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In the name of the glorious 
Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

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Spirit, forever Amen. 
Glory be to the everlasting 

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mercies which sent you to us, O 
Christ, the light of the world 

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and the life of all. 
Give us wisdom by your law and 

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enlighten our impulses by Your 
knowledge. 

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Sanctify our souls by Your 
truth, and grant that we may be 

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obedient to Your words and may 
fulfil Your commandments at 

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every hour. 
O You who enlightens the 

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rational with the knowledge of 
Your greatness, do enlight, O my

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Lord, our thoughts, that we may 
meditate upon Your holy and 

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divine Scriptures at all times. 
O Lord of all, Father and Son 

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and Holy Spirit, forever. 
Amen. 

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Amongst many instances in the 
Holy Scriptures where answers 

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are given to prayers and we see 
the power of prayer 1 is in Acts

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chapter 12, which we've been 
reading as a series. 

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Now we know it begins with the 
beheading of John and then Saint

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Peter Simon, the rock being 
thrown in the dungeon in the 

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prison. 
And we read and we discussed 

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that the church continued in 
earnest prayer. 

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And when we were discussing 
prayer, we mentioned that we're 

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going to now see the fruit of 
that prayer and the outcome of 

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the prayer as we continue to 
read. 

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So let's continue, beloved. 
And now it's going to be 

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overlapping from last the 
program, but we're going to go 

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back to verse 6 and hopefully to
verses 19. 

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So that's Acts chapter 12, 
verses 6 to 19. 

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And on the very night before the
morning that he was to be 

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delivered, that Simon was to be 
delivered, delivered up while 

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Simon Peter was sleeping between
two soldiers bound with two 

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chains, and others were guarding
the doors of the prison, 

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remember 16 chains. 
The Angel of the Lord stood over

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him, over Simon, and a light 
shone in all the prison. 

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And the Angel touched him on the
side and woke him and said to 

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him, Rise up quickly. 
And the chains fell off from his

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hands. 
The power of prayer. 

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And the Angel said to him, Bind 
your girdle and put on your 

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sandals. 
Be prepared, there's more work 

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to be done, more service. 
And so he did. 

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And again he said to him, put on
your robe and follow me. 

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And he went out and followed the
Angel, not knowing that what was

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done by the Angel was true, but 
thought he saw a vision. 

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When they had passed the 1st and
the second guard, they came to 

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the iron gate, and it opened 
them, I'm sorry, opened to them 

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of its own accord. 
So the gate opened, and when 

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they had gone, Aden had passed 
one steal. 

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The Angel departed from him. 
So after they've gone out of the

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gates, the Angel leaves him. 
And when Simon Peter came to 

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himself, he said, now I surely 
know that the Lord has sent the 

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Angel and has delivered me out 
of the hand of Herod the king. 

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And from all that the Jews were 
conspiring against me. 

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Remember when John's head was 
beheaded, when John was 

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beheaded, the Jews like that, 
the Jews that were not faithful,

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they was still Jews, not 
Christians, not faithful. 

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They liked it and then Herod saw
that oh, this please them. 

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Then he captures Simon. 
There's another outcome of 

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prayer that the Jews were also 
belittled and ridiculed because 

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of what the Angel has done here.
And when he understood, he went 

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to the House of Mary, the mother
of John, whose surname was Mark,

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so that we're talking about John
Mark the the evangelist, because

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many brethren were gathered 
there praying. 

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When he knocked at the door of 
the courtyard, a little girl 

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named Rhoda came out to answer. 
And when she recognized Simon's 

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voice, because of her joy, she 
did not open the door to him, 

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but ran back and said, Behold, 
Simon Peter stands at the gate 

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of the courtyard. 
They said to her, You are crazy 

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here. 
It says excited, but the word is

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crazy. 
She dunted, but she argued that 

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it was so. 
Then they said, perhaps it's his

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Angel. 
But Simon Pitta continued 

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knocking at the door, and they 
went out and saw him, and were 

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astonished, but he motioned to 
them with his hand to keep quiet

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like. 
Then he entered and related to 

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them how the Lord had brought 
him out of the prison. 

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And he said, Tell these things 
to James and to our brother 

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brethren. 
And he went out and departed for

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another place. 
Now when it was morning, there 

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was great tumult among the 
soldiers as to what had become 

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of Simon Peter. 
When Herod had sought him and 

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could not find him, he sentenced
the guards and commanded that 

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they should be put to death. 
That was his trade. 

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And Simon Peter left Judea and 
stayed in Caesarea. 

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So we see Simon being bound, 
being guarded in a prison, and 

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Herod is ready to execute. 
Basically, this is the night 

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before that he was going to wake
up and execute Simon Peter. 

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Now, we don't know what in what 
way, but we, you know, we 

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believe it would have been the 
same trend to behead Simon as 

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well. 
So not knowing, putting 

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ourselves again in Simon's 
position, I wonder what he was 

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going through. 
Totally resigned to the will of 

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God, as we as we discussed in 
other in our other program, 

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totally resigned to the will of 
God and maybe praying and 

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preparing himself to see his 
Lord. 

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But God had other plans, 
beloved. 

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There were prayers being offered
to God that he would be relieved

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and released and God, so he's 
the prayers and the prayers we 

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know were according to God's 
perfect plan, perfect will and 

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perfect timing. 
Because at times we offer 

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prayers and they are not 
answered as we wish. 

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They are not answered the way we
want. 

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They are not answered at the 
time and the the date and the, 

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the, the, the manner we want. 
But God has that, and at times 

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the answer, we've always 
mentioned this is could be a no.

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That is an answer. 
But today we read that the 

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answer to the prayers of the 
church, earnest prayers, earnest

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prayers, was that yes, it 
benefits my will. 

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This is in my plan. 
And I will now show you that the

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effect of your prayers have 
pleased me, and I will show you 

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my wonder. 
He sends an Angel and the Angel 

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wakes him up. 
He pierces him in his side and 

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says get up, up, you're going to
leave. 

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This is not an escape. 
This is not an escape. 

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This is God's wonder for the 
release of Simon from prison. 

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So he tells him to get up, take 
everything, gird yourself, 

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prepare yourself. 
Now, let me ask you a question. 

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When there is a prison break, I 
think there was a film called 

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Prison Break, right? 
Yeah. 

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Prison break. 
Yeah. 

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Do you see the inmates packing 
up everything? 

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Oh, this is my grandmother's 
picture or this is the picture 

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of my dog. 
And, you know, making a little, 

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you know, packing up the 
suitcase and being ready and 

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putting on the the clothes and 
put on the tie. 

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I'm going to leave now. 
No, it's an escape. 

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You just run. 
You run for your life, but the 

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Angel doesn't tell him run for 
your life. 

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He says no, stand up, prepare 
yourself. 

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Again, this is not you're not 
escaping. 

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God is allowing you to be 
released. 

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God is releasing you. 
We cannot escape from our 

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problems, beloved. 
We shouldn't try to escape from 

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our pain, suffering, misery at 
times our sorrow, our 

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persecution. 
We shouldn't as Christians, 

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because our lives are in the 
perfect hands of our Lord Jesus 

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Christ if we have committed 
them. 

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We should await the day of the 
release from God by God. 

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Now, if the release is to blink 
your eye and see yourself in the

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presence of the Lord in the 
Kingdom of heaven or in 

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paradise, praise be to his name.
If the release is from the pain 

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and suffering, praise be to his 
name. 

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This is not a release. 
This is not an escape. 

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This is a release, beloved. 
And he leaves. 

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The soldiers are still asleep. 
He brings him to the gate and 

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Simon is still thinking. 
This must be a vision. 

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Yes, of course, of course. 
Let's not be too hard on the 

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apostles. 
You know, sometimes we point the

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finger. 
Oh, the doubt doubting, Thomas. 

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I don't like that term strictly 
personally speaking. 

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I don't like the term the 
doubting Thomas. 

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No, no, no. 
If Thomas hadn't doubted, if 

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Thomas didn't question you and I
would not have that 

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confirmation, you would not or 
you and I would not have this 

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confirmation that the Lord is 
resurrected and he is Lord, He 

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is God because that's what 
Thomas proclaims. 

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My Lord and my God, let's not be
too harsh on the apostles. 2024 

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years have gone. 
We still struggle accepting and 

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believing the truth that Jesus 
is God. 

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Praise be to his name, Jesus is 
resurrected. 

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Science and and the skeptics are
still trying to find the the 

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bones of Jesus Christ. 
Keep searching bro, keep 

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searching, keep searching. 
Christ is resurrected, so let's 

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not be too harsh on the 
disciples or the apostles. 

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Yes, it was a great thing. 
And and you know, maybe 

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sometimes when we read of the 
angels, we think of those little

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children in the nude fondling 
themselves. 

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I'm sorry to use the language. 
That's how they're being 

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predicted. 
That's how they have been shown.

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But that's not an Angel. 
An Angel is a being, a spiritual

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being with six huge wings. 
With two they cover their faces,

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with two they cover their bodies
and went. 

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With two they they blow wind. 
So this is a huge Angel telling 

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him to go. 
And the light, the whole prison 

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was illuminated and no one was 
waking up except Simon. 

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So sometimes beloved, yes, 
sometimes we don't understand. 

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We think it's surreal. 
We question even is this God? 

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Are you telling me that this is 
God? 

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Well, you know, I don't know. 
It's OK. 

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You don't have to work it out. 
Don't try to work it out. 

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Just as you do not try to escape
from your pain and misery and 

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wait for God's release. 
Don't try to work it out 

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yourself because we get it 
wrong. 

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If not ten out of 10/9 out of 10
times we get it wrong. 

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Wait for God to reveal what is 
plan is what is wonder is when 

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they had come to the gate that 
was taken out to the courtyard. 

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Then Simon realizes that this 
was an Angel and the Lord sent 

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the Angel for me and the Angel 
had departed. 

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So he comes to the house. 
Now a little oral tradition, 

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beloved, which is not wrong. 
Oral tradition is not a rude and

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dirty thing. 
No, no, no. 

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Oral tradition is what the Holy 
Apostolic Universal Church has 

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practiced its faith through, 
including the Holy Scriptures. 

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In oral tradition, there is a 
understanding that both Mary 

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Mark and Rhoda. 
Mary was the wife of Simon, Mark

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was his son, and Rhoda was his 
daughter. 

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Now, yes, we test everything to 
the Holy Scriptures, even the 

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old tradition. 
We're going to test it now and 

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see that these are not what 
exactly the scriptures are 

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saying, just as just as the 
scriptures do not specifically 

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say that, or in the scriptures, 
Jesus does not specifically 

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claim that I am God. 3 words, 
not just I am. 

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I know that, I know that, but I 
am God. 

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But we know that through the 
Scriptures. 

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Jesus is God, praise and glory 
be to his name. 

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Through the scriptures. 
We see that this oral tradition 

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is going a little hand in hand 
with the Scriptures, Mauricio, 

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that the church father writes 
after discipleship, the apostles

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were prevented from marriage, 
not were demanded or commanded 

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to divorce. 
No, no, no, Marriage is sacred. 

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Marriage is sacred. 
I won't go further, I'll contain

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myself. 
That they were prevented from 

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marriage and from worldly care. 
That's what Mauri Shudad writes.

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Yes, and I mean, let me read 
some scriptures. 

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Matthew 1927. 
Look at what Simon asks. 

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Jesus, behold, we have left 
everything and we have come 

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after you. 
What then will happen to us? 

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What does it mean by everything?
Fishing, yes. 

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Boat, yes. 
House, possibly everything, 

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including that relationship that
we had with our immediate family

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as well. 
We have left everything. 

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So when Mauri Shudad writes that
after they were called to 

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discipleship and being apostles,
they were prevented from 

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marriage because they had to 
take care of the church, their 

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bridegroom. 
This also goes hand in hand with

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what Jesus commands in Luke 
chapter 14 verse 26. 

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Whoever comes to me and does not
set apart, not hate, set apart 

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his father and his mother and 
his brother and his sister and 

226
00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,400
his wife and his children and 
even himself. 

227
00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:23,720
He cannot be my disciple, not 
friend or brother or child of 

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00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,720
God. 
Disciple discipleship, 

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00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,440
apostleship requires total 
commitment, beloved. 

230
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:36,160
Hence today the prelates of the 
church do not marry because they

231
00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,240
have been betrothed to the 
church. 

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00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,880
Look at what Saint Paul writes 
in One Corinthians 95. 

233
00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,840
And the fathers here too say 
possibly Paul may have been 

234
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married. 
There's nothing wrong with being

235
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,080
married. 
Yes, I know, Saint Paul says, I 

236
00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,600
wish that everyone would be like
me. 

237
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,520
Maybe he's talking about this. 
Let's have a read. 

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00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:02,720
And why is it illegal for us to 
travel with a wife as other 

239
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:07,560
apostles and as the brothers of 
our Lord and as Simon Possibly 

240
00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:12,160
Saint Paul was also married, but
he gave up all of that and 

241
00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:17,560
followed Jesus Christ. 
Now, whether they were or they 

242
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:23,000
weren't doesn't change the, the,
the wonder of God. 

243
00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,600
But hey, why don't we learn it 
as it was? 

244
00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,920
Why don't we at least have a 
knowledge of what it was, the 

245
00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:35,120
truth, and not just something 
plucked out of the air or what I

246
00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,720
think, how I believe, what I 
feel. 

247
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:39,760
I'm not concerned about what you
feel. 

248
00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,840
You shouldn't be concerned about
what I feel, what I believe, how

249
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,640
I see it. 
No, no, we see it through the 

250
00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,240
Scriptures and the frame of the 
church. 

251
00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,640
So let's go back to Simon. 
Simon returns home. 

252
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:55,280
Why? 
Well, he returned home to tell 

253
00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:59,800
of God's wonder for him, just as
Jesus commanded that young man 

254
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,680
who is demon possessed. 
He wanted to follow Jesus 

255
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,720
Christ. 
He said no, Go and tell your 

256
00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,720
family, your friends. 
Go and tell everyone what the 

257
00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,200
Lord has done to you. 
Go and tell those who are in the

258
00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,079
faith. 
Go and encourage those who are 

259
00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:15,520
in the faith. 
That's why he, he, he, he 

260
00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,200
gestures with his hand. 
Don't say anything. 

261
00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,480
I have something to tell you. 
We're going to talk about that. 

262
00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:26,000
Jesus commands in Luke 12. 
Three, Everything that you will 

263
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,800
say in darkness shall be heard 
in the light, and whatever you 

264
00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:37,280
whispered in the ear, in an 
inner chamber, in a room will be

265
00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:41,480
preached on the rooftops. 
One of the most fruitful and 

266
00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:48,120
beneficial thing we can do when 
God works wonders in our lives 

267
00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:53,880
for His glory in any way, shape 
or form is to tell it to others 

268
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,200
within the faith in humility. 
In humility. 

269
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:05,920
Verse 14, Simon returns and his 
voice is only heard. 

270
00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:12,480
And Rhoda, accepting that she 
may have been his daughter, was 

271
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:16,520
so excited, beloved to the 
effect that she doesn't even 

272
00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,720
open the door. 
It's like when someone important

273
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,120
is coming or someone that you 
haven't seen for so long. 

274
00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:27,680
And after 1520, thirty years, 
you know the story, the story of

275
00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,040
the Assyrian people's lives 
being distant and taken away 

276
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,000
from parents, from brothers 
after 30s. 

277
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,240
You know, sometimes you see 
these videos on, on social media

278
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:41,880
waiting for my sister, haven't 
seen her for 30 years, for 30 

279
00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,360
years, right? 
So, so they, they start 

280
00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,480
attending or they, they, they 
appear and then you see them 

281
00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,920
through the window and then 
they're at the door and you're 

282
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:51,920
saying, Oh my God, she's here, 
She's here. 

283
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:53,800
And then your mom will say, oh, 
your friend, we'll open the 

284
00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,400
door, go and open the door. 
It's so joyous. 

285
00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:02,360
You see, God's work. 
The answer to prayers is so 

286
00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:06,200
joyous. 
Beloved, you know when we when 

287
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,920
God answers our prayers, at 
times how we've asked and at 

288
00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:15,200
times according to His perfect 
dual timing and manner, a we 

289
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:20,600
must be ecstatic. 
We must be overjoyed when God 

290
00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,600
doesn't answer our prayers the 
way we want and when God's 

291
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,760
answer is a no, that must bring 
joy to our hearts. 

292
00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,400
Why? 
Because God has actually 

293
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:35,960
acknowledged me, God has 
actually heard me for him to 

294
00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:40,360
say, for example, no or not like
this, not right now. 

295
00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:46,760
And she went to bear good news. 
She also went and this would be 

296
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:51,960
to prepare, to prepare these 
people, beloved, you know, isn't

297
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:56,800
it amazing that the bearers of 
good news in the Scriptures in 

298
00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:01,080
this instance and another 
instance are female? 

299
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:08,640
Right, a female God loves male 
and female, beloved. 

300
00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:13,720
All right, Mary Magdalene John 
20, who told of the resurrection

301
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:19,040
and Rhoda here tells of it's 
Simon, it's him, it's him. 

302
00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,680
Now you may say, well, why 
didn't she say it's Dad? 

303
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:27,160
Well, because because of the 
apostleship that Simon was 

304
00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:31,120
brought, called to and assigned 
to, the whole family was 

305
00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:35,040
affected, Beloved. 
The whole family had to adhere 

306
00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,960
to that calling. 
Verses 15 and 16, we read that 

307
00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,360
when she tells them it's Simon's
voice. 

308
00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,600
I know you know that's my dad's 
voice. 

309
00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,800
I know my dad's voice, right? 
It's Simon's voice. 

310
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,080
They thought she was crazy. 
They said that you're crazy. 

311
00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:55,520
Well, in this world, that's how 
people who love the Lord God and

312
00:20:55,520 --> 00:21:00,600
His Son Jesus the Christ and 
submit to His Holy Spirit are 

313
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,320
perceived as crazy. 
But that's OK. 

314
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:10,160
We will be crazy for God. 
We will receive any title, any 

315
00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,920
ridicule, any misnomers for our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

316
00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:19,760
You know why Simon told us. 
Beloved, listen to this for us 

317
00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:25,800
to be littled, to go down, to be
humbled, for Christ to be 

318
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,680
exalted. 
If I'm going to be called crazy,

319
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:36,160
stupid, non realistic, and my 
Lord is going to be glorified, 

320
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,920
praise be to his name. 
I'll take it any day, beloved, 

321
00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,040
because in Two Corinthians 
chapter 5, verses 13 to 14, 

322
00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:50,080
Saint Paul writes for if we have
lost our mind, it is for God. 

323
00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,640
If we are of sound mind, it is 
for you. 

324
00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,520
For the love of Christ controls 
us. 

325
00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:01,920
Whatever we go through, whatever
we receive, we receive for God. 

326
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,440
So they called her crazy. 
She didn't come back. 

327
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,160
And you know, started arguing. 
No, no, no, don't call me crazy.

328
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,000
No, no, she said, I know, I 
know. 

329
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,480
It's Simon's voice. 
Because there was going to be an

330
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:18,400
amazing news that Simon was 
going to give any, you know, the

331
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,600
scriptures tell us that he told 
them about what happened. 

332
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,840
Saint John Chrysostom writes, 
even if people think we are mad,

333
00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:28,120
everything is for the glory of 
God, Amen. 

334
00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,040
Everything for the glory. 
Do everything for the glory of 

335
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:36,720
God, even persecution. 
Because remember 1 Corinthians 

336
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,480
127. 
It is the weak, it is the 

337
00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:41,680
foolish, and I'll keep going. 
It is the crazy. 

338
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,640
It is those, those who are seen 
to be out of their minds that 

339
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,440
God uses to ridicule those who 
think they are something, but 

340
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:54,760
they are not. 
So he told them about his Angel.

341
00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,200
See that Angel was sent for 
Simon. 

342
00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,360
And who is that Angel, beloved? 
Yes, guardian Angel. 

343
00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,720
We all have guardian angels. 
Yes, there is a guardian Angel. 

344
00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,520
And people can give a lot of 
testimonies about how they've 

345
00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:11,200
been experienced. 
Something like seeing someone 

346
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,120
and then turn around and that 
person was not there. 

347
00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:15,360
Well, that could be your Angel. 
St. 

348
00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:18,440
Paul says, you know, some have 
entertained angels without them 

349
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,840
knowing. 
This would have been Simon's 

350
00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:28,600
guardian Angel. 
He just gestures in silence. 

351
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,440
But look at what he says. 
No vain glory. 

352
00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,200
He didn't go telling, though. 
He didn't go knock on the door. 

353
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,000
Let me tell you what God did for
me. 

354
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,600
Let me tell you what God has 
done for me. 

355
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,240
Many people have experiences. 
They claim they've had visions 

356
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,440
and they want to tell the world 
and I want to, you know, 

357
00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,600
sometimes it's in pride as well.
We got to be careful. 

358
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,320
Satan can use that. 
You know, the way you measure a 

359
00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:55,160
person's experience with Christ,
the way you can measure whether 

360
00:23:55,320 --> 00:24:01,720
that vision, that experience is 
true, is when you see a life 

361
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,480
change in that person. 
When the person's life has 

362
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,960
changed and the person is 
witnessing to you and telling 

363
00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,560
you that that person has an 
experience with with Jesus 

364
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,280
Christ and the life has changed 
and you can experience it and 

365
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,320
you can witness it. 
You can see it, then that is 

366
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:25,080
genuine because you cannot see 
Jesus Christ and continue to 

367
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,240
live a life of debauchery, 
immorality. 

368
00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:31,440
You cannot praise God and say 
God bless when you have no 

369
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,080
relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ. 

370
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:38,200
That's only service, beloved and
he wasn't after Vainglory. 

371
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,000
He says go and tell James and 
the brothers because they need 

372
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,240
to be also encouraged. 
We can encourage each other too.

373
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,640
Let's encourage one another. 
You know, sometimes testimonies,

374
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,560
there has been some powerful 
testimonies. 

375
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,840
I have to mention my brother 
Shasha Shane, Deacon Shane in 

376
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,600
Australia. 
He has an amazing testimony of 

377
00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,160
what he went through before he 
came to the Lord. 

378
00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:06,320
And he, he presented the 
testimony in 2000, 1006, I think

379
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,200
2006 youth conference, I think 
it was in Chicago. 

380
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:16,080
No, 2008, maybe 2010. 
Yeah. 

381
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,520
And he brought people to tears 
and he received a standing 

382
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,000
ovation for the glory of God. 
Yes, some people have amazing 

383
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,680
testimonies. 
Don't hold those testimonies. 

384
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:29,520
Don't hold them. 
It's not for you. 

385
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:33,200
It's for the glory of God and he
wanted to tell everyone. 

386
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,640
Verse 19, we read of the poor 
soldiers and there's a question 

387
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:39,400
there. 
Why would God do this? 

388
00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,480
Like it's always, why would God,
you know, people don't believe 

389
00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,200
in God because why would God do 
this? 

390
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:45,680
Why would God? 
Well, no, no, you got to look 

391
00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:47,440
into it a little. 
You got to study it a little 

392
00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,720
bit. 
Do you think that they were 

393
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,720
executed because of Simon? 
Was it Simon's fault? 

394
00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,320
No, it wasn't. 
No. 

395
00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:58,280
Why did Herod execute the 
soldiers? 

396
00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:02,440
Well, like grandfather, like 
grandson? 

397
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,600
It was possibly because he felt 
that he was mocked. 

398
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,680
Remember his grandfather, he 
felt that he was mocked by the 

399
00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:13,960
wise men in Matthew 216 when he 
asked to find the king so that 

400
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,320
he would go and also worship 
him. 

401
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,640
No, no, no, that was a that was 
a lie. 

402
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,720
He wanted to get to the king 
because he felt threatened. 

403
00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,880
What another king, he wanted to 
destroy, he want to execute, he 

404
00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:30,280
want to kill Jesus totally 
opposite to Christ when he was 

405
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,960
being mocked, totally opposite 
to Christ's reaction. 

406
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,840
Matthew 2731. 
And when they had mocked him, 

407
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,520
they stripped him of the robe 
and clothed him in the garments 

408
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:47,600
and led him to be crucified. 
They mocked him and what was 

409
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,040
what came out of Jesus, Jesus 
mouth? 

410
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,680
Father, forgive them for they do
not know what they're doing. 

411
00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,720
These were his words hanging on 
the cross, beloved. 

412
00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,160
So back to Herod. 
It was because of his, this 

413
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,400
would be hero we can call 
because he felt mocked. 

414
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,360
And that's why he then executed 
the soldiers. 

415
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,520
He searched the scripture. 
Say that he's searched. 

416
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,520
He asked. 
He examined what happened. 

417
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,400
They saw the chains. 
He saw the chains. 

418
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:20,160
Now, if they had undone the 
chains, beloved, why would they 

419
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:21,480
do that? 
Because they knew they were 

420
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,920
going to be persecuted and 
executed. 

421
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,280
They saw that the chains had 
been gone. 

422
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,480
His sandals were gone, His 
garment was gone as well. 

423
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:36,040
Why would the would the the 
soldiers have concealed all of 

424
00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:41,280
this? 
Why would they not try to defend

425
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,800
themselves by lying? 
They didn't. 

426
00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:46,120
They didn't say anything. 
So it was because of his 

427
00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:49,120
wickedness. 
It wasn't because God sent an 

428
00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:55,520
Angel to release Simon from evil
and they also received evil. 

429
00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,280
No, it was because of Herod's 
wickedness. 

430
00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:03,320
So before we ask, where is God, 
Why God? 

431
00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:09,120
No, no, no, we must ask why 
people, why men are so distant 

432
00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:12,600
from God to the point that they 
will commit any evil, any 

433
00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:16,600
wickedness, without even 
thinking twice, to the point of 

434
00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,640
killing people. 
So this became clear, beloved, 

435
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,240
that these men died because of 
the wickedness of Herod. 

436
00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,760
At the same time we saw the 
wonder of God. 

437
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:35,760
See in one scenario through 1 
circumstance in life, God can 

438
00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:40,320
work many different scenarios. 
God will bring many different 

439
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,560
wonders beloved, only if we like
Simon Rest. 

440
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,200
Remember he was in the in in not
in the hospital. 

441
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,360
He was in the prison. 
He slept this that he knew that 

442
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,280
is is is probably going to be 
persecuted. 

443
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,400
This was this is what he was 
thinking, but it didn't he 

444
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,760
didn't fret. 
I purse, I'm persecuted. 

445
00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,600
Great, I'll be with the Lord 
Jesus told me beforehand. 

446
00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,520
This is what's going to happen 
to me if God then releases me. 

447
00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:08,040
Praise and glory be to his name.
So let's be that, Simon, 

448
00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:12,840
beloved, in any circumstance, in
life, any circumstance, remember

449
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,200
our lives are in the hand of God
if we have submitted them. 

450
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,160
Some people take them away from 
God, yes, they do what they want

451
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to do That's fine, that's free 
will. 

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00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,840
That's the love of God again. 
But when we have submitted to 

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00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:28,400
God, rest assured and wait. 
God will work many wonders 

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00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:32,320
through what you are going for, 
His glory and for the salvation 

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00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,600
of souls. 
Praise and glory be to His name,

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00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:36,000
now and at all times and 
forever. 

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00:30:01,940 --> 00:30:03,940
We hope you enjoyed this week's 
message. 

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00:30:03,980 --> 00:30:07,180
Please don't forget to rate and 
review this podcast and share 

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00:30:07,180 --> 00:30:10,540
with your friends and family. 
For any future topic suggestions

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00:30:10,540 --> 00:30:13,980
or to give us detailed feedback,
please visit our link in the 

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00:30:13,980 --> 00:30:18,380
show notes. 
Linktr dot EE forward slash 

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00:30:18,460 --> 00:30:21,420
double edged sword. 
Until next time, God bless you 

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00:30:21,420 --> 00:30:21,660
all.