When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he interrogated the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea [Maritima] and spent some time there. Now Herod [Agrippa I] was extremely angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and their delegates came to him in a united group, and after persuading Blastus, the king’s chamberlain [to support their cause], they asked for peace, because their country was fed by [imports of grain and other goods from] the king’s country. On an appointed day Herod dressed himself in his royal robes, sat on his throne (tribunal, rostrum) and began delivering a speech to the people. The assembled people kept shouting, “It is the voice of a god and not of a man!” And at once an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory [and instead permitted himself to be worshiped], and he was eaten by worms and died [five days later]. But the word of the Lord [the good news about salvation through Christ] continued to grow and spread [increasing in effectiveness]. Barnabas and Saul came back from Jerusalem when they had completed their mission, bringing with them John, who was also called Mark. [Acts 11:28-30]
Read Acts 12
Share
Compare All Versions: Acts 12:19-25
3 Days
It's easy to be overwhelmed by evil in the world—wars, political violence, sickness, and personal conflicts remind us we are not in control. But there is a God who is. In Acts 12, everything seems to be going wrong for the church, until God demonstrates his power to save. Join Jack for three days in Acts 12, and remember we have a good King in heaven, we need a heavenly perspective, and God uses our prayers to change the world.
5 Days
Our chaotic world often compels us to cry out to God for help and plead for change. Join Taylor Turkington, author of "Trembling Faith," in this five-day devotional inviting you to pray alongside the distressed prophet Habakkuk as you survey the brokenness in your own experiences. It also encourages you to place your faith in God who loves justice and has promised all will be eventually made right when Jesus returns to rule and reign forever.
Sometimes it seems like God is failing. The same was true for those first disciples too. This 5-day plan will take you through a time when it looked like God’s kingdom promises just weren’t coming true, through the lens of Acts 12. It continues our journey through the book of Acts, the Bible’s gripping sequel of Jesus at work in the life of his followers as he expands his kingdom to the ends of the earth. It’s a journey on what it means to be a Christian. It’s a story in which you have a role to play.
For me, one of the most fascinating areas to explore when I was writing Seeing the Supernatural was the existence of angels. I wanted to go far beyond cartoon depictions to delve into the most important questions about angelic beings. What are they, exactly? What are they capable of doing? How do they interact with us? How can they encourage us in our faith? That’s the subject of this five-day reading plan. It’s a journey through the biblical evidence for celestial spirits and their impact on us. —Lee Strobel
Save verses, read offline, watch teaching clips, and more!
Home
Bible
Plans
Videos