Feeling Persecuted?

     Do you ever feel like the world is against you?  That no matter what you do it never seems to be enough?  Do you feel persecuted for who you are, how you believe, or maybe as a minority?  The best place to turn is to God.  He knows how you feel and why. .
     When the Christian church began, it seemed like everyone was against them:  denominations, religious sects, and kings (politics).  Believers were being killed because they would not renounce Jesus.  Even the original 12 were beginning to be killed.  In the end of their story, only one was not martyred.
     We are at the point where Peter was in prison.  The politicians seemed to fear the miracles that followed him, so they chained him to four guards until the Passover was done.  At that point, he would go to court.  While everyone was celebrating the religious holiday, the church came together to pray for Peter.
     It was the night before Peter's trial and he was sleeping peacefully.  An angel came to wake him.  The angel removed the chains from Peter and told Peter to follow him.  Peter obeyed and walked right out of the jail without being seen or detected as missing.  The whole time he thought he was having a vision or in a dream.  Once he was out, the angel left him and it was like Peter woke up.
     Peter went to the house where the church was praying for him.  He knocked on the door and a servant girl, Rhonda, went to answer.  She heard his voice and was so excited that she left him outside to go tell the others.  Once he got in, they had to be quiet.  It would have been dangerous for everyone for him to be caught there. (Acts 12:1-19)

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, “It’s his angel.” ¹⁶ Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.  ¹⁷ Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Tell these things to James and the brothers,” he said, and he left and went to another place.  ¹⁸ At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there."  Acts 12: 15-19 (CSB)