Acts 16:16-24 

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. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” ²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Calm Before Storm

Why is it that God allows storm, typhoon, hurricane, tornado, or blizzard? Why is it that God has designed four seasons-winter, spring, summer or fall? Why has God mixed problems with victories and why is life so challenging?

For humans to answer those questions not with speculations but precisely according to God’s design, it needs to have a mindset like God or be like God.

Questions mentioned above, are entertained out of frustrations and/or there’s a leakage of the desire to have eternal joy, tranquility, and peace. If it could lead us to focus ourselves, mind, and strength to life in eternity, would that premise qualify as reason why God allows struggles in this earthly life?

The Lord has designed that eternal, joyful, and peaceful kind of life will only be experienced in His heaven and not on this temporary earth. Temporary life on earth [temporary suffering, temporary satisfaction] reflects the reality of eternal experience—both eternal suffering and eternal contentment.

The book of Acts provides us a realization or consciousness on Christian living.

Paul and his mission team found prayerful women outside the city of Philippi. Lydia and her household were baptized; she persuaded them to stay in her home. It was a rejoicing experience but, the enemy would not be happy with the result.

One of the best strategic tool of the enemy of the gospel to disturb, limit, or slow down the servants of God is to flatter them; flatter credits one’s self not God.

1.  Flatter

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.

Why was Paul annoyed when the female slave shouted they were God’s servant? Should not Paul be glad that a non-believer has eventually recognized their effort?

Paul did not want the spirit in the female slave to testify for him because Paul did not want people to follow him; he wanted people to believe in Christ.

If people join the church because they follow the servants of God and not because God has transformed their hearts and minds, they would eventually go back to their old lifestyle after Paul and his missionary team would move to another place.

Quantity or Quality

It has been argued that quality produces quantity but quantity does not necessarily depict or portray quality.

Scholars would survey the church as to why people join the church. They advise to focus on activities that would attract people to join. Many churches have experienced growth in numbers but as soon as the pastor left, most of those who came during his tenure have left, too, why?

Probably, the pastor was really good communicator and people came because of the charisma of the pastor but not actually believed in the Lord.

That’s the problem that Paul might have anticipated when he was annoyed to the flattering shout of the female slave. Christians are not exempted from the enemy’s strategy: believers get involved and become more active when flattered, but when nobody recognizes their efforts, they would feel bad and quit the ministry.

In 1 Timothy 5:18… ¹⁸ For the Scripture says… The worker deserves his wages.

Sometimes, it’s good to appreciate church workers. Appreciation could reveal if a church worker loves to be flattered or is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

One personal question is: why are we attending church? Is it because the Lord has transformed us? Do we serve God because we love being flattered, love it when people praise our efforts? What’s our motivation in coming to church?

When Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit, flatter or no flatter, with or without recognition, serving the Lord continues even if there’s flogging.

2.  Flog

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. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” ²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.  ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

One can easily interpret that the enemy of the gospel did not like what Paul and his missionary team were doing.

The female slave who had a spirit came to flatter Paul. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul was annoyed and commanded the spirit to come out of the female slave. Those opportunistic people who made money from the female slave were not happy; they lost their livelihood when the slave was freed from the spirit.

They severely flogged Paul and Silas until they were wounded. They threw them into prison like criminals without proper investigation.

Paul and Silas never complained; they never fought for their rights. They never asked help from the believers. Actually, they were heard singing in prison.

The Lord Jesus said in John 15:20… ²⁰Remember the words I spoke to you:  ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Have you ever been persecuted or maltreated because you served the Risen Savior?

Keep remembering that persecution is another signature of a genuine disciple.

When you are depressed, discouraged, or struggling for something, what do you normally do? Do you have a song of praise in your heart?

When filled with the Holy Spirit, even during storm, you can sing praises to God.

STILL

Hide me now / Under Your wings; Cover me / Within Your mighty hand
When the oceans rise and thunders roar / I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are King over the flood / I will be still, know You are God
Find rest my soul / In Christ alone; Know His power / In quietness and trust.

That is the reality of Christian living; there will always be storm or blizzard.

True quietness and rest for our soul can only be found in Christ alone.

Better to have abundance of material things than scarcity, but both the wealthy and the poor cannot be exempted from calamities, natural or man made. Sickness may lead to death and accidents may paralyze someone.  This life on earth is not our final destiny; heaven awaits believers in Christ.

Do we come every Wednesday to pray because we have something to ask God for? Do we come to worship Him because we expect much from His grace? Do you feel embarrassed each time you ask God for something you need? Do you feel that you are disturbing God when praying for your problems?

The closer we grow in our relationship with the Lord, the more we understand that our gracious God loves it that we always come to Him with or without problem. Huge or small problem, our gracious God would love to help us.

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