OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: TUESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2026 TOPIC: FEAR GOD, PART 1 MEMORIZE: "But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies." 2 Kings 17:39 (KJV) BIBLE READING: PSALM 112:1-9 1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. MESSAGE: The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10); therefore, anyone who does not fear God is not wise. He is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29), and those who do not fear Him are truly foolish because even a mad dog fears fire. Psalm 111:10 also means that those who fear God become wise. Apart from wisdom, however, there are many other benefits to fearing God, and today's Bible reading outlines many of them. One of the benefits is that the seed of a person who fears God will be mighty upon the earth (Psalm 112:2). That same verse also tells us that the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Psalm 112:3 says that you will have access to wealth and riches when you fear God. Also, Psalm 112:7 says that you will not be afraid of evil tidings. People who fear God do not need to be afraid of anything because He will deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies and everything that can harm them. Those who do not fear God will find it easy to commit sins, and this can bring a curse upon them and their descendants. For example, Gehazi's lack of fear for the Lord caused him and his descendants to become carriers of the leprosy that was previously upon Naaman (2 Kings 5:20-27). Whenever a person acts in a way that shows that he or she does not fear God, such a person robs his or her children of the opportunity to be great and exposes them to curses rather than blessings. Joab was another person whose lack of fear for the Lord brought curses upon his lineage. In (2 Samuel 3:27-29), the Bible details how he tricked Abner and murdered him in cold blood. When David heard about it, he placed a curse on Joab's lineage that sicknesses, leprosy, poverty, weakness, and untimely death would befall Joab's family and his descendants. People who do not fear God purchase trouble for their children. Beloved, if you want your future and that of your children to be glorious, you need to have the fear of God in you. If you're going to have peace of mind in your old age, you must fear God. The reason I am sure that my tomorrow and those of my children will be alright is that I fear the Lord. I pray that your life and those of your descendants will be filled with blessings and not curses, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: The fear of the Lord guarantees God's blessings for you and your lineage. AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 5 - 8 HYMNAL 7 - I AM THINE O LORD 1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to Thee. REFRAIN: Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side. 2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the pow'r of grace divine; let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain] 3 O, the pure delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend, when I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain] 4 There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea; there are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain] PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL. Tuesday 25th August 2026 FEAR GOD, Part 1 ‎ ‎PRAYER POINTS 1.God of all wisdom and might, the One who made the heavens and earth with no pillars in between; You laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed 2.Father, the earth and the fullness thereof is in Your care, and by You we have the fullness of life through Christ Jesus. 3.Father, by Your wisdom You made the sun to rule the day, and the moon and stars to rule the night. The heavens declare Your glory, and the firmament shows Your handywork. 4.Father, please help me to fear You, and to walk in complete obedience to Your word, so I can become wiser, in Jesus' name. 5.Father, please help me to walk in Your fear, so I can be delivered out of the hands of all my enemies, in Jesus' name. 6.Father, please help me to walk in holiness and in Your righteousness so it will become practically impossible for me to commit sin, in Jesus' name. 7.Father, please help me to fear You so I won't miss the opportunity to be great and be exposed to blessings rather than curses, in Jesus' name. 8.Father, please help me not to purchase trouble for my children for lack of fear for You, in Jesus' name. 9.Father, please put Your fear in me so my children and I will have a glorious future, and peace of mind in my old age, and in Jesus' name. 10.Father, please let my life and those of my descendants be filled with blessings and not curses, in Jesus' name. 11.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. ‎ Help him to abide in Your fear for the rest of his life, till You come again in glory, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name ‎ ‎12.Father, please bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, with wisdom and favour. Answer all his prayers beyond measure, and all those who have been broadcasting them, in Jesus' name. ‎ ‎13.Father, please let every challenge and temptations, hindrance and obstacles of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus name. ‎ ‎14.Your personal petitions. ‎(Philippians 4:6) ‎ ‎15.In Jesus name I pray. ‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16) ‎ ‎#Godblessournation ‎

One day I was praying to God and it that prayer I asked God to provide food for those that have nothing to eat. I went outside after the prayer and not up to 5min an hawk swop down and picked a chick out of the chickens I rared. I got so mad at the what just took place. I sat quietly down still and angry when God whispered quietly in my spirit “the birds of the air neither sow nor reap. I feed them! you prayed for food to be provided to those who had nothing to eat, the bird was hungry and I answered your prayer by providing it food. I am the God of all creation and I care for all my creation.” I praised God and prayed to always trust His answers to my prayers even if it’s not in the way I expect.

If GOD was evil you would meet GOD on day one after puberty... Since GOD is Holy you need to be Holy to meet GOD and also cannot become mad...

Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse 35 Vengeance is mine and recompense, their foot shall slip in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things to come hasten upon them. See that vengeance belongs to the Lord. He doesn’t want us to take matters into our own hands. He wants us to put our hands together and talk to him about what’s going on. He is the one that has vengeance. He’s the only one that gets to righteous anger the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God yes, we can get mad at people sending we can get mad for righteous reasons, but our human body has a tendency of taking that anger and doing something with it. That’s not godly that’s why we are told to be slow to wrath slow to speak and now it says their foot should slip in due time that does not mean that that vengeance comes immediately. This actually shows the opposite. God‘s vengeance will come at the right time at the right place so instead of harboring resentment pray for peace forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing forgiveness frees you from hatred, anger, and allows you to love your enemies, just as Jesus loved us

Lifeline Today Wednesday August 19 Anger Gives Wrong Label Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NLT) Anger is not sinful. It becomes a sin when it gets uncontrollable. Anger is usually manifested in a couple of ways. It can explode through lashing out at others, or it can implode inside you when you push it down and stuff it. Anger causes wrong labels because it narrows our focus. It makes us judge people or situations too fast. We see only the bad things. We miss the truth. A temporary frustration can give you a permanent, unfair label like "you are toxic," "selfish," or "stupid". A person is usually measured by the size of whatever it takes to make such mad. He is seen as completely bad instead of just human. Therefore, remember God’s Word in Ephesians 4:26 that says: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” meaning: resolve every issue before the day is over. If your anger is prolonged for just two days, it has turned into sin. This is your day. Wisdom Fountain: "Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind." Prayer: Lord, I pray You calm my heart and quiet my mind. When anger rises, give me the supernatural grace to pause, breathe, and choose self-control. Guard my lips from harsh words, replace my frustration with Your patience, and help me see every situation through Your eyes in Jesus' name.

Acts 26: "1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. 30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: 31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar."

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 15 A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters! “Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?” 1 Samuel 21:15 David is running for his life and ends up in Gath. There’s just one problem… THEY RECOGNISE HIM. So David quickly comes up with a survival plan. Disguise himself? Sneak away? Hide somewhere? Nope. HE PRETENDS TO BE COMPLETELY MAD. He scratches marks on the doors. He lets saliva run down his beard. The servants bring him before King Achish, who takes one look at David and basically says: “DO YOU REALLY THINK MY PALACE DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH CHAOS ALREADY?! WHY ARE YOU BRINGING ME MORE CRAZY?!” In fact, Achish’s actual words are almost as funny: “Am I so short of madmen…?” Basically: “Gentlemen, my crazy department is FULL. We are NOT accepting new applicants.” PALACE VACANCIES Madmen required POSITIONS FILLED. ✅ Context still matters! David wasn’t simply behaving strangely for a laugh. He was frightened for his life and pretended to be insane so Achish wouldn’t regard him as a threat. There’s actually something beautiful underneath this bizarre episode. David looked ridiculous. He was frightened. His circumstances were completely out of control. But God still brought him through. Sometimes deliverance doesn’t look quite like we imagined it would. But still… Somewhere around three thousand years ago, an exasperated king essentially looked at his staff and said: “I HAVE ENOUGH CRAZY AROUND HERE ALREADY!” And honestly… some sentences are timeless.

FOOLISH JEWS The Jews are foolishly being deceived by themselves and the Devil to run with the old agreement or old covenant patterns that have been fulfilled in the personality of the Messiah that came and they failed to realize it which was why they were dispersed and trampled upon all over the world(Luke 21:20 - 24,20:16,17,18,19,Mark 13:2) God's ultimate plan is for the universal church on earth to have a unified worship in Israel but the reality is that the Jews are still foolish fools who read the scriptures without understanding which was why God called them DENSE(Matthew 23) for they have eyes to see but do not see and have ears to hear but do not hear. They are blind guards. The Holy Scriptures in Isaiah 55:5 says,"You shall call a nation you do not know and nations who do not know you shall run to you because of the LORD your YHWH for HE has glorified you(God coming as human in flesh to bestow all what it takes) and verse 3/4 says," Incline your ears and come to ME(Leaving the old covenant and modernizing and upgrading).Hear, and your soul shall live; and I (YHWH) will make an everlasting covenant (New Covenant that is only on Christ the Messiah alone and no other) the sure mercies of David (Matthew 2:1-6, check chapter 1 on genealogy) with you which is the sure mercies of David(which is the plan from of old because even David could not keep the laws but walked in fleshly lusts and sin).I Indeed I(YHWH) have given HIM (CHRIST or Yahshua)as a witness to the people.A leader and commander for the people". The truth was that Christ prophesied about the dispersions, pulling down of Jerusalem and coming back plus the failures and the successes if the truth is realized that God cannot go back to the old method to give the Jews power and protection but only gathering and taking care of the universal church rather than Rome,the Idolatrous. Yahshuanisim is the only survival for the Jews as most of the talks of Jesus Christ are prophecies of that time and present but they thought that HE was raving mad but part of those words have come to pass. The curses declared by the Master are prophecies and every word HE uttered were fullfiled. Some thought that HIS curses,for example to that woman HE called a dog shouldn't be, but that woman knew so to be true, for she was truly a dog(metaphorically and spiritually Matt 15:25,27). Jews think that the way they want and go is the way God wanted them to go without realizing that they should have been the Body that gathers all diverse believers of non denominational believers for the Time for all in Christ the Messiah which was why a space was provided in the old pattern or old covenant temple for gentiles and when Jews realize this then that's when a new wave of universal outbreak in Yahshanism will expand. Jerusalem or Israel should be a kingdom like America but unlike it in impurity meant to gather Yahshuans (believers in the Messiah Yah is My Ishua(Yahshua, Immanuel, Jesus Christ, Yeshua or whatever the name of the Son of Man is called) from all over the world together, which is the Rome of our Time or of the current time.

God-Given Faith Read Hebrews 11:1-11. I believe that there is only one way to all the treasures of God, and that is the way of faith. By faith and faith alone do we enter into a knowledge of the attributes and become partakers of the beatitudes, and participate in the glories of our ascended Lord. All His promises are Yea and Amen to them that believe. God would have us come to Him by His own way. That is through the open door of grace. A way has been made. It is a beautiful way, and all His saints can enter in by this way and find rest. God has prescribed that the just shall live by faith. I find that all is failure that has not its base on the rock Christ Jesus. He is the only way, the truth and the life. The way of faith is the Christ way, receiving Him in His fulness and walking in Him; receiving His quickening life that filleth, moveth and changeth us, bringing us to a place where there is always an Amen in our hearts to all the will of God. As I look into the 12th chapter of Acts, I find that the people were praying all night for Peter to come out of prison. They had a zeal but seem to have been lacking in faith. They were to be commended for their zeal in spending their time in prayer without ceasing, but their faith, evidently, did not measure up to such a marvelous answer. Rhoda had more faith than the rest of them. When the knock came to the door, she ran to it, and the moment she heard Peter's voice, she ran back again with joy saying that Peter stood before the gate. And all the people said, “You are mad. It isn't so.” But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Zacharias and Elisabeth surely wanted a son, but even when the angel came and told Zacharias that he should have a son, he was full of unbelief. And the angel said, “Thou shalt be dumb, because thou believest not my words.” But look at Mary. When the angel came to her, Mary said, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” It was her Amen to the will of God. And God wants us with an Amen in our lives, an inward Amen, a mighty moving Amen, a God-inspired Amen, which says, “It is, because God has spoken. It cannot be otherwise. It is impossible to be otherwise.” Let us examine this 5th verse, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God translated him: for before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God.” When I was inSweden, the Lord worked mightily. After one or two addresses the leaders called me and said, “We have heard very strange things about you, and we would like to know if they are true. We can see that God is with you, and that God is moving, and we know that it will be a great blessing toSweden.” “Well,” I said, “what is it?” “Well,” they said, “we have heard from good authority that you preach that you have the resurrection body.” When I was inFranceI had an interpreter that believed this thing, and I found out, after I had preached once or twice through the interpreter, that she gave out her own ideas. And of course I did not know. I said to these brethren, “I tell you what my personal convictions are. I believe that if I had the testimony of Enoch I should be off. I believe that the moment Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God, off he went.” I pray that God will so quicken our faith, for translation is in the mind of God; but remember that translation comes on the line of holy obedience and a walk that is pleasing to God. This was true of Enoch. And I believe that we must have a like walk with God in the Spirit, having communion with him, living under his divine smile, and I pray that God by His Spirit may so move us that we will be where Enoch was when he walked with God. There are two kinds of faith. There is the natural faith. But the supernatural faith is the gift of God. In Acts 26:19, Paul is telling Agrippa of what the Lord said to him in commissioning him. “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.” Is that the faith of Paul? No, it is the faith that the Holy Ghost is giving. It is the faith that He brings to us as we press in and on with God. I want to put before you this difference between our faith and the faith of Jesus. Our faith comes to an end. Most people in this place have come to where they have said, “Lord, I can go no further. I have gone so far and I can go no further. I have used all the faith I have, and I have just to stop now and wait.” I remember being one day inLancashire, and going round to see some sick people. I was taken into a house where there was a young woman lying on a bed, a very helpless case. The reason had gone, and many things were manifested there which were satanic and I knew it. She was only a young woman, a beautiful child. The husband, quite a young man, came in with the baby, and he leaned over to kiss the wife. The moment he did, she threw herself over on the other side, just as a lunatic would do. That was very heart-breaking. Then he took the baby and pressed the baby's lips to the mother. Again another wild kind of thing happened. I asked one who was attending her, “Have you anybody to help?” “Oh,” they said, “We have had everything.” “But,” I said, “have you no spiritual help?” Her husband stormed out, saying, “Help? You think that we believe in God, after we have had seven weeks of no sleep and maniac conditions.” Then a young woman of about eighteen or so just grinned at me and passed out of the door. That brought me to a place of compassion for the woman. Something had to be done, no matter what it was. Then with all my faith I began to penetrate the heavens, and I was soon out of that house, I will tell you, for I never saw a man get anything from God who prayed on the earth. If you get anything from God, you will have to pray into heaven; for it is all there. If you are living in the earth realm and expect things from heaven, they will never come. And as I saw, in the presence of God, the limitations of my faith, there came another faith, a faith that could not be denied, a faith that took the promise, a faith that believed God's Word. And from that presence, I came back again to earth, but not the same man. God gave a faith that could shake hell and anything else. I said, “Come out of her, in the name of Jesus!” And she rolled over and fell asleep and wakened in fourteen hours perfectly sane and perfectly whole. There is a process on this line. Enoch walked with God. That must have been all those years as he was penetrating, and going through, and laying hold, and believing and seeing and getting into such close cooperation and touch with God that things moved on earth and he began to move toward heaven. At last it was not possible for him to stop any longer. Oh, Hallelujah! In the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians we read of the body being “sown in weakness,” to be raised in power. It seems to me that, as we are looking for translation, the Lord would have us know something of that power now, and would have us kept in that power, so that we shall not be sown in weakness. There is one thing that God has given me from my youth up, a taste and relish for my Bible. I can say before God, I have never read a book but my Bible, so I know nothing about books. It seems to me better to get the Book of books for food for your soul, for the strengthening of your faith, and the building up of your character in God, so that all the time you are being changed and made meet to walk with God. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” I can see that it is impossible to please Him on any line but faith, for everything that is not of faith is sin. God wants us to see that the plan of faith is the ideal and principle of God. In this connection I love to keep in my thoughts the beautiful words in the 2nd verse of the 12th chapter of Hebrews: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” He is the author of faith. God worked through Him for the forming of the world. “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” And because of the exceedingly abundant joy of providing for us so great salvation, He became the author of a living faith. And through this principle of living faith, looking unto Him who is the author and finisher of our faith, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord. God has something better for you than you have ever had in the past. Come out into all the fulness of faith and power and life and victory that He is willing to provide, as you forget the things of the past, and press right on for the prize of His high calling in Christ Jesus. Read Smith Wigglesworth's other works at http://www.teleiosministries.com/Gifts-of-Healing.html

Acts 12: "1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 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. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. 18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. 19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode. 20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. 21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark."