prayer points from acts 12

due to the church of God? He seems to have lost sight of the words of the Lord Jesus that he was told by Jesus risen from the dead to preach the gospel to every creature. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper constituted the visible symbol of their profession, and the pledge of their union with Christ and with each other; but the governing function in the assembly was the ministry of the Word, whether it assumed the extraordinary forms of 'tongues' or a 'revelation,' or 'prophecy,' or 'the interpretation of tongues,' or consisted of the stated instruction of regular pastors and teachers. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And now Paul and Barnabas are returning back to Antioch, and John Mark, who is a nephew to Barnabas, is returning with them. Perhaps you have heard it said, Never underestimate the power ofprayer. In this exciting drama of Acts chapter 12 you can see the reality of this statement. God has no pleasure in the death of a sinner. he would probably, without hesitation or difficulty, reply, that a Christian Church as it appears, for example, in St. Paul's epistles is a congregation or society of faithful men or believers, whose unseen faith in Christ is visibly manifested by their profession of certain fundamental doctrines, by the administration and reception of the two sacraments, and by the exercise of discipline. In verse five we read that prayer was made: To God - the aim. The death of Stephen, therefore, has in various points of view a great significance. Matthew 7:15 13. It is we who by confounding matters lose consequently the blessedness and beauty of the truth of God. In Peter's case, because they wanted to keep him sure, he was chained on both sides to guards, and then there were two guards who would stand watch at the door and four quaternions would mean that there were four groups of four soldiers. A. The reading sanctioned by the best and most ancient authorities is the singular not the churches, but "the church." Nem okozott csaldst, hiszen a sajt eskvmn TovbbEskvi fotzs Gyrben, Garantlom nektek a laza, spontn, ktttsg nlkli fotzst, j kedvvel trstva, illetve kitn fnykpekkel gazdagodhattok. They said to her, "You are mad." Oh why should any confessor of Christ why should any child of God shrink from rendering godly satisfaction to those that seek it? and to the brethren. This I ask in Jesus name, AMEN. WebTHE POWER OF PRAYER. My object, of course, is simply to give a sketch of the important book now before us, endeavouring to connect (as, indeed, evidently the chapter does connect) what was coming with what was past. He had been educated at Rome, but he sedulously cultivated the good graces of the Jewish people by meticulously keeping the Law and all Jewish observances. When Peter escaped he took his way straight to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark. [Note: Longenecker, p. On these I need only remark how grace used them for the spread of the testimony. "And he commanded them to be baptized.". Neither one nor other ever entered into the thoughts or feelings of Simon. This was precisely what God was now doing; and the remarkable fact appears, that God did not wait for the apostle of the Gentiles to bring the good news to Cornelius. a. Herod the king: This was Herod Agrippa I, the Except on this assumption the apostle could not have proceeded to enforce Christian duties by Christian motives" (pp. It was plain enough to see the Christian assembly in a city, even if it were as numerous as in Jerusalem, where it must have met in not a few different localities and chambers. There was to be a testimony to an the nations. Fergeteges lagzi volt tnyleg, a kemny mag is aktvan tncolt, gondoskodtak a j hangulatrl. on the Acts, i. pp. And they said, "Yes, Lord, we are able." First of all, the apostles and the disciples themselves received it as they were waiting. 14 When she recognized Peters voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and Share whats on your heart and where you need Gods help, guidance, and healing. The tradition that they have in the Romish church, that this James had been before this in Spain, and had planted the gospel there, is altogether groundless; nor is there any certainty of it, or good authority for it. Three days and nights he neither eats nor drinks. What was most sweet soon became bitter, as it often is in the things of God. There is this difference, no doubt, between such cases now and that of Cornelius then, that, before the mission of Peter, it would have been presumptuous for a Gentile to have pretended to salvation; now it is the fruit of unbelief for a believer to question it. Without the action of the Holy Ghost faith is impossible; but this capacitating power and the gift of the Holy Ghost are two very different things, and the latter consequent on the former. ". He wished to gain fresh influence, not to lose his old: why not, by this new method, if possible, turn things to his own account? The very same people had done it who had so lately received with the utmost favour (not the truth, nor the grace of God, which is inseparable from His truth, but), at any rate, the mighty impress of the grace as well as of the truth which had produced unwonted largeness of heart, unselfishness of spirit, and joy and liberty, that struck the minds of the Jews accustomed to the coldness of death in their own system. He was a thoroughly bad ruler and was deposed and banished. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." Nowhere in the New Testament does the intervention of Almighty God on behalf of his church appear any more timely and dramatic than in this chapter. So there were sixteen soldiers altogether watching Peter in three-hour shifts, at all times chained to two of them while two were watching the door. Power was what struck Simon's mind himself a devotee of power, who in times past had sunk indeed low, even to the enemy of God and man in order from any source to be the vessel of a power beyond man. Undoubtedly they could not have believed the gospel, had there not been the quickening operation of the Holy Ghost; but we must distinguish between the Holy Ghost giving life and the Holy Ghost Himself given. But even this short mention of the thing is sufficient to let us know that the first preachers of the gospel were so well assured of the truth of it that they sealed it with their blood, and thereby have encouraged us, if at any time we are called to it, to resist unto blood too. Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Such is the unfolding of the ways of God at this point. He would no more have perished, had it pleased God to have taken him away in this state, than any Old Testament saint, whether Jew or Gentile. Acts 9:1-43. stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church; Beza's ancient copy adds, "in Judea": it seems to be the church at Jerusalem; perhaps some of the principal members of them; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, the rulers of the house of God. And when she knew Peter's voice, she did not open the gate for gladness, but ran in [scatter-brained girl], and told how that Peter was standing at the gate. It was enough. Iturea, Trachonitis, Abilene, with Gaulonitis, Batanaea, and Penias. He said to him, "Wrap your cloak round about you and follow me." And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. 1. It is granted that man sees difficulty in this: there is what he cannot reconcile; but be assured that the great point is, first, to believe. "Herod the king" was Herod Agrippa I whom the Roman emperor Gaius appointed king over Palestine in A.D. 37. So he came in like a shining god, making this speech to the people and, of course, the people began to cry, "It's the voice of a god, not of a man!" "The Lord hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." See Luke 3:1. "The Church of Christ was not properly in existence before the day of Pentecost; much less did she, before that era, go forth on her mission to evangelize* the world. "It can't be real. In fact, James thought that his brother Jesus was mad, and at one time sought to rescue Him from the crowd. Such, I suppose, therefore, was the principle that lay at the bottom of the difference of the divine action on these two occasions. Why didn't God intervene and miraculously deliver James? If he must have meant something more than this; if his own faith and his own sanctity were living and real, the effect of the Holy Spirit's operation; then, inasmuch as he makes no distinction as regards this point between himself and those whom he addresses, we must suppose that he looked upon them also as real saints and believers. See Luke 3:1; see also an account of the Herod family, see in Clarke's note on "Matthew 2:1". He dared not doubt longer: to him it was self-evident. Little did the great apostle of the circumcision anticipate what was before him as he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. It is, then, nothing but the fact, that the invisible Church, or rather that which in the Church is invisible, preceded that which is visible. So from experience we know there is many a man that you cannot doubt to be truly looking to the Lord, yet far from resting in the peace of God. Festus did not have any charges to send with Paul, and so he had asked Herod Agrippa II, the son of this Herod Agrippa I, to hear Paul's case in order that they might develop charges against him to send to Nero when he was sent there. He had no official office. Contrasts mark Acts 12:1-23: James dies, God delivers Peter, and Herod dies. But Luke distinguisheth them from those, whom he calleth afterward [this is precisely where he is mistaken; his reasoning is sound, but his knowledge defective]. A zene vegyes felhozatal volt egy kivl Dj-vel. From oikos; properly, residence, but usually an abode; by implication, a family. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. Josephus doth no where call him Herod, it may be, because he had a brother who was king of Chalcis, whose name was Herod. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. But what I want to press for our profit, beloved brethren, is that at any rate he who is the object of grace can afford to be gracious. Pray we hate evil and cling to what is good (12:9). He kept the Jewish customs. Surely He is always wise and consistent with Himself. But to believe is the secret of real growth in the revealed wisdom of God. Let him that will, repair to the second to the Galatians. There is no show of doing great things; nor do we read of daring in any way: what is there of Christ in the one or the other? He acts on that of which he afterwards wrote. If this took place in A.D. 46, and Herod died in A.D. 44, then the event Luke related in chapter 12 antedated the famine visit, and probably all of Acts 11:27-30, by about two years. And not the angel but the Spirit guides now. If Israel would have received, the Lord would have given. When Peter had knocked at the door of the entrance a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer the door. But the moment I have accomplished that purpose of God and plan for my life, then God's going to take me home.In the book of Revelation, chapter 11, we read concerning the two witnesses that come to bare witness during the tribulation period upon the earth. The word "Grecians" does not mean "Greeks," but rather Greek-speaking Jews; to whom the gospel had been preached long before, as the cases of Stephen, for instance, and Philip clearly testify. In the reign of Claudius also, the dominions of Herod Agrippa were still further enlarged. A fotzs szmomra nem csak egy munka, hanem egy szenvedly, amit csak fnykpezvel tudok csillaptani Szeretem az egyedi elkapott pillanatokat, de nem szeretem az erltetett belltsokat. 12:12-19 When Peter had grasped what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark. It is not only in cases of our judgment (for there is nothing that so often judges a man as his own judgment of another); but also where the desire goes out after that which we have not got. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. It may be interesting to many readers to read as follows from Mr. Edward A. Litton's work on "The Church of Christ in its Idea, Attributes, and Ministry; with a particular reference to the Controversy between Romanists and Protestants." And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." Nevertheless even he, apostle though he were, must enter by the same lowly gate as another. Ennek a hobbinak a digitlis vilg elg nagy lehetsget nyjtott. They had not those powers only, but this divine person given to them. The profound moral work of God proceeded in that converted heart. Among the Gentiles we know that they were installed, as we shall see a little later, by apostolic choice. So about this time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. No doubt he had read them many a time, but no better than we have read them, and many other words likewise; and how little we understood any of them to profit until the mighty power of God gave it efficacy in our souls! 276-78.] How blessed it is to see the free activity of the Holy Ghost without any kind of communication of man! Therefore, I think that the apostle and the son of Alpheus were all one, whom the Jews threw down headlong from the top of the temple, whose death was so highly Commended for his singular praise of holiness. Nor is it that the other disciples had not the same faith. The Gentiles were sinners: why should they not dare to speak to the Gentiles? How startled this good man but excessively keen controversialist must have been, had he learnt that, beyond all just question, the only tenable text here is destructive of the notion of independent churches, and in reality gives the appellation to the entire body of the disciples throughout these regions, as standing on one common ground, and enjoying full intercommunion, though in these different districts. Nobody could have this till the gospel, and even after its publication God Himself sent specifically to the Gentiles; for He has His ways, as well as His times and seasons. James the half brother of Jesus did not believe the claims of Jesus during His lifetime. In this exciting drama of Acts chapter 12 you can see the reality of this statement. He said, "Tell these tidings to James and to the brethren." and they took with them John who was surnamed Mark. Although most of the Jews in the Jerusalem church still held to former beliefs and customs, James was not a slave to the law. Herod's design was, after Easter, to bring him forth unto the people. Why should there be unwillingness to meet and submit to others when it is a question of reception? Well, it's hard to run in a robe. But the Lord said unto him, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. Now Herod was highly displeased with those that were from Tyre and Sidon ( Acts 12:19-20 ): Cities that exist to the present day that have been in the news quite a bit of late as Israel has gone into southern Lebanon. 2. the Jews did not believe in Him; but whosoever did, let him be Jew or Gentile, "shall receive remission of sins." How could anything seem too great and good to him whose heart had just made the acquaintance of Jesus? At first they were more timid; they spoke only to Jews. He imprisoned Peter, of whom he had heard most, as making the greatest figure among the apostles and whom therefore he would be proud of the honour of taking off. Warren W. Wiersbe noted, This is certainly a good lesson for the church today. Paul had it not more suddenly than with a heavenly splendour which was peculiar to himself; and thus there was a vast work soon wrought. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Here I would be glad to know how this can be interpreted upon any other principle than that church in the single number was solely appropriated to a single congregation, when applied to an assembly of Christ's disciples. It is said according to the Gospel of the Hebrews, in one of the Apocrypha books, they have James saying after the death of Jesus and before His resurrection that he said, "I will not believe unless I can see Him myself." And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, whose name was Rhoda. Male facta male factis tegere ne perpluant--One evil deed is covered with another, so that there is no passage through them. . It was now guilty of resisting unto blood, not merely as their fathers had done, but the heavenly testimony of Jesus. (Acts 12:5, AV) One Alas! It was not so with Cornelius. Apologetic: Writes a defense of persecuted Christianity (Acts 13:6-12). He would direct attention to the fact, that the ordinary greeting of St. Paul, at the beginning of each epistle, is to the 'saints and faithful brethren' constituting the Church of such a place, fellow-heirs with himself of eternal life; and that throughout these compositions, the members of the Church are presumed to be in living union with Christ, reasonings and exhortations being addressed to them, the force of which cannot be supposed to be admitted, except by those who are led by the Spirit of God; in short, that the members of the Corinthian or the Ephesian Church are addressed as Christians; and a Christian is one who is in saving union with Christ.". So James is now following his Lord in martyrdom, the brother of John. The angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." Worse, Tyre and Sidon were dependent for their food supplies on Palestine and if these supplies were cut off their case would be serious indeed. The answer is, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" In this case Peter had God's own direct warrant in the vision, not of the church (for this was not the meaning of the sheet let down from heaven), but decidedly of the call of the Gentiles. "St. Paul, in chap 14 of the first epistle to the Corinthians, presents us with a graphic picture of the mode in which Christians in the first age of the Church celebrated public worship. "When Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple." For these reasons he was popular with the people; and it was no doubt in order to achieve further popularity with the orthodox Jews that he decided to attack the Christian Church and its leaders. When they were up against it, they turned to God. [Note: Ibid., 2:151. "Lord," says he, "I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name." Salvation means that the heart enters into deliverance by grace as a present known public standing in the world. It was their responsibility now as ever to accept the gracious offer of God. The expansive power of Christianity called it to break forth on all sides; and speedily the original congregation, or in modern language the mother church, of each city gave birth to other societies of Christians in the surrounding neighbourhood. Had he not read or heard those words in the prophets? What earnest desire should there not be to bow to all that which is. In this chapter a new wave of persecution, instigated by King Herod, broke out against the Church, and especially against its leaders. 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ;' 'that I may be comforted by the mutual faith both of you and me;' did St. Paul, when he thus wrote, regard himself as but nominally interested in the blessings of redemption? The Vatican and all others, uncial and cursive (as far as collated and known), support the error. There was the revelation now of Christ as an object for the Christian in heaven, and the revelation of Him too in a way entirely outside the narrow boundaries of Judaism. The civil power, not now, as usual (for aught that appears) stirred up by the ecclesiastics, acts by itself in the persecution. Barnabas was quite justified in seeking Saul. We will deal with Herod Agrippa II, his son, in a few weeks as we move on in the book of Acts. as well as entice man. His grandfather was the Herod who had the babies of Bethlehem slaughtered in hopes he would destroy the baby Jesus. If God had given them the Holy Ghost, as was manifest in sensible results, it was very evident that they must have by God's grace had repentance unto life. Furthermore, forasmuch as he had said that the word was preached at the beginning only by the Jews, and he meant those who, being banished out of their own country, did live in Cyprus and Phenice, correcting this exception, he saith that some of them did teach the Grecians. The facts were notorious; but of this we may be sure, that never had they been put together before the mind of the Ethiopian as then, never connected with the living Word and His grace. Ha szeretntek, ott vagyok, de ha nem, akkor szrevehetetlenl teszem a dolgom. They were in the church already.

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