SCRIPTURE: Acts 16
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. [Luke 4:18-19]
Jesus reads these words to his hometown audience, then declares, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’
Paul and Silas, filled with the same Spirit, following the same Jesus, now continue the ministry of setting the captives free.
The mission is to proclaim the good news of God in word and deed.
Wherever Paul and Silas go, they tell people about the Messiah, and His Spirit anoints their testimony with power.
Lydia’s heart is opened, she and her family believe.
Captives set free!
Paul sets the demon-possessed girl free, another captive released.
And while in prison, they themselves are free, singing with joy and confidence, despite their physical chains.
The result, not only are they freed through the earthquake, and the city leaders set them free, but the jailer and his family believe and are set free.
This passage oozes with the Spirit’s movement.
Jesus has indeed baptized with the Holy Spirit, and His followers are overflowing.
They have believed the good news, they have surrendered to the Messiah, and they are now free.
Whether physically free or not, their inward freedom is real, and life-changing.
Now the Spirit compels them to share this message with still others.
It keeps flowing and overflowing.
If only we could overflow with the same confidence.
They go through a flogging, they are thrown into prison, and they sing, they speak!
And they see still more captives set free.
We are not promised an easy ride, but we are promised fuel for the journey and a certain destination.
Therefore we can travel with confidence.
The Spirit of the Lord is also upon me.
He has also anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
Will I allow this Spirit to flow in and through me?
Will I allow myself to keep on being filled by the Spirit in me, allowing Him to have me, to use me [Ephesians 5:18]?
Will I choose to sing in my prisons, through my struggles, confident in He that is in me?
PRAYER:
Lord, Your power is great. You are able to set people free… through me. Anoint me again with this kind of confidence, and inspire me to sing!
This passage is about God’s champions and how He has equipped them.
They were Spirit driven. The passage speaks of ‘being kept by the Holy Spirit’ or ‘the Spirit of Jesus’ or ‘having seen the vision’ or ‘the Lord opened her heart.’ God at work through His people and the people listened – not only those who brought the Good News but also those who received the Good News.
God’s people were expected to find a place of prayer – to gather together. Here we find Lydia who responded to the message in Word and Deed. She in all of her living served the living God – in her work, her daily living opening her house to Paul but also served God by feeding her soul. All of her life she is serving the living God.
The jailor’s life was also transformed when he opened his heart to receive the Word proclaimed by Paul. It was a life transformation – the Spirit at work in all of his actions. Just look at the contrast to his behaviour to Paul and Silas before and after receiving the Spirit. Wow!
And I?
Spirit of the living God
Fall fresh on me
Spirit of the living God
Fall fresh on me
Break me, melt me, mold me fill me
Spirit of the living God
Fall fresh on me