Acts Chapter 16 verses 16 to 40
It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a
spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune
telling.
Following Paul and us, she cried out, "These men are servants of
the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!"
She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed,
turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ
to come out of her!" It came out that very hour.
But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they
seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These
men, being Jews, are agitating our city, and set forth customs which it is not
lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."
The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore
their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison,
charging the jailer to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge,
threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to
God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the
prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's
bonds were loosened.
The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors
open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the
prisoners had escaped.
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Don't harm yourself,
for we are all here!"
He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before
Paul and Silas,
and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved, you and your household."
They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his
house.
He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and
was immediately baptized, he and all his household.
He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and
rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.
But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying,
"Let those men go."
The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates
have sent to let you go; now therefore come out, and go in peace."
But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, without a
trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us
secretly? No, most assuredly, but let them come themselves and bring us
out!"
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were
afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they
asked them to depart from the city. They went out of the prison, and entered
into Lydia's house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and
departed.
Insight- Despite being persecuted and thrown in to prison, Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God at midnight. God did a great miracle for them
and there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken
and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were loosened.
The jailer tried to kill himself thinking all the prisoners had escaped, but he
was stopped by Paul in harming himself. He asked Paul and Silas as to how he
could be saved and they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you
will be saved, you and your household”.
He and his family believed and were baptized in water.
The jailer tried to kill himself. Do you believe that those who commit
suicide will be granted eternal life? Think about it.
Listen/Download Audios- Male & Female Voices
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15-ks2-y1NkUqy48ACtPhLfpufszCMxop
https://drive.google.com/open?id=11TohY0pgUjEyWY_nLcGUdFYN-rmImdxB
http://www.johnsoncherian.com
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