WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.660 Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:07.960 podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend and 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:11.060 I hope you guys are having a wonderful start 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:19.320 to the year 2026 I Hope everyone is You know 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:21.980 recouping from the holidays. Maybe you ate a 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:25.460 lot of food Maybe you got used to sleeping in 00:00:25.460 --> 00:00:28.620 I hope that your adjustment back to just a life 00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:34.049 in general Hasn't been quite Too rough. This 00:00:34.049 --> 00:00:37.609 is my first week going back to work after you 00:00:37.609 --> 00:00:41.469 know having a couple weeks off of just relaxing 00:00:41.469 --> 00:00:45.590 sleeping in eating a lot of food and It has taken 00:00:45.590 --> 00:00:47.770 me a little while getting used to waking up at 00:00:47.770 --> 00:00:52.390 6 a .m. Again, so I Have been a tired girl this 00:00:52.390 --> 00:00:57.450 week But y 'all today today's episode is gonna 00:00:57.450 --> 00:01:00.130 be a little bit different what I usually do. 00:01:00.210 --> 00:01:04.829 Usually y 'all we have a topic of like forgiveness 00:01:04.829 --> 00:01:09.730 or repentance or fasting or something like that 00:01:09.730 --> 00:01:12.950 and we're pulling from different pieces of scripture 00:01:12.950 --> 00:01:17.849 but today y 'all today we're gonna go out we're 00:01:17.849 --> 00:01:22.430 just gonna dissect a chapter in the Bible today 00:01:22.430 --> 00:01:24.530 and it's a chapter from the book of Acts and 00:01:24.530 --> 00:01:27.569 this was a chapter that I felt the Lord Lead 00:01:27.569 --> 00:01:31.609 me to do a study on The other day the other day 00:01:31.609 --> 00:01:33.650 I felt led to read it in the morning and then 00:01:33.650 --> 00:01:36.030 that was just the chapter I found myself focusing 00:01:36.030 --> 00:01:40.209 on and pulling apart and That is what today is 00:01:40.209 --> 00:01:44.629 going to be. So today y 'all we are gonna go 00:01:44.629 --> 00:01:50.680 through Acts chapter 16 I'll be reading some 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:53.099 scripture to you. We'll be stopping and dissecting 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:55.799 it and going on further Okay, so let's start 00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:59.760 reading chapter 16 together. I am in the CSB 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:06.079 my she reads truth study Bible Paul went on to 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:09.879 Derbe and Listeria Where there was a disciple 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:13.259 named Timothy the son of a believing Jewish woman, 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:17.430 but his father was a Greek The brothers and sisters 00:02:17.430 --> 00:02:21.150 at Listeria and Iconium spoke highly of him. 00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:25.729 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he took 00:02:25.729 --> 00:02:30.229 him and circumcised him because of the Jews who 00:02:30.229 --> 00:02:33.430 were in those places, since they all knew that 00:02:33.430 --> 00:02:37.270 his father was a Greek. As they traveled through 00:02:37.270 --> 00:02:40.610 the towns, they delivered the decisions reached 00:02:40.610 --> 00:02:44.729 by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. for 00:02:44.729 --> 00:02:48.150 the people to observe. So the churches were strengthened 00:02:48.150 --> 00:02:53.469 in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Then 00:02:53.469 --> 00:02:58.969 they went through the region of Fygeria and Galatia. 00:02:59.870 --> 00:03:03.530 They had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to 00:03:03.530 --> 00:03:07.590 speak the Word in Asia. And when they came to 00:03:07.590 --> 00:03:12.069 Mysteria, they tried to go into Bithynia, but 00:03:12.069 --> 00:03:16.879 the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them i want 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:20.979 to pause here y 'all because this is the first 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:24.340 revelation this is the first understanding that 00:03:24.340 --> 00:03:28.020 the lord gave me when i was reading through this 00:03:28.020 --> 00:03:30.280 the other day notice the wording here y 'all 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:35.120 that the holy spirit prevented them from spreading 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:39.659 the gospel from speaking the word in asia and 00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:43.280 that the spirit of jesus prevented them from 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:48.039 going to Mysteria and the first thing that came 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:51.800 to mind for me reading that y 'all is God's rejection 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:57.900 is protection God's rejection is protection and 00:03:57.900 --> 00:03:59.800 we'll see that in the next couple verses that 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:02.719 we read in just a moment but how many times have 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:05.319 y 'all because I know I have experienced it so 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:07.759 many times right where there is something that 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:10.800 we want to do there is a desire on our heart 00:04:10.909 --> 00:04:13.449 There is a plan that we make for ourself. There 00:04:13.449 --> 00:04:16.829 is a door that we intend on opening. If that's 00:04:16.829 --> 00:04:19.649 a job you plan on applying for, a person you 00:04:19.649 --> 00:04:23.670 plan on asking out, a ministry you plan on starting 00:04:23.670 --> 00:04:27.569 up, if it's a podcast, whatever it is, if it's 00:04:27.569 --> 00:04:30.110 a place you plan on going to school, whatever 00:04:30.110 --> 00:04:33.490 it is, a degree you're pursuing. We have a thing 00:04:33.490 --> 00:04:37.250 and we think this is really good. This is really 00:04:37.250 --> 00:04:41.610 good. you try to do that thing Holy Spirit give 00:04:41.610 --> 00:04:45.110 me the words you try to execute it and God tells 00:04:45.110 --> 00:04:49.230 you no maybe you're praying to him for God I 00:04:49.230 --> 00:04:51.490 want this thing please give me this thing and 00:04:51.490 --> 00:04:57.589 he so lovingly tells you no y 'all when I was 00:04:57.589 --> 00:05:00.339 reading this I noticed All these men wanted to 00:05:00.339 --> 00:05:02.360 do was spread the gospel. They were like, hey, 00:05:02.379 --> 00:05:04.759 we just want to go tell people in Asia about 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.259 Jesus. Hey, we just want to go tell people in 00:05:07.259 --> 00:05:10.680 the Syria about Jesus. They're doing what Jesus 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:14.699 had called them to do, right? To spread the word, 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:18.600 to go out and create disciples. They are literally 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:25.339 doing what is good to God, right? Something that 00:05:25.339 --> 00:05:30.639 God desires for them to do. It's honorable what 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:35.160 they're wanting to do And although it is honorable 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:40.920 and although it is good God tells them no, that's 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:44.220 not where I want you That's not where I need 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:47.680 you. I Know that there is someone listening to 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:50.079 this podcast episode today that has felt that 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:52.600 rejection as well Maybe you're going through 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:56.139 that rejection right now Maybe there was a relationship 00:05:56.139 --> 00:05:58.639 that this person really looked like a man or 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.180 a woman of God and they really you know Maybe 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:03.439 this person encouraged you to read the Bible 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:06.180 Maybe this person seemed to just be really good 00:06:06.180 --> 00:06:07.939 like and encouraging you in your relationship 00:06:07.939 --> 00:06:10.379 with Christ and you really felt like this is 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:13.720 the person But in taking it to God God's like 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:19.480 that's not this isn't the person For you to marry 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:26.379 Maybe there's a career path that you're desiring 00:06:26.379 --> 00:06:29.660 for yourself and you every time every place you're 00:06:29.660 --> 00:06:34.100 applying at You keep getting rejected You keep 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:37.680 getting shot down Or it's like no matter how 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:39.680 much effort you try to put in towards that degree 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:49.069 things keep falling apart Whatever it is There 00:06:49.069 --> 00:06:51.269 is someone here today either you are right now 00:06:51.269 --> 00:06:52.850 going through it or you have gone through it 00:06:52.850 --> 00:06:56.430 before everybody has faced Rejection and I can 00:06:56.430 --> 00:07:00.069 tell y 'all it hits different when you face rejection 00:07:00.069 --> 00:07:02.529 and you know what you're doing It's something 00:07:02.529 --> 00:07:06.149 that like aligns with God's with scripture with 00:07:06.149 --> 00:07:08.850 the word right like it's understandable When 00:07:08.850 --> 00:07:11.430 God says no, you can't go out and do this lustful 00:07:11.430 --> 00:07:16.470 thing No, you can't have that job that's willfully 00:07:16.470 --> 00:07:20.160 sinning No, you can't have that partner that 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:22.899 doesn't believe in Jesus like those things those 00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:26.339 are Normal knows to expect from God, right? If 00:07:26.339 --> 00:07:28.839 I if I for example took a partner to God said 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.079 God I want to marry this person and God looked 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:32.480 at them and said they're not even a believer 00:07:34.169 --> 00:07:37.129 There they you would be unequal to yoke this 00:07:37.129 --> 00:07:39.889 person would you astray? That's an expected no, 00:07:40.050 --> 00:07:43.649 right? But what about the unexpected knows the 00:07:43.649 --> 00:07:45.790 things that we think God is for sure gonna bless 00:07:45.790 --> 00:07:48.610 this God is for sure gonna be pleased with this 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:52.009 and when we take it to him we hear no There are 00:07:52.009 --> 00:07:54.870 a lot of emotions that stir up when we hear no 00:07:54.870 --> 00:08:01.310 from God When we're trying and we're not seeing 00:08:01.310 --> 00:08:07.759 the result You might get angry. I know I've gotten 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.300 angry I know I've hidden points of frustrations 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:12.680 where I start Kind of talking a little angry 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:14.439 at God if I'm gonna be honest y 'all where I 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:16.819 said God how many more times am I gonna get rejected? 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:20.240 God like I have these desires and I know it aligns 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.720 with your will. Why aren't you blessing this? 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:25.819 Why aren't you allowing this? Why do I keep hearing 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:28.279 no? Why do I keep getting blocked? Sometimes 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:32.360 there's a sadness Right, sometimes there's like 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:34.679 a despair feeling that might kind of pop up where 00:08:34.679 --> 00:08:37.100 you start thinking it's never gonna get better 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:39.639 or it's never gonna happen or it's never gonna 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:43.940 work a sadness that creeps in maybe there's a 00:08:43.940 --> 00:08:46.200 Part of you that wants to disobey and wants to 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:49.740 force it Wants to try to do things your way I 00:08:49.740 --> 00:08:52.320 know I've had that tingle in me arise before 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:55.399 of like I don't have to do it God's way and that's 00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:57.299 when I have to check myself real quick and say 00:08:57.299 --> 00:09:02.200 But you should because you love the Lord There 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:07.899 are a lot of feelings y 'all that stir up when 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:10.700 you hear no from God. But you need to hear this 00:09:10.700 --> 00:09:13.460 today and we're gonna dive deeper in this in 00:09:13.460 --> 00:09:17.320 the book of Acts that when God says no, instead 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:19.840 of just seeing it as rejection, it's important 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:23.139 to see it as redirection. It's important to see 00:09:23.139 --> 00:09:26.759 it as protection and alignment. We're going to 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:31.399 see how God's know can actually align you with 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:37.259 where he needs you to be. Remember, it is in 00:09:37.259 --> 00:09:39.840 God's character to work things out for our good. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:44.299 God has plans to prosper us, not to harm us. 00:09:44.909 --> 00:09:50.190 Okay, let's read a little bit further. It says 00:09:50.190 --> 00:09:54.950 here, passing by Mystia, they went down to Tros. 00:09:55.789 --> 00:09:58.570 During the night, Paul had a vision in which 00:09:58.570 --> 00:10:01.889 a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with 00:10:01.889 --> 00:10:06.830 him, cross over to Macedonia and help us. After 00:10:06.830 --> 00:10:11.070 he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts 00:10:11.070 --> 00:10:14.419 to set out for Macedonia. Concluding that God 00:10:14.419 --> 00:10:18.440 had called us to preach the gospel to them Y 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:27.460 'all This was this was the second clarity I had 00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:35.120 in reading this If Paul was in Asia If Paul was 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:39.340 in mystia He wouldn't have been able to just 00:10:39.340 --> 00:10:42.500 pack up and go to Macedonia when God called him 00:10:45.970 --> 00:10:48.169 He wouldn't have been able to, when he had that 00:10:48.169 --> 00:10:50.230 dream, be able to just, all right, I'm gonna 00:10:50.230 --> 00:10:52.669 drop everything I'm doing and get that boat and 00:10:52.669 --> 00:10:57.289 go. He would have had moral obligations. He would 00:10:57.289 --> 00:11:01.909 have had emotional obligations. Maybe he just 00:11:01.909 --> 00:11:11.340 got to Asia, or he just got to Missy F. There's 00:11:11.340 --> 00:11:13.179 a good chance he wouldn't have packed nothing 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:15.500 left. There's a good chance he would have delayed. 00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:18.740 There could have been a lot more emotional compromises. 00:11:19.299 --> 00:11:22.899 The moral of it is he would not have been free 00:11:22.899 --> 00:11:27.360 to just go to Macedonia if those doors had opened. 00:11:29.379 --> 00:11:34.899 God's no. The Holy Spirit's no. This isn't your 00:11:34.899 --> 00:11:37.480 portion. No, this isn't where I want you. This 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:40.909 isn't where I'm calling you to. God's no and 00:11:40.909 --> 00:11:45.409 God's preventing them from going there freed 00:11:45.409 --> 00:11:53.230 them to say yes. Have y 'all ever noticed before 00:11:53.230 --> 00:11:56.190 God blesses you with a new beginning, there's 00:11:56.190 --> 00:12:03.289 often endings that happen first? I've noticed 00:12:03.289 --> 00:12:05.470 a lot of times before God delivers on something. 00:12:05.549 --> 00:12:08.230 I've been waiting for a new door There are other 00:12:08.230 --> 00:12:12.570 doors in my life that have to close Because it's 00:12:12.570 --> 00:12:17.309 really hard for you to receive that new thing 00:12:17.309 --> 00:12:23.470 with both hands When your hands are still occupied 00:12:23.470 --> 00:12:26.169 holding on to that old grid, there are a lot 00:12:26.169 --> 00:12:28.789 of times that God will have you close that door 00:12:28.789 --> 00:12:31.289 or release that thing first, so that way you 00:12:31.289 --> 00:12:35.549 can openly receive the new thing. We've talked 00:12:35.549 --> 00:12:37.429 about this in previous episodes when we talk 00:12:37.429 --> 00:12:40.610 about pruning and when we talk about open doors 00:12:40.610 --> 00:12:46.169 and closed doors. Oftentimes, God will make sure, 00:12:46.210 --> 00:12:48.490 before you have that blessing coming in, He's 00:12:48.490 --> 00:12:52.350 gonna make sure you're well and able to receive 00:12:52.350 --> 00:12:58.490 it. There is a trend I've noticed in my life 00:12:58.490 --> 00:13:01.570 personally y 'all. It was each time that God, 00:13:02.629 --> 00:13:05.789 I moved around a lot in the past couple years, 00:13:06.350 --> 00:13:09.039 and it was kind of weird how each time, Before 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:11.399 God would have me move, and I'm gonna be thoughtful 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:13.799 with the way I word this, I would start getting 00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:16.440 dissatisfied with where I was at beforehand. 00:13:17.899 --> 00:13:21.000 And certain doors would start closing. To where 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:23.779 by the time when God brought in the opportunity 00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:30.179 to move to that new place, I was ready. I was 00:13:30.179 --> 00:13:33.600 actually excited for it. I was actually like 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:34.960 looking around like, all right, God, when are 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:38.000 we gonna go? When are we gonna do it? Because 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.399 if I was still comfortable in that old thing, 00:13:40.740 --> 00:13:43.059 if I was still holding on to that old thing, 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:45.480 there is a good chance I wouldn't have fully 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:49.879 accepted or maybe even rejected that new thing 00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:52.419 that he was trying to bring in. So God would 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:55.779 allow certain doors to be closed. Honestly, the 00:13:55.779 --> 00:13:57.860 way I used to look at it was God kind of nudging 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:00.919 me out the door. He used to have to nudge me. 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:04.000 You know, I've gotten a little bit better with 00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:06.519 kind of trusting him and stepping out and closing 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:08.820 the door, but especially when I was very new 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:10.480 to my relationship with Christ, he kind of had 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.120 to shove me out the door a little bit. He kind 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:16.399 of had to nudge me out in the best way I can 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.840 work at y 'all. But to get back so we don't get 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:26.100 too far off track, closed doors and God saying 00:14:26.100 --> 00:14:29.539 no will keep you in a space to say yes to the 00:14:29.539 --> 00:14:34.639 right thing. Because these men weren't in Asia 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.580 and they weren't in mystia when the call came 00:14:37.580 --> 00:14:41.580 when the dream came When they were called by 00:14:41.580 --> 00:14:46.340 God to go they were able to get up and go and 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:51.700 notice how Them hearing no from God Those other 00:14:51.700 --> 00:14:55.919 times they didn't close off Paul didn't close 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:58.440 himself off from here and from God. He was still 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:00.480 ready to receive direction You know how we talked 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:02.700 about emotions usually pop up when you hear no, 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:05.480 maybe you get kind of angry at God Maybe you 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:07.860 get sad there are different feelings that can 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:10.320 stir up But it's important that however you're 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.379 feeling to take it to God and to not turn your 00:15:13.379 --> 00:15:17.259 back on him Because even though Paul literally 00:15:17.259 --> 00:15:20.669 was just hearing no He didn't turn his back on 00:15:20.669 --> 00:15:23.190 God. He was still ready to receive. And when 00:15:23.190 --> 00:15:27.909 God pointed at him where to go, he went. Let's 00:15:27.909 --> 00:15:33.090 keep reading, y 'all. From Troas, we put out 00:15:33.090 --> 00:15:36.570 to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace. Y 00:15:36.570 --> 00:15:38.669 'all, bear with me. Pronouncing some of these 00:15:38.669 --> 00:15:43.470 towns is not my forte, okay? The next day to 00:15:43.470 --> 00:15:48.269 Neapolis and from there to Philippi. a Roman 00:15:48.269 --> 00:15:51.529 colony and leading city of the district of Macedonia. 00:15:52.110 --> 00:15:55.490 We stayed in that city for several days. On the 00:15:55.490 --> 00:15:57.549 Sabbath day, we went outside the city gate by 00:15:57.549 --> 00:16:00.289 the river where we expected to find a place of 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:03.470 prayer. We sat down and spoke to the woman gathered 00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:09.169 there. A God -fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer 00:16:09.169 --> 00:16:15.309 in purple cloth from the city of Thyria, was 00:16:15.309 --> 00:16:18.809 listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond 00:16:18.809 --> 00:16:22.570 to what Paul was saying. After she and her household 00:16:22.570 --> 00:16:26.190 were baptized, she urged us, if you consider 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:28.750 me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my 00:16:28.750 --> 00:16:32.409 house. And she persuaded us. There were a couple 00:16:32.409 --> 00:16:34.649 things I noticed when reading this, y 'all. The 00:16:34.649 --> 00:16:36.190 first thing I noticed when reading this is God 00:16:36.190 --> 00:16:39.879 provides. Notice how when God called them to 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:42.200 go to Macedonia He didn't give them a plan of 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:43.580 like and then when you get there you're gonna 00:16:43.580 --> 00:16:45.399 stay with this person You're gonna stay in this 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:46.799 place and you're gonna do this thing and you're 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:50.299 gonna do that God called them to go when they 00:16:50.299 --> 00:16:54.000 went and they didn't have Like some detailed 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.820 thought out plan and the first thing I read here 00:16:55.820 --> 00:16:58.980 is look at how God provides They're going out 00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:01.299 for a time of just pursuing the Lord and praying 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:04.700 and in pursuing the Lord their next place of 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:08.539 where they were staying Was brought to them. 00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:11.400 They met the woman Lydia while they were there 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:17.380 speaking to many women But not only that They 00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:20.420 wanted to go to Asia and they wanted to go to 00:17:20.420 --> 00:17:23.700 Mystia to spread the gospel right y 'all Like 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.559 that was what they wanted to do. They get here 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:29.140 to the district of Macedonia and they're already 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:35.369 baptizing a woman in her family Those were the 00:17:35.369 --> 00:17:37.490 main things I mainly notice is look at God's 00:17:37.490 --> 00:17:40.369 provision and they're seeking first the kingdom 00:17:40.369 --> 00:17:45.789 of heaven God and his kingdom Look at how God 00:17:45.789 --> 00:17:50.230 provides when they move by faith And look at 00:17:50.230 --> 00:17:52.750 how they are doing what they wanted to go to 00:17:52.750 --> 00:17:55.529 Asia to do God is still fulfilling the desire 00:17:55.529 --> 00:17:57.990 of the heart Which is to spread the gospel to 00:17:57.990 --> 00:18:01.230 create disciples, but they're doing it in a different 00:18:01.230 --> 00:18:05.750 place Maybe a bit of a different way than they 00:18:05.750 --> 00:18:11.430 expected, right? Let's keep it moving Once as 00:18:11.430 --> 00:18:14.430 we were on our way to prayer a slave girl met 00:18:14.430 --> 00:18:18.009 us who had a spirit by which she predicted the 00:18:18.009 --> 00:18:22.309 future She made a large profit for her owners 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:25.289 by fortune -telling. I want to pause here. I'm 00:18:25.289 --> 00:18:27.880 gonna pause here real quick y 'all Those of you 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:29.359 who have been here with me for a while in the 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:31.240 podcast You know that I'm a former tarot card 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:33.160 reader before I give my life to Christ I was 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:35.000 in New Age spirituality and I was a tarot card 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:38.519 reader and long before I got into tarot card 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:43.480 reading Me and other people in my life and people 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:48.240 in the church growing up had identified One of 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.079 the giftings God had given me I now know it as 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:53.539 a prophetic gift we used to call it a bit more 00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:56.900 of like Knowing or sensing of things that were 00:18:56.900 --> 00:18:58.880 gonna happen. I never really had a word for it 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:02.000 because I didn't have biblical literacy, okay 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:05.799 And I am a firm believer that the devil sees 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:08.220 the gifts that God gives us and perverts them 00:19:08.220 --> 00:19:10.400 to use them for the kingdom of darkness instead 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.140 of the kingdom of heaven and I know that that 00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:15.920 was what was happening in my life. Oh personally, 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:18.740 I stand on that but there was a gifting that 00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:25.099 the Lord gave me and and my ignorance and my 00:19:25.099 --> 00:19:28.140 lack of biblical literacy and in my trauma and 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:32.859 in my pain I turn to tarot and I turn to new 00:19:32.859 --> 00:19:35.819 age and I turn to all these things and there 00:19:35.819 --> 00:19:41.359 are demonic spirits that your psychic mediums 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:43.559 your fortune tellers your oracle card readers 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:48.079 your tarot card readers go to There God is God 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:50.420 does not condone fortune -telling. He does not 00:19:50.420 --> 00:19:52.579 condone witchcraft Therefore God is not going 00:19:52.579 --> 00:19:55.599 to be talking to them through the cards through 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:58.460 the oracle readings. You are talking to monitoring 00:19:58.460 --> 00:20:01.319 spirits They're talking to monitoring spirits. 00:20:01.319 --> 00:20:04.619 These are spirits that watch your family They 00:20:04.619 --> 00:20:06.740 may have watched your ancestors that come before 00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:09.500 you they monitor you. Yes, they can tell you 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:11.910 about your last relationship They'll tell you 00:20:11.910 --> 00:20:14.230 your favorite color. They'll tell you a private 00:20:14.230 --> 00:20:16.549 thing with you and your grandma because they 00:20:16.549 --> 00:20:18.849 have been monitoring and watching but do not 00:20:18.849 --> 00:20:22.529 be mistaken Those spirit those spirits are not 00:20:22.529 --> 00:20:27.769 from god God will never contradict himself He 00:20:27.769 --> 00:20:31.430 is not going to have his angels The holy spirit 00:20:31.430 --> 00:20:34.150 is not going to be consulting with you through 00:20:34.150 --> 00:20:36.450 those cards. So any information you're getting 00:20:36.450 --> 00:20:40.109 through those cards through those psychic mediums 00:20:40.109 --> 00:20:43.710 is not from God. And someone may need to hear 00:20:43.710 --> 00:20:49.150 this today. It is in scripture that you cannot 00:20:49.150 --> 00:20:51.970 serve two masters. You will love one and hate 00:20:51.970 --> 00:20:54.930 the other. You cannot partake in the Lord's table 00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:58.569 and the cup of demons. You can't be Christian 00:20:58.569 --> 00:21:00.930 and loving God and trying to align yourself with 00:21:00.930 --> 00:21:03.130 his will and expecting blessings from him and 00:21:03.130 --> 00:21:06.720 entertaining information from the devil. You 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:09.319 can't be getting information from monitoring 00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:11.819 spirits like that and expecting that to align 00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:15.079 with God's will and his word You cannot expect 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:20.759 God to bless that sin Y 'all when I left new 00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:24.779 age I had to receive Deliverance I went through 00:21:24.779 --> 00:21:28.099 deliverance fasting. I had to be delivered from 00:21:28.099 --> 00:21:35.779 demonic spirits Just as this woman right in here 00:21:38.179 --> 00:21:40.960 Now I will say that the Lord has since given 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:45.960 me words Obviously the gift that the Lord had 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:48.640 given me that the devil was perverting was not 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:53.420 taken away It was a gift that the Lord had me 00:21:53.420 --> 00:21:55.460 born with we are each born with spiritual gifts 00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:58.940 Those are things that Satan can't take away But 00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:01.319 there are things that he will pervert and we 00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:04.200 see here that there is a spirit of divination 00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:06.599 And there are people who do not have the prophetic 00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:10.599 gift That still participate in divination and 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:19.380 get their information from spirits And I hope 00:22:19.380 --> 00:22:21.319 the way I'm wearing this makes sense and we might 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.319 do just a full -on episode on this sometime to 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:29.460 deep dive But the root of this is is if it is 00:22:29.460 --> 00:22:33.220 in a practice That is not rooted in Christ if 00:22:33.220 --> 00:22:36.700 it involves divination if it involves witchcraft 00:22:37.849 --> 00:22:40.869 involves the zodiacs and the astrology and the 00:22:40.869 --> 00:22:46.049 astronomy the information isn't from God and 00:22:46.049 --> 00:22:49.849 there are some people and I want to say this 00:22:49.849 --> 00:22:52.690 in the kindest way that are getting information 00:22:52.690 --> 00:22:55.970 from these demonic spirits from these demonic 00:22:55.970 --> 00:23:03.680 sources and then trying to like They're expecting 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:07.339 God to bless the plans, the plots, the schemes, 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:09.660 and the choices that they make based off of this 00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:14.759 information. And that's not how God works. You 00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:19.220 can't have both. And I just want to tell you, 00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:22.619 whoever you are today, if God wants you to know 00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:24.519 something, He's going to make sure you know. 00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:27.579 But you have to be in relationship with Him. 00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:35.420 You have to be in relationship with him There 00:23:35.420 --> 00:23:38.220 is a Bible verse I want to refer back to real 00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:42.500 quick y 'all and that is Deuteronomy 18 and we're 00:23:42.500 --> 00:23:45.039 gonna start in verse 9 that says here when you 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.859 enter the land The Lord your God is giving you 00:23:47.859 --> 00:23:50.819 do not imitate the detestable customs of those 00:23:50.819 --> 00:23:54.259 nations No one among you is to sacrifice his 00:23:54.259 --> 00:23:57.180 son or daughter in the fire practice divination 00:23:57.480 --> 00:24:01.619 tell fortunes interpret omens practice sorcery 00:24:01.619 --> 00:24:05.200 cast spells consult a medium or a spiritualist 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:08.579 or inquire of the dead everyone who does these 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:12.079 acts is detestable to the lord and the lord your 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:14.779 god is driving out the nations before you because 00:24:14.779 --> 00:24:18.400 of these detestable acts you must be blameless 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:21.859 before the lord your god though these nations 00:24:21.859 --> 00:24:23.960 you are about to drive out listen to fortune 00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:27.599 tellers and diviners The Lord your God has not 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:33.019 permitted you to do this Someone someone needs 00:24:33.019 --> 00:24:38.299 to hear that today, okay? That not only are we 00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:41.599 called to not do it ourselves. You are not supposed 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:45.200 to be Aligning yourself with the zodiacs. You're 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:48.240 not supposed to be getting information from your 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:51.180 birth chart You're not supposed to be trying 00:24:51.180 --> 00:24:52.880 to predict the future. You're not supposed to 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:54.700 be consulting mediums. You're not supposed to 00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:56.400 be doing manifesting. You're not supposed to 00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:58.460 be doing witchcraft. You're not supposed to be 00:24:58.460 --> 00:25:00.460 doing spell work. You're not supposed to be doing 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:02.420 the pendulums. You're not supposed to be doing 00:25:02.420 --> 00:25:05.799 the tarot cards, oracle cards. You're not supposed 00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:08.660 to be doing any of this, the rune throwing, whatever 00:25:08.660 --> 00:25:12.240 it is, the scrying. You are not supposed to be 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:15.180 doing any of this. All of this is detestable 00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:18.460 to the Lord. But it says here, not only are you 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:20.440 not supposed to do it, you are not supposed to 00:25:20.440 --> 00:25:24.000 be consulting people that are doing it. Which 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.279 means you're not supposed to be accepting prophetic 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:28.720 words from someone you know does, and I'm doing 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:31.359 prophetic words in quotation marks because a 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:34.099 prophecy is from God and these are not from God. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:37.640 You are not supposed to be listening to a quote 00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:39.799 unquote prophetic word from someone that you 00:25:39.799 --> 00:25:43.259 know does witchcraft. From someone that you know 00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:45.720 that reads tarot cards from someone that you 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:49.259 know Reads oracle cards from someone that you 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:52.839 know is consulting with other meat with other 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:56.740 spirits from someone that you know Isn't submitted 00:25:56.740 --> 00:25:58.480 to the Lord Jesus Christ and you're supposed 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:02.259 to take every word back to God before you come 00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:05.680 into agreement with it There are people who think 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:07.779 that they can get around it of well just because 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:10.319 I'm not touching the cards Well, just because 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:13.480 I'm not touching the candle just because I'm 00:26:13.480 --> 00:26:16.740 not touching it doesn't matter God sees it the 00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:18.720 same exact way of whether or not you are lighting 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:21.220 the candle or you're paying someone else to do 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:27.279 it both are detestable to the Lord and He will 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:31.039 drive you out I think someone needed to hear 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:33.420 this today. I'm sorry y 'all, I didn't expect 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:35.440 to get that heavy, but someone needed to hear 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:39.140 this today, okay? And that goes with the zodiacs 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:42.380 of reading your horoscope every day, of trying 00:26:42.380 --> 00:26:45.960 to read your birth chart and plan your life. 00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:48.700 There are a lot of people who think, well, if 00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:52.000 I just pay someone else to do it, I'm fine. That's 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:55.740 not what God's Word says. And His Word is truth, 00:26:55.799 --> 00:26:59.460 no matter how you try to flip it. His word is 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:04.059 truth. Now let's continue reading. Amen. Now 00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:07.619 we see here back in Acts, we're going to start 00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:11.819 in verse, we'll go back to verse 16. Once as 00:27:11.819 --> 00:27:14.220 we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met 00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:17.039 us who had a spirit by which she predicted the 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:20.160 future. She made a large profit for her owners 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:24.400 by fortune telling. As she followed Paul and 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:28.599 us, she cried out, These men who are proclaiming 00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:31.599 to you a way of salvation are the servants of 00:27:31.599 --> 00:27:35.779 the Most High God She did this for many days 00:27:35.779 --> 00:27:38.079 I'm gonna pause here y 'all because what this 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:42.640 woman was saying was true They were servants 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:46.579 of the Most High God Just to back up y 'all how 00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:49.140 I said a little bit ago monitoring spirits can 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:54.049 tell you about your your childhood Can tell you 00:27:54.049 --> 00:27:56.069 about your favorite color can tell you about 00:27:56.069 --> 00:27:59.309 that thing that you were writing out Because 00:27:59.309 --> 00:28:04.329 they were monitoring the enemy the devil He is 00:28:04.329 --> 00:28:12.069 the father of lies He is literally like the master 00:28:12.069 --> 00:28:15.369 of Deception he is called the great deceiver 00:28:15.369 --> 00:28:18.690 and what is deception? It's a lot easier y 'all 00:28:18.690 --> 00:28:21.990 to believe lies when there's some truth sprinkled 00:28:21.990 --> 00:28:26.180 in And that's exactly what deception is, is lies 00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:29.339 with some twisted truth. What did he do to Eve 00:28:29.339 --> 00:28:31.920 in the garden? He twisted the truth. He said, 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:36.160 surely you won't die. Your eyes will be opened 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:41.079 and you'll be like God. Well, her eyes were opened, 00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:46.299 right? He told a truth in that. He twisted the 00:28:46.299 --> 00:28:48.660 truth. He said sure that you won't die meaning 00:28:48.660 --> 00:28:51.319 you won't drop dead right here But he knew that 00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:55.059 it would lead to spiritual death The wage of 00:28:55.059 --> 00:29:00.220 sin is death. So he deceived her The enemy moves 00:29:00.220 --> 00:29:08.019 off of deception We see that she was telling 00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:13.059 the truth but the enemy always has an ulterior 00:29:13.059 --> 00:29:17.970 motive Right? When we look at the motive behind 00:29:17.970 --> 00:29:21.529 this, Paul and Silas are showing up in a place 00:29:21.529 --> 00:29:24.269 where they're about to spread the gospel and 00:29:24.269 --> 00:29:27.089 convict people who probably don't feel the best 00:29:27.089 --> 00:29:30.250 about getting convicted. We'll see that a couple 00:29:30.250 --> 00:29:33.809 of verses down. So yes, this woman was speaking 00:29:33.809 --> 00:29:35.670 the truth that they were servants of the most 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:38.230 high God But it wasn't to help them. It was to 00:29:38.230 --> 00:29:40.750 expose them. It was to make them vulnerable It 00:29:40.750 --> 00:29:42.970 was to draw attention to them where people would 00:29:42.970 --> 00:29:44.829 get annoyed when they see them walking where 00:29:44.829 --> 00:29:49.349 people would want to avoid them And it says here 00:29:49.349 --> 00:29:52.910 Paul was greatly annoyed Turning to the spirit. 00:29:52.930 --> 00:29:56.089 He said I command you in the name of Jesus Christ 00:29:56.089 --> 00:29:58.730 to come out of her and it came out right away 00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:01.720 I wanna pause right here, y 'all demons flee 00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:05.920 at the name of Jesus. Do not underestimate the 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:10.319 authority of someone who is covered in the blood 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:13.119 of Jesus. I wanna be so clear, the authority 00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:16.339 isn't the person, the authority is in the name 00:30:16.339 --> 00:30:19.640 of Jesus and the faith in Jesus. It all comes 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:22.680 from Jesus. Apart from him, we can do nothing, 00:30:22.900 --> 00:30:27.599 y 'all. And it says here when her owners realized 00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:30.559 that their hope of profit was gone They seized 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.059 Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace 00:30:33.059 --> 00:30:35.400 to the authorities and y 'all that's another 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:38.539 thing that really caught my attention is The 00:30:38.539 --> 00:30:41.900 owners didn't care that this girl was just delivered 00:30:41.900 --> 00:30:46.920 from demons. They actually didn't see Her having 00:30:46.920 --> 00:30:49.380 demons as a problem because they made money off 00:30:49.380 --> 00:30:54.900 of it because they were gaining something from 00:30:54.900 --> 00:30:58.859 it. And this is gonna be a tough pill to swallow, 00:30:58.900 --> 00:31:01.299 but someone may need to hear this today. There 00:31:01.299 --> 00:31:04.799 are people in your life who will not encourage 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:07.339 you to receive deliverance, who will not encourage 00:31:07.339 --> 00:31:11.099 you to stop sinning, who will not encourage you 00:31:11.099 --> 00:31:13.500 to flee temptation because they are benefiting 00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:16.859 in some way off of it. And I have seen that from 00:31:16.859 --> 00:31:22.069 experience. I have experienced that. When I gave 00:31:22.069 --> 00:31:24.190 my life to Jesus, y 'all, there were a lot of 00:31:24.190 --> 00:31:27.109 people who were very upset with some of the lifestyle 00:31:27.109 --> 00:31:29.109 changes I made. For instance, when I stopped 00:31:29.109 --> 00:31:32.029 smoking and drinking due to, we're not supposed 00:31:32.029 --> 00:31:33.869 to be drunkards, period, which means we're also 00:31:33.869 --> 00:31:37.789 not supposed to be stoners. I had a 100 % sobriety 00:31:37.789 --> 00:31:41.710 conviction. And there were people who hated that 00:31:41.710 --> 00:31:48.690 I was sober, who... Receive joy when they would 00:31:48.690 --> 00:31:51.710 see me make dumb decisions when I was trash or 00:31:51.710 --> 00:31:53.930 there were people who I I didn't want to spend 00:31:53.930 --> 00:31:55.849 time with and I would hold boundaries with when 00:31:55.849 --> 00:31:58.329 I was sober and the only time I wouldn't Have 00:31:58.329 --> 00:32:00.430 those boundaries or hold those things was when 00:32:00.430 --> 00:32:03.750 I was intoxicated So my no longer being intoxicated 00:32:03.750 --> 00:32:06.670 limited their access There are people there were 00:32:06.670 --> 00:32:09.549 people who were upset and angry that I stopped 00:32:09.549 --> 00:32:12.150 doing divination that I stopped being a tarot 00:32:12.150 --> 00:32:15.369 card reader Because they felt they were benefiting 00:32:15.369 --> 00:32:19.210 off the readings. I was giving them There were 00:32:19.210 --> 00:32:21.329 ones who benefited off of calling me demonic 00:32:21.329 --> 00:32:24.430 there are people who Claimed to follow Jesus 00:32:24.430 --> 00:32:27.410 who hated that I started following Jesus because 00:32:27.410 --> 00:32:30.190 they could no longer call me a demonic person 00:32:30.190 --> 00:32:34.569 now I was a brother and sister in Christ and 00:32:34.569 --> 00:32:36.509 They felt some type of way about that y 'all. 00:32:36.509 --> 00:32:41.190 There are people who will literally Ain't you 00:32:41.190 --> 00:32:46.440 being delivered? hate you being sin free because 00:32:46.440 --> 00:32:53.740 they can no longer like gain something from it 00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:57.339 but it's important that you don't let that stop 00:32:57.339 --> 00:33:02.259 you okay you need to continue to pursue Jesus 00:33:02.259 --> 00:33:10.940 but we see here that her owners were making a 00:33:10.940 --> 00:33:14.230 lot of money off of what she was doing and when 00:33:14.230 --> 00:33:17.809 they could no longer make money off of what she 00:33:17.809 --> 00:33:21.930 was doing let's see what they do next y 'all 00:33:21.930 --> 00:33:26.109 says here when her owners realized that their 00:33:26.109 --> 00:33:29.009 hope of profit was gone they seized paul and 00:33:29.009 --> 00:33:33.150 silas and dragged them into the marketplace to 00:33:33.150 --> 00:33:37.130 the authorities bringing them before the chief 00:33:37.130 --> 00:33:40.710 magistrates they said these men are seriously 00:33:40.710 --> 00:33:44.230 disturbing our city. They are Jews and are promoting 00:33:44.230 --> 00:33:48.670 customs that are not legal for us Romans to adopt 00:33:48.670 --> 00:33:51.970 or practice. See, these people didn't have a 00:33:51.970 --> 00:33:55.049 problem with Paul and Cyrus until they felt Paul 00:33:55.049 --> 00:33:57.549 and Silas took away their money making opportunity 00:33:57.549 --> 00:34:00.269 and all of a sudden these guys were a problem. 00:34:00.589 --> 00:34:03.450 We gotta take them to the law. We gotta take 00:34:03.450 --> 00:34:11.340 them to the authorities. The crowd joined in 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:14.019 the attack against them and the chief magistrate 00:34:14.019 --> 00:34:16.579 stripped off their clothes and Ordered them to 00:34:16.579 --> 00:34:19.820 be beaten with rods after they had severely flogged 00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:22.679 them They threw them into jail ordering the jailer 00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:24.940 to guard them carefully receiving such an order 00:34:24.940 --> 00:34:27.940 he put them into the inner prison and Secured 00:34:27.940 --> 00:34:31.280 their feet in the stocks y 'all you know my next 00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:36.380 thought when I was reading this Was in God Knew 00:34:36.380 --> 00:34:40.599 all of this was gonna happen and still led them 00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:43.199 there. There are so many people and I have been 00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:48.599 one of them Who have this like misunderstanding 00:34:48.599 --> 00:34:55.260 and believe that if God is guiding you somewhere 00:34:55.260 --> 00:34:58.039 opening up the door that it's gonna be painless 00:34:58.039 --> 00:35:02.880 and sunshine and rainbows that God's Choice should 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:06.030 come with no suffering Like if God has appointed 00:35:06.030 --> 00:35:07.849 you to, it's going to be easy and it's going 00:35:07.849 --> 00:35:10.010 to be fun and it's going to be rainbows and it's 00:35:10.010 --> 00:35:11.510 going to be a little black lead and it's going 00:35:11.510 --> 00:35:14.349 to be all this sweet stuff. And that's just not 00:35:14.349 --> 00:35:20.630 true. In all honesty, God will allow us to go 00:35:20.630 --> 00:35:22.969 through suffering for a period if he knows that 00:35:22.969 --> 00:35:27.199 there is blessing on the other side. We know 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:30.119 that as followers of Christ, just in general, 00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:32.239 our lives aren't gonna be sunshine and rainbows. 00:35:32.280 --> 00:35:34.380 We know that the world is gonna hate us if we 00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:36.380 look like Jesus. We know that there's gonna be 00:35:36.380 --> 00:35:39.460 warfare, moves from the enemy. We know about 00:35:39.460 --> 00:35:42.179 all that opposition, all that hardship. We know 00:35:42.179 --> 00:35:44.639 that our faith is gonna be tested because the 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:47.900 testing of your faith, it produces an endurance 00:35:47.900 --> 00:35:50.500 in the trials and tribulations. And we know about 00:35:50.500 --> 00:35:52.940 the pruning and all of these things. So why would 00:35:52.940 --> 00:35:55.940 we think that God leading us somewhere would 00:35:55.940 --> 00:36:00.500 come with absolutely no pain. God closed those 00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:07.139 other doors and guided them to Macedonia knowing, 00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:12.300 knowing because God is all knowing, that this 00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:15.960 was going to happen and he still allowed it to 00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:25.730 happen. Y 'all take a look at Job. the one who 00:36:25.730 --> 00:36:30.750 suffered that God was very, very well pleased 00:36:30.750 --> 00:36:33.409 with. God had even said to Satan, have you all 00:36:33.409 --> 00:36:36.849 seen my servant Job? Like basically, isn't he 00:36:36.849 --> 00:36:43.690 awesome? Job's suffering didn't start because 00:36:43.690 --> 00:36:47.369 of his disobedience or because God wanted to 00:36:47.369 --> 00:36:49.289 punish him. He's receiving all these consequences. 00:36:49.369 --> 00:36:53.989 His friends accused him of that. But his suffering 00:36:53.989 --> 00:36:57.769 was actually approving of his character and of 00:36:57.769 --> 00:37:00.110 his faith. So someone may need to hear this today 00:37:00.110 --> 00:37:03.230 as well. Y 'all see someone suffering, don't 00:37:03.230 --> 00:37:05.570 immediately assume that they're suffering because 00:37:05.570 --> 00:37:09.489 God is angry at them, or they secretly sinned, 00:37:09.489 --> 00:37:11.769 or all these things. You know, sometimes people 00:37:11.769 --> 00:37:13.489 are suffering because of the consequences of 00:37:13.489 --> 00:37:16.769 their own actions. We can see suffering as a 00:37:16.769 --> 00:37:18.869 result of disobedience, like in the book of Jeremiah. 00:37:20.269 --> 00:37:23.090 Suffering is bad decision -making. You make the 00:37:23.090 --> 00:37:24.989 wrong decision, and they're suffering. Look at 00:37:24.989 --> 00:37:26.889 Joseph. He was supposed to wait on God's promise. 00:37:27.849 --> 00:37:30.230 And not Joseph, sorry. It was Abraham. He was 00:37:30.230 --> 00:37:32.130 supposed to be waiting on God's promise that 00:37:32.130 --> 00:37:34.250 you're going to be father of nations. And he 00:37:34.250 --> 00:37:36.730 got impatient and decided to have that kid with 00:37:36.730 --> 00:37:38.769 Hagar. And then there was unnecessary suffering 00:37:38.769 --> 00:37:41.510 because his wife and his wife's hand made him 00:37:41.510 --> 00:37:43.050 always going back and forth at each other. Now 00:37:43.050 --> 00:37:46.110 there is a lot of drama. Unnecessary suffering, 00:37:46.570 --> 00:37:48.469 but that was suffering due to the consequences 00:37:48.469 --> 00:37:54.800 of his own lack of judgment. But don't always 00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:56.960 assume that that is why someone's suffering there 00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:59.400 is sometimes a righteous God will allow a righteous 00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:01.619 person to suffer Because he knows of the blessing 00:38:01.619 --> 00:38:03.739 on the other side of it. Look at Joseph like 00:38:03.739 --> 00:38:07.860 all the suffering Joseph went through But that 00:38:07.860 --> 00:38:10.280 created him that molded him into the person he 00:38:10.280 --> 00:38:12.900 was that day When he interpreted those dreams 00:38:12.900 --> 00:38:15.539 for Pharaoh and he was put up in that high position 00:38:15.539 --> 00:38:20.360 He was taking care of business. Okay. See y 'all 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:22.940 Keep that in mind, y 'all, about all this suffering, 00:38:23.019 --> 00:38:27.219 all this pain that Paul and Silas are going through. 00:38:27.539 --> 00:38:31.219 God literally led them to it. Well, let's keep 00:38:31.219 --> 00:38:35.280 moving on. It says here, about midnight, Paul 00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:38.239 and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. 00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:42.900 And the prisoners were listening to them. Notice 00:38:42.900 --> 00:38:46.780 how even in being locked up, Even in being in 00:38:46.780 --> 00:38:49.599 prison even in suffering they were still praising 00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:53.639 and worshiping god God is good regardless of 00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:56.579 our circumstances. God isn't good because of 00:38:56.579 --> 00:38:58.539 our circumstances We know that from reading the 00:38:58.539 --> 00:39:01.440 book of joke is god is good regardless Of our 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:03.320 circumstances whether or not we are in the hills 00:39:03.320 --> 00:39:07.800 or in the valleys god is still good And although 00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:10.599 in their obedience to god they were led into 00:39:10.599 --> 00:39:13.719 suffering they were still worshiping and praising 00:39:13.719 --> 00:39:16.449 him And it says here that suddenly there was 00:39:16.449 --> 00:39:18.949 a violent earthquake that the foundations of 00:39:18.949 --> 00:39:21.269 the jail were shaken and immediately all the 00:39:21.269 --> 00:39:23.469 doors were opened and everyone's chains came 00:39:23.469 --> 00:39:27.010 loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the doors 00:39:27.010 --> 00:39:29.750 of the prison standing open, he drew his sword 00:39:29.750 --> 00:39:33.070 and was going to kill himself since he thought 00:39:33.070 --> 00:39:36.570 the prisoners have escaped. But Paul called out 00:39:36.570 --> 00:39:40.309 in a loud voice, don't harm yourself because 00:39:40.309 --> 00:39:44.210 we are all still here. The jailer called for 00:39:44.210 --> 00:39:46.630 lights rushed in and fell down trembling before 00:39:46.630 --> 00:39:49.210 Paul and Silas He escorted them out and said 00:39:49.210 --> 00:39:52.070 sir is what must I do to be saved? I want to 00:39:52.070 --> 00:39:56.510 pause here. I Just want to pause here real quick 00:39:56.510 --> 00:40:02.090 This man knew what he was saying was no one but 00:40:02.090 --> 00:40:07.800 God And he saw the way that God delivered his 00:40:07.800 --> 00:40:10.199 people from the injustice they were going through. 00:40:10.340 --> 00:40:12.340 He saw the way that God broke those shackles. 00:40:12.420 --> 00:40:14.239 Notice how God didn't have those people drop 00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:17.159 the accusations first. God didn't have someone 00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:19.739 come and lock the door. God just decided my people 00:40:19.739 --> 00:40:22.340 are free. They're free. He didn't have to clear 00:40:22.340 --> 00:40:25.559 it with anybody. He wasn't relying on anybody's 00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:29.039 free will decision. God decided it and it happened. 00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:33.860 And then that guy seeing that, that prison guard 00:40:33.860 --> 00:40:40.420 saw Not only what God was able to do but saw 00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:45.619 who he did it for That added legitimacy to Paul 00:40:45.619 --> 00:40:48.039 and Silas's message, right? They're like clearly 00:40:48.039 --> 00:40:50.440 God is with these guys. He's immediately like 00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:54.739 what do I got to do to get saved? And it says 00:40:54.739 --> 00:40:58.260 here they said believe in the Lord and you will 00:40:58.260 --> 00:41:01.460 be saved you and your household and they spoke 00:41:01.460 --> 00:41:04.400 the word of the Lord to him along with everyone 00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:07.980 in his house and He took them the same hour of 00:41:07.980 --> 00:41:11.059 the night and washed their wounds right away. 00:41:11.079 --> 00:41:14.219 He and his family were baptized he brought them 00:41:14.219 --> 00:41:18.300 into his house set a meal before them and Rejoiced 00:41:18.300 --> 00:41:22.559 because he had come to believe in God with his 00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:27.500 entire household y 'all Paul Paul originally 00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:30.920 wanted to go and get people saved by spreading 00:41:30.920 --> 00:41:34.610 the gospel and Asian mysterious but instead he 00:41:34.610 --> 00:41:38.690 finds himself in Macedonia suffering in prison 00:41:38.690 --> 00:41:43.590 and people are getting saved. The will of his 00:41:43.590 --> 00:41:46.030 heart is being carried out just maybe not the 00:41:46.030 --> 00:41:47.829 desire of his heart is being carried out just 00:41:47.829 --> 00:41:50.670 maybe not in the way he expected it but his suffering 00:41:50.670 --> 00:41:54.170 led to the salvation of other people because 00:41:54.170 --> 00:41:57.860 their deliverance In suffering, that opened the 00:41:57.860 --> 00:42:00.440 door, the opportunity for God to deliver them. 00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:02.380 If they weren't suffering, what was God going 00:42:02.380 --> 00:42:05.480 to deliver them from? If that woman hadn't called 00:42:05.480 --> 00:42:08.400 all that attention to them and stirred up that 00:42:08.400 --> 00:42:10.579 hatred, who would have been watching for their 00:42:10.579 --> 00:42:14.280 deliverance? God allowed these things to happen 00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:16.699 so that way their deliverance would be seen. 00:42:17.210 --> 00:42:19.610 and that way their deliverance would make an 00:42:19.610 --> 00:42:22.989 impact because once they were delivered the prison 00:42:22.989 --> 00:42:27.730 guard got saved and baptized and so did his family 00:42:27.730 --> 00:42:33.449 and that may not have happened if things didn't 00:42:33.449 --> 00:42:36.409 play out the way that they did it says here when 00:42:36.409 --> 00:42:39.409 daylight came the chief magistrates sent the 00:42:39.409 --> 00:42:42.460 police to say release those men The jailer reported 00:42:42.460 --> 00:42:45.440 these words to Paul the magistrates have sent 00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:48.039 orders for you to be released So come out now 00:42:48.039 --> 00:42:51.019 and go in peace. Even the magistrates They're 00:42:51.019 --> 00:42:53.300 they're like, okay, they see this deliverance 00:42:53.300 --> 00:42:54.940 and they're like, yeah god is with these guys 00:42:54.940 --> 00:42:57.619 We need to just let him go Like we bid off more 00:42:57.619 --> 00:43:00.840 than we can chew here. Let him go like let let 00:43:00.840 --> 00:43:04.880 him go. Let him go Like just we're gonna let 00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:07.300 it go act like this never happened. This is an 00:43:07.300 --> 00:43:09.820 embarrassment on us We're not gonna fight it 00:43:09.820 --> 00:43:13.190 anymore Your deliverance someone needs to hear 00:43:13.190 --> 00:43:16.469 this today the way that God delivers you Sometimes 00:43:16.469 --> 00:43:18.610 we'll have your enemies in such shock that they're 00:43:18.610 --> 00:43:21.769 like, yeah, I'm gonna walk away, too Like I'm 00:43:21.769 --> 00:43:25.650 gonna walk away. Sometimes God can deliver you 00:43:25.650 --> 00:43:30.869 that Impactfully that even your enemies will 00:43:30.869 --> 00:43:35.630 tremble It says here but Paul said to them they 00:43:35.630 --> 00:43:39.260 beat us in public without a trial Although we 00:43:39.260 --> 00:43:42.059 are Roman citizens and threw us in jail and now 00:43:42.059 --> 00:43:44.539 they're trying to send us away secretly Certainly 00:43:44.539 --> 00:43:48.219 not on the contrary let them come themselves 00:43:48.219 --> 00:43:50.280 and escort us out Paul is saying they are not 00:43:50.280 --> 00:43:52.780 getting away that easy Because what they were 00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:54.360 trying to do is they were trying to walk away 00:43:54.360 --> 00:43:57.099 quietly and act like they had no role in this 00:43:57.099 --> 00:44:00.559 That it never happened and try to be embarrassment 00:44:00.559 --> 00:44:02.239 free and Paul said nope They're gonna have to 00:44:02.239 --> 00:44:04.840 come take accountability Paul is saying legally 00:44:04.840 --> 00:44:09.300 they can't do what they did We legally they can't 00:44:09.300 --> 00:44:11.500 treat us this way. They have to come and take 00:44:11.500 --> 00:44:16.840 accountability It says here the police reported 00:44:16.840 --> 00:44:19.940 these words to the magistrates They were afraid 00:44:19.940 --> 00:44:22.599 when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman 00:44:22.599 --> 00:44:26.460 citizens. I want to pause here y 'all Just as 00:44:26.460 --> 00:44:29.119 in your deliverance sometimes can be so impactful 00:44:29.119 --> 00:44:34.400 that the enemies are fearful The way that God 00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:38.710 shows up for you will tell people whose child 00:44:38.710 --> 00:44:40.949 you are. If there are any discrepancies of if 00:44:40.949 --> 00:44:43.449 you are a child of God or not, the way that God 00:44:43.449 --> 00:44:49.829 shows up for you can speak volumes. And when 00:44:49.829 --> 00:44:52.889 people have been attacking you and find out that 00:44:52.889 --> 00:44:56.190 you are a child of the Most High, that find out 00:44:56.190 --> 00:44:58.889 that you are a servant of God, there are enemies 00:44:58.889 --> 00:45:02.889 that will tremble when they find out the anointing 00:45:02.889 --> 00:45:07.329 that God has on your life. And it says here, 00:45:08.030 --> 00:45:10.590 so they came to appease them and escorting them 00:45:10.590 --> 00:45:13.670 from prison, they urged them to leave town. After 00:45:13.670 --> 00:45:16.309 leaving the jail, they came to Lydia's house 00:45:16.309 --> 00:45:18.730 where they saw and encouraged the brothers and 00:45:18.730 --> 00:45:23.769 sisters and departed. And guess what? Those magistrates 00:45:23.769 --> 00:45:27.449 came and took accountability. They came and released 00:45:27.449 --> 00:45:33.769 them. And what we see right here, Because we 00:45:33.769 --> 00:45:38.030 see wickedness exposed because how many times 00:45:38.030 --> 00:45:41.309 If this is just now when they're getting caught 00:45:41.309 --> 00:45:44.570 and this is me just reading into scripture y 00:45:44.570 --> 00:45:48.889 'all Reading deeper into this how many times 00:45:48.889 --> 00:45:52.170 have these magistrates done this before have 00:45:52.170 --> 00:45:54.949 locked up people beaten them and asked questions 00:45:54.949 --> 00:45:59.079 later If they were so comfortable doing this 00:45:59.079 --> 00:46:02.559 now, was this probably their first time? I don't 00:46:02.559 --> 00:46:07.500 think so. I don't think so. And this was something 00:46:07.500 --> 00:46:09.679 that the Lord has shown to me in life too, y 00:46:09.679 --> 00:46:13.840 'all. That sometimes your suffering will expose 00:46:13.840 --> 00:46:16.420 the wickedness in others. Because when God shines 00:46:16.420 --> 00:46:20.900 his light and exposes things going on, wickedness 00:46:20.900 --> 00:46:23.840 is exposed too. and if you're maybe you're going 00:46:23.840 --> 00:46:25.420 through a suffering period that feels unjust 00:46:25.420 --> 00:46:27.199 and you're like what am i getting out of this 00:46:27.199 --> 00:46:30.099 y 'all the way that god shows up and delivers 00:46:30.099 --> 00:46:32.920 you your suffering if it's being watched by other 00:46:32.920 --> 00:46:36.289 people might be how other people see how you 00:46:36.289 --> 00:46:39.590 continue to worship God and praise God maybe 00:46:39.590 --> 00:46:42.170 the way that you respond or react to the suffering 00:46:42.170 --> 00:46:44.789 that is a guiding light for others others can 00:46:44.789 --> 00:46:46.710 see how you still worship and praise and you 00:46:46.710 --> 00:46:48.989 keep your faith how you're not trying to attack 00:46:48.989 --> 00:46:50.989 back how you're not trying to do your own justice 00:46:50.989 --> 00:46:53.789 how you're waiting on God and maybe that's a 00:46:53.789 --> 00:46:56.130 guideline for other people your testimony later 00:46:56.130 --> 00:46:59.989 on shows other people how to respond correctly 00:46:59.989 --> 00:47:04.449 to it sometimes God will allow people to attack 00:47:04.449 --> 00:47:08.019 you knowing that they're going to ignore his 00:47:08.019 --> 00:47:10.599 warnings so that at some point they can face 00:47:10.599 --> 00:47:15.980 the consequences. We see that right here, that 00:47:15.980 --> 00:47:20.639 God allowed the attackers, the false accusers, 00:47:20.780 --> 00:47:24.460 to be exposed. They were embarrassed. They were 00:47:24.460 --> 00:47:29.300 ashamed. So what happened in these, in Paul and 00:47:29.300 --> 00:47:31.940 Silas obeying God? People got baptized. Someone 00:47:31.940 --> 00:47:35.070 got delivered of Venus. A woman got delivered 00:47:35.070 --> 00:47:38.949 of demons. Multiple people got saved, baptized, 00:47:39.289 --> 00:47:42.650 their families baptized. We see corrupt systems 00:47:42.650 --> 00:47:46.289 being exposed, corrupt people in power being 00:47:46.289 --> 00:47:49.849 exposed. Look at everything God did with a yes. 00:47:51.369 --> 00:47:55.210 And how their suffering led to blessing and these 00:47:55.210 --> 00:47:57.530 things may not have been able to come to pass. 00:47:58.070 --> 00:48:00.829 the suffering hadn't happened and I pray that 00:48:00.829 --> 00:48:03.329 this is speaking to somebody today and I pray 00:48:03.329 --> 00:48:05.869 that this is giving you hope for what God can 00:48:05.869 --> 00:48:11.230 do in your life and maybe God has already given 00:48:11.230 --> 00:48:14.510 you a word and this is just inspiring you and 00:48:14.510 --> 00:48:17.110 encouraging you I pray that this is renewal for 00:48:17.110 --> 00:48:19.150 your spirit I feel like there is a specific group 00:48:19.150 --> 00:48:20.570 of people that are going to be listened to this 00:48:20.570 --> 00:48:24.010 podcast that are going to be encouraged and their 00:48:24.010 --> 00:48:26.769 spirit is going to be renewed and I encourage 00:48:26.769 --> 00:48:29.269 y 'all to go through and read this chapter yourself 00:48:29.269 --> 00:48:32.250 and ask God to give you clarity and ask God to 00:48:32.250 --> 00:48:35.130 give you eyes to see and ears to hear and an 00:48:35.130 --> 00:48:37.809 understanding and I pray that you submit your 00:48:37.809 --> 00:48:40.809 will to him and watch what he can do with it 00:48:40.809 --> 00:48:46.210 amen amen now I do ask y 'all I think we're gonna 00:48:46.210 --> 00:48:50.329 go ahead and close up here I do ask that y 'all 00:48:50.329 --> 00:48:52.210 hit subscribe wherever it is you're listening 00:48:52.210 --> 00:48:55.369 to the podcast leave a review leave a comment 00:48:55.849 --> 00:49:00.230 Okay? That's always helpful. And share this with 00:49:00.230 --> 00:49:02.929 someone that you feel is needing to hear it. 00:49:03.190 --> 00:49:04.829 Share it with that person that God is putting 00:49:04.829 --> 00:49:09.630 it on your heart to share it with them. And I'll 00:49:09.630 --> 00:49:12.849 see you guys in the next episode. God bless.