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Acts 12:1-11 NKJV


[1] Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. [2] Then he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. [3] 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. [4] 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. [5] Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. [6] 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. [7] 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. [8] 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.” [9] 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. [10] 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. [11] 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.”


Prisons come in all shapes and sizes. Bondage isn't limited to shackles and chains. The things that keep us stuck look different from one person to another. For some, it may be alcoholism, relationship dependency, identity issues, food addiction, and so on. For me, it was a drug addiction that led to a host of other issues. I never went to jail, but addiction was its own prison nonetheless.


There are some similarities between Peter and the average addict. He was in a hopeless situation. He wasn't getting out of it on his own. He had people who loved him and were praying for him, but he was powerless to help himself. Peter could have continued lying there after his wake-up call. He could have looked around and thought freedom wasn't as easy as getting up and following the Lord.


God doesn't see our situations as helpless the way we do. We choose what we do with the help He sends us. We don't always have the strength on our own to free those chains. I think that is by design so that we can recognize our dependence on Him. Our prisons may look different, but the way to freedom is following the footsteps of the same Savior... no matter what the enemy uses as chains.

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Catalyst Church meets Sundays at 9am and 11am.

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3901 W. Highway 390

Panama City, FL. 32405 

Hope29:11 is a ministry of Catalyst Church, and is a qualified 501 (c)(3) organization. 

 

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Contact Pastor Zach:

zsutton@catalystchurch.us

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