When Peter was locked up in prison it appeared that all hope was lost but God loves to show His strength and power in seemingly difficult situations. His miraculous release from prison when it was humanly impossible to escape was a source of encouragement to the early church and reminds us today that there is nothing too hard for God

<p>When Peter was locked up in prison it appeared that all hope was lost but God loves to show His strength and power in seemingly difficult situations. His miraculous release from prison when it was humanly impossible to escape was a source of encouragement to the early church and reminds us today that there is nothing too hard for God</p>

Lineage Journey

Adam Ramdin

Pentecost to Patmos

01 Pentecost to Patmos

04 Peter: Delivered From Prison

02 The Stoning of Stephen

05 Antioch: And They Were Called Christians

06 Paul & Silas: Preaching in Philippi

07 Paul & Silas: The Work in Thessaloniki & Berea

03 Paul: The Road to Damascus

08 Paul: Ministry in Athens

09 Paul: Ministry in Corinth

10 Paul: Uproar in Ephesus

11 Paul: Before Felix & Agrippa

12 Paul: Shipwrecked On Malta

13 Paul: Arrest & Trial in Rome

14 Peter: Calling, Consecration & Crucifixion

15 John: The Beloved & Patmos

Some of the greatest triumphs of the church are when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat. When it seems all hope is lost, and yet God comes through for his people in a remarkable way, again and again throughout history, God seeks to remind his people that their greatest strength is not in their intellect, their education or their experience, but in relying on him In Acts chapter 12, the church was in its infancy and each leader of the church was extremely important with huge responsibilities. Three of these early leaders were Peter, James, and John. At the time, there was a king named herd who was a convert to the Jewish faith and was apparently very zealous in Ingal the ceremonies of the Jewish law as he tried to please and appease those whom he was ruling. He killed James, the brother of John, which was a huge loss to the church, but seeing how pleased the Jewish leaders were, he went after Peter as well and imprisoned him. Peter's execution was delayed till after Passover, which gave the church time to pray for a miracle in order to ensure that Peter couldn't escape. They were especially cautious with four squads of soldiers assigned to watch him. Four soldiers would watch him at any one time, and there were four groups who rotated. Two soldiers would be chained to him, one on each arm, and then two more would be either side of a locked and bolted door escape would be humanly impossible. God is often dramatic and waits until the very last minute to do something, most likely to ensure that there is no human way to fix the situation On the night that Peter was due to be executed, the Bible records that he was sleeping. This itself is amazing, but the peace that he had comes from having a relationship with Jesus. The Bible says in Acts chapter 12 and verse seven, that an angel came down and light filled the prison. He tells him to put on his outer clothes and his shoes, and then his chains fall off. They walk out the first door past the guards, and then out the second door, and then Peter walks through the gate into the city. For Peter to escape would've been humanly impossible or to rescue him from prison, but God performed a supernatural act for someone who was very dear to him. Peter finding himself a free man on an empty street makes his way to the house where his fellow believers were praying. After he knocks on the door, a woman named Rhoda comes to it and recognizing Peter's voice. She's so surprised she leaves him there and goes and tells the other believers that Peter is at the door. Eventually, he is let in and they realize that God has performed yet another miracle. Peter was not destined to die here in Jerusalem. God still had a special work for him to do in preaching the gospel. It was Peter who wrote to the church in one Peter chapter four, verse 12, to not think it's strange when fiery trials come upon them. He knew from personal experience what it was to be delivered, and he rights to encourage us to trust God in our trials. Whilst on this occasion, God chose to deliver in a miraculous way, reminding us that God has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. He does not always deliver this way. May we trust God in our trials, whether he delivers us or whether he doesn't. Remembering the words of First Peter, chapter four, verse 13, to rejoice in as much as your partakers of Christ's suffering.

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Series

Pentecost to Patmos

04 Peter: Delivered From Prison

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Other Teachings in Series

01 Pentecost to Patmos

04 Peter: Delivered From Prison

02 The Stoning of Stephen

05 Antioch: And They Were Called Christians

06 Paul & Silas: Preaching in Philippi

07 Paul & Silas: The Work in Thessaloniki & Berea

03 Paul: The Road to Damascus

08 Paul: Ministry in Athens

09 Paul: Ministry in Corinth

10 Paul: Uproar in Ephesus

11 Paul: Before Felix & Agrippa

12 Paul: Shipwrecked On Malta

13 Paul: Arrest & Trial in Rome

14 Peter: Calling, Consecration & Crucifixion

15 John: The Beloved & Patmos

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