Earthquakes Shaken

As I was in the service last week and Pastor Patsy was preaching, God laid this message on my heart.

Acts Chapter 16

You remember Paul and Silas were joined together as Paul wanted to go to the Syria and Cilicia. There was a division between Paul and Barnabas.

How they went to the different cities and were headed for Philippi. As they went to prayer, a certain slave girl who had a spirit of divination. Who brought her masters much profit met them there and began to cry out ¡§These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.

Let me stop here for a moment and say that everyone that talks salvation may not be from the Lord and might not be preaching Jesus and Him crucified. Many will come in the name of the Lord but they may not be preaching the truth or the Salvation by the Blood of Jesus.

This woman followed them around for many days and continued the same sayings until Paul could not take it any longer. She followed them day after day and the word says this:

Paul was greatly annoyed.

Some times I know how Paul felt. Have you been there church?

There are some that continue to criticize and complain and pick at every thing that happens and goes on. It doesn¡¦t make any difference what the situation is they can never find any redeeming value in anything.

Paul had had it and finally he turned to her and said to that spirit ¡§I command you in the name of Jesus Christ come out of her.¡¨ And the word says that he came out that very hour.

Many of us can only take so much and then we have to say enough is enough.

Then the woman¡¦s masters found out the profits were not coming in and they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them off to the market place and gave them over to the authorities.

The masters and all made accusations against them and lies that were not true but the crows rose up against them and they tore their cloths off them and beat them with rods.

And when they laid many stripes on them, they through them into prison.

Sometimes we have to take a beating for the Lord. They will come against you no matter how much you love the Lord and how much work you accomplish. And even if your working on their behalf and trying to make it better for them, they will talk all matter against you and try to cause you grief.

But in Verse 25 it says this:

At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing Hymns to God.

a. not to them selves

b. not to make them feel good

c. not to be proud or boastful

d. not to cause dissention

e. not to entertain

BUT TO PLEASE GOD ¡V TO WORSHIP HIM

The prisoners were listening to them. Some times my friend even when it seems that the enemy wants to destroy you the world is watching you and listening to you.

How many know that God has a plan?

V. 26 says this:

¡§SUDDENLY¡¨

All trough the bible when you hear or see the word Suddenly. Pay attention

Something big is about to happen. Something good is going to take place.

It says that a great earthquake took place.

1. The foundations were shaken

2. Immediately the doors fell off not just theirs but ALL the doors

3. Every ones chains were loosed

4. The keepers woke up and being afraid that all had fled drew their swords and was going to kill himself.

I never want to be against the will of God and be in the place of talking about or causing the man of God any harm.

1 Chronicles 16:22 (NKJV)

22 Saying, ¡§Do not touch My anointed ones,

And do My prophets no harm.¡¨„T

Paul calls out to the keeper and says ¡§do yourself no harm for we are all here.¡¨

He grabbed a light and ran into Paul and Silas and asked the question. ¡§ What must I do to be saved?¡¨

You see the word is true for you and also for this keeper.

Even though we find our selves in trouble and there seems no hope that we must continue to seek out what God wants for our lives.

1. He uses everything that he can to bring us to salvation.

2. He is not willing that any should perish

3. He will work all thing for good even a earthquake

4. Even when we may be accused or criticized unfairly

5. We can trust that God know exactly what He is doing.

Not only did the jailer get saved but his whole household got saved and baptized.