pramsay posted on February 06, 2007 06:15 1031 views

Have you ever read your Bible and laughed? There is one chapter that always elicits such an emotional response from me – I can’t keep from laughing. I just happen to think it’s funny. Picture a Christian sleeping in a prison cell whose head is to roll tomorrow by the executioner’s sword. His right wrist is chained to the guard on that side of him. If he rolls over, he is shackled to the other guard on the left. And I doubt if these guys were wimps. The slightest muscle movement would rattle the chains and the guards would jump to duty.

Stationed at the cell door were two more guards – standing tall and fully equipped to brutally foil any attempted escape. I doubt if they allowed the prisoner to even take a ‘pause for a cause’ break in the washroom without being guarded. Planning an escape under such intrusive monitoring would be futile. Even if you could get out of your cell and then through the next level of security, what would be the purpose? The next obstacle would be those huge iron gates that secured the prison compound. All escape attempts would come to a dead stop at that point. So don’t even try!!

BUT the Christians were having an ‘all-nighter’ – one of those unscheduled, non-stop prayer meetings in another part of town.

So Peter was kept in prison,
but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

(Act 12:5)

Suddenly in the middle of the night, the prison cell is bursting with light and Peter feels a jab in his side and responds to the command: “Get up, fast!” Instantly, those wrist-binding chains dropped from his arms. Then another order: “Get your feet into those sandals.” Done! Next command: “Grab your coat and follow me – we’re out of here.

Was Peter sleep walking? Could this just be one of those intense dreams? Did any of the guards blink in disbelief? Were their limbs and reflexes frozen? Or were they grabbing a cat nap?

But now those impossible iron gates are looming before them. No need to worry. Remote control doors existed long before the 21st century. The Lord pressed the remote control button up in Heaven and without even a momentary transmission delay, those impossible gates swung open as if they had just been lubed yesterday.

The angel walked with Peter down one street and then disappeared. Peter gets his bearings and goes to Mrs. Mark’s house. The candles were still burning brightly. Inside the Christians were praying earnestly: “O Lord, protect Peter. Deliver him. We need him.” Rhoda jumps up; runs to the door; hears Peter’s voice and is so excited, she fails to even open the door. She interrupts the Christians prayers with her excited announcement: “Peter is here!” They told her she was crazy! Meanwhile Peter’s knuckles must have been red from his continuous knocking. Finally, they go to the door and sure enough: Peter was standing on the doorstep and his head was still on his shoulders.

Lessons for us:

1) How could Peter sleep? Maybe he knew it wasn’t his time to die because the Lord had told him he would die by crucifixion (John 21:18-19) not by an executioner’s sword. So Peter was able to relax knowing it wasn’t his time to go. Or perhaps he had just committed his life and his times into the Lord’s Hand – saying: “Thy will be done and now I will go to sleep committing the entire matter into Thy hands. Either way, Lord, it’s fine with me.”

2) All night prayer meetings work! Prayer works, Period.

3) Chains, muscled guards and heavy iron doors are not obstacles to the Lord. He has His remote control buttons to press. He has His ways!

4) The Lord hears our prayers despite a less-than-robust faith on our part. They told dear Rhoda that she had gone mad when she excitedly told them Peter was truly at the door.

And if you want a #5, I guess you could conclude: when the Lord’s answer is standing at our door knocking don’t run back into the house. First, swing open the door and see it for your own eyes! And praise the Lord!

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