was made by the church unto God on behalf of Peter and in verse 6 we find out that the same night Herod would have brought Peter forth. Peter himself was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and the keepers before the door kept the prison. Now if you would have been captured by an enemy such as King Herod, locked into jail, placed under the guard of 16 soldiers, Four soldiers every six hours replacing themselves.

Would you be able to sleep? I don't know about you. I wouldn't be able to sleep. I would have worried because in the next while he's intending to take Peter out in order to put him to death. But look at this, what it says about Peter. When Herod would have brought him forth at the same night, Peter was sleeping. You know, this is beautiful. It speaks to us of a few things. Why was Peter sleeping? The first thing I would like to suggest, that Peter knew that the Lord already told him, Peter, don't worry, you're going to get to be an older man. It says in John chapter 21, Verily, verily, I said to you, verse 18, When you were young, you gird yourself and you went wherever you wanted to go.

But when you're going to be old, you shall stretch forth your hand, and another will gird thee, and carry thee whithersoever thou wouldst not. And then verse 19 of John 21 says, this is spec-signifying by what death Peter would glorify God. And so Peter understood, on the basis of the word of the Lord, before Yeshua went to heaven, that the Lord had promised him that when you were young, you went to wherever you want, but when you're going to get old, somebody else will gird you and take you to the place you do not want to go. So Peter understood, because of the word of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, that he will not die immediately, that he will have grown older, and later on he will ultimately be taken away.

And die. That's the first thing. But I would like to suggest also, dear brothers and sisters, that Peter had the peace of God which passes all understanding. He understood and he made it his own. Like Philippians chapter 4, speaking about the Shalom Elohim, the peace of God which passes all understanding. He had accepted the circumstances wherever he had been at. At this time he was in prison. At other time he had been freed. He had accepted from the hand of God every situation he had experienced in his life. The Apostle Paul also taught the Philippians, he said, I have learned to be content under any situation that the Lord have placed me in my life and i think that there is a lesson for us also here today as we're reading this passage you know sometimes the Lord blesses us and give us easy time in our life not too many problems it seems to be that there is a calm in our life and things are well we have no problems and things seem to go very well we have.

A good Job we have a good relationship our family are well our health is fine and things seems to be well and we are happy with it but other times the Lord takes us through the meal he allows us to experience trials that we have never planned for them to come into our lives and we are struggling and we ask the Lord Lord why are you allowing me to experience this in my life and the Lord says listen we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose he has a purpose in every trial he has a purpose in everything that he allows us to experience in our life and Peter had this peace in his heart the peace that passes all understanding as Paul wrote it in Philippians chapter 4, guarding his heart, guarding his mind, that even though he was in prison, tie with one chain, one hand to every soldier, other two soldiers right next door before he's going out, before the gates of the prison.

Jail, and he's there sleeping, waiting on the Lord's timing, so the Lord will do whatever he has to do in his own life and if you notice by the way that in verse four there were four quotinions of soldiers to keep him that means four soldiers kept him every six hours and it makes you wonder why herod needed to have so many soldiers keeping him two are chained to him two by the door and they change every six hours those four quarters mean four soldiers every quarter of the watches of the day and night and herod placed him in such a condition and ask the question is why perhaps brothers and sisters herod have heard of what have already happened when Peter was already bound before in act chapter 4 and chapter 5 we're in a miraculous way God have loosened the jail gates and have allowed him to come out already and Herod says it happened before I'm not going to let it happen this time and he kept him locked two soldiers you notice it says in verse 6.

He was between two soldiers bound with two chains and the keepers before the door kept the prison so there was no possibility at all for Peter to be delivered out of this situation but again remember we read in Psalm 34 and verse 15 the second half of the verse the ears of the Lord is open unto the cry of the righteous God listened to the voice of his people that's why we need to pray for each other pray for the needs that we have praise God as well but to pray God delight to hear the prayers of his own people and so notice what happened in verses 7 to 11 we find out the ministry of the angels towards the servant of the Lord you know that angels were created by God to be ministering servants their Job is to minister to the people of God in fact the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews in chapter 1 and verse 7 and of the angels he said who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire.

And then it says in verse 14 are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be the heirs of salvation? You see, the writer to the Hebrew believers reminded the Jewish believers of first centuries that the angels were created as servants for the people of God. Even though there are angels, and we look in a sense up to them, but angels are servants. They serve God and God's purposes, but they serve God towards his own people, the people of God. And so you see here in verses 7 to 11, how the angels ministered to Peter. One angel, it says here now in verse 7, a few things about the angel.

The first thing we find in verse 7, that he smote Peter and raised Peter up. Behold, the angel of the Lord came upon Peter, upon him, and a light shined in prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and he raised him up, and he said, rise up quickly. And his chain fell off from his hands. Now, the first thing the angel does, he's smiting Peter. Apparently, Peter was probably sleeping such a deep sleep that he needed really to smite him, to give him a strong hit and said, Peter, get up, Peter. And you know what he said, he smote Peter on the side and he also raised him up.

Now how all this happening while the others are around him, he's chained between the two, the two others in the front there, there are four soldiers right around him. Well, who knows what have happened to the other four soldiers. Well, he could have put them into deep sleep and not allow them to see and to hear anything. Light is shining. The chains are being dropped down from Peter. A smiting of Peter strongly, getting him, waking him up and lifting him up. And all these things happen in jail under the soldiers keeping Peter chained to themselves. Well, the second thing, we find not the angel only smiting and lifting Peter, but he began to talk to Peter.

It says in verse 8, And the angel said unto him, Gird yourself, bind up your sandals. And so he did. And he said unto him, Cast thy garments about thee and follow me. Apparently Peter took his sandals off. Apparently Peter needed to gird himself because his upper tunics perhaps have been off. And in verse 8 at the end it says, Put your garment about you and follow me. Now this angel not only is smiting and lifting, this angel is speaking with him. And he's telling him, Peter, this is what I want you to do. You better put your shoes on, your sandals on, get ready, put your garments on, follow me.

The third thing we find out about the angel, the angel is now being followed by Peter in submissiveness to his word. It says in verse 9, and he went about and he followed him, and he did not know that it was true which had been done by the angel, But he thought that he saw a vision. See, Peter was not quite there at that time. He assumed that he saw some sort of a vision. You remember earlier in Acts chapter 10, he saw a vision. But now it was not a vision anymore. It was an actual event that occurred in the life of Peter here in his life.

And so he followed this angel in obedience to the word of this angel. And then we find out in verse 10 that the angel led Peter all the way out of prison, and finally he departs. Look, it says in verse 10, And when they were past the first and the second word, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which opened to them of its own accord. And they went out, and they passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him. You see, the angel is not only smiting Peter, speaking to Peter, led Peter, but also this angel was the one that took Peter all the way out and ultimately disappeared from the eyes of Peter.

You know, when I'm thinking about the verse, you remember the angel that told Philip to go to preach the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch. And you remember that the angel as well, you know, he have gone, he have done his ministry to the Ethiopian eunuch. And then when the ministry had been finished, when the work that had been done by Philip had been finished, then Philip disappeared. He is no longer there. Philip had done his ministry to this Ethiopian eunuch. Here's the angel does his service. He's ministering to Peter here, taking him out. And then he departed. He's vanishing out of the way. The angel is no more to be seen by Peter here in verse 10.

Beautiful to see that. And finally, in verse 11, we see Peter finally saw. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord has sent his angel. And has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. Peter came to himself now, and he realized the deliverance of the Lord. That expression here, deliverance, is the same expression that Stephen used when he was talking about the Exodus of our people Israel out of Egypt. That deliverance speaks of the Exodus. God had our people exit Egypt. And God had helped Peter to exit out of this jail, prison where he was.

It was the deliverance of God. God delivered him from the hand of Herod, using the angel in the service that he had in mind for him. And you notice it says here, And from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. Now I want you again to understand. The expectation of the people of the Jews has to do with the Jewish leaders. For the Jewish leaders, those Messianic Jewish people, those Jewish believers who believe that Yeshua was the Messiah, it was an affront to them. Because they have not acknowledged that Yeshua was the Messiah. In a sense, they had been rebuked by the fact that there were those Jewish people who believed that Yeshua was the Messiah.

So for them, it was very important to eliminate those Jewish believers. And they were, in a sense, expecting not only whatever happened to James, they were pleased with it, but also what was going to happen to Peter. And they knew very well the story of Peter. It was Peter that was the first one to preach the message of the gospel in the city of Yerushalayim. It was Peter that was an affront, in a sense, for the leaders at that time. And that's why it says here in verse 11, all the expectation of the Jewish people, meaning the leaders of the people of Israel at that time.

And so, brothers and sisters, you can see that the assembly was praying. God sent his angel to deliver Peter. But look what happened in the next verses. You know, sometimes we are believers who don't believe. We pray, but we don't seem to expect God to do something about it. This is so real. Don't you feel? Sometimes we don't even see how God is working in our life. We pray for something. We ask for something. God is doing something about it. But we don't see it. We don't believe it. And so in the next verses, verses 12 to 17, we see that the praying brethren do not even believe that these things have occurred.

Look at the next verses. Verse 12, Peter now went to the house of prayer. Verse 12 says that when he had considered a thing, this is Peter, he came to the house of Miriam, the mother of John or Yohanan, whose son was also Mark, where many were gathered there together praying. The first thing that Peter does, after he has realized that the Lord has delivered him, he is going to the home of this woman by the name of Miriam. And there are many Miriams in the Bible. We have Miriam, the mother of Yeshua. We have Miriam Magdalene. We have Miriam, the sister of Lazarus and so on.

We have many Miriams. It's a Hebrew, it's a beautiful Hebrew name. In fact, we have Miriam, the sister of Moses, of Moshe. And there are many Miriams in the Bible. And here we have another Miriam. And you know what? This woman used her house as a house of prayer. She had opened the door for the brothers and sisters to come from the assembly in Yerushalayim. She used her house as a place for the people of God to gather together to pray, to sing, to worship, to read the Scriptures, to learn about Yeshua, the Messiah. What a beautiful thing, you know, there are many brothers and sisters who open their homes, even today.

In Israel, for example, there is one sister that have opened her house for years. And that home became like a train station. Everybody coming in, going out, coming in, going out. Her home became a place where the believers could gather together. You have a problem, you come to this home and you talk to the brothers. You have a need, you come and your need is being met. You come for a prayer meeting you come for Bible study she opened a house to these brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and there they gathered together the assembly the church was gathered together in prayer for Peter well Peter the first thing he's going there and so he's knocking on the door on the gate it says in verse 13 he came and he began to knock on the door of the gate and a young damsel her name is Roda mean Rose she hearkened to this notice in verse 14 now when she knew Peter's voice she didn't open the gate for gladness but she ran in and she told how Peter stood before the gate now she was so excited you know she forgot to open the door Peter is knocking on the gate and she heard the voice it is me i'm Peter she heard the voice of Peter so instead of opening the door she was so happy she go back to the brothers and sisters and says listen Peter is at the gate Peter is at the door.

Now you would think the brethren will say hallelujah praise the Lord right well the brethren look at this the first thing that they tell her in verse 15 she says you are mad are you out of your mind it's not possible that God i'm saying it it's not possible that God will bring Peter we only prayed earnestly for that we don't think it's going to happen but that's basically what they were saying in verse 15 they said you are mad you're mad you're crazy you're out of your mind how is it possible you know just like us isn't it brothers and sisters we pray for something we ask the Lord to help us the Lord somehow help us maybe not in the way that we have expected but he answers our prayer and when we finally can enjoy this instead of accepting the answer of God's prayer we are shutting our eyes shutting our ears shutting our mouth as if God have not answered our prayers but remember what David of all said in Psalm 34.

The ears of the Lord unto the cry of those that are righteous those that belong to him God listened to our prayers he loved to heal his own people's prayer and he also loved to answer the prayers of the saints the problem is we would like perhaps to see answers the way we want it and God does not always give it to us in the way we want but nevertheless he answers prayers he does answers prayers beloved brothers and sisters you know i want you for a moment to turn with me to the gospel of Mark to chapter 9 for a moment go to the gospel of Mark and i just want to read a verse there in chapter 9 there is an interesting verse in Mark chapter 9 where we find a man that is honest enough to say Lord i believe but help my unbelief you see in Mark we find out this individual that the Lord was ministering to him it says in verses 14 on when he came to his.

Disciples he saw a great multitude about them and the scribes questioning with them and straight where all the people when they beheld him were greatly amazed and they running to him and they salute him and he asked the scribes what question ye with them and one of the multitude answered and says master i have brought unto thee my son which hath a dumb spirit and wheresoever he taketh him he teareth him and he formeth and gnashing with his teeth and pineth away and i speak to the disciples that they should cast him out but they could not but then Yeshua answers He says, oh, faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?

How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. And he brought him unto him. And when he saw him straightway, the spirit tear him, and he fell on the ground, and he wallowed foaming. This was an evil spirit. This man was demonic, taken by a demon. And he asked his father, how long is it since it came to him? And he said, of a child. And then verse 22, And of the time, it has cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if you can't do anything, have compassion on us and help us. So Yeshua said to him, if you can't believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And so we read in the next verse, And straightway the father of the child cried out, And he said, we still, Lord, he said, I believe, he said, but he didn't stop there. He says, help my unbelief. Lord, I believe, I believe that you are able to do that, but help my unbelief. He knew his heart. He knew his heart, and you see, this is the way we are. We believe God for our eternal salvation. We believe God for forgiveness of sins. We believe God that he sent his son to die for us on the tree but oftentimes we don't believe God for a piece of bread we don't believe God for the small things in our lives and it's so true it's so real so we can say to the Lord Yeshua Lord we believe in you but help this unbelief that exist in our own hearts so here we find in chapter 12 that those brethren with the lack of faith even after prayer in verse 15 of act chapter 12 they said unto her you are mad you're crazy what are you saying to us that you heard Peter but she constantly affirmed that it was he that it was so then you know the next thing they said it couldn't be Peter it must be his angel or his spirit see the next level okay no it couldn't be Peter that being there at all but even if you heard his voice it couldn't be him it's only his angel or his spirit.

So in the next verse 16 they opened the gate and they were astonished because but Peter continued knocking and when they opened the door they saw him and they were astonished they were astonished they were amazed how is it possible we prayed for them but how is it possible that God will answer a prayer basically that was in a sense they were saying they were astonished well I thought you have prayed you prayed earnestly constantly urging God to answer your prayer and finally God answer your prayer and you are astonished at this well it is just like us we are no different than these brothers and sisters of all in the city of Jerusalem and so in the next verse Peter declared to the assembly what happened to him he beckoned unto them with a hand to hold their peace he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison and he said go show these things unto James and to the brethren and he departed and he went into another place so Peter came and he.

Quietly told him be quiet remember there was a danger at that time herod was seeking to destroy the leaders from among the assembly in Jerusalem so Peter said to the quiet get inside he told them the story how he was delivered by the Lord and how the angel came and took him and how the Lord said to him you go and speak those things unto James now again you remember there was a James that was killed in verse 2 but there was another James and you know that James will hear more about him he was the leader in Jerusalem he was the half-brother of Yeshua the Messiah in other words you can see that the leadership was so needful at the city of Jerusalem among the people the believers in the city of Jerusalem now quickly just to close the rest of the chapter here the third portion of act chapter 12 really go along with the third part of Psalm 34 and verse 16.

Not only that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous not only that the ears of the Lord are open to the cry of the righteous, but verse 16 of Psalm 34 says that the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. In the last part of chapter 12 of Acts, you can see the face of the Lord is against the unrighteous, the wicked, because he's going to deal in righteousness with men, and here we see here in verses 18 to 25 just to go over this so we'll have the totality of this chapter in verse 18 and 19 there was a great stir among the soldiers and Herod commended those soldiers to die to be killed in verse 18 it says now as soon as it was day there was no small stir among the soldiers that was what become of Peter.

And when Herod had sought for him, and he found him not, he examined the keepers, and he commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down. From Judea to Kessaria, and there he abhorred. You know, a Roman soldier could never lose a prisoner. If a Roman soldier will lose a prisoner, it's better for him to kill himself because he's going to die by the Romans themselves, because a soldier who loses a prisoner is in danger of his own life. In chapter 16, the jail keeper who kept Paul and Silas, after they had been delivered, he took a sword and he was ready to kill himself.

And Paul, Shaul Paul, said to him, don't harm yourself we are all here we haven't fled and that's when this Roman soldier the one who kept Paul and silas he got saved he says what must i do to be saved and Paul said to him believe on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and you shall be saved but you see those soldiers were not kept alive there was stir what happened with Peter where is Peter and herald looking for him he couldn't find him he examined those keepers and after he examined them he killed them wicked men no mercy. No grace he killed them now there was none of their fault but as far as he's concerned it was their fault they have lost the prisoner and therefore he ended up killing them in verse 20 and 21 you can see the government of God and how God now deal with the wicked men the face of the Lord is against those who do unrighteous and so it says in verse 20 and 21 Herod speech to the people from Tyre and Sidon priding himself exalting himself look what it says Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon but they came with one accord to him and they having made Blastus the king Chamberlain their friend and they desired peace because their country was nourished by the country of the king in other words the people of Tyre and Sidon their need were made through the people of Judea and because Herod was the king of Judah they really depended upon him so he used this occasion to exalt himself and so in verse 21 he set that day he was arrayed with.

Royal apparel he sat on his throne and he made a speech unto the people of Tyre and Sidon he made a great speech to them what could they do they were depending upon his grace and they depended upon him so they were amazed at him they were kind of giving him to feel that he was such a great person in fact it says here in verse 22 that the people gave shout and they said it is the voice of a God and not the voice of a man so what could they do they didn't necessarily like him but they were depending upon his mercy so when he was speaching they said whoa this is not the voice of a man is the voice of a God and you know herod he with all his wicked heart desire glory for himself he pride himself you see i am the king i am in a thought you depend upon me and so when he did so look at the next verses it says here in verse 23 that immediately here again the angel is being used.

The angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not glory to God and he was eaten of worms and he gave up the spirit here's a man with all his glory dear brothers and sisters with all the glory that he had he was the king of Judea he was the one that was in charge of men he could do what he want he did as he pleased he was a wicked man he could speak and sought glory from others who said to him look it's not the voice of a man it's the voice of a God and because he didn't give glory to God God have judged him and the Bible tells us that an angel again you see the angel ministered to Peter deliver him out of all his suffering from prison on the other hand the one that had an authority the angel was used by God to destroy him and to remove him from this scene and it is so interesting that we see this often time in the Bible that God will not give and share.

His glory with any other God said to his own people to our own people Israel years ago 750 years prior to the coming of the Messiah through the prophet Isaiah I am Jehovah and this is my name and my glory I will not give to another neither my praise to graven image God said it to our own people Israel years ago to remind them that he will not give his glory to any other but Herod took glory for himself and did not give glory to God and God smote him and as it says here, look at this it says that he was eaten by worms in verse 23 and he gave up the spirit and look at the change that has happened here he is a great man, does what he will taking somebody else, putting him in prison locking him, doing what he wants and then he ends up his life eaten by worms under the judgment of God.

On the other hand, you have another man by the name of Peter, humbly before the Lord, trusting in God and in the Messiah, Yeshua, being locked in jail, seemed to be hopeless without any future. We find him being delivered and going out and set free by the Lord. How things are shaping up. God is sovereign, brothers and sisters. God is in control, not man, but God is in control. In fact, verses 24 tells us, but the word of God grew and multiplied. You see that? The chapter is closed by this fact that the word of God grew while the enemy of God had been destroyed. And that is a pattern that we see it again and again When we come to a time that things seem to be hopeless, there is always hope in the Lord.

It's always, for us, it's so important, it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in men. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. That's what the psalmist have said. And so the chapter is a precious chapter that shows us, even in spite of persecution, that was the fifth persecution of the believers in Jerusalem God is sovereign God's will will prevail heaven and earth will pass away but God's purposes will be accomplished and so at the end of the chapter we find that now Barnabas and Shaul, now they return from Jerusalem verse 25 because they have fulfilled their ministry and they took with them John whose surname was Mark now here's Barnabas and Paul we don't hear about them the whole chapter they came to Jerusalem they gave the gift to the believers in Jerusalem they remain in Jerusalem they may have heard of all what happened there in the city of Jerusalem James was killed Peter was in prison and they've heard what happened perhaps to Herod how he was killed and they finished their ministry now they are going back to Antioch to tell the Gentile believers The believers among the Gentile world would have happened and tell them that we have given your gifts towards the Jewish believers.

And that is exactly what happened in the city of Jerusalem. And they took with them that man by the name of John or Yohanan, a young brother, whose surname was Mark. We're going to hear about him later on. But you can see now they took somebody else for the ministry of the Word of God to be used by the Lord among the people of God. Wonderful chapter. Encouraging our hearts to trust the Lord in spite of trials, in spite of problems in our lives, to simply trust the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He will help. He will lead us. He will guide us until we're going to go to be with Him in glory.

And I'll just one more time want to read these final verses. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. His ears are open to their cry. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. May the Lord encourage us and lead us on as we follow after him.