JAILBREAK!

Last night as I was laying down to sleep I was reflecting and praying briefly for the upcoming Healing Through Encounter evening we are having at our church and I heard the word “Jailbreak”.  I immediately thought of Paul and Silas and their being released from the shackles as they were praising God (Acts 16).  This morning as I thought back over that word I was reminded of Peter’s miraculous release (Acts 12) and had an interesting thought.  This morning I am going to spend some time reflecting on each story, starting with Peter’s.

Acts 12:5-12 NIV:

[5] “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 

[6] The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. [7] Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 

[8] Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. [9] Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. [10] They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 

[11] Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 

[12] When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.”

Suffice it to say that Peter was in a very difficult situation, and the plan was for his death. He was chained and doubly guarded and locked deep in the dungeon, and chained to two guards. The prayers of the Church were rising to heaven and the Lord, as only He can do, stepped in and freed him so perfectly it seemed like a dream to Peter!  It was so miraculous that even the church couldn’t believe it had happened!   

It seems to me the Lord is saying it doesn’t matter how shackled or burdened or in the clutch of the enemy we are, He is able to set us free in an instant!

The second story is no less miraculous, found in Acts 16:22-31 NIV:

[22] “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. [23] After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. [24] When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 

[25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. [26] Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. [27] The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. [28] But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 

[29] The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. [30] He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 

[31] They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Wow! Again the Lord shows that He is capable of saving us from the most desperate of situations! This time Paul and Silas were praying and worshipping, at midnight, after they had Ben severely beaten, and their feet were in stocks!  

How many of us sing and worship God when we are in dire straits?

What is interesting to me is the immediate response of the jailer, the very one who had imprisoned Paul and Silas, after realizing they hadn’t escaped He immediately asked to be saved!

Suffice it to say that in both instances there was no earthly reason for hope.  But I can tell you that in both instances those in chains and the church were praying anyway, because they knew that with God all things are possible!  Jesus has all authority and all power and has broken the power and hold of sin and death, there is nothing He can’t do, and no place that we are shackled and imprisoned that He can’t set us free!

He is planning a jailbreak and He is inviting us to believe and pray for those that are imprisoned by the enemy!  In some cases that is us!

Let us pursue Him in earnest prayer, in worship, and believe that he is going to do miraculous works, so much so that whole household will receive salvation, and those that hear about it wil be astonished and filled with hope!  Those that are set free will be so transformed it will seem like a dream!!

With God all things are possible, even in the most hopeless of situations!  

Let us believe for freedom!  Freedom from sin, freedom from sickness, freedom from depression, freedom to the mentally afflicted, freedom for the addicted, freedom for the abused, freedom for those in any type of hopeless situation! 

Amen and Amen!