What kind of prisoner are you?

Acts 16:16-24  (in summary)

Paul and Silas had been to a prayer meeting in Philippi, where Lydia became a believer.  A slave-girl followed them for many days, saying, “These men are bondservants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” (verse 17).  They commanded the demon to come out of her, and it did.  Outraged, her masters incited the people against Paul and Silas, who were then thrown into prison.

Acts 16:25-31

But about midnight Paul and Silas were  praying and singing hymns of praise to God and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.”

But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!’  And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And

they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, and your household.”

In this story:

     A slave-girl, owned by masters- she had several owners;  a virtual prisoner.

o   More than one human master; enslaved because of demonic possession

o   And how many women today are sex slaves to pimps; slaves to their drug habits?  And how many men are sex slaves- enslaved to their passions? All in need of the liberating gospel

™ She was possessed by a demon, who supposedly gave her the ability to tell fortunes

™ This demon, however, could not lie about the Most High God

™ Two men who were bond-servants of the Most High God- Paul & Silas

o   Are we slaves to sin or to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

™ This demon could not stand against Jesus. The slave girl was freed.

Midnight

o   Utter darkness in an already completely dark prison

™ Prayers and songs in the night

™ The prisoners were listening

o   Never underestimate the power of prayer and song; anywhere, at any time, for anyone to hear, (a hospital room, a park bench, a prison, a coffee shop)

™ The jailer was asleep. 

o   He didn’t hear the praying and the singing – he really missed out

o   Are there times when I’m asleep instead of hearing what God has to say to me?

™ An earth quake. 

o   I’m always reminded of the earthquake that shook the earth as Jesus was dying(Matt. 27:51) and the one when He rose again. (Matt.28:2)

o   Talk about shaking up your world!

™ Escapees.  But the prisoners didn’t run away.  The Roman jailer literally had to guard the prisoners with his life or it was forfeit if they escaped. 

™ And the jailer wanted to believe. 

o   Needed to believe. Did believe. 

One would have thought it was the prisoners that would have been saved- the obvious ones in need; or the slave girl.  No- it was the jailer.  He was as imprisoned in his sin as the ones whom he guarded.  And two of the prisoners, Paul and Silas, were the least imprisoned of all.  They were free in Christ.  Ah- the ironies of Scripture are sometimes so delicious.  God puts His fingerprint on everything! 

So pray for the ‘obvious ones’ - your family members who have gone astray; your loved ones who appear to have no regard for the gospel.  But don’t be surprised when Jesus saves the ‘good one.’  That was me, as compared to my formerly drug-addicted brother who is now a pastor.  That was me – the one who loved seniors and volunteered in other countries and wanted to do good for others.  I am so thankful that Jesus set me free from my prison of self-righteousness.    Am I perfect?  No.   Am I freely forgiven  in Christ?  Yes- a slave to righteousness, rather than to sin.

 Mark 8:37 says: 

 ‘What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul?

The Gate Beautiful

In the book of Acts, chapter three, a story unfolds:

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.  And a certain man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.”

A begging man at the beautiful gate - such irony.  How many people had seen that same man, day after day?  Did anyone ever speak to him or did they just put their alms in his palms?  Until Peter and John came on the scene, we can only imagine how many days and weeks and months and years he had been brought to this same spot.  Peter and John were headed for a prayer meeting.  A man was begging.  And they stopped. 

And Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze upon him and said: ‘Look at us!’  And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.  But Peter said, ‘I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene-walk!’  And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened. And with a leap, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”

This particular day started as such an ordinary one for this “certain man.”  That is, until the Gate Beautiful became just that – a beautiful gate; the entrance to a new life.  Soon afterwards, Peter and John were thrown in jail.  Not because the man was healed, but because they were preaching the gospel; because they went on to tell people that they had put to death the Prince of Life, whom God had raised from the dead.  They preached about repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

I find myself, by times, begging at the Gate Beautiful, when the Lord has already brought me into His sanctuary.  New life in Christ means just that- new life IN Christ.  No more days and weeks and months and years searching, yearning, hoping for someone to fill my cupped hands with something of great value.   

And there are times when I find myself walking past those whose hearts are aching with the pressures of life and the guilt of sin; hands outstretched.  

Lord, may I give them something of great value - your gospel.  

May I point them to you - the Gate Beautiful.  

Singing a New Song

As I worked on reformatting some of the songs we use on power-point, at the church, I found myself singing through several lines of each song.  God gave me such a sweet sense of His presence.  Without realizing it, I had grown weary and was becoming lonesome for Him; for my Saviour.  And then, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God,” as the Pslamist so wonderfully states in Psalm 40:3.

Do you find yourself singing some ditty or other?  Ask the Lord for a “new song,” the song of the Lamb.  Of the nine passages in Scripture that speak about a “new song,” eight of them are speaking of singing a new song to the Lord.  In Psalm 40, the psalmist is given a new song by the Lord.  How lovely indeed!

A New Song: 

Satisfied With You

I am amazed at your goodness, Jesus.

I am satisfied with your abundant grace.

I am amazed at your mercies

And I am only satisfied with you.

I will not run from your presence.

I will not flee from your voice.

I will draw near, you’re my sanctuary.

I will bow down and rejoice.

I will bow down and rejoice.

There is no other God beside you.

No, there is none like you.

There is only one perfect Saviour

And I am only satisfied with you.

I will not run from your presence.

I will not flee from your voice.

I will draw near, You’re my sanctuary.

I  will bow down and rejoice.

I will bow down and rejoice.

An Old Shed

We need a new shed.  The old one is sitting on a few cement blocks; the roof has more leaks than wood and the squirrels have enlarged a hole in one wall- where the door handle managed to create a dent and now it is their special entryway.  I’d like to put on a new roof, but I know it will need a better foundation.  Not much point in fixing the roof if the building is going to fall down around my ears.  I’m determined to get it right when the spring weather arrives- a new foundation, upon which to build a new shed.  I’m hoping it will be my own parable – to spur me on to strengthen the foundation upon which I stand, in Jesus Christ. 

Paul speaks about the people of God as those who are

“members of God’s household, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

 (Ephesians 2: 19, 20)

Paul cements 3 essential components of a trustworthy, solid foundation for our lives:

the Old Testament prophets,

the New Testament apostles

and Jesus- the cornerstone.

As I anticipate the coming of spring, I have all winter to cohere these same elements into my life; a head-start on a deeper foundation.  Through fellowship with the people of God, studying the scriptures and prayer, I have every resource at my disposal.  Here’s hoping that foundation will be deeper and stronger; and here’s hoping the new shed will stand for many a year to come.