people are not always happy when someone
receives deliverance and salvation, and it is
usually because of selfish reasons. After I
got saved, I no longer had much in common
with my worldly friends; and they would
have rather had the old me back. They didn’t
understand the gift of Jesus.
The slave girl’s masters didn’t care about
her soul; they were just angry about losing
so much money, so they took Paul and Silas
before the magistrates to complain. And
when her masters saw that the hope of
their gains was gone, they caught Paul and
Silas, and drew them into the marketplace
unto the rulers, And brought them to the
magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews,
do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach
customs, which are not lawful for us to
receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
And the multitude rose up together against
them: and the magistrates rent off their
clothes, and commanded to beat them.
And when they had laid many stripes upon
them, they cast them into prison, charging
the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having
received such a charge, thrust them into the
inner prison, and made their feet fast in the
stocks (Acts 16:19–24).
Persecution Brought Salvation
It certainly didn’t look like things were
going Paul and Silas’ way. They did a good
deed, and then they were whipped and thrown
into prison for it. Most Christians in their situation
would have been asking why, but Paul
and Silas were focused on souls; and they had
perfect peace. They were not complaining or
crying about how they had been beaten; they
were singing praises unto God.
No doubt the Holy Ghost had
placed them in the innermost part
of the prison so everyone could
hear them singing. And at midnight
Paul and Silas prayed,
and sang praises unto God:
and the prisoners heard them.
And suddenly there was a
great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison were
the man was ready for salvation; and when
Philip asked him if he understood what he was
reading, the door opened for him to teach the
man about Jesus.
After Philip had delivered the gift to that
hungry soul, they passed by some water; and
the Ethiopian man asked, Here is water;
what doth hinder me to be baptized (Acts
8:36)? Philip told him that if he believed with
his whole heart, he could be saved. The man
replied, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God (Acts 8:37). That Ethiopian man had
accepted the gift of Jesus, and Philip baptized
him.
And when they were come up out of the
water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away
Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more:
and he went on his way rejoicing. But
Philip was found at Azotus: and passing
through he preached in all the cities, till
he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:39,40). The
Holy Ghost miraculously transported Philip
to another city to deliver the gift of Jesus; and
no doubt, the Ethiopian man went back to his
country to deliver the gift of Jesus to others as
well.
A Gift for the Devil Possessed
The gift of Jesus is a gift everyone can
receive and deliver to others. One day as Paul
and Silas were heading out for prayer, a girl
possessed with a spirit of divination met them;
and she followed them around crying, These
men are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us the way of salvation
(Acts 16:17).
She continued to hinder them like that for
several days; and Paul became so grieved
that he turned and said to the spirit
possessing her, I command thee
in the name of Jesus Christ to
come out of her. And he came
out the same hour (Acts
16:18).
Paul knew the girl needed
deliverance, but her masters
were not happy about it at
all because she had brought
them a lot of money. Unsaved
10
/ErnestAngleyMinistries
