The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-31
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR APRIL II.

MENTs FOR APRIL II.
Subject: Peter Delivered From Pri.
son, Acts 12:1-11-Golden Text,
Psalm S4:7-Exposition of the.
Lesson and Lesson Comments.
TIME.-A. D. A. PLACE.-Je.
rusalem.
EXPOSITION. Peter in Prison
and the Church Praying Unto God
For Him, 1-5. The lull in IL ; perse-
cution was but temporary. It began
again with great 1erceness. James
was killed and Peter arrested, put in
prison and about to be killed. Peter
seemed to be in a very perilous posi-.
ton - securely locked in a Roman
prison, bound with two chains be.
tween two soldiers, guarded by SIX
teen soldiers, keepers before the door
guarding the prison. Peters enemies
seemed to have taken every precau-
ton, but they made one fatal mis-
take, they left God out Of their calcu- I
lations. There is nothing too hard
for the Lord" nor for the church
that links itself on to God by prayer.
God often withholds His d~eliverance
and answers prayer at the last no. (
ment. What should the church do?
There Is but one thing to do-pray.
They appealed the case from "Herod
the king" to God, the King Of kings.
Peter seemed to have faith that he
would be delivered, for he was calm
ly and very soundly sleeping. Just
as soon as he was thoroughly awake
he said: Now I know of a truth that
the Lord did send forth His angel
(just as I have been asking Him to)
and delivered me-" Verse s teaches
US just how to pray. (1) Unto
God" Much so-called prayer is not
unto God. There is no real coming
into the presence Of God and actually
presenting u petition to Him, There
are volumes in these two short words. I
unto God" (2) Without ceas-
ing" The r. v. gives the thought
but not the full thought. The Greek
word means, literally, "stretched-out-
eddy" 1t is a vivid pictorial word
that represents the soul on q stretch
with intensity Of desire (cf. Jer. 30:
10Y. IL 10, IuS WOlu uoCo VI SntioI -
prayer in the garden, when in the in
telsity of His prayer His sweat was
Us it were great drops of blood fall
ing down to the ground (Luke 22:4
A; CT. Rom. 1890; Col. 4:12, 10.
r. w.. go "Of the church" There
Is power in the prayer of the indiyid-
ual, but there is added power, yes,
multiplied power, in united prayer
(Matt. 1919, 20; Acts ia; 4:24ss
81. "a For him. They did not
wander all over the world In their
prayers that night; they concentrated
their prayer on Peter and on getting
him out of prison.
H.. Prayer Answered and Peter
Free, Gil. Gods angels are most
likely to appear in times OF greatest
need. A heavenly light shined in the
gloomy cell. A prison cell is a dark
and dismal place, but no place Is
more luminous than a prison cell
when the angel of the Lord stands
there. Gods angels are very uncere-
monfeus. HE smote Peter on the
side and awoke him." Sharp blows
are often more loving than gentle
lullabys. 1t is frequently necessary
to rudely awaken a man before he
can be delivered from his peril. Gods
orders demand prompt obedience ".
y. Peter could not take his chains
off from himself, but he could grid
himself and bind on his sandals
when the chains were on ~. 81.
What Peter could do for himself he
must himself do. Peter had gotten
80 much into the habit Of obeying
God that he did it even in his sleep,
or at least when he was only half
awake and thought he was asleep.
If Peter had been like many OF US he
would have stopped long before they
got to the iron gate and debated with
the angel how they were to get
through it. But he had more sense
and did just as he vas told and left
the how" with God. When he got
to the gate it "opened of its own &C.
cord" but not until they/got to It.
If we Just obey God difficulties viii
disappear when we get to them.
III. Believing Rhoda and the On.
believing Church. 1917. The com.
pany had come together to pray Tor
Peters deliverance. God, as might
be expected, heard their prayer and
sent the answer around to the meet.
ing (cf. Is. 65:24). But they were
completely bewildered by the answer
when it came. They were sure that
It could not be Peter. Rhoda must be
crazy. If Rhoda is not crazy, then IT
must be his ghost and not Peter
himself ". 15). Perhaps they
thought he had been executed in the
night. But Rhoda had faith. she
seems to have been expecting Peter,
AS soon as there was a rap at the
door she was on her feet and at the
door listening. The moment she
heard Peters voice she knew 1t was
he, it was just what she expected.
Even though they told her she was
crazy, she stuck to it still. She was
only a maid" (R. w., but she is the
only one in that praying company
whose name the Holy Spirit mas
thought worthy to put on record<
There were presumably church dign1.
taries there, but hone Of them are
mentioned. Rhoda alone Is named,
She had faith and she alone counted,
That Rose" (Rhoda) had sweet fra.
GRANGE with God. The unbelief OF
the rest seems all the more unac;
countable when we remember how
Peter had once before this been mir
aculously delivered from prison (ch.
5:19). Peter kept right on knock.
ing. That is the best way to treat
unbelief - just keep hammerlng