Who’s Afraid of Isis? NOT ME.

 

So Herod had already killed James, John’s brother.  Why? Because it was good entertainment for the Jews! They loved to see Christians die.  Christians, they believed, were their enemy! (Sound familiar?)

“And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 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.” – Acts 12: 3-4

Peter.  This was the same Peter with the boldness to attempt water-walking (Matthew 14:29), declaring He would be willing to die with Jesus (Matthew 26:35), cutting of an ear of the opposing army guard (John 18:10), denying Christ three times (Matthew 26:69-75), “Do you Love Me? Feed My Sheep!” (John 21:15-19) Peter.  Yes, God had His hands all over Peter’s life. 

And when Herod said He would kill him, God just said NO.

“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 12:5-11

So tell me again….why should I fear ISIS or any other enemy of God?  I’m not going to live in fear of them being at the Mexican border, being in Ohio or any other state.  I’m not going to read all the so-called “news” from sources that you really should (seriously) check.  I’m not going to fear when my God says fear not!  Either it will be God’s will I die and I’ll be with Him, or it won’t be God’s will I die, and I’ll be delivered from it.  Either way – I win.  I’m just going to pray about it and see what God says. 

We all have to die.  That’s a given.  But for those of us that have eternal life, death is a passage to a better life – not the end of life.  I refuse to live in fear of what might be, what could be, in light of the fact of who my God is and what He can do. 

I’ll take that a step further.  I refuse to stop travelling and doing what I love just because there is an enemy.  Get this – THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ENEMY! 

Could it be that the whole time God was molding Peter, checking his faith through walking on water, through the arrest of Christ, through the fishing excursion that could have been a career detour, could it be that God was testing his faith for that day?  Father God, let me be faithful.  Let my faith stand!

People get ready…there’s a day coming when you will want to know God and be at peace with Him.  Even today there are chains to be broken, doors to be opened, deliverance to be gained.  Christianity isn’t for what is to come.  It’s for NOW, for a better life here.