ON TO OTHER PLACES: CORINTH AND EPHESUS P/2

                                                                                   Read Part One HERE

                                      

A WALK TROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS  

                 PART XVIII - II

"I, Paul, while in Corinth met this wonderful couple Aquila and Priscilla... They are a joy to be with.... I met as well with a group of Jews... For I used to go to the synagogue to preach to them about the Lord Jesus... Unfortunately, these Jews were very obstinate on the whole.... They refused to accept my message... So I decided I should start going to the Gentiles instead.... Thankfully, though, not all Jews refused to believe my message... For the synagogue leader and his entire household became followers of the Lord Jesus... Praise God.... All in all, it has been a very stressful time.... And I have become somewhat anxious wondering whether or not I should continue speaking to people here about the Lord Jesus... But then the Lord appeared to me in a vision last night.... And He encouraged me to go on speaking... For He has many more people for me to reach with the Good News of the Lord Jesus.... I now know that I am to remain here for the foreseeable future.... And I am confident that the Lord will give me the strength to do so.... It was so kind of the Lord to come to me in a vision...And to reassure me that He is with me... Others may not have known about my anxiety... And would have been very surprised to think that I, the mighty Apostle Paul, who seems not to be afraid of anything.....Could be anxious.... But God knew... And He knew what to do about it...He did not mind that I had become somewhat afraid... He just told me there was no need for me to be afraid... Because He was going to be with me.... These words are sufficient for me to be able to carry on here.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of the Lord's ministry to Paul during his time of anxiety....

      

                       ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                         PART XVIII - II

Did none of the Jews in Corinth, who had heard Paul preach, believe? No, for the synagogue leader and his entire household became believers, as you can know from Acts 18:8

Crispus, the synagogue leader and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians believed and were baptised.

Nevertheless, things must have been difficult for Paul to the point where he may have begun to wonder whether or not he should stay in that city. The Lord must have been aware of his anxiety as you can learn from Acts 18:9-10

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

Even the mighty Apostle Paul could sometimes be taken over by fear, as might have happened in this situation, so God came to re-assure him to not be afraid and to continue his ministry in that city, for God was going to protect him. These words so strengthened Paul that he continued his teaching and preaching ministry in Corinth for another one and a half years.

He eventually left and travelled to Ephesus, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. However Paul did not stay long in Ephesus but continued his travels.

Read Part Three HERE

                               

ON TO OTHER PLACES: CORINTH AND EPHESUS P/1

  

                                  

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                      PART XVIII - I

I, Paul, had enjoyed meeting with the new believers in Athens and helping them to grow in their faith... However, at some point I knew that the time had come for me to move on to other places.... So I said goodbye to the believers... And I then travelled to Corinth.... Once I arrived there, I met a couple from Rome.... Their names are Aquila and Priscilla.... They and all the Jews had been ordered to leave Rome by Emperor Claudius....Thankfully, they are still able to make a living... For they are tentmakers by profession, as I am.... We have become very close friends... They too know and love the Lord... Of course, my main reason for being in Corinth is to preach the Gospel... So I have been going to the synagogue every Sabbath... While there I preached the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ.... However, the response has been very negative.... And the people have even become abusive....I then knew it was time for me to go to those who would be willing to hear the Gospel message...I told the Jewish people this and quoted from the prophet Ezekiel about their blood being on their own head....I have preached the truth and am, therefore, not responsible for their eternal destiny... They are."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Paul's meeting with a Jewish couple Aquila and Priscilla...

                 ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                     PART XVIII - I

"After having spent some time in Athens Paul went to a city called Corinth. There he met some Jews named Aquila and his wife Priscilla who had to leave Rome as you can know from Acts 18:2

There he met Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome...

Paul shared the same professions as Aquila and Priscilla, for they were all tentmakers,  so they worked together and, no doubt, that is how they were able to survive. However, on every Sabbath Day Paul would go into the synagogue to preach as you can know from Acts 18:4

Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Paul knew that his main task was not to make tents but to preach that Jesus was the Messiah to the Jews and Gentiles. However, the Jews were very opposed to his message so Paul decided to mainly focus on the Gentiles as you can know from Acts 18:6

But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood will be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

The statement "he shook out his clothes in protest" reminds us of Jesus' words to the Twelve in Matthew 10:14

"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that town or home and shake the dust off your feet."

His words, "your blood be on your own heads," may well be a reference to a passage in Ezekiel 33:1-6

The word of the Lord came to me, "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, "When I bring the sword against the land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, the blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone's life, that person's life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood."

Paul was hereby saying that because he had preached the truth to these Jews - and had blown the trumpet of the Gospel - but they had refused to hear it, they were, therefore, responsible for their own eternal destiny and God would not make him accountable for their eternal destiny.

Read Part Two HERE

                     

DEPARTURE FROM MACEDONIA: ATHENS P/4

  

                                                                                   Read Part One HERE

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                    PART XVII - IV

"I, Paul, have been preaching in Athens ever since I arrived here a few days ago... Today, I was invited to speak at a meeting of the Areopagus.... They are the leading men in the city of Athens... I believe it is God who has opened the door for me to preach to these men.... For they too need to hear the Good News that the Lord Jesus came to earth for them... And that He died on the Cross so they may have eternal life... I used the fact that they have an altar to an unknown God as my introduction to the God of heaven and earth....There was a mixed response to my message... However, I am very thankful that some people have become believers... One of them is a man named Dionysius.... He is one of the members of the Areopagus....And a woman named Damaris has responded to the Gospel as well... For God is not a respector of persons.. He reaches out to all people regardless of nationality, status in life, or gender.... Praise God that we now have a small congregation right here in the heart of Athens... They will begin meeting at the home of these new believers."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of the conversions of some people in Athens....

                ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                       PART XVII - IV

There is a mixed response to Paul's message he preached to the members of the Areopagus as you can know from Acts 17:32

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."

However, some people did accept his Gospel message as you can read in Acts 17:34

A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

The Holy Spirit has been at work during Paul's preaching by stirring up what is in the heart of each person, thereby causing some of them to sneer at his words, others to continue to want to hear more and yet others to accept his message. Paul's role was to preach the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the Holy Spirit could do His work in the hearts and lives of men and women through the message he proclaimed.

The Holy Spirit has not changed His method for He still uses that same Gospel message to touch the hearts of people. Of course, Paul is no longer here to preach that message. It is now up to us to preach that same message that he preached for it is as powerful and effective as it was in his days as you can know from Romans 1:16 where Paul wrote

"I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

The question is, do we have the same reaction that Paul had, when we see temples, for instance, in India, Thailand or Myanmar, or do we consider them nothing more than tourist attractions? And do we then take opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people who worship these idols because we recognise that they worship false gods and are, therefore, a lost people, who are on their way to hell unless we, like Paul, tell them about the one true God who sent His Son to die on the Cross for mankind.

Perhaps you think, "I have never been to these places and I have no plan to go there so these words do not apply to me." In that case I would like to say, "People can worship other kinds of idols, such as a career, money, or even family. For an idol is anything that takes first place in someone's heart." So there may well be people that you and I know who worship something, but that something is not the true God, and they too are, therefore, a lost people who are on their way to hell unless we tell them about the one true God who sent His Son to die on the Cross for them. And we can rely on the Holy Spirit to use our words to touch their hearts. Our responsibility is to share the Good news with them. It is the Holy Spirit's responsibility to use the words we have shared to touch their hearts.

DEPARTURE FROM MACEDONIA: ATHENS P/3

 

                                                                                    Read Part One HERE

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS 

                  PART XVII - III

Yesterday, I, Paul arrived in Athens... I had a good walk through the city.... It was very distressing for me to see so many temples.... So I decided that I should start preaching the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ right away.... As is my usual custom, I went to the synagogue first of all.... I met Jewish people as well as God-fearing Greek people there.... They all listened very carefully to what I had to say....However, I know too that Athens is full of philosophers...  But they are not found in synagogues... They are found in market places... That is why I made my way to the market place after my visit to the synagogue...I talked to various groups of philosophers....Some of them invited me to a special meeting.... I went to it earlier today... There too I preached the Gospel... Knowing that I had a different audience than when speaking in a synogogue I used a different approach..... Nevertheless, I ended up my talk with a call for the people to repent... For that is necessary for anyone regardless who they may be."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Pauls's invitation to speak at a meeting of the Areopagus....

                   ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                    PART XVII - III

Some of the philosophers Paul had met invited him to a special meeting as you can know from Acts 17:19

Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?"

These men are simply curios to know what exactly Paul has been saying since they enjoy nothing better than listening to the latest ideas. However, Paul used this opportunity to once again share the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ with them. But he used a different method than when preaching in the Jewish synagogue, for in any synagoge he would reason from the Scriptures. But in this meeting he is dealing with pagan Greeks who do not know the Hebrew Scriptures. So he has a different approach as you can know from Acts 27:22-23a

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens" I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To an unknown God."

We know that Paul was distressed about all the idols in the city but he did not tell them off for worshipping these false idols since he knew the reason they were worshipping these idols is because they have not yet learned of the true God; they were a religious people but they did not yet know who they should worship. They had even included an altar to an unknown God in case they had overlooked a particular god, who, consequently, may be angry with them for not worshipping him and, therefore, in his anger may cause problems for them.

And Paul used their belief that there might be an unknown god out there by telling them that, in fact, they were right for there is a God they did not yet know. But they did not need to remain in the dark about this God any longer for he, Paul, was going to proclaim who this God is. And he did it by taking his listeners as far back as the Creation story before declaring to them that this God, who cannot be contained in human temples, gives life and breath to all people and longs for anyone to reach out to Him as you can know from Acts 17:23b - 28a

"Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it it the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God di this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.

Paul made use of their own culture before ending his talk with a call for the people to repent as you can know from Acts 17:28b - 31

"As some of your own poets have said, "We are his offspring." Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like silver or gold or stone - an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead."

Paul made it very clear here that temples with statues of gold, or silver, or stone, do not honour God but are men's ideas for God is beyond such designs. And, though He may have overlooked such ignorance in the past, He is no longer willing to do so but wants all people to repent of their sins and to turn towards Him since one day the world will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ as you can know from Revelation 20:11-12

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His Presence, and there was no place for them. And I (John) saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Paul referred here to the event that will take place as described in Revelation. It has not as yet happened but it will happen in the future.

Read Part Four HERE

DEPARTURE FROM MACEDONIA; ATHENS P/2

Read Part One HERE

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                       PART XVII -II

"I, Paul, am no longer in Berea... For the believers there decided it was safer for me to leave for other places...Jews from Thessalonica had come over just to make trouble for us.... Earlier today I arrived in Athens...I decided to have a walk through the city.... What I saw was very upsetting for me... For I saw many temples... They had all been built to honour their gods.... How distressing.... However, I knew that I should do more than feel distressed about the situation.... For there is only one thing that will bring change...The preaching of the Gospel....So that is what I did... I found the synagogue.... And I began to teach the Jewish people and God-fearing Greek people about their Messiah... I proved to them from their Scriptures that the Messiah has already come... But I knew that I should do more.... For I am an Apostle to the Gentiles.... And these Gentiles would not be found in the synagogue.... They would be found in the market place...So that's where I went....And I began to share the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ with them.... They seemed to be somewhat confused about my message though.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Paul's arrival in Athens.....

                        ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                      PART XVII - II

After Paul left Berea, he went to Athens. There he waited until Silas and Timothy culd join him. In the meantime, he had a walk through the city. And he was greatly disturbed by the many temples as you can read in Acts 17:16 

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

How did Paul deal with these idols? Did he go into the temples and physically try to destroy them? No, for that would not have been of any use. Paul knew that in order for people to give up their idols, they would need a change of heart and that could only happen if they heard the Gospel so Paul went among the people and preached the Good News of Jesus Christ to them as you can read in Actas 17:17

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks as well as in the market place day by day with those who happened to be there.

A number of people that were listening to him in the market place began to dispute with him about the things he had said for they did not seemed to have grasped his message as you can know from Acts 17:18

A group of Epicuran and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the Good News about Jesus and the Resurrection.

 Paul was bringing these people a message they had never heard before. To them his message may have just sounded like another new philosophy and possibly not worth giving much attention to.

Read Part Three HERE

 

DEPARTURE FROM MACEDONIA: ATHENS P/1

 

                                      

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                      PART XVII - I

"Silas and I, Paul, are no longer in prison in Philippi.... We were released after our one night in prison.... Of course, our one night in prison was well worth it.... Because we had opportunity to share the gospel with the jailer and his family... They all became believers that same night .... So we have introduced them to the other believers in Philippi, such as Lydia.... We then left Philippi and eventually ended up in Thessalonica... As is my custom, I preached in the synagogue.... And a number of people, Jews as well as Gentiles, accepted my message....However, other Jews became very jealous.... In fact, they became so jealous that they started a riot... They tried to find Silas and me.... But, instead, they dragged Jason, our host in Thessalonica, before the city officials.... They claimed that we, Silas and I, are "troublemakers.".... As long as we are "troublemakers for the Lord.".... The believers thought it best for us to leave town so we left for Berea.... There too I preached in the synagogue.... The believers in Berea are wonderful examples how believers should live...Unfortunately, Jews in Thessalonica heard that I had arrived in Berea... So some of them came over and began to cause problems.... The believers in Berea, therefore, decided that I should move on... And I agreed with their decision.... I have just left Berea... No doubt, God has more people for me to reach in other places... He may well want me to go to Athens."....

 

                    ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                         PART XVII - I

After their release from prison in Philippi, Paul and Silas soon left Philippi and travelled to Thessalonica as you can read in Acts 17:1

When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

Paul preached in the synagogue for the next three Sabbath days declaring the Gospel message to them as you can know from Acts 17:2-3

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said.

Some of the Jews as well as a large number of Greek men and women became believers. This, no doubt, caused other Jews in Thessalonica to become very jealous and cause a riot in the city. They went to the home of Jason, the believer with whom Paul and Silas were staying, but could not find them so they dragged Jason and some other believers before city officials claiming Paul and Silas were nothing but trouble makers as you can read in Acts 17:5-7

But other Jews were jealous, so they rounded up some bad characters from the market place, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who had caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus."

The city officials did not quite know what to do so they let Jason and the other believers go.

That night the believers sent Paul and Silas away to another city Berea. There too Paul went into the synagogue and preached the same Gospel message he had preached in Thessalonica. But this time the message was well received and many of the Jews believed as you can know from Acts 17:12

Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Unfortunately, the Jews in Thessalonica learned of the conversion of many of the Jews in Berea and became so upset that that they travelled to Berea to cause a riot there. So the believers decided it was wiser for Paul to leave as you can know from Acts 17:14

The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.

Read Part Two HERE

 

A CALL TO MACEDONIA; LYDIA P/7

 

                                                                        Read Part One HERE

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS 

                     PART XVI - VII

"Have you ever experienced an earthquake?.... I, the jailer of the prison in Philippi experienced one last night... It woke me up in the middle of the night.... I had run as fast as I could to the prison to check on all my prisoners... I dreaded what I might find: empty prison cells... It was true that all the cell doors were open.... But when I looked into each cell all the prisoners were still inside... Just as the prisoner Paul had told me... What a miracle!!... And that right here in the prison!!...Could God be here even in this dark prison?... It must be so.... And it must be because of these two new prisoners, Paul and Silas.... But I had treated them so carelessly last night....I knew they had bruises on their bodies... But I had not treated them...   Is there anything I can do for them even now?.... I know.... I will take them back to my home.... So I can wash their wounds... And I will ask them at the same time if they can teach my family about this God they seem to know so well....Perhaps we can get to know Him too."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of the prisoner's conversion....

                         ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                            PART XVI - VII 

The jailer of the prison in Philippi decided to check out if none of the prisoners had escaped after the earthquake so he looked in every cell and indeed all the prisoners were still there. Morover, each one of them looked so peaceful. And the atmosphere in the prison had become so peaceful. This must be because of the two new prisoners of last night. He remembered that he had treated them very roughly. Would it be possible for him to make some amends? Yes, he knew just what to do: He would take them to his home and wash the wounds they had received when they had been flogged the day before.So he took them to his home and he gently washed their wounds and put ointment on them. And he then asked if they would share the message with him and his household that they had been preaching when they had been in the city every day. Of course, Paul and Silas gladly did so.

So they had the jailer and his family sit down. And they then began to share the wonderful news hat God knew them, that God loved them and that He loved them so much that He had sent His Son to die for them on the Cross as you can read in Acta 16:29-33

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his housewhold were baptised.

So that day the jailer and his family received forgiveness of their sins and became followers of the Lord Jesus as you can read in Acts 16:34

The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole household.

The Holy Spirit had led Paul to Philippi knowing full well that it would mean imprisonment for him and Silas. However, He knew too that it would mean the jailer and his family would hear the truth about Jesus. Just as the Holy Spirit allowd Paul and Silas to suffer so that a jailer and his family would hear the gospel, He may allow us to go through difficulties and hardships in order that we may have an opportunity to share the gospel with others. The question is: are we willing to go through hardships and difficulties in order for others to have an opportunity to hear the Good news of Jesus Christ or do we rather play it safe?

                 

A CALL TO MACEDONIA: LYDIA P/6

Read Part One HERE
 

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                     PART XVI - VI   

"I, the jailer of the prison in Philippi, had two new prisoners today... I was told to guard them carefuly... For they must not escape... So I had their feet fastened in stocks.... They had been beaten.... But I had not bothered to take care of their wounds.... They must have deserved their beatings.... Anyway, I had then gone home....I was hungry.... It was time for my dinner.... Very soon, thereafter, I had gone to bed...In the morning I would have to take care of all my prisoners.... However, in the middle of the night I was rudely awakened.... I heard a rumbling... It sounded like an earthquake....So I quickly jumped out of bed.. I ran to the prison as fast as I could... To my shock and horror all the prison doors had flown open.... I thought I might as well kill myself... For surely, all the prisoners, including the two new prisoners, would have escaped... To my utter surprise that had not happened.... One of the new prisoners, Paul, called out to me saying all the prisoners were still in their cells....Could that really be true?".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of the earthquake that had affected the prison in Philippi....

                       ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                             PART XVI - VI

The earthquake had woken the jailer of the prison in Philippi up as well. He had not stayed around at the time when his new prisoners Paul and Silas had been worshipping the night before. He had simply put these two prisoners in their cell and had afterwards gone home for dinner as you can read in Acts 16:23-24

After they had been severely flogged, they had been thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

He had then gone to bed for a good night's sleep because in the morning he would have to go back to the prison to take care of his duties. But then an earthquake had rudely awakened him> Fear had set in that the prison may have been damaged by the earthquake. Moreover, the cell doors may have all opened up. That would mean that all the prisoners would have escaped. And he would be made responsible for their escape. So he had run to the jail only to have his worst fears confirmed for indeed all the prison cell doors were open. But at the very moment that he was about to take his life the voice of the prisoner Paul had been heard throughout the prison saying to him, "Do not kill yourself for we are all here." And they were all there.... No one had escaped!!....

Read Part Seven HERE

 

A CALL TO MACEDONIA: LYDIA P/5

 

                                                                         Read Part One HERE

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                        PART XVI - V

"I, Paul, smiled at Silas... He smiled back at me even though his body was badly bruised from the lashes he had received earlier on... Just as my body was badly bruised from the lashes I had received earlier on... We looked around our prison cell here in Philippi where we had been put a little while ago... Silas then whispered to me that we should praise the Lord... For He has done a mighty work through us here in Philippi...So we began to sing one hymn after another.... Our hearts were full of joy... Yes, we had been beaten and thrown in prison... But we knew our Lord is here with us... And He would continue to take care of us...In fact, His Presence became so real.... It seemed to fill the whole prison... And it brought such peace... What happened next was very unexpected.... An earthquake took place... And all the prison doors flew open.... Amazingly, none of the prisoners moved....No doubt, they all sensed God's Presence in their cells...The jailer woke up... He ran into the prison... I was able to tell him no one has escaped."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of an earthquake.....

                 

                       ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                             PART XVI - V

You would think that Paul and Silas may well have felt very discouraged. After all, they knew that the Holy Spirit had led them to preach to Lydia and to the other women. And He had, furthermore, led them to preach to other people when Paul had cast out a demonic spirit from a young slave girl in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. They could, therefore, have expected His protection of them. But it seems, He had, instead, allowed them to be beaten and thrown in prison. What good could they do in prison since they were now locked up and would not be able to go out and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which had been the very reason for their coming to Philippi. You may think so but it seems Paul and Silas did not feel abandoned by the Lord even in their suffering as you can know from Acts 16:25

At about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

They may not have known exactly as to why God allowed them to be put in prison but they believed God had a purpose for them to be there. After all, they had been called by God to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever they went. Perhaps God could use them in this prison even though their feet were fastened in stocks making it impossible for them to freely move about. But they knew they could trust God to make the impossible possible. For nothing is impossible with God as you can read in Luke 1:37

"For nothing is impossible with God."

And God did make a way for them to preach by allowing an earthquake to shake the prison. This caused all prison doors to open and everyone's chains to come off. What an opportunity for the prisoners to escape. But, miraculously, none of them moved; they all stayed in their cells as you can read in Acts 16:26-28

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and eveyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself becaause he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

These prisoners had experienced the Presence of the Holy Spirit in prison because of the worship of Paul and Silas. Their prison had become a place of worship, a place of peace beyond what they had ever known. Paul and Silas had begun to show these prisoners that true freedom is possible even when in prison. And because of this experience, these prisoners had a taste of inner freedom, which had nothing to do with them being in or out of prison. Therefore, they did not feel the need to run away. So it is for us; true freedom can only be found in Jesus Christ and does not depend on our circumstances as you can read in John 8:36

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Read Part Six HERE