ACTS CHAPTER 12

MAIN THINGS

It is easy to skip over this, but some and many of us will be called to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus. James was not spared even though he was a good follower of Christ and full of faith. The call on his life was to be a martyr and that is so noble. Herod was obviously interested in pleasing the people, but mostly in his own image, and we saw where that got him – eaten by worms. It’s awesome that Peter thought all of his escape from prison was a vision. I can just see him getting outside the gate and kind of pinching himself because everything seemed so fantastical. It is beautiful the little bits of humor that are even placed in the bible, like Rhoda forgetting to open the door. That is how she has been remembered since Acts was written, I bet they made fun of her forever about that.

QUESTIONS & THOUGHTS

-What if the call on your life is to be a martyr? Is that fair? Isn’t God most concerned with your comfort and blessing you?

-God answered the prayer of the church that was praying earnestly for Peter’s release. What role does prayer play in your life? Are you praying (there have definitely been times in my life that prayer was minimal)? What is the focus of your prayers? Where do you still need to grow in dependence on God and trusting Him with your life through prayer and supplication?

-Would you still be able to trust God in prison? How would you respond to sitting in a jail cell because of God’s call on your life?

-Are you more concerned with setting yourself up as God like Herod, or laying yourself at the feet of the one true God? By the way, that is pretty stinkin’ gross if you think about it, eaten by worms!?!?!? There must have been like a million of them.