Herod discovered that Peter had been freed and he executed the guards.

Acts 12:18-19

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
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“Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.” Acts 12:18

An angel of the Lord had freed Peter from prison [Acts 12:6-7] and he went to a house filled with Christians [Acts 12:12-15] then departed from there to go someplace else [Acts 12:17]. In the morning after Peter was freed, all the soldiers wondered what had happened to Peter.

Those of today’s culture are tasked with keeping tabs on we who serve Jesus Christ to make sure His Gospel does not escape into their community networks. They are the atheistic soldiers serving the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. By what they are given to say and do they oppose God the Creator, reject the need for Jesus Christ, and oppose the presence of the Holy Spirit. There is no small stir among the soldiers when a Christian is free to spread the Good News through the community.

This would be like a teacher all of sudden teaching the values of the Bible in the classroom although Bible teaching is prohibited within the schools. Or would be like Christians all of sudden appearing on public street corners, parks, etc. sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ although city ordinances prohibit such practices. That would cause no small stir among those assigned to restrain the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.” Acts 12:19

Judea is a region surrounding Jerusalem. “JUDEA”, on the map below, is circled in red towards the bottom. Caesarea is a specific coastal port city and is circled in red towards the top. After having the guards executed, Herod went from the region of Judea to the city of Caesarea.

The Holy Spirit wants us to be aware that the governors of this atheistic world deals severely with those who do not serve them as required. Those governors keep a distance from the “dirty work” as they find refuge in the image of economic prosperity for all. Caesarea, where Herod went, was a port city, meaning it was an economic hub of imports and exports.

Today, the governing leaders and their community culture live to serve the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. If those of the community do not keep restraints on the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they are met with severe consequences from those governing over them. In many countries around the world, death is a literal consequence of allowing the Good News to spread from person to person. In other countries, that death comes in the form of being cut off from social approval, meaning employment problems, financial restraints, housing insecurity, relationships souring, not having any way to receive health care services etc.

While people suffer severe consequences from governing officials for being lenient on the way of Jesus Christ, the governing authorities find refuge in the image of economic prosperity. The constant “rhetoric” of public officials relate to economic prosperity, raising minimum wage, lower taxes, lower inflation, affordability, and on and on. They depart any situation or image that exposes them as having blood on their hands. Even so, they are those who cause the churches to abandon the gospel of Jesus Christ to partner with the community agenda. They are those who eliminate the values of the Bible from government laws, policies, and executive orders. They are those who prohibit the Bible to be taught within the the educational system. They are those who make the Gospel of Christ unwelcomed in every sector of society.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11