Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) Acts 12: 1-3 (KJV)
Herod was not interested in certain people. Herod in the Acts represented the pits of hell and the enemy that fights against the saints. The pits of darkness cannot fight against itself; it fights against the light and the people in the light of God. There are certain people that Herod came down to fight. Some of us might look at our brothers and sisters going through rough times and judge them. We say it is because they have sinned or some judge because they are jealous or envious. The irony of life is that this acts are not new. The bible said that Herod stretched out his hand and took James and killed him; the people were happy.
When there is persecution against all it is against all of us. We were talking about exploits, we must know that there are negative exploits. Paul at the beginning of his ministry did negative exploits; persecuting the church and all it stood for. Same with Herod, doing exploits against the church.
During the festival of the unleavened bread Herod apprehended Peter. The enemy represented by people around us exploits others. Anytime the enemy exploits people we must come to their aid as we do not know who will be next. We must consistently pray for one another, especially those in leadership position and are shepherds over us. When we know those who have been held captive for one reason or the other, whatever it may be and wherever they may be held captive, do not withhold your hand of help.
Characteristic of people who do negative exploits
- They rejoice when evil befalls brethren
- They are quick to judge people
- They act from a position of envy and pride
If you have the capacity in anyway to help those being exploited take up your role to do that which you can do to get them out of the plight they are in. Let us be faithful with the little one we have.
James was taken by Herod and he killed him; Peter Herod also took. What must have been going on in the mind of Peter at that time. The scripture says that while imprisoned “he was sleeping”.
Could it had been that Peter remembered Psalm 46: 10? He must have been firm in recognizing who God is. In all of the distress we need to learn to trust in God and to focus on His assignment. Everyday we have an assignment and an opportunity to do exploits.
God expects you to be the angel that person needs to get out of the prison. God expects you to do that little thing; say a kind word, take the person to the hospital, give food to the hungry, help to pay school fees, give a listening ear, say a word of encouragement, or even say good morning.
It is important that we are always sensitive to the spirit of God. Sometimes to lift someone up is just that little thing that we may take for granted. The exploit over our life, many of the times it comes suddenly. Many times God doesn’t give us warnings when he wants to use us to do exploits. Be ready someone’s prayers will lead us to do exploits in the life of people. Someone’s prayer will cause your sudden visitation.
Exploits are made possible when:
- We make ourselves available for God to use
- Angelic visitation
- By the Holy Spirit
Many of the times we forget the place of the Holy Spirit and His position the carrying out exploits. The truth about it is that no exploits can come without the Holy Spirit. The things we are going to do by exploits is by the Holy Spirit. The bible says as the Angel asked Peter to arise, he didn’t ask how but stood up in obedience and arose, as he did the chains broke off. We need to obey God and stop negotiating with Him. The Angel said to Peter arise and he obeyed, the Angel pulled him up.
Let us remember that obedience to God comes first if we want to do exploits. Some of us are not prepared for exploits. No matter how much we shout and expect exploits; our dressing does not connote someone who is expecting to do exploits. We are completely unprepared. There is a dressing that is expected for exploits. There is a new dimension God expects us to go to. Many of us are not dressed for the work ahead. The Angel asked Peter to get dressed. Ephesians 6:14
For some of us the enemy is no longer interested in us because we have compromised so much we have become one of them. The bible said today I present to you good and evil but I urge you to choose good. Fulfilling the conditions of dressing to be positioned to do exploits is important to each of us. The angel said to him get dressed, put on your sandals. On your feat wear the good news of faith so that you may find it easy to run the race of life. You cannot exploit the glory and the benefits of the exploits of heaven when we have not positioned ourselves to do the will of God.
If you know you do not have the helmet of salvation that Christ gives to all, this is an opportunity to have it. Paul was speaking to Timothy and he said to him, “study to show yourself approved, a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth”. One of the deficiencies we have in the church today is that we don’t study. We don’t study and we don’t pray.
By the time different levels of exploits begin to happen in our lives we will be like those that dream. Peter followed the Angel and some of us refuse and do not follow anybody. When instructions are given we feel we are above them. If we become to big to be led then we are too small to lead. At the door of the house, the bible says Peter came to Himself; this means that while the exploit was happening he was not in himself.
The iron gate opened to them by itself. After this gate the Angel suddenly left. When the Lord re-positions us and we get to the place where he wants us to be, we find out that all resistance begins to fall always from our path. For as many as chosen to believe and trust God for what He says, we will see the works of God made easy through the power and guide of the Holy Spirit.
