Skip to main content

Irritated?



Acts 16:16-24 (NKJV)

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 





17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 





It was true what the girl was saying, but how the girl was saying it through the help of a demonic spirit made it a distraction.  







What we are saying must be directed by the Holy Spirit whether it is true or not to be it effective. 







Zechariah 4:6  (NKJV)


‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.




18 And this she did for many days.







Why did Paul put up with this for days?  Don't you think that it got old. Why didn't he stop it at once? 








But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 




What would have Jesus have done?   He would have not directed the demon out until told to do so by God, His Father.  Just like Paul.





John 12:50 (NKJV)

... whatever I (Jesus) speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”






19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone,




How could her masters make a bunch of money off this girl's predictions? 




Because some of it was right.  Some of it was stuff nobody else could know, but it wasn't God.  




Don't mess with demonic stuff like palm reading.  You are opening yourself up to be tricked.  






they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.




Paul curing this woman caused a whole new set of problems for Paul. 




Ultimately, God used this situation to found a Church in the city of Philippi.  



We have a letter in our Bibles named Philippians written by Paul to them. 


Philippians 4:10-13 (NKJV)

10 But I (Paul) rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 




11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 




12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 




13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 




Keith Moore, Faith Life Church

https://flcmedia.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/productvideo/1015-InTheSpirit-01-SpiritOrFlesh-HD.mp4


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dan Dehaan's Metro Bible Study

In the late 1970s, I attended an interdenominational Bible Study called “the Metro Bible Study” in Metro Atlanta, which began as a Small Group in “Dad” Charles Ellis’ basement. It was taught by Dan Dehaan, and eventually outgrew Dad Ellis’ basement by moving to the Griffin Middle School.  When I first started attending, it had grown to 300 teenagers who meet ever Tuesday night and featured Contemporary Christian Music played by “The Pat Terry Group”.  As the Metro Bible Study continued rapid growth, they eventually moved to the First Baptist Church of Smyrna, Georgia where it peaked around 1200 attendees.  In the summer of 1982, Dan Dehaan died in a plane crash and teacher John Riley took over. Under John Riley, the Bible Study grew to about 1,500 after eventually moving to Mt. Paran Church of God. When I was first invited to the “Metro Bible Study”, I didn’t go to hear Dan Dehaan teach because I didn’t know who he was.  What I went to hear...
2 comments
Read more

Where is God when times get tough?

Mark 4:35-41 (NLT) 35  As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”  Faith is based upon something.  Jesus said that they were all going across the lake.  The disciples should have based their faith upon what Jesus had said.   36  So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).  37  But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. You can be in the center of the will of God, and the journey can get tough.  38  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.  Faith doesn't fret.  Jesus was in the same ship as they were, but he was relaxed and asleep.   The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” Our mi...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Trouble?

What do we do in the middle of trouble? Do I trust God when I don't understand? That's the situation the captives found themselves in, and this was God's response. Jeremiah 29:4-11  (NLT) 4  This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5  “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.   6  Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!  7  And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” 8  This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams...
1 comment
Read more