It has been awhile since I wrote on this subject, but I was
reminded of it again this morning in my private devotions, then a little later when
I read my devotion on my computer it was mentioned again so I thought I would
write on this subject today.
It is found in Acts 16:16-34 when Paul and Silas were in Philippi,
which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia. While I was having my private devotions many
years ago, I was reading this story and I felt like the Lord taught me something
that I never recall hearing about before that time or since that time. I shared this with Pastor Piedmonte at one
time and he said it was biblical, even though he had never preached it that way,
and if I remember right he had never heard anyone else preach it that way
either. I will explain it and let you be
the judge of whether it is biblical or not, so do your homework and don’t just
take my word for this or any of the other ‘Tidbits’ that I have written. I think everyone should study the Word and not
just take somebody else’s word for it, no matter who they are. I will say this, I have never purposely led
anyone into error and I hope I never do.
Most people, when they preach or teach on this subject, emphasize
the fact that after Paul and Silas were thrown into prison they were singing
and praising the Lord at midnight, even in their horrible situation, which is super
and very biblical. Now let me share what
I feel the Lord showed and taught me about this portion of scripture. There were different events that led up to
Paul and Silas being in Macedonia in the first place. To start out with, Paul
had a vision of a man praying for him to come to Macedonia. After Paul had seen the vision, he was sure
that God had called him to go there so he and Silas were obedient and went. While there Paul met a lady, named Lydia, who
was an influential merchant whose heart the Lord opened and she became a
believer and apparently her household also and they were baptized.
It says this in Acts 16:14-15, “Now a certain woman named
Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who
worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And
when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have
judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she
persuaded us.”
The next thing that happened was while they were going to pray
they met a girl that had a spirit of divination. She was a fortune-teller, which was common in
the Greek and Roman culture of that day. Day after day she followed Paul and Silas crying
out, “these men are the servants of the most high God telling unto us the way
of salvation.” Paul got so grieved that he
commanded the evil spirit to come out of her and she was set free. When her masters saw that they couldn’t make
any more money with her, they caught Paul and Silas and took them to the rulers
and when it was all said and done the Magistrates had them whipped and put in stocks
in prison. Then at midnight they began
to sing and praise the Lord, something I think Paul did often and was not
something that was rare for him. Next
thing we hear about is an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison causing
the doors to open and the bands to fall of all the prisoners, including Paul
and Silas.
Just think of all the miracles these two men experienced up
to this point, all because they were obedient to their Lord’s call, plus something
else I will tell you about, just stick with me. But that isn’t the end of the miracles that
took place. The jailer was going to kill
himself when he saw the doors to the prison open, but in the nick of time, Paul
stopped him by telling him they were all there. Next the jailer rushes in, trembling, and asks
Paul and Silas, after he brought them out, this question; what must I do to be
saved? They told him and his household
to believe on the Lord Jesus and they would be saved, along with other words that
aren’t recorded, so the jailer and his household believed and were baptized and
they all rejoiced.
Now this is what I feel like the Lord showed me. Paul and Silas saw all these miracles because
they were obedient and they were willing to suffer for the Lord. Read these verses in 16:35-39, “And when it
was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ So the keeper of the prison reported these
words to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore
depart, and go in peace.’ But Paul said
to them, ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us
into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come
themselves and get us out.’ And the officers told these words to the
magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and
brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.”
My first point is that Paul and Silas could have been disobedient
and not gone to Macedonia in the first place, like Jonah when he was supposed
to go to Nineveh and was on his way to Joppa. My next point is that Paul and Silas were
Roman citizens and they were beaten and thrown in prison without a trial and
they knew it, but didn’t say anything about it. They were willing to suffer for Christ, and
look at the miracles that took place because of it. I wonder how many of us would chose to suffer for
Christ or would we have been disobedient and run like Jonah did, which as far
as I know he didn’t even suffer persecution in that situation at all.
It says this in Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and
persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so
they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
This should give you something to think about, have a super
day and God bless you and yours!! And
don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment