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September 2 - Acts 12 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

• 0:11
  Hello friends, it's Sean here it is Tuesday.
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  It's the second day of spring. It's the 2nd of September and I
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  hope you're doing well. This is a bit of a special date
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  for myself. This is the day 25 years ago and
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  I got married to this wonderful woman named Avon.
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  Here we are 25 years later. We're just warming up.
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  There's so much more to do and see and experience together.
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  So happy silver wedding anniversary to us.
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  Boy, I remember my parents having their silver wedding
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  anniversary. They seem properly grown up.
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  I guess that means I'm meant to be properly grown up.
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  I don't know whether you have these moments.
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  We think is, is this me as an adult?
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  Is this what it feels like to be properly adult?
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  I thought it'd feel different. Anyway, it is what it is.
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  Here we are. We only get one crack at this
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  life, so let's keep doing it together.
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  And you did not. I was going to say dial in this
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  morning, and that's a little old, isn't it?
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  You did not tap on play to hear about me and my life.
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  You tapped on play to hear more about the miraculous things
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  going on as the church is built and the Holy Spirit is doing His
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  work. Amazing and I will apologise for
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  my nasally voice. This is winter's last hurrah.
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  Gave me some germs. My whole family was sick.
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  And finally I'm the last one to acquiesce and and be under the
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  the weather. But I will do my best and you
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  will forgive my little bit of nasaliness.
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  Let us keep on going with the story as we reading together
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  Acts chapter 12. About that time, King Herod
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  Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.
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  He had the apostle James, John's brother, killed with a sword.
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  When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he
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  also arrested Peter. This took place during the
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  Passover celebration. Then he imprisoned him, placing
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  him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
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  Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the
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  Passover, but while Peter was in prison the church prayed very
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  earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be
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  placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between
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  two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison
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  gate. Suddenly there was a bright
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  light in the cell, and an Angel of the Lord stood before Peter.
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  The Angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said quick get
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  up and the chains fell off his wrists.
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  Then the Angel told him get dressed and put on your sandals
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  and he did. Now put on your coat and follow
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  me. The Angel ordered.
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  So Peter left the cell following the Angel, but all the time he
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  thought it was a vision. He didn't realise it was
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  actually happening. They passed the 1st and 2nd
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  guide posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city and
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  this opened for them all by itself.
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  So they passed through and started walking down the street
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  and then the Angel suddenly left him.
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  Peter finally came to his senses.
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  It's really true, he said. The Lord has sent his Angel and
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  saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had
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  planned to do with me. When he realised this, he went
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  to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were
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  gathered for prayer. He knocked at the door in the
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  gate and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.
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  When she recognised Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that
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  instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told
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  everyone. Peter is standing at the door.
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  You're out of your mind, they said.
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  When she insisted, they decided it must be his Angel.
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  Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking.
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  When they finally opened the door and saw him, I were amazed.
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  He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord
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  had led him out of prison. Tell James and the other
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  brothers what happened, he said, and then he went to another
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  place. At dawn there was a great
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  commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to
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  Peter. Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough
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  search for him. When he couldn't be found, Herod
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  interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death.
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  Afterward, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
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  Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, so
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  they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their
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  cities were dependent upon Herod's country for food.
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  The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod's personal
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  assistant, and an appointment with Herod was granted.
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  When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his
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  throne and made a speech to them.
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  The people gave him a great ovation, shouting It's the voice
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  of a God, not a man. Instantly, an Angel of the Lord
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  struck Herod with a sickness because he accepted the people's
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  worship instead of giving the glory to God.
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  So he was consumed with worms and died.
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  Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there
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  were many new believers. When Barnabas and Saul had
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  finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking
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  John Mark with them. Our Lord, we read these
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  wonderful stories of you stepping in to save your people
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  and to build your church. Our Lord, we are amazed that
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  you, our mighty God, the Ruler of all creation, continues to
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  choose to interest yourself and engage yourself intimately in
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  our lives, even to the point that you would hear us now as we
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  pray to you. We love you, our heavenly
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  Father, our mighty King, our glorious God, and we worship
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  you. We worship you alone, and we're
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  grateful for all that you've done for us, for sending us
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  Jesus to save us, and for sending us your Spirit to dwell
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  in US and help us to know you better.
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  So we offer ourselves to you today once again, fresh as a
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  living sacrifice, ready for our lives to be in service of you
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  and your will. So lead us, use us, and hold us
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  ever close. We love you and we pray this all
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  in the name of Jesus. Amen.