January 21 2019

Expect and Recognize the Miracle

So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
Acts 12: 4-11

Peter was in prison and the church was praying. 
When the angel of the Lord showed up to set him free, he was unprepared. 
Even as the angel released his chains, directed him to put on his coat and led him through the gates, he believed he was only seeing a vision. 
When the angel departed and Peter “had come to himself” he realized that it was all for real and he was freed from the Hand of Herod.  
Peter was a believer of great faith.  
He knew the church would be praying for him.  
And yet, he was unprepared for his miracle and unaware even as it was happening.  
How many times do we believe in faith, knowing others are praying with us, and then miss the miracle?  
We weren’t expecting it to look that way or to come through that person or circumstance.  
We “come to ourselves” at the end and realize what has happened, but we missed it while it was occurring.  
We need to be in expectation of the miracle.  
We need to be open to the way the miracle will come about.  
We need to stay awake and aware, watching and understanding what the Lord is doing in our lives and the lives around us. 
Increase our expectation Lord and open our eyes to Your Hand at work!

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January 20 2019

Unintentional Praise

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. Acts 16:25-26

Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with rods and put in stocks in the inner prison.  
At midnight we find them praying and singing hymns to God.  
That praise that came forth from them shook the earth, causing their chains and the chains of those around them to be loosed. 
This leads us to a conclusion we know in our hearts – praise moves the earth and loses chains – not only our but those of us around us.
Often when we talk about this principle we do so in a calculated and intentional way.  
I find myself in a situation, my chains are tight, I need them loosed, I need to begin to praise the Lord.  
There is likely some merit in that.  
However, I would argue that the praise that came forth from Paul and Silas was not intentional; 
rather unintentional in the sense that it was such a part of who they were that regardless of their circumstances (prison) the praise came forth. 
That, I believe, is what we need to grow into; praise that is such a part of who we are and such a part of our every minute existence, that it pours forth in the midst of our circumstances (whether we choose it or not).  
Praise that is evident in our daily walk. 
Praise that comes forth and shakes the earth and loses our chains and the chains of those around us, without us having to think it through and make a conscious effort to bring it forth.  
That is real, genuine, earth shaking, chain losing praise. 
Oh that we would grow in such a way that unintentional praise flows from us!

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January 19 2019

A New Thing!


“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.
Isaiah 43:18-21

As we find ourselves a few weeks into the New Year it is a good time to remind ourselves of the “new things” coming.  
This is about the time the resolutions start to fall off, the newness of the year grows old and everything starts to feel like the “same ole, same ole”. 
But the Word of God speaks about God doing a new thing. 
A new thing that will spring forth, a suddenly thing!  
Roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, an unusual thing!  
Something that will bring His people to declare His praise – an awe inspiring thing! 
Are you ready for a new thing?  
New things require some preparation; a setting aside of old ways of thinking and doing and an openness to a new way of thinking and doing.  
Are you ready for a new thing?  
Cast of the former things, don’t wallow in the things of old, begin looking forward for the sudden, unusual and awe inspiring thing that the Lord has for you!

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