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A Man Named ‘Manaen’
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. Acts 13:1, NIV In this verse, a man named Manaen was mentioned. He was someone who grew up with Herod the tetrarch. This was the same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist. Imagine, they grew up together, but they lived a totally different life. Herod became selfish and prideful about his position. But here comes Manaen, who became a Christian and followed the ways of Jesus. Sometimes, we believe that people who grew up in the same environment will have…
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God Is Always In Charge
Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. Acts 12: 23-24, NIV King Herod was against the early Christians. He even killed James and arrested Peter. But God moved by sending an angel to rescue Peter from prison. After that, King Herod continued to boast about what he had and failed to glorify God. The Bible said that an angel struck him down and was eaten by words. He had a very sad ending. The disciples went through so much fear and experienced…
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When You Find It Hard To Believe That God Answers Your Prayer
“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” Acts 12:15, NIV When Peter was arrested by King Herod, the early church fervently prayed for Him. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and set him free from prison. Peter then went to the house where the Christians gathered and to their surprise, they didn’t believe what the servant named Rhoda said. She recognized Peter’s voice and said to the disciples that he was knocking at the door. They won’t believe her that they even said to the servant that she’s out of her…
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What True Wealth Means
One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13: 7, NIV This world may treat material things as an indicator of wealth, but sometimes, a person may look rich physically but have nothing on the inside. They may pretend to have all the things they want, but deep down, their hearts say the exact opposite. On the other hand, there are people who pretend to be poor yet very rich on the inside. They are those who are very generous and enrich other people’s lives. Sometimes, we tend to respect those who look wealthy and disregard those who appear…
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God Will Send His Help
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Acts 12:7,NIV Peter was arrested and put into prison when he experienced this supernatural moment. Who would have thought that an angel would appear and help him? This is one of the stories in the Bible that reminds us that God can do the impossible. He rescued Peter from death. He commanded His angels to help and guide Peter on his way out. At the same time, the church also prayed for him. Imagine,…
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Peace Is Available As Long As We Are Willing To Trust And Surrender
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Acts 12: 6, NIV Peter was arrested after King Herod killed James. This was the night before Herod would bring him to trial. This means that this night could be Peter’s last night before his death. He only had hours to live. If you were in Peter’s situation, What would you feel? If you happen to realize that tomorrow is going to be your last day on earth, what would you do? Most of us would’ve probably done something apart from sleeping. Perhaps…
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Keep on Praying
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12: 5, NIV This happened after James was arrested and put to death by King Herod. When the King saw that what he did pleased the Jews, he then seized Peter. This moment wasn’t easy for the early church. Imagine one of your dear brothers died for the sake of the gospel. Perhaps they also felt scared by what happened because it simply meant that their lives were threatened. But then, if we try to imagine, the church must’ve also prayed for James to be saved and set free. They must’ve also…
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The Danger In Pleasing Imperfect Humans
When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Acts 12: 3, NIV King Herod arrested James and put him to death. When he noticed that what he did met with approval among the Jews, he then seized Peter. As we noticed, King Herod was after of people’s approval. He wanted to please them to the point of sacrificing someone’s life. Perhaps, he was thinking about the fame and the power that he might gain the moment he followed what the people wanted. According to the commentaries, this was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson…
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There Are People Who Sacrificially Preached The Message That We Now Freely Received
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. Acts 12: 1-2, NIV The early Christians experienced great persecution in the past. After Stephen’s death, Acts 12 recorded how James, one of Jesus’ disciples died. King Herod put him to death with a sword. This must’ve been difficult for the remaining disciples. Imagine one of your friends, whom you spent most of your days with, died for the gospel that you also preached. By this time around, James faithfully ended his life with Jesus in his heart.…
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What It Means To Be A Christian
and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. Acts 11: 26, NIV The followers of Jesus where once called as disciples, saints, believers, or followers of the way. In Antioch, they were first called as Christians. They were identified as “Jesus’ People.” Christians are those who spread the gospel and truly follow the teachings of Jesus. In the present, Christianity is the most widely practiced religion. But sadly, many of us didn’t really have an intimate relationship with Him. Before, Christians were…
