God Working in Our Time

Acts 5:17-21 ESV
“But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,  “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”  And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.”

I love this story, the New Testament church was in its beginning stages and God was doing amazing things. Jesus had told His disciples that after they received the Holy Spirit, that they would do greater works than He did.

Now amazing signs and miracles were being done by the Apostles and for the Apostles. The gospel was being spread throughout Jerusalem and favor was given to the New Testament church. In a matter of a few weeks this new movement had grown to perhaps 10 to 15 thousand people. The Jewish Council with the Sadducees and the Pharisees were jealous of this new popularity, so they had the Apostles arrested. We can only assume that it was the 12 Apostles.

Now in the prison, with the jail house doors locked and the guards on duty all night an Angel of the Lord appears and opens the locked doors and leads all the Apostles out of the jail. They were lead past the guards and out the main gate. Then the Angel gives them a command; “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 

The Apostles entered the Jewish Temple at daybreak and began to preach the gospel. The next day, the Senate, Council and the Pharisees called for the prisoners to be brought in and they found the guards still standing by the jail cells, the doors still locked. Someone rushed in to tell the Senate and the Council that the prisoners were standing in the Temple preaching Jesus.

God can and WILL do anything He desires, whenever and however He wants all we have to do is be present and in His perfect will.

Prayer:
Father, I stand in awe of You and Your power. All I want is to be in Your perfect will.