Preserved for a purpose

Acts  12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.  12:2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.  12:3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)  12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.  12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.  12:6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.  12:7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.  12:8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.  12:9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.  12:10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.  12:11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

James one of the twelve apostles and one of the three inner circle of Christ was killed by king Herod. 

But he tried to kill Peter too, but he was delivered by an angel. He was preserved for God’s purpose.

Exodus  1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:  1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.  1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Exodus  2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.  2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.  2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.  2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?  2:8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.  2:9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.  2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

While many sons of the Hebrews were killed in Egypt by the edict of Pharaoh. Moses was kept. He was preserved for a purpose.

The emperor of Rome threw John into boiling oil. He was not burnt, he was preserved, because at Patmos, he would write the book of Revelation. He was preserved for a purpose.

You too have escaped so many things that would have hurt you or take your life. But you are still alive, because you were preserved for a purpose.

 Esther was the queen when the Jew got into serious problem. He been a queen saved the Jews and delivered them from the plot of Hamaan.

Esther  4:13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.  4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Moses brought out the children of Israel from 430 years bondage, that was why he was preserved.

Peter led the church in Jerusalem and wrote the first and second book of Peter, that was why he was preserved.

Apostle John did not born in the hot oil , he was thrown into, because he would write the book of Revelation at Patmos, that was why he was preserved.

God has preserved your life for a purpose that will bless others and bring glory to Him. 

Try and discover why you are still alive at a time like this and fulfill that purpose and bring glory to God.

God preserved Charles Wesley from being burnt in a fire that engulfed their home, because he had something to do for God.

He preached the gospel and wrote about 9000 hymns.

Discover why God has spared your own life and fulfill it.  It will surely bring glory to God.

Isaiah  43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.  43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Let us pray.