January 27, 2011

Acts 16
Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey

“Paul and Silas . . .were severely beaten, and. . .thrown into prison. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!" Acts 16:24-26 (NLT)

Our Lives are like this: A vision & miraculous breakthrough opens Europe to the Gospel and right away Paul and Silas end up beaten and in prison. But God always has the last word.

Pastor’s Reflections

Our Lives are like this: A vision & miraculous breakthrough opens Europe to the Gospel and right away Paul and Silas end up beaten and in prison. But God always has the last word.

After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 42 BC it was at the battle of Philippi that Mark Antony and Octavion defeated Brutus. Octavian became Emporer and later became known as Augustus (the “august one” a form of deity). It was into this world that Jesus was born, and now it is into this key city that the Gospel had come by way of a vision of a “man of Macedonia” calling Paul and Silas to come there. That man may have been Luke.

Miracle of miracles! After months and months of fruitless wandering in Turkey Paul and Silas had brought the Gospel to Europe! They had a beautiful beginning with Lydia, but when they cast a demon out of an annoying slave girl, the crowd rioted and they were thrown in jail.

What do you do when God’s miracle turns into a nightmare?

Paul and Silas sang and prayed and sang some more. Instead of whining they praised God. Here’s a very beautiful scripture for you when your life seems to be going all wrong. It says to do the opposite of what you feel like doing. Do the hard thing (sacrifice what you feel like doing) and sing.

“let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name." Hebrews 13:15 (NLT)

They trusted God regardless of their plight.

I do not believe that if I sing and praise God when my circumstances are horrible that God is required to set me free from anything. God owes me nothing. He’s already given me everything.

I do believe however. That God is not mocked. The Final Word, sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but certainly always, is God’s. So it was here. Paul and Silas were set free, the jailer became a believer, and the town officials, having witnessed the power of God, let them go.

How do the events at Philippi speak to you”?

ONE MORE THING: Luke was there when all this happened. He got the info about the escape directly from Paul and Silas and maybe some of the other prisoners who escaped. You can trust the veracity of Luke’s reporting.