DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, thank you for this new day and thank so much for your love and kindness. Thank you that in the storms of life you are always with us. Praise be to you name now and aways. Father God, I come before your throne of grace and mercy, 

I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, today I ask to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. 

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 28:8

"The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.” 

Worship Song Sung or Said: Before the Throne of God Above (Charitie lees Bancroft)

https://youtu.be/70SeIutxNWI

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav'n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Saviour and my God

One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Saviour and my God

With Christ my Saviour and my God
With Christ my Saviour and my God

Gods Word for Today: Acts 16:16-34

"16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.” She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.” 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days.” Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her! At that moment the spirit left her.” 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.” 

Devotional/Study: (Part 1)

Today I want to look at Acts 16.11-16. This is an amazing story that reveals so much of the heart of Paul the apostle. Over the years I have grown to respect and admire him, because he never lost faith in God even through terrible hardships, trials, and suffering. 

Even through terrible persecution, he remained dedicated and loyal to Him. He never allowed the suffering and persecution to deter Him from what God had called him to do. Paul’s passion was to know, love and serve His Lord and saviour. He said in Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Paul didn’t have that attitude like, I’ve arrived spiritually. His passion was to grow to know Jesus more and more. 

What is our passion and desire in life?

Paul preached the message of the gospel with boldness and always declared that Jesus was Lord. He was never of ashamed of the gospel; he could say with boldness and confidence in his letter the Christians in Rome in Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: Paul was always ready to preach the gospel even when he was imprisoned., even when he went through many trials, always ready to preach the gospel and share who God.

In Acts 16:11-34 we have the story of one of Paul’s imprisonments.  The story begins with Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy in the city of Philippi, a city where the citizens were devoted mainly to the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. 

This was a roman city and did not appear to have a synagogue, which may mean there were not many Jewish men in this city. In these verses we see how God used these missionaries to touch the lives of three people Lydia, the slave-girl and the jailer. 

When you look back at your life who has touched your life and helped you in your journey?

We thank God for those who led us to Christ and helped us on our journey of faith. 

So, we begin this story in v16 where Luke tells us that once Paul and Silas and the others were on their way to a place of Prayer probably going back to the riverside where people met for prayer and where Lydia was converted. On route they encounter a girl who had a spirit in her which enabled her to predict the future. Basically, she was a fortune teller and made lots of money by predicting the future for those by who owned and controlled her. 

This girl was in bondage to her owners and to the demonic spirit. Because of the amount of money, she made it does tell us how popular the occult was in the pagan culture of Philippi. 

Today we have the same issue, thousands of people in the UK see fortune tellers, psychics and read tarot cards. A while ago I was at a seaside and noticed people going into this tent and in this tent was a lady who was a fortune teller. I was amazed that people were doing this. However, it reminded me that people are looking for an answer to life. As Christians we know it’s only God who knows our future.

Any occult practice is forbidden in Gods holy word. we read in Deuteronomy 18:10-13 "10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.” 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.” 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.”

Back to the story, every day the spirit within the girl would shout: "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She did this for many days. Paul became very annoyed by this spirit’s shouting. What this spirt was saying was true. However, Paul was troubled by what she was saying, maybe he saw that shouting was in-tended to disrupt, not enhance, the preaching of the gospel and therefore he recognised this was demonic. 

He did not want either the Gospel or the name of God to be promoted by demons. You will notice this girl was saying that these men were proclaiming a way and not the one and only way of salvation. Paul is so upset we read in v18. Paul finally becomes so annoyed that he does what Jesus did many times — he commands the demon to leave.” He says with the authority and power of Jesus in the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her! At that moment the spirit left her. You will notice there was no ritual, simply just a command come out of her! You will notice here Paul didn’t say I command you to come out of her! no he said, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her! 

In doing this Paul witnesses to the power of the God he worships, and this shows us that the name of Jesus is above every other name and has power over demons. Paul was casting this spirit out of this girl with the power and authority of Jesus. 

It’s important to remember when we pray in Jesus’ name, we are praying for things that will honour and glorify Him and according to His will.  John says in 1 John 5:14-15 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”                                                     

We don’t know what happened to this girl, but she was free from this evil spirit that controlled her life. This shows us only in Jesus’ name can people be free from the demon possession. Only Jesus has power over evil spirits. 

Paul was so filled with the presence and power of God we are told that in Acts 19:12 "That even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.” Throughout Pauls ministry filled with the Holy Spirit he challenged all kinds of evil and unrighteousness and with boldness and courage and preached the good news of Jesus, even if it meant suffering.

He knew because Jesus had told him that he would be God's instrument of leading people to Jesus. Paul was called to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:18

As I was thinking about this, it raised a question for each one us, do we know what God has called us to do in our lives. What I do know God loves each one of us and has a wonderful plan for our life. We read in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Although this was for the nation of Israel, we can still apply into our lives. 

When we live according to His plans, we will be able to rest in Him and have His peace that surpasses our understanding. I have discovered if I want know Gods plan for my life, I need to walk with Him and be totally surrendered and committed to Him and develop a relationship that listens to and allows Him to speak into my most inner being. For some of us His calling is tough and demanding and for some it can be dangerous. 

For Paul he was called by Jesus to preach the message of Christ and therefore would suffer for the name of Jesus. Brothers and sisters, we must never be surprised by persecution and suffering for Jesus. Suffering for Jesus is part and parcel of following Jesus. 

The owners of the slave girl were angry and incensed at Paul and Silas because they were making a living from this girl and now had just lost their fortune telling. The owners of this girl don’t care about this girl, or her mental health, they only care about the money they can obtain through her. She was not valued as a human being, she was their income, exploited and used to satisfy the greed of her owners. 

Their attitude also reminds me so much of the world we live in is a world that exploits and uses the weak and vulnerable for its own greed and pleasures. This reminds me the need to care for those who marginalised and discarded by society. These owners of this girl were so angry with Paul and Silas, they dragged them into the marketplace before the city magistrates. We’re not told what happened to Timothy and Luke, who were companions of Paul and Silas at this time. 

Brothers and Sisters there may come a time when we will have to face the authorities because we challenge all that is ungodly and evil. But thanks be to God because of the presence of the Holy Spirit we do not need to fear anything or anyone.  Tomorrow we continue looking at this wonderful story of faith, power and redemption.

Personal Prayers: