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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Monday, July 11,
2022
Saturday Ester
and I (Stephen) drove up to the Lehigh Valley for a
graduation party for Noah, my nephew's son. On the way home
we drove on this bend on a rural country road in Berks
County. The fencing especially stood out.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
"God
Is In Control!"
Message
summary: Today God is in
control of your life and mine. Real peace and assurance
comes from having knowledge of His control and confidence
that He is always working for our good. Are you going
through a storm or are you enduring a "trial"? Are
you experiencing sleepless nights due to worries? Remember
God is in control.
"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. 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. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 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 12:1-6).
When
babies sleep it appears to be the epitome of restfulness.
We often hear the phrase considering a good night's sleep:
"I slept just like a baby." But one factor to be
considered: babies are not worrying about anything yet, to
our knowledge, that is. But as we grow older a good
night's sleep is a struggle for so many. Besides the
growing number of aches and pains that may be more
prevalent during the night hour another contributing
factor is that our thoughts are filled with unresolved
matters, many which are out of our hands, or major
decisions with tremendous consequence that lie heavily on
our hearts. When I hurt
my shoulder in May it was due to the associated pain
though weeks later that particular pain has greatly
diminished. We read that trouble sleeping comes with the
aging process. Based upon all the advertisements for
mattresses, sleeping aids and other sleep related items we
are not alone. According to an article titled "Top 6
Things to Know About the $30 Billion Sleep Aids Market"
people are increasingly digging into their pockets for
help sleeping.
In the book of Acts there
are two reports of God's servants being imprisoned and how
they dealt with a night in prison; Peter, in Acts 12, Paul
and Silas in Acts 16. In this message we will consider
Peter's experience:
In
considering reasons for a long, fitful, sleepless night,
Peter certainly had one. His fellow disciple and friend
James had just been beheaded and the next morning he was
to stand trial before Herod Agrippa, the persecutor of the
Christian church. Now at this time, humanly speaking,
Herod's likely action was pretty evident. His poll ratings
among the Jewish majority had shot up dramatically at
James' death. You might say he was in the mood to
persecute.
Surely Peter would be mentally preparing his defense through the long night. That's something that will keep you from sleeping. In addition to awaiting the trial he was bound to two soldiers with two chains. Additional soldiers were guarding the entrance in his maximum security prison cell. We really don't suppose Peter was given a nice soft bed with clean sheets and a My pillow™; a given for most who expect a good night's sleep. And Tylenol PM was "light years" from making its debut among the sleepless population at the time!
Yet Peter was sleeping. "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."
Perhaps
Peter recalled an experience with the Lord on the Sea of
Galilee when Jesus slept through a storm. At that time
Jesus, along with the disciples, was crossing the Sea when
a great storm arose. The terrified disciples awoke Jesus,
who Himself had been sleeping on a cushion, with this
question, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" After
rebuking the storm Jesus asked this probing question,
"Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no
faith?" (Mark 4:40).
Peter had learned from this experience and from other miraculous interventions he had witnessed that God is always in control. Isn't that true for all who have placed their trust in Christ? The longer we live the more we see God intervene for His children. The church prayed earnestly for Peter's release. The same prison entrance that bound Peter with chains became a miraculous exit to his freedom in the middle of the night.
A very important Biblical issue we must face head on is this: In ways we simply do not understand, God was no less in control at the beheading of James than in Peter's miraculous deliverance recorded in Acts 12. It's also true today when one is miraculously delivered or healed and their life is extended a short season, while another, equally precious in God's sight, is not spared.
"What do we have that won't ever wear out, break, die, go out of style, or need repair? Only our Lord. We can rejoice and give thanks, because our life and our future are tied to the Eternal Father, the Creator of the heavens and Maker of our world. Not only is God good; He is good to us. But more than just being good, He is loving too, and His love will never wear out, grow old, fade away, or need repair." (John Burns)
Today God is in control in your life and in mine. Real peace and assurance is a result of a deep, abiding knowledge of His control. Are you going through a storm or are you enduring a "trial"? Are you experiencing sleepless nights due to worries, busy schedules, or physical infirmities? Remember God is in control.
Surely Peter would be mentally preparing his defense through the long night. That's something that will keep you from sleeping. In addition to awaiting the trial he was bound to two soldiers with two chains. Additional soldiers were guarding the entrance in his maximum security prison cell. We really don't suppose Peter was given a nice soft bed with clean sheets and a My pillow™; a given for most who expect a good night's sleep. And Tylenol PM was "light years" from making its debut among the sleepless population at the time!
Yet Peter was sleeping. "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."
Perhaps
Peter recalled an experience with the Lord on the Sea of
Galilee when Jesus slept through a storm. At that time
Jesus, along with the disciples, was crossing the Sea when
a great storm arose. The terrified disciples awoke Jesus,
who Himself had been sleeping on a cushion, with this
question, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" After
rebuking the storm Jesus asked this probing question,
"Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no
faith?" (Mark 4:40). Peter had learned from this experience and from other miraculous interventions he had witnessed that God is always in control. Isn't that true for all who have placed their trust in Christ? The longer we live the more we see God intervene for His children. The church prayed earnestly for Peter's release. The same prison entrance that bound Peter with chains became a miraculous exit to his freedom in the middle of the night.
A very important Biblical issue we must face head on is this: In ways we simply do not understand, God was no less in control at the beheading of James than in Peter's miraculous deliverance recorded in Acts 12. It's also true today when one is miraculously delivered or healed and their life is extended a short season, while another, equally precious in God's sight, is not spared.
"What do we have that won't ever wear out, break, die, go out of style, or need repair? Only our Lord. We can rejoice and give thanks, because our life and our future are tied to the Eternal Father, the Creator of the heavens and Maker of our world. Not only is God good; He is good to us. But more than just being good, He is loving too, and His love will never wear out, grow old, fade away, or need repair." (John Burns)
Today God is in control in your life and in mine. Real peace and assurance is a result of a deep, abiding knowledge of His control. Are you going through a storm or are you enduring a "trial"? Are you experiencing sleepless nights due to worries, busy schedules, or physical infirmities? Remember God is in control.
And every
prayer we prayed in desperation
The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear
In the end, we'll see that it was worth it
When He returns to wipe away our tears
The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear
In the end, we'll see that it was worth it
When He returns to wipe away our tears
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, just as
You sent an angel to rescue Peter from
Herod's wrath You rescue us from the
dangers, toils, and snares that overwhelm
us. In the darkness of Peter's cell
the sudden appearance of an angel radiated
light from heaven showing him the way to
freedom. Help us to look to the light of
Your Holy Word that releases us from the
hopelessness of our circumstance. Thank
You for the messengers of light You
commission who encourage us or release us
from our fears, whether they be angels
from heaven or your servants on earth.
Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"God,
You're So Good" Video Passion Brooksyne's
note: I was looking up a
particular song and this one came on. I
immediately recognized the classic
chorus and tune, the only difference is
that this version is sung to God rather
than about God and has additional
verses. I couldn't begin to count the
number of times I have played this
simple chorus over the years along with
its many added verses (some impromptu as
we sang them). This is also the first
song I teach youngsters on the piano
because it is easy and repetitive.
"A
Thousand Hallelujahs, Hymn of Heaven,
Day By Day" Video This
is a medley from our worship service
yesterday at Calvary Church in
Lancaster. We were especially blessed to
transition from "Hymn of Heaven", a
relatively new song to "Day By Day", an
old hymn. This includes our worship
pastor's prayer.
Noah, along
with his parents, my nephew Patrick and
his wife Kelly at his graduation party. He
will be attending Penn State studying
engineering. Yea!
Yesterday
at church we parked beside this
beautifully restored Chevrolet Impala.
The white interior really stood out and
looked factory fresh rather than the
original age of this car (maybe a '63).
I figured it was unlikely the owner
would bang his door into my car!
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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