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Dailies September 2020 |
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10/30/2020 Daily Devotions: by Christina Farris 16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. If you start to read scripture and see one event happen only for hardship to come, one has to ask for what purpose. What purpose did God have for Paul and Silas to cast out a demon from a physic only for them to then be beaten and imprisoned. The healing and the sacrifice for the healing seems unwarranted til the earthquake comes and the whole household of the prison guard gets saved. In other words a revival broke out The stripes of a beating how many saved for the price that was paid. The jailor in fear of his life only to discover the prisoners were all there, despite an earthquake and the chains were loosen. Him and his whole house got saved. Is your hardship for a purpose? Is your situation you find yourself in after a good deed, seem to cause you much sorrow and pain. Yet even after being beaten Paul and Silas had rejoiced in prison. How many of us would of rejoiced over the healing of the girl of demon possession, only to have to suffer for the healing done in the name of Jesus. God's people rejoicing through suffering, still praising the name of Jesus, ever wonder why? Ever wonder why that girl healing was worth the beating. Paul had persecuted the church and now he served Jesus. He was willing to suffer for deliverance of another, because others had suffered before his time of conversion. He had seen men and women die for faith, never full understanding it until the light of Jesus blinded him and he could not see. He was confronted by Jesus for his deeds, he repent and found mercy from God. We have to ask ourselves Is Jesus suffering for the sake of our soul the only one that suffered for our salvation. Those raised in Christian home probably can say Jesus is the only one that suffered for our salvation, but that not the case for all. How did we treat the church, how did we treat our leaders, our christian parents, before the time of salvation. If I can bring my point across a believer should be willing to pay the price for one willing to be saved. How many would go to jail for one soul to be saved, how many would be willing in our world to be beaten for the sake of witness of faith to another. Is our faith strong enough to endure the work of God in the life of another through us? Are we willing to be the vessel God uses and pay the price of the world. Jesus was God vessel for us to receive salvation through the cross and through his resurrection. Paul tells the jailor he going back in front of the magistrate because he is Roman and was beaten. He using his status to get those who order his beating in trouble for not checking out who he was before beating him. Paul a man of faith, yet few realized he was not afraid to stand up his rights even if it meant paying a price for someone to be delivered. Paul and Silas would have to leave the city because of the crime against them, but they were not willing to recompense them for the error. They were in fear of Paul of Silas enough to cast them out. We can strive for our freedom through legal means and forgive or we can we face more punishment even death. Paul and Silas did not have to face further punishment for setting the girl free of the demon, because of their status. Where is the line drawn between human rights and punishment for faith. If we cleared facebook of Phyics not by pushing block/mute, but by casting out the demons that entrap them into their faith, would social media be angry because of lost of money or rejoicing because someone was set free. Telling someone they need Jesus is not the same as setting them free. You can tell a demonaic they need Jesus, but the demon that holds them still choose Satan kingdom and seeks to harm the individual unless you set them free. Paul did not go straight away into casting out the demon it was several days that demon follow him and would not leave him alone before he turn and in the name of Jesus rebuked the demon of the girl who was possessed. The girl herself was seeking maybe deliverance. There some things in the world that always will be until final judgment call. Yet why not cast the demon out of the one pestering you if they seeking Jesus. Help bring that deliverance to those that seek. Stop saying you need Jesus and explain why they need Jesus, how Jesus changed your life and made you whole. Take authority in the name of Jesus in accordance to God's will, that Jesus gave every believer. Dear Heavenly Father, in your precious Son's name, there many fighting the enemy and no not that they do or that they may even been even embracing not realizing what the devil has cooked up to entrap them. Lord, open the eyes of those that love you to the world in which they are involved if their is demonaic activity around them. Help them to seek you for your wisdom on how to be vessel in these circumstances for you. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study: Acts 9:15-18 KJV15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
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