We saw last time that the infant church at Antioch, upon the prophecy of Agabus, learned that there would be a great famine in Judea, including the church at Jerusalem. They set a precedent that lives to this day, each person giving according to his ability, to send relief to their fellow churches in Judea, sending it with Barnabas and Saul back to Jerusalem.
The scene now shifts back from Antioch to Jerusalem:
“About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened bread” (Ac 12:1-3).
We are not told what the specific charges are against James. But we can observe that this follows a pattern well established by the Jewish authorities during major feasts, when the Jewish people come in droves to the Temple to worship. We can also assume that the leaders of the church of Jesus of Nazareth are also very active preaching the gospel to the Jews in the Temple colonnades, likely led by Peter, but greatly supported by James, the brother of the Apostle John.
“And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people” (Ac 12:4).
The parallel with how Jesus was treated during the same feast should choke us with emotion – the Jewish leaders are trying to recover their absolute power over the Jewish people that was badly damaged by bribery and corruption with the Roman rulers in the case of Jesus. Peter is doomed.
Oh no, not again!
But there is a huge difference now. In the case of Jesus, Pentecost had not yet happened, the Holy Spirit had not been given to the disciples, and the church had not yet been formed and organized.
Although James has been lost to beheading, a new power has been born within the church:
“So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to him by the church” (Ac 12:5).
What is this new power?
- Prayer
- Earnest prayer
- By the whole church
- In perfect unity!
But for now, have we ever considered what power might be released in the world if the church of Jesus of Nazareth worldwide came together in prayer for believers persecuted all over the world?
Yes, we do have prayer throughout the world.
But it is not together, in one irresistible tidal wave, dedicated to a specific cause, in perfect unity!
Yet it could be, using modern technology for God’s purposes. There are valid attempts at this by many good Christian organizations, but we have yet to link up in perfect unity, by praying for the same brothers and sisters at the same dedicated time.
Streamside Unity dreams of this kind of connection. Earnest prayer cannot be stopped by any physical force if connected in perfect unity, using every resource God has given us.
Please pray about this – earnestly!