Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

Paul had just gone through a period of waiting. Paul had been separated from the man whom God had given him to assist him in the vision of being an evangelist. During this time of waiting, Paul was faithful to the Lord, but he was not nearly as active in his evangelistic ministry as he had been in the past when Barnabas or Silas were by his side. Paul understood that he was commissioned to be an evangelist along with Silas and as long as Silas was not with him, it appears that the blessing of the Lord to be in the full time ministry was not with him.

Paul desired to be preaching the gospel all the time but instead he had found himself in Corinth practicing his trade of tent making. While this would not have been Paul’s first choice of what to do with his time, Paul had learned to be content in whatever state God had put him in. Because Paul was content, we find that Paul helped Aquila and Priscilla grow spiritually and they were very helpful in the ministry of the local church.

Paul did not know how God was going to be using Aquila and Priscilla later on in his life. If Paul had insisted in going forward and trying to be very evangelistic while God was telling him to wait, he first would not have experienced the blessings of God in his ministry and he would not have been faithful in working with Aquila and Priscilla.

God had a purpose in making Paul wait. Yes the winning of souls is an important thing, but there was a season in the life of Paul where he needed to win souls and there was a period of time where he needed to wait and disciple the believers whom he already knew.

In this verse, it is clear that God had made known unto Paul that his time of waiting had come to an end. Paul’s time of waiting came to an end when Silas and Timothy arrived on the scene. While we do not know all the reasons why God or Paul felt Paul needed Silas and Timothy, we can surmise that one of the reasons is because these men helped keep Paul accountable for what he said. Furthermore, scripture tells us where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there. Paul may have understood just how important it was for God to be with him when he preached so he desired these men to be beside him.

Just because God has you in a period of waiting, it does not mean that HE has no purpose for your life today. God has a purpose for your life and it is your responsibility to be active in serving HIM. God may be telling you to wait in one area of your life but as was true here in the life of Paul, God may be giving you a green light in a different direction.

If God has given you a vision but has put up a wait sign, do not be discouraged, the period of waiting will soon be over. Patience is just one of the many precious promises of God that belong to us because of our relationship with Him. We often do not seen patience as such a great thing, but it is during the times of patience that we are able to experience God in a way that we never imagined.

Stop focusing all your attention on what you desire but which God has not given to you. Instead, focus your attention on where God has placed you today and what God can do through you today. God will not hide from you when it is time to proceed with the great vision HE has for your life; as such, take your focus off the future and put it on today.

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Paul and Silas were in Berea and the Jews in Thessalonica came and stirred up some trouble for Paul. As a result, the believers in Berea sent Paul away while Silas and Timothy continued to serve the Lord in Berea. Paul traveled to Athens and once he arrived, he saw a need for his team to preach and so he sent for Silas and Timothy.

Paul desired to preach in Athens but he understood that God had him waiting and watching for a season. Even though Paul would rather be actively serving the Lord by preaching, Paul understood that there was a time that he needed to wait. Paul used this time wisely and he was found in the synagogue and in the markets daily.

Paul understood that God had called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles, but that did not mean that he was always going 100%. Instead, there was a time when Paul needed to stop and observe just how great the harvest was. If Paul was doing what he thought the will of God was, he probably would not have observed just how much bondage the people in the city were in.

In the same way that there were seasons in the life of Paul, so also are seasons in our lives. Paul had a vision, and he saw how the Lord directed him, however, just because he was where the Lord wanted him, that did not mean that he was able to do what the Lord had called him to do. Paul needed to wait for the perfect timing of God.

God has a perfect plan for us. This means that HE will direct us and HE will protect us. However, just because we know what God wants us to do and where HE wants us to do it, it does not mean that it is the perfect timing of God. We need to be patient and wait for the perfect timing of God. By waiting on the perfect timing of God, we can experience an even greater blessing from God.

It is hard to wait when you know what God’s plan is for your life. Nonetheless, just as Paul had to wait, so there will be seasons in our life where God has us to wait. This means that when God shows us it is time to wait, that is what we should do. We should learn to praise God for the time of waiting and follow the example of Paul to make sure that we remain useful to God during the time of waiting.

It is hard to wait when you want to be doing the perfect will of God. However, the perfect will of God must coincide with the perfect timing of God. David was anointed king so thus it was the perfect will of God to be king, but he still needed to wait for the perfect timing of God once Saul had died.

When it becomes clear that God desires you to wait, thank God. We must learn to be content with wherever the Lord puts us. As long as you are looking at what God is not allowing you to do today, Satan will be winning the battle over your mind. Spend the time praising God and allow God to show you what HE would have you to do today.

Even though Paul was not to do what HE wanted to do, God still had a purpose for his life at that time. Paul needed to wait for Silas and Timothy but this time of waiting was not in vain. Paul waited for the perfect timing of God and God was glorified in his life.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Paul and Silas had left Thessalonica and God brought them to the city of Berea. In the city of Berea, the people were diligent to study the scriptures daily to determine whether the things that Paul and Silas had preached were true. The people of Thessalonica had made a determination that they did not want to change from their traditions and as such, they simply ignored the message of the Gospel.

There once was a time when people believed the world was flat. For many years, there were those who were so entrenched in their beliefs that the world was flat that they persecuted those who had determined that the earth was round. Rather than study the issue and look at the evidence these scientist had gathered, there were some who simply chose to ignore science.

The people of Berea are considered noble because they were diligent in studying the word of God. They were not going to be deceived by someone with a slick tongue because they desired to understand the truth of God’s word. Just because the great apostle Paul was preaching, it did not mean that they had to accept every word that he said.

There are a lot of people out there who proclaim that they know the truth of scripture. However, just because they have a following of millions that does not mean that they are speaking the truth. God expects us to be like the citizens of Berea and to spend the time searching the word of God ourselves. If we spend our entire time accepting what others say about the Bible, we are going to be very weak Christians and it will be easy to deceive us into believing something that is not Biblically correct.

We must be patient to study the word of God daily. We must set aside the time that is necessary to increase our relationship with God. If we seek the truth of scripture, then God will enable us to find the truth. However, if we never seek the truth, why should we be surprised when we lack direction for our lives? It does not matter how big or how small of a decision that we need to make, if we daily seek HIM, we will find the truth.

Seeking God needs to be our daily focus. There will be days where it will be hard to find time; there will be days where the last thing on your mind is spiritual things; and there will be days when the reading of scripture will be dry and you will not want to continue. Nonetheless, just because you do not feel like seeking God, you should be faithful and continue. Who knows what great treasures God has in store for you if you only wait a little longer for HIM to reveal HIMSELF to you.

Noah had been in the ark for a long time when finally he sent a raven out which came back with nothing. However, that did not stop Noah from ever sending out another bird. Just because the raven had not found a place to rest, that did not mean that God was not preparing a place for the dove. However, when Noah sent the dove out, it also came back, but it came back with an olive branch which was a sign that it would soon be time to depart. Seven days later Noah sent out another dove which this time never came back.

Just as Noah continued to seek an answer as to when it was time to exit the Ark, so also, we need to be diligent to seek God even though we do not get an answer immediately.

Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Paul and Silas had come to Thessalonica where they boldly preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jews and the Gentiles. As Paul and Silas had already experienced, many Gentiles believed but some of the Jews started riots. As a result of these riots, Jason and some others were brought in for questioning. Jason and the others were eventually released but upon their release, they found Paul and Silas and sent them away.

However, just because Paul and Silas found themselves being kicked out of another city, this did not mean that they took their time licking their wounds and feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Paul and Silas understood what God’s calling was for their life at this time and they boldly went to another city to preach the gospel.

Paul and Silas understood that just because an obstacle arose in their path that they were entitled to quit. Instead, Paul and Silas saw the obstacles as direction as to one more location where God did not want them to preach.

In Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were not actually persecuted for their faith. Others who were kind enough to show them hospitality were in fact persecuted. God was good to Paul and Silas in protecting them from being discovered by those who wished to do them harm. Nonetheless, because of the suffering by Jason and others, they were instructed to leave and move on.

We need to learn to demonstrate patience like Paul and Silas demonstrated in this passage. In the same way that Paul and Silas refused to give up on God’s calling for their lives, so also we need to learn to persevere regardless of what obstacles God allows us to face. Instead of becoming upset at God when we face a road bump, we need to focus upon what God has told us to do and go out and do it.

Trials always will test our patience. We become so focused upon the trial that we fail to see the perfect plan of God. When trials come our way, we need to remain patient with God and keep our focus upon what HE has said in the past so that the trial that is so close to us does not distract us.

We often become so attached to our trials that we fail to see God’s direction on our lives. The closer we get to our problems, the more we need to focus upon the perfect plan of God. God should be the center of our life. Too often we allow the things of this world to distract us from God. God allows these trials to occur so that we return our focus on God and continue to focus upon HIS perfect will for our life.

It is hard not to react to every trial that arises in our lives. A trial is like a hurdle. A good hurdler will run in stride and leap over the hurdle without breaking his stride. This is a perfect picture of how Paul and Silas reacted to the hurdle of being unwanted in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas continued to do the perfect will of God as if nothing was ever wrong.

Learn to praise God so that when a trial arises in your life, you can simply ignore the trial while drawing closer to God. Be patient and do not take your eyes off of God and instead put your focus upon God so that through HIM you might overcome your trial.

Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Paul and Silas had been thrown into prison for doing some good for someone in need. However, rather than complain about how unfair life was, we see that Paul and Silas chose instead to worship God in the middle of the night. God blessed Paul and Silas’ trust in HIM and HE sent an earthquake to free them. However, Paul and Silas did not escape when God gave them the chance but instead remained in prison so that they could witness to the prison guard.

Paul and Silas were being persecuted for righteousness sake and without having to let their request be known unto God, God delivered them from their distress. However, rather than assume that they were delivered from their distress, they waited patiently and saw that God had another purpose for the miraculous earthquake.

Paul and Silas were not delivered from their chains to flee their present distress, they were delivered from their chains so that they could bring the jailer to the Lord. It is easy to put our own spin on the events of our life and how to construe the events in a manner that we desire. However, rather than quickly jumping to an opinion as to what God means when something happens in our life, we should exercise some patience and allow God to reveal to us the true meaning of what HE is doing.

Paul and Silas are excellent examples of remaining detached from one’s problems. It is so easy to become focused on our problems to the point that we miss God’s purpose for the current trial. We cannot afford to lose track of God’s perfect plan for our life. If we stray from God’s perfect plan, we can get ourselves into a whole lot of trouble that God never intended for us.

Think about it, what if Paul and Silas made a run for it. God did not want Paul and Silas to escape so they probably would have been caught. Now the jailer would not have been ready to hear their testimony and then the leaders would not have been inclined to let them go because they have made themselves look guilty by trying to escape.

Maybe you have been praying for the money to get out of debt for the last several years. All of a sudden, God answers your prayers by giving you a large sum of money. If you had been praying for this need for a long time, you might naturally think that the money is there to pay off your bills. Maybe you are right and God intends to give you that money for that purpose. However, maybe God desires that you learn a little patience and that you give that money to a missionary in need.

You do not know what God has in store for you. Even when it appears that God is blessing you, it is not an excuse to ignore God and do your own thing. Every day we need to set aside time to draw closer to God so that we learn to hear HIS still small voice. In the same way that God had an alternative purpose for releasing Paul and Silas from prison, we need to ensure that we do not assume that we ever understand God’s perfect will for our life.

It is easy to project God’s will into our own will. We need to stop assuming we know what God is doing in our lives. We need to let God be God and we need to put our trust completely in HIM. God desires to direct our steps, but we need to spend time in the Word, in prayer, and seeking HIS face. Just because we think we know HIS perfect will, it does not mean that we do in fact fully understand what HE is doing in our lives.

Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

It is easy to tell someone that they are supposed to praise God when something difficult happens. Nonetheless, it is much harder to actually thank God when we face trials. However, that is exactly what Paul and Silas are doing in this passage. Paul and Silas were just thrown into prison. Rather than feeling sorry for themselves and praying and asking God to deliver them from their troubles, Paul and Silas chose to worship God.

How would you have responded if you were thrown into prison for doing good for someone else? Think about it, pretend you saw a widow and you bought a lot of groceries and delivered them to her house. One of this widow’s children becomes jealous about the good you are doing for his mother and so he uses his connections and has you thrown into prison.

This is similar to what happened to Paul and Silas. Paul and seen a damsel who was filled with a demon and he cast the demon out. The owner of the girl who profited by the girl’s demon did not rejoice in the good that occurred to this girl and instead chose to have Paul and Silas thrown into prison.

This is a terrible thing that has occurred to Paul and Silas. However, rather than become bitter at God for their present condition, Paul and Silas took their time to praise God. Paul and Silas understood that it was God who directed their lives and God must have a purpose for them in this prison on this night. Why spend their time asking God to get them out of prison if God already knows their needs and HE will get them out when HE is ready.

Paul and Silas understood the importance of spending time drawing closer to God. They were facing a huge obstacle and rather focus on the obstacle they focused on God. We are not told how they prayed that God would deliver them but we are told that they spent their time making sure that God would be glorified.

Paul not only taught that we are to rejoice always, but he also lived it in his life. When things do not go our way, we often will take the time to pray to God to deliver us from our trouble. However, while God loves it when we pray, HE loves it all the more when we praise HIM while we are in the midst of the storm. God knows that there are millions of people out there who will ask HIM to do something for them when they have a need. However, it is only a small percentage of people who will praise God when things are not going their way.

Do you want to be like everyone else and start nagging God the second something does not go your way or do you want to be like Paul who boldly praises God when things are not going right. Job understood this principle when he refused to curse God just because he was not being blessed by God. Job understood who God was and his position with God and while he did not rejoice in his suffering, Job did avoid the temptation to blame God for his troubles.

We need to be patient with God when trials arise in our lives. These trials are God’s way of molding us into HIS perfect image. We must start praising God on a daily basis so that when things stop going our way, we can continue to praise God. It is not an easy lesson to praise God during difficult times, but if we learn to do it, God will be magnified in our lives in ways that we never anticipated.

Acts 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

Paul had patiently waited in the city of Corinth for the Lord to allow him to preach the gospel. When Paul reached Corinth, he understood that it was not the perfect timing of the Lord so he made tents while he waited for direction. Once Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul felt pressed by the Holy Ghost that it was time to preach. However, the response of the people was not good and Paul wiped his feet and left.

Paul was obeying the commands of Christ that when they were rejected that they were to wipe their feet of any dust on them and leave a city. Paul had waited all this time for the perfect timing of God and he was disappointed that all he found was opposition. Paul was ready to give up and move to another town.

What Paul apparently did not know was that his preaching had caused some to accept Christ as their personal savior. We know that the chief ruler of the synagogue believed. Paul had seen surface resistance and what he did not know was that God was working in the hearts of men. Paul was ready to give up but God was just beginning.

Paul had been pressed in the spirit to preach the first time, now God spoke to Paul in a vision to clearly present the plan that God had for the city of Corinth. This was not the time to depart; this was the time to press on. This was not the time to quit; it was the time to receive a great harvest.

We must be careful that we do not give up too early. Discouraging things can occur in our lives from time to time but that does not mean that God is not in what we are doing. As Christians, we need to be careful to hear the still small voice of God so that we can fulfill HIS perfect will. Just because we are facing a difficult time, it does not mean that God is not in what we are doing.
David had been anointed king, but he still had to run for his life for approximately 13 years. How many times could David have started to question the anointing of the Lord? How many times could David began to doubt if he would ever live to see the fulfillment of the promises of God. The Bible is full of examples of people who suffered great difficulties as a result of doing the perfect will of God.

The things of this world can easily discourage you. We are not in a season where people are living in the fear of the Lord. This means, when you are following the perfect will of God that there will be times of discouragement where you may want to just give up.

Paul experienced a death of a vision. He waited and waited for the perfect timing of the Lord and then was discouraged when he saw no fruit. God spoke to Paul a second time and it is when Paul was faithful to continue to serve God despite the initial rejection that Paul finally saw the fruit that he desired.

Discouraging things will occur in your life. If you have a right relationship with God, HE will be able to guide you in the way that you are to go. This means that you cannot afford to allow the things of this world to control you. Instead, you must add temperance to your life and say no to the things of this world so that God can direct, protect, and provide for you. Until you are ready to do the perfect will of God, the things of this world could easily persuade you to do otherwise.

Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

Paul was in a period of waiting of his life. Paul understood that he had been sent out by the church as a team with Silas. Silas was still working with Timothy in another town and as such, Paul was waiting for the day to be reunited with Silas and Timothy. In the meantime, Paul was in Corinth and he met Aquila and Priscilla. Paul chose to stay with Aquila and Priscilla because they also were tentmakers.

Paul understood that there are seasons in life. Paul had had times were he was in the full time ministry, and now he was in a period where he had to wait on the perfect timing of the Lord. Since he was not in the full time ministry, this meant he needed to work for his daily substance. However, even while Paul worked on making tents, Paul found opportunities to minister unto God. While making tents may not have been his great calling from God, it was a way that God could meet his needs and open the door for other ministry opportunities.

The job that God has you in today may be more than just a job. God may have some special opportunities for you where you are at today. When was the last time you prayed for God to use you where HE has you today? It is easy to pray that God would open some great door for you in the future, but what about HIS perfect plan for your life where you are at today.

It does not matter what God is having you do today; God has a purpose for your life right where HE has placed you. Are you content right where God has placed you or are you looking for greener pastures? It is easy to claim that you are discontent because you want God to use you more. Nonetheless, Paul was a great missionary who was use to preaching the gospel every day; God had him making tents for a period of time while he waited for something greater.

It is easy to become discontent with where you are at. Joseph was placed by God in a prison to wait for the perfect time where he could ascend to second in command of all Egypt. However, while Joseph was faithful in doing his best in the prison, it did not mean that he did not long to be home with his family. When Joseph interpreted the dreams of the baker and the cup bearer, he requested that he be released from prison. God had a different plan for the life of Joseph and HE made sure Joseph stayed in place until God was able to reveal HIS full plan.

You do not know all that God has in store for you. However, you do know where God has placed you today. Are you faithfully serving HIM where HE has you today? Are you seeking to be a faithful steward with your time, talent, and treasure?

If you are looking at your job as an opportunity to make it rich in this world, you have the wrong perspective. Your purpose on this earth is not to see how much wealth you can accumulate. Instead, your purpose is to see how much heavenly treasure you can accumulate. You cannot only accumulate heavenly treasure if you start saying no to the things of this world and start saying yes to the things of God.

As you focus your attention upon the ministry that God has for you where you are at today, then you can have a proper perspective in life. Temperance requires that you demonstrate self-control so that the things of this world do not control you. As you put the things of God first in your life, your life will take on a whole new meaning as you see God open new doors of ministry.

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were preaching in Berea. When the Jews heard that Paul was in Berea, they came to Berea to stir up some trouble. Paul left for Athens while Silas and Timothy remained with the Christians in Berea. Once Paul reached Athens, he sends for Silas and Timothy. In this passage we see that while Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy to join him, he was watching the city and it grieved him how the city was dedicated to serving the false gods of this world rather than being faithful to the one true God.

What grieves you today? When you look at the world that you live in, do you see the greed and corruption and grieve or do you simply think it is the business world that we live in today and you go about your daily life?

Paul saw that the people of Athens were more concerned about the things of the world then the things of God. Because these people were serving the gods of this world, Paul saw the great need that they had for hearing the Good News. Paul desired to share with them the truth of scripture; he could not sit around and do nothing when he looked at this city given to idolatry.

Does the sin of the world around you cause you to desire to share the truth of scripture? When you see people walking down the path of destruction which leads to hell; are you concerned about their soul? Do you find yourself staying up late praying to God that HE will heal the land and cause this nation to once again do that which is right in the eyes of God?

How can you have a heart for the world around you when your heart is clouded by the things that you possess? If the things of this world control you, when you see the world doing that which is right in their own eyes, you will not be convicted to pray for them as you ought. Why should you be concerned about those around you when they are simply acting in their best interest? You are doing the same thing, so you are definitely not in the position that you can boldly speak into their lives.

Paul was more concerned about the things of God then he was about the things of this world. Yes Paul was human and he had needs; but Paul trusted in the Lord for his direction and provision and as such, he was able to have a heart after the heart of God. When you are more concerned about the things of this world then you are about the things of God, you will never have a burden to reach the lost like Paul had.

You must learn to say no to the things of this world. It is easy to become addicted to the things that the world offers. The world tries to ensnare you by causing you to desire something that it can offer which then crowds out your ability to fully dedicate yourself to the cause of Christ. You must learn to add temperance to your life. This means that when the world offers you its best, you can say no so that God can be number one in your heart and mind.

You will never have a clear vision of the sin around you as long as you are in the same mud puddle as the world. You must abstain from the things of this world so that God can open your eyes to the idolatry of the world. By separating yourself form the world, you position yourself so that God can use you to make a difference. If you want to fit in with the crowds, continue to pursue what the world has to offer; if you want to make a difference, then you must repent.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Are you a Berean? The Berean were ready to hear the Good News preached by Paul and Silas. We are told that they searched the scriptures daily to determine if the things taught by Paul and Silas were true.

When Jesus taught the parable of the sower, HE taught that some seed would be planted on good ground where it sprang up and produced one hundred fold. The Bereans were that good ground that Jesus taught us about. The Bereans were that good ground because when Paul and Silas showed up, they were already willing to hear the Good News.

The Bereans were ready to hear the good news because they accepted the scriptures as the authority for their lives. They may not have been in Israel witnessing the three year ministry of Jesus Christ, but when they heard the words of Paul and Silas, these words resonated with them and they believed because they were able to search the scriptures and see that Paul and Silas were telling them the truth.

The Bereans were not focused upon the traditions of the religious leaders. The Bereans instead were focused upon the will of God and what God desired them to do. Because they had a spiritual world view rather than a focus for the things of this world, they were willing to accept the truth that God was trying to reveal unto them.

You too can be a Berean. Rather than accepting your own personal feelings as the final authority for your life, you need to spend the time daily searching the scriptures to see how God desires you to live. When you start living for God, you cannot afford to allow the things of this world to control you.

How quickly you can start compromising your standards if you allow money to become more important than God. You may claim to trust God, but what happens when you lose your job? Do you turn to God and rely upon HIM to provide you a job or do you rely upon your own strength to go find the best job available?

When you face trials, it becomes evident very quickly exactly who is the center of your trust. The Bereans put the word of God as a center point in their life and as such, God rewarded them by sending to them Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas were able to help the Bereans find the perfect will of God. So likewise, when your focus is right, God can meet you in your time of need. God can bring people into your life who can reveal HIS perfect will to you. Furthermore, it does not matter how strong the storms rise around you, if you stay focused upon the word of God, God will be able to open your ears so that you can hear HIS still small voice in the midst of the storm.

You must understand that the Bereans were ready to accept the truth of the Good News before they ever heard it. They were ready because they had already made a commitment to put the things of God first in their lives. They had already said no to the things of this world. They had added temperance to their lives so that it had a natural balance to it. Because they put the things of God first, the Bereans were acknowledged by Paul as an example to us all. Because the Bereans took the time to prepare their minds for the things of God, they received the blessings that they desired.

Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

This is the story of a jailer who thought he was a dead man who found a new life. Paul and Silas had been beaten and sent to prison to spend the night. Rather than cursing God for their difficult situation, we find that Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God. God heard the prayers of Paul and Silas and HE sent an earthquake to set them free. However, Paul and Silas did not run for their lives, instead they stayed put and fought for the soul of the jailer.

When the jailer woke up, he saw that the prison doors were open. The jailer understood that he was hired to stay awake during the night and ensure that the prisoners did not escape. Since the doors were open, he knew that he was a dead man because if he were the one responsible for the prisoners escaping, he had to pay restitution with his own life.

Paul and Silas could have run for their lives but had they done so, they would not have been in a position that they could have stopped the jailer from killing himself. They had already been falsely beaten for a crime that they did not commit. Furthermore, as Roman citizens, they could have stated their rights and they would not have been beaten. Paul and Silas chose to suffer for the name of Christ and as such, they were in the position to touch the need of the jailer in his darkest hour.

The jailer had no hope, he was a dead man. However, when Paul spoke, he not only had hope that his life was spared, but he now saw that there was hope for eternal life. This man and his family went from utter destruction to eternal life in just minutes.

When Jesus was seen eating with tax collectors, the religious leaders accused Jesus of not knowing who he was hanging around. Jesus replied that it was those who were sick who would go to a doctor. So likewise, those who knew that they were sinners are the most likely to accept the gift of salvation.

It was not the thief at the cross who goaded Jesus to save himself that was told that he would see Jesus in Paradise. Instead, it was the thief that recognized that he was a sinner and deserved to die that was given the hope of salvation.

Jesus told us of two men who went up to pray. One was proud of all the good that he had done while the other was humbled and repented of his sins. Jesus told us that it was the man who was humble who God heard.

As long as we are clinging to the things of this world, we will never be in a position that we are willing to forsake the things of this world and live fully for God. As long as the things of this world control us, we may claim to serve God, but we must understand that we cannot serve both God and the things of this world. All the things of this world no longer had any control over the life of the jailer and as such, he was ready to follow the path that God had for him.

You must add temperance to your life. The more you allow the things of this world to control you, the less willing you will be to acknowledge your sins and start living your life for God. God needs to have your heart. As long as you are relying upon your own strength to get you through this world, you will fail to recognize the power of God in your life. It is impossible to please God as long as you are serving your own selfish interests.

Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Paul and Silas were in prison because they were doing the perfect will of God. Yes, that is correct, they were fulfilling the perfect will of God and they found themselves being persecuted for righteousness sake. In this passage, we see Paul and Silas illustrating the verse to rejoice always. It was Paul who wrote that he had learned to be content regardless of what was going on around him, and that was exactly how we find him in this passage.

How many Christians would remain Christians if after they fulfilled the perfect will of God, they found themselves in jail? Most likely, there would be a lot of complaints about how God was being so unfair. The problem with most Christians today is that they have an upside-down perspective of what it means to be a Christian. Because of how much of this world has been preached in churches today, people think that God owes them something for proclaiming to be a Christian.

Thus because they go to Church, God owes them a blessed life where they have no troubles and where they are blessed with prosperity. When God does not bless them, rather than refocusing upon the word of God and understanding what God has promised them, they become bitter and forsake the faith.

Paul and Silas did not have a watered down version of Christianity. They understood that the things of this world were not for them. They served the God that created the Universe and that their rewards would come in the life to come. They were not living for today and what they might obtain. They were not praying every day how God might give them a more comfortable lifestyle.
They were not living an opulent lifestyle off of the money that they had received from the gifts of those who had sent them to preach the gospel to those who were lost.

Would you be so bold for the cause of Christ if you knew that you might find yourself in prison? If you found yourself being falsely accused because of the stand for Christ would you be found boldly praying and singing the praises of God? What would your response be if you found yourself in a position like Job where you lost everything you had owned?

It is this world that preaches the gospel of prosperity. It is the world that tries to distract you with all the things that money could buy. It does not matter what your financial situation is today, you need to learn to focus upon God. If the things of this world become your gods, then you will find yourself making decisions to keep your possessions rather than pleasing God.

You need to learn to add temperance to your life like Paul and Silas demonstrated in this passage. Paul and Silas were more concerned about serving God than they were about where they were spending the night. Paul and Silas were more concerned about singing forth the praises of God then they were about how they were feeling. Because God was more important to them then the things of this world, they were able to sing and praise God in the midst of the storm.

You will never be content with what you have until you realize that all you have belongs to God and HE has given it to you for a purpose. You need to learn to be content regardless of what situation God has placed you in. If you are longing for something that God has not given you, you will fail to serve God where HE has you today.

Acts 16:19 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,

Paul and Silas were in Thyatira. In this city there was a young lady who was possessed with a devil. This young lady followed Paul and Silas around telling everyone to listen to Paul and Silas because they were men of God who were there to show them the way of salvation. Paul and Silas put up with this young lady for many days but finally, the devil in her grieved Paul to the point that he cast the demon out of her. The devil came out of the young lady and she was free.

The masters of this young lady were not glad that Paul had worked this great miracle. Instead, her masters were mad at Paul because they no longer were going to receive profit from this young lady. This young lady had been able to tell the fortunes of those in the city and thus people would pay the masters money to learn what the future held.

The masters of this young lady were more concerned about their financial profit then the health and well being of the one who was in their charge. They did not love this young lady as themselves. Instead, all that was important to them was their financial wellbeing. Because of their monetary focus on life, when the mighty works of God was evident by the hands of Paul and Silas, rather than rejoicing in the miracle God had performed, they were bitter at their financial loss.

God had made HIS presence known in this town but the people missed it because their focus was on the wrong thing. Because they had a material view of life, they lost sight of the perfect will of God for this young lady. Greed had clouded their vision.

You understand that Christ has commanded us that you cannot serve both God and the things of this world. While it is easy to hear these words, it is often difficult to live these words. The ties to this world are strong. If you are not careful, you can quickly find yourself trying to serve both God and the things of this world. You would never admit that you are serving the things of the world, but a quick review of what is important to you will reveal that you are more concerned about the things of this world than you are the things of God.

Paul and Silas were more concerned about the things of God. They willingly went from town to town preaching the gospel of Christ. They went where God directed them to go and abstained from going where God told them to not go. Paul was more concerned about the soul of this young lady than he was about the monetary profit that was gained by her being possessed with a devil. It was not right that she was willed with a devil and Paul used the power that God had given him to cast out this devil.

Temperance needs to be a part of your daily life. You need to say no to the things of this world so that the things of God can become a priority in your life. If the things of this world continue to dominate your life, your life will be out of balance and you will soon discover that you are doing things that you never imagined you would do.

God needs to be the most important thing in your life. You need to learn to love the Lord with all your heart. Say no to the things of this world that try to distract you from doing the perfect will of God. You need to learn to be like Paul who was able to say that he had learned to be content regardless of the circumstances around him.

Acts 15:40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

It was Barnabas who was first called to be a missionary. When the Christians in Jerusalem had heard about the Christians in Antioch, they sent Barnabas. Barnabas arrived in Antioch saw the need, and when and called Paul to join him in Antioch. Later, when the Christians in Antioch heard of the need in Jerusalem, they sent a special offering by the hands of Paul and Barnabas.

Paul and Barnabas were faithful on their trip to Jerusalem and later the church in Antioch sent them on a missionary journey to spread the good news abroad. Paul and Barnabas went together again to Jerusalem when they heard that circumcision was being preached as a requirement for salvation among the Gentiles. Once the apostles in Jerusalem had written an epistle on the matter, they sent Paul, Silas, and Barnabas to share the news.

Paul and Barnabas have now completed their responsibilities and Paul decides that it would be a good thing for them to go visit the churches where they had preached the Good News in the past. It is interesting to note that it was Paul who had the idea and how this direction did not come from the church leaders.

Barnabas agreed that it would be good for them to take this trip but Barnabas desired to take John Mark on the trip also. Paul disagreed and Barnabas and Paul had such a fight that they ended up going their separate ways. There are many sermons preached from this passage. Some preach that Paul was in the right because the church then recommended Silas and they were blessed in the way that they went. This is further illustrated by the fact that Barnabas no longer is a key figure and that the book of Acts now follows Paul.

Some have preached about how God took the disagreement of Paul and Barnabas and turned it into good. Instead of having one missionary team, now there were two teams out there. They further illustrate this message by showing that John Mark later joined Paul and Paul praised John Mark for his service.

Whether or not any good came from Paul and Barnabas having this dispute, it is important for us to look at this dispute and see what we can learn. Paul and Barnabas were clearly a team being used of God to do many great things. Time after time, God had chosen these two men to represent the church on important matters.

This dispute arose when Paul and Barnabas decided to visit the churches again. While there is nothing wrong with their going to visit the churches, there is nothing in scriptures that indicates that God had directed either man to take another missionary journey. Satan knows the pride that dwells within us. Because Paul and Barnabas were devising their own plans, they made their own preparations and this set them up for a dispute that they had never had before. If they had waited until God had called them on another missionary journey, then God would have made clear to them who was suppose to go and they would not have had this same conflict.

Temperance requires that we show self-control in our life. If Paul and Barnabas had demonstrated self-control and not been in such a hurry to go on another missionary journey, then they could have waited to hear the direction of God which would have spared them from the conflict that arose.

Acts 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostles in Jerusalem are sending a message to the Gentile Christians. They send this message by the hands of Paul, Barnabas, and Silas. In sending this message, they recognize how Paul and Barnabas have risked their lives for the spreading of the gospel. Paul and Barnabas are more concerned about the spreading of the gospel than they are for their own lives.

As Christians, how often are we more concerned about what others may think of us then we are about sharing the gospel with those who are unsaved. We worry that others might think less highly of us then they ought. We do not want to lose our friends, our prestige, or our popularity. As such, we chose to keep our mouth silent or worst yet, we allow ourselves to laugh at the jokes that others make about Christians so that those around us do not know that we are Christians.

God desires that you follow the example of Christ. Christ gave up everything that HE had so that you might hear the good news. Christ prayed that the cup might be taken away from HIM, but HE ultimately trusted in God and allowed God to fulfill HIS perfect will through HIS life. In order to die for your sins, Christ made the ultimate sacrifice by not only laying down HIS life, but HE also had to endure separation from God as a result of HIS taking on the sins of this world.

Paul and Barnabas were willing to give up their lives so that Good News was spread abroad. The things of this world had no hold upon their lives. Paul and Barnabas did not desire to accumulate earthly riches, but instead were adding spiritual treasures to their lives. Because these men had demonstrated their great commitment to the cause of Christ, the apostles knew that they were the men to send to spread the news about how the Gentiles should live their lives for Christ.

Paul and Barnabas had already been faithful in completing their first missionary journey. They had been sent out by the church in Antioch and had returned to the church. Now the apostles in Jerusalem needed to send out faithful men, and they sent out those who had already proven themselves to have forsaken the things of this world in order to pursue the things of God.

Christ taught a parable where a master had given his servants some money. When the master came to receive an account of how his servants had handled his resources, the master gave to the servant who was the most productive the money that had been entrusted to the servant who simply hid the money and did nothing. Christ taught that he who is faithful will be given even more responsibility; this is exactly what happened to Paul and Barnabas.

Paul and Barnabas would not have kept being sent out by the church except for the fact that the church saw in them a faithfulness to the ways of God. Because it was known by the church how these men had willingly pursued the things of God over the things of this world, the church knew that they were faithful and rewarded them with greater responsibility.

Paul and Barnabas had added temperance to their lives. They did not allow the things of this world to control them. The more they died to themselves and allowed God to use them, the greater their minister here on this earth became. God can use you in a powerful way if you follow the example of Paul and Barnabas and start adding temperance to your life. Start saying no to the things of this world so that you have more time to start pursuing the things of God. God needs to be number one in your life.

Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

Understanding the will of God means you wait when God desires you to wait and you proceed when God gives you the green light. In this passage, we see that Paul understood the timing of God. Paul had been called to preach the gospel of Jesus, but that did not mean he preached when he wanted and where he wanted. Instead, Paul had discretion and he allowed the spirit to guide him as to when and where God desired him to preach.

You would think it foolish for a farmer to plant wheat in field A, but to spend all his time watering field B in which nothing was planted. The farmer knows that his crop is in A, and as such, he should be directing his workers to take care of the crop in field A. If the workers pay attention to the farmer, they will spend their time where their labors will bring the most fruit. However, if the workers simply did what they wanted, when they wanted to, they might spend time working on field B in which nothing exists.

God knows who is ready to hear the gospel. God knows whose heart is ready for a seed to be planted. Just because you witness to someone, it does not mean that they will be saved on the spot. However, the fruit of your witnessing will greatly increase if you are sharing with those whom God desires you share with. If you are witnessing using your own strength, then you will be frustrated, because you might be spending a lot of time in a field that is not ready to hear the truth God has for them.

God waited until Silas and Timothy showed up to assist Paul before he released Paul to testify that Jesus was the Christ. Paul was letting his light shine in the community by going to the synagogue. However, he waited until God gave him the go ahead before he started sharing the truth that was in his heart.

Think of a young girl who desires to be married. She spends her time playing with her dolls and talking about the day that she is married. However, just because she has the desire to be married, it does not mean that she is ready to be married. The young girl needs to mature before she is ready to make a commitment for the rest of her life. It is easy for the young girls parents to see that their daughter is not ready for marriage.

You are too close to your life. It is hard for you to make the right decision based solely upon your own understanding. Your view of the world is tainted by your perspective. You need the guidance of God to help direct your steps. You must learn to seek the perfect will of God so that you do not act rashly or outside the perfect timing of God. This means that you must spend time getting to know God better so that you can do what HE desires according to HIS perfect timing.

What good will your life do if you are doing the right thing at the wrong time. You will be frustrated that your effectiveness for God seems to produce no results. It is good to be a doer of the word, but you still must do it in HIS timing. In order to understand the timing of God, you must spend time listening to HIM. Just because you know the will of God, it does not mean that the time is now that you should be doing that will. Just because you think it is a good time to do the will of God, it does not mean that it is the perfect timing of God. Take time to seek God and HE will direct your steps. Allow God to guide- you every step of the way.

Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

Paul left Athens and went to minister in Corinth. Silas and Timothy were still in Berea ministering to the people there. Because he did not have the accountability and help of Silas and Timothy, Paul was not as active in his missionary work. He still went to the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greek. When Silas and Timothy showed up, he was pressed in the spirit, and testified that Jesus was Christ.

While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive, he found a husband and wife team of Aquila and Priscilla whom he lived with. Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers and Paul practiced the trade of tentmaker with them. Paul, the great missionary understood the trade of tent making and while he was waiting for his God given partners who assisted him in his missionary work to return, he earned a living. However, Paul did more than just earn a living. It is clear that Paul must have been discipling Aquila and Priscilla. After Paul left we see them ministering to others and discipling them.

Paul understood that until Silas and Timothy arrived, he was not to be as active in his missionary work. Yes, he still went to church and he still shared the gospel, but he understood that God had given him Silas as his partner for this particular missionary journey. When Jesus had sent out the disciples to preach the gospel, he sent them out in groups of two. When Paul took a journey, he always traveled with another person. Since Paul was separated from his team, he understood that he needed to wait for the rest of his team before he continued.

There are times in your life where you know what the will of God is for you, but you must wait. This was one of those times in the life of Paul. Paul knew that he was called to be a missionary, but he needed to wait for his partner that God had given to him. Because Paul was in a period of waiting, he remained productive by working a trade, tentmaking.

God has given you a ministry. Do you know what it is? If you know what it is, do you know whom God has brought into your life in order to fulfill that purpose? Just because you know what job you need to do for God, it does not mean that you have the green light to do it right now. You must understand that there are times in your life where you must wait on God. There are times where you must work and do other ministry work while you wait for the perfect timing of God to do that which HE has shown you HE desires you to do.

It takes knowledge of the ways of God to not only know the will of God but also HIS timing. You do not automatically find out the will or timing of God just because you proclaim to be a Christian. Instead, you must spend time seeking God so that you can find HIS perfect will. As you draw closer to God, you will learn HIS will and more importantly HIS timing.

Be careful that you are not a lone ranger in your pursuit of the will of God. While there are some who God called to work on their own like John the Baptist; even Jesus made sure that HE had disciples around HIM to help HIM in HIS ministry. Jesus did not need the accountability, but HE had it anyways. Remember, where two or more are gathered in HIS name, HE is with you. Whatever ministry God has called you to, how much more effective will it be if you do it with those who are also called to the same ministry. Wait on the perfect timing of God.

Act 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

The Philippi jailer had seen the faith of Paul and Silas in action and he desired what they had. He was willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Because the Philippi jailer had seen the light, not only was his life touched, but also the lives of all that were of his household. Not only did the Philippi jailer believe in Jesus, but his entire family also believed.

The family of the Philippi jailers did not see Paul and Silas beaten, thrown into prison, and then singing praises to God in the middle of the night. The family of the Philippi jailer saw the change in his life and heard his words and knew that he had something that they also needed. The conversion of the Philippi jailer did not just affect his life, but it also affected those around him.

Your life and the choices that you make do not only affect you but they also affect those around you. Joshua once challenged the people by stating that as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. During the life of Joshua, the nation of Israel saw the example of Joshua and they followed the ways of God. However, once Joshua and his elders died, the people did that which was right in their own eyes. They saw the good example of Joshua and they willingly followed Joshua in doing that which is right in the eyes of God.

Look at the stories of the kings of Israel. If the king did that which is right, the people followed. However, if the king did not do what was right in the eyes of God, then the people committed great iniquity. Your life does influence others. The choices that you make do not only affect you, but they also affect those whom God has placed in your area of influence.

You must be careful about whom you associate with. Korah was a man who did not respect the authority of Moses. Korah encouraged many to rebel against Moses. As a result of the rebellion of Korah, the Lord caused the earth to open up and swallow Korah, his family and all those who followed him. Those associated with Korah had not made a wise decision and they suffered the consequences of being too close to one who was openly rebelling against God.

You can encourage those around you to do what is right or you can encourage them to do wrong. What example are you leaving to those around you? When others look at you, do they see the light of God reflecting in your life or do they see just another person who says one thing with their mouth and another thing with their life.

When you take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life, you will quickly learn how God uses you to influence others. Are you influencing those around you or are you allowing them to influence you? You must understand that you are accountable to God for your actions. However, if you study the scriptures carefully, you also will realize that you are responsible for living your life so that you do not cause others to stumble.

Are you like Moses who by his faith lead the nation of Israel across the Red Sea or are you like Korah who by his influence led many families to their death? Are you like the Philippi jailer who when he was converted, was able to lead his entire family to the Lord, or are you like the Philippi jailer who prior to his conversion, was leading his family straight to hell. Your life does have an impact upon others. The choice is yours what type of influence that will be. What choice have you made today?

Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Paul and Silas did not try to share the gospel with their prison guard. However, the light of their life was so bright that when the prison guard faced a trial, he came to Paul and Silas and asked them to show him what he was to do to be saved. The prison guard had heard them praising God while in the depths of prison. The prison guard probably understood that only a real God could have sent an earthquake that opened every locked door and unshackled every prisoner. The prison guard quickly figured out that Paul and Silas had something different in their life and that whatever they had he wanted.

There are times that you go out and preach the gospel to the world, and there are times where you just need to let your life do all the talking. Had Paul and Silas simply started sharing the gospel with the prison guard when they were dragged into prison, it is doubtful that the prison guard would have fell down before them and asked them how he might be saved. Instead, the prison guard probably would have laughed at them by drawing their attention that they were under his authority and what kind of God did they serve who allowed them to be falsely accused and thrown into prison. The prison guard was not yet ready to see who God was because he needed to see Paul and Silas live their faith. In addition, the prison guard needed to face his own crises where his eyes could be opened about the truth of who he was and his need to serve the living God. As long as he was in control over his own life, why would he need God?

There are some people who are not ready to hear the gospel. You can preach at them all you want but they will just build fortifications around them and reject your preaching. In order to reach these people, they need to see the love of God in your life by your actions. They need to see you face crises and see you respond to the crises differently then they would have responded. When you start living your faith, and stop trying to convert them with your own words, they will be the ones who open the door to allow you to share your faith with them.

There are those who you will be able to preach the gospel to and they will accept Jesus. However, you need to be careful that you do not cast your pearls before swine by trying to share too much of the Christian faith because they have already rejected it. Instead, you need to examine your own life and see if there is anything in your life that is preventing the other side from accepting Jesus as their personal Savior. You need to see if your walk is really demonstrating the love of Christ. You need to know that you are not only talking about the Christian faith but that you are living it so that the entire world can see.

It takes knowledge of the ways of God to know when you are to preach and when you are to shut up and just let the light of God reflect through your life to pierce the heart of those who reject Jesus. When you take the time to hear the still small voice of God, HE will be able to guide you and reveal to you when you are to speak and when you are to shut up and allow HIM to work through you. You just need to be ready for HIM to open the door by having them ask you what you have that they need.

Learn to allow God to direct your steps. As you put God first in your life, HE will direct your steps so that HE is glorified. Allow Him to show you when to open your mouth and when to simply allow your walk to do all the talking. You need to pray that God shows you how you are to share the truth of the gospel with those whom HE has placed in your life.

Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Paul and Silas were in prison and they started to praise God. God sent a great earthquake that opened every door and loosed every man from his chains. Paul and Silas had a chance to escape, but they did not. Instead, because they stayed, they were able to bring the jailer to the Lord.

If you were in the place of Paul, what would you have done? You probably would have remembered how God enabled Peter to escape from prison and you would have immediately assumed that God had just prepared a way for you to escape. You had a proper response to your persecution and now surely God was blessing you by demonstrating HIS power to make a way for you to escape your persecution.

However, your ways are not always the ways of God. Paul did not try to escape because he understood that this earthquake was not brought so that he could escape. It does not appear that Paul saw any angel or heard a loud voice speaking out of heaven. However God communicated with Paul, Paul stayed put regardless of what the outward circumstances were. Paul understood what God desired him to do, and so he did it.

Have you ever looked in the Bible at all the ways that God has communicated to man? God does not always communicate to everyone in the same way. After Elijah had demonstrated the power of God by praying fire down from heaven and praying for the end of the drought, Elijah found himself alone with God on mount Horeb. God brought a huge wind but Elijah did not hear God in the wind. God brought an earthquake, but Elijah did not hear God in the earthquake. God brought a fire, but Elijah did not hear God in the fire. Finally, Elijah heard God in a still small voice. God is great and can speak through burning bushes like HE did with Moses, but you must also be prepared to hear the still small voice.

God can speak to the spirit of man and show them the way that they are to go. Paul and Silas did not need to hear a loud auditable voice telling them that they needed to stay put. Instead, they had spent quality time with the Lord and they understood what God desired them to do. They did not flee and God blessed them.

If you desire to hear the still small voice of God in your life, then you need to start by spending plenty of time with HIM. You need to spend time in the word. David told us that the word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalms 119:105). How can you expect to hear God if you do not take the time to study the ways of God? When you are faced with a difficult decision, where is the first place you turn to? Is it to God or is it to your own understanding? The word of God is a very rich book. If you are faithful to HIM and spend time drawing closer to HIM, then God can open your eyes and speak to you in ways that you never could imagine.

The more time you spend adding to your knowledge of the ways of God, the easier it will be for God to communicate to you through HIS word. As you draw closer to HIM, it will be easier to hear HIS still small voice. It is hard to hear someone whispering when they are 200 feet away from you, but it is easy to hear the same whisper when you are only six inches away. You draw closer to God when you spend time studying HIS words. The more knowledge of the ways of God you have, the clearer the voice of God will appear to you and the easier it will be for you to be in the center of the will of God.

Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Paul and Silas had just been beaten and thrown into prison. Some would say that they had every right to grumble and complain. However, Paul and Silas understood that because they were servants of God, they needed to have a different response. Paul and Silas understood that since Jesus had ascended to heaven, it was their duty to properly reflect the love of God unto the world. If the world did not see God through them, how would the world understand the difference between Christianity and the false religions?

Paul taught that in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus Concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Paul was an example to us of the words that he preached. He did not preach one thing and then live his life in a different manner. Paul taught that you were to give thanks for everything, and in this passage is found praising God in some of the worst circumstances.

The reason why Paul was able to give thanks to God regardless of what trials he faced was because he knew that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Paul understood that he had been called of God to preach and it was because of his boldness in preaching that they were suffering persecution. Paul did not know what God was going to do, but he understood regardless of what happened, God was going to be glorified. Since God already had a plan for how HE was going to turn the persecution of Paul and Silas into HIS glory, all Paul and Silas needed to do was to sing the praises of God.

What terrible things have occurred in your life that have prevented you from singing the praises of God? God desires to hear you sing forth HIS praises. It does not matter how difficult your situation is, God longs to see you completely trust in HIM. When you sing the praises of God in the midst of the storm, you are showing to God, Satan, and the entire world that your trust is not in the things of this world but your trust is in God.

Do you really trust God? Can the world look at you and see that you completely trust HIM? If you are not able to give thanks to God in all circumstances, it means that there is something in this world that is more important to you than your relationship with God. Why else would you be complaining? If God is really number one in your life and you truly believe that HE can turn all things to good because you are following HIS perfect purposes for your life, then the whole world should see the light of God in your response regardless of what is occurring.

Paul and Silas were reflecting the light of God so that the prisoners and the guards all knew that God had changed their lives. Everyone knew that they had just been beaten. To see no bitterness towards those who had been trying to hurt them must have caused those around them to wonder what so different about Paul and Silas.

If you want to be a light unto the world, start praising God. You know how much you desire to hear the praises of man, so likewise God desires to hear HIS praises. Start praising God for everything that occurs to you. There will be times that you will not want to praise God, but you must remember that in everything you need to give thanks as it demonstrates to the world that God is the most important thing in your life.

Acts 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

Paul and Silas were being beaten because Paul healed a woman who had demon spirits in her. Paul and Silas were doing good in the name of Jesus Christ and as a result they were being persecuted. Paul and Silas could have become bitter because God was allowing them to suffer persecution, but instead they understood the commands of Christ when HE said Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

Paul and Silas found themselves being beaten because the masters of the damsel who was released from the bondage of the demons told the authorities that Paul and Silas were teaching customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe. Paul and Silas were being persecuted for their faith.

If you take the time to study the scriptures, you will learn that it is not the will of God that you live your life in constant peace, harmony, and riches. God desires that you be an effective servant for HIM. This means that you are out in the world by the power of God trying to open the eyes of the world to the love of God. If you are opening the eyes of the world to the love of God, then that means that Satan is going to be trying to persecute you so as to get you to stop. The more damage you are doing to the world, the harder Satan will try to shut you down.

Examine the scriptures and see how those who were following the will of God lived nice easy prosperous life. John the Baptist lost his life doing the will of God. Joseph found himself in prison because he refused to commit adultery with the wife of his master. Daniel found himself in a den of lions because he refused to stop praying to God. The Bible is full of examples of those who suffered persecution for doing the right thing.

It is hard to be blessed by God when men persecute you if you are constantly compromising your standards and finding ways to live and let live. Why would the world care if you are compromising closet Christian? Any light that your life produces will not convict them of the error of their ways. They will simply tolerate your ignorance and let you live your life.

However, if you are living your life according to the principles of God; if your life truly convicts them of the errors of their ways, then the world needs to either shut you up or change. If your life is being a light into this world, then persecution should follow in an attempt by Satan to shut you up and to limit your effectiveness for God.

You need to understand the ways of God. You need to understand that as a Christian, your life should be different. You need to understand that the world is not your friend. You need to understand that you have been called to a higher purpose. When you add knowledge to your life regarding the ways of God, then you will not be surprised when you must suffer for the name of Jesus. If it has been a long time since you have suffered for your faith, you might want to examine your life and see if you are really living your faith or if you are simply just talking about it. Your faith needs to be an active part of who you are and the world needs to know it.

Acts 15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Paul and Barnabas had been waiting for God to send them out into the mission field once again. Their opportunity came when they received word that there were men teaching the gentiles that they must be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas had gone to Jerusalem to speak with the apostles to see if the church could agree together that circumcision is not necessary for salvation. After much debate, God used Peter and James and the apostles agreed in one accord that circumcision is not necessary.

Once the apostles agreed that circumcision was not necessary, they sent out Judas and Silas to spread the word. Judas and Silas were not given any letters, but were simply told to go out and spread the word quickly. However, the church understood the importance of preserving this teaching that circumcision was not required for the gentiles before they could be saved so they wrote letters to the gentile churches. Once these letters were written, they sent Paul and Barnabas with these letters to deliver them.

When God sent Paul and Barnabas the first time, they were sent from the church in Antioch. The church leaders in Antioch had been praying and they felt that they were to separate Paul and Barnabas to go and preach. Now Paul and Barnabas were being sent out again, but this time, they were being sent out by the leaders of the Jerusalem church. Now not only would the Christians in Antioch be praying for them, but the Christians in Jerusalem would be praying for their ministry as well. Had Paul and Barnabas gone out in their own accord and started preaching, they would not have been in the place God needed them so that they could go to Jerusalem and help resolve the issue of circumcision and salvation. Because they were where God wanted them, HE rewarded them by commissioning them on their second missionary journey.

It is important that you learn to be in the center of the will of God. Paul and Barnabas were careful to do those things that were pleasing to God and God rewarded them by giving them the desires of their heart. Paul and Barnabas were used mightily of the Lord because they allowed God to direct their steps.

Absalom attacked his father David and tried to take the kingdom away from him. Joab ended up killing Absalom and Ahimaaz desired to take tidings to David. However, Joab choose to send Cushi instead of Ahimaaz. Ahimaaz was so persistent that Joab eventually allowed him to run to David without a message. Ahimaaz ended up getting to David before Cushi, but he had no official message from Joab so all of his running was in vain. The same is true regarding Paul and Barnabas, had they gone out to preach because they desired to preach, they would have done so without a message that God desired them to share. Instead, they patiently waited on God until HE gave them the message that needed to be shared and then they went.

God may have shown you that HE desires you to do something great for HIM. However, do not be so quick to take off if you have not yet received the message that God desires you to share. You need to learn to understand the ways of God. When you take time to add knowledge of the ways of God, you will have the blessing of not only doing what God desires you to do, but you will also have the confirmation that God has given you everything you need in order to do HIS perfect will.

Psalms 63:5-6 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Are you satisfied with God? Are you content with where God has you today? Are you at peace knowing that God is in complete control?

Most likely Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote the book of Philippians. However, although he had no freedom and was bound with chains, Paul’s testimony was “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11). Paul understood the power of God in his life and he was not complaining because of the trials that God allowed him to face.

Paul was able to be content because he took the time to meditate upon God. Once Paul was in prison in Philippi with Silas. While Paul and Silas were in chains they were singing forth God’s praises. God sent an earthquake that released them from their chains. God used this time in prison along with Paul’s joyful heart to reach the Philippi jailer.

Paul understood that God was in control. Paul took the time to meditate upon the goodness of God and as such, his mouth was full of joy. Things may have appeared to be falling apart around him but Paul understood that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Paul knew that he was called by God to preach to the gentiles. Paul knew that he was doing the Lord’s will. Since his life was in God’s hands, it did not matter what happened in his life, God was going to receive the glory and thus Paul could be satisfied with his lot in life.

How often are you like the three-year-old in the store who sees something he wants and throws a fit because he cannot receive what he wants? God desires that you learn to be content with where he has you today. God may have given you a large vision of what you are to do, but you need to first learn to praise HIM for where HE has you today. You need to be like Joseph who diligently applied himself to wherever the Lord had him. God has a plan but as long as you are self-centered and only looking towards yourself, you will not be satisfied and your life will be miserable.

There is nothing wrong with looking forward to the exciting things that God has for you in the future, but you need to first spend adequate time ensuring that you are content with your station in life today. As you take the time to think upon God and the things HE has done for you, you naturally should start praising God. As you praise God, and make HIM a priority in your life, God will be able to move through you and give you the peace that passeth all understanding.

You need to meditate upon God. This means that you must fill your mind with the things of God. Fill your life with virtue so that you can be content with your station in life. Fill your mind with the things of God so that you will be satisfied with where God has you today. Do not allow the world to control your mind because if you do, you will not have the right attitude towards God and you will not fully experience HIS’ power in your life.

Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

Paul had already been taking the time to preach in the synagogue every Sabbath. However, now that help had arrived in Corinth, God opened the door for Paul to go do what Paul desired to do, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. God understood that the people in Corinth were ready to hear the truth, but he had Paul wait until help arrived.

Why God waited to press upon Paul that he could now preach the gospel is not known. However, what is known is that God’s perfect timing corresponded with Paul receiving help. It could be God did not want Paul to work on his own because God did not want Paul to become proud in how God was working through him. It could be that God knew the harvest would be abundant and that Paul could not handle the harvest on his own. Whatever the reason, God caused Paul to go through a period of waiting before HE released Paul to fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

You could imagine Paul’s prayers prior to Silas and Timothy’s arrival – Lord, it is your will that I preach the gospel, YOU have commissioned me to be your servant, it is the desire of my heart to preach the truth of YOUR Word to these individuals who are lost and bound for hell. Lord, I desire to be used of YOU. Open the door for me to preach.

Waiting is never easy, especially when you understand what God’s direction is for you. Jesus understood what HIS Father’s business was yet HE had to wait until HE was 30 years old. Waiting on God’s perfect timing is never easy but it is necessary if you really desire to please God. God’s work done in your timing will not produce the results you would have received had you waited for God’s timing.

Because Paul understood what God’s will was for his life, he was ready to proceed with God’s will as soon as God let him know the timing was right. Paul’s desire was to do the will of God and as such, he put himself in the position that he could hear the still small voice of God and instantly react. Paul had his mind upon the things of God; he was simply waiting for God to speak.

You may already understand God’s will for your life but you might be waiting for God to release you to do HIS will. If that is you, it is extremely important that you learn to add virtue to your life. You need to learn to put on the mind of Christ and to think upon those things that are pleasing to God so that when God’s timing is perfect, you will be prepared to hear and obey. Imagine a soldier who knows the battle is imminent. This solider would not be very wise if he was not spending his time preparing his mind, body and equipment.

When you find yourself waiting for God to reveal HIS perfect timing, you need to take the time to draw closer to God. Take the time to add virtue in your life. Waiting is never easy, especially when you know what God desires you to do. However, waiting gives you the opportunity to properly prepare yourself, it gives you the time to ensure that your heart and mind are right before God. Allow God to have HIS perfect work in you by waiting for HIS perfect will to be completed in HIS perfect timing. Be a good soldier by adding virtue in your life. Change your mindset to be thinking upon the things of God.

Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

Paul left Athens and came to Corinth. He was still waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive from Macedonia. While he waited, Paul stayed with Aquila and Priscilla and worked with them as a tentmaker. Paul was called to be a great missionary yet he was willing to do manual labor. Paul’s calling to be a missionary did not cause him to become proud and refuse to do manual labor. Instead, Paul was willing to humble himself to earn wages while he waited for the Silas and Timothy to come.

However, just because Paul was doing manual labor, this does not mean that he put aside spiritual things. Paul went to the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greek. Paul may not have had a large focus on being God’s missionary to Corinth, but he was not going to stop sharing the Good News of God’s gift of Salvation.

Paul understood that even though he was called to be a missionary, there would be periods of time were God desired that he wait. This was one of those times that Paul had to wait until God gave him the green light to go into his fulltime work of being a missionary. While Paul did not have the green light to fully minister unto this community, Paul remained faithful to God and shared the truth of what God had done with those who God placed within his area of influence.

You know that Paul would have preferred to be preaching the gospel and disciplining the new converts in the way they were to go rather then doing manual labor in mending tents. Yet, Paul understood the importance of being in the center of God’s will and doing things in accordance with HIS� timing. God was going to release Paul to fully share the truth with this community, but in the meantime, Paul had to wait for God to send him help.

Because Paul had added virtue to his life, Paul was thinking upon the things of God. Paul was seeking the Lord and waiting on the Lord to show him when to go and when to wait. Paul’s change of mindset allowed him to humble himself and wait while the Lord brought to him those who could help him fulfill his ministry. Because Paul had the mind of Christ, while he waited, he made himself productive in working with Aquila and Priscilla not only manually but also on a spiritual level. Because Paul was thinking upon the things of God, he put himself in a position where he could still serve God while he waited for God to release him to fulfill the thing that God had called him to do.

God’s timing is always perfect. In order to properly hear God’s timing, you need to have a close relationship with God so that you can hear HIS still small voice. By adding virtue to your life, you will be thinking upon those things that God desires you to think upon. Your relationship will be closer and you will be able to carefully follow God’s will. It does not matter what your calling has been, there will be times where God desires that you wait. You need to be alert to the voice of God so that you can stop when God tells you to stop and go when he releases you to your calling. By applying virtue to your life, you will be in the position like Paul were he was able to humble himself and do manual labor because he understood that God’s timing was not perfect yet. Virtue will give you the strength to wait when you have the desire to fulfill God’s direction for your life.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Paul and Silas left Thessalonica by night to go to Berea. Paul and Silas had been called to be missionaries to the Gentiles and while they were in Thessalonica, the unbelieving Jews tried to persecute them by making many false reports. Because the Jews could not find them, they instead persecuted those who housed Paul and Silas. Even though they were called to the Gentiles and the last time they preached to the Jews they were driven out of town, this did not stop Paul and Silas from going to the synagogue in Berea to preach the good news of Jesus Christ to the Jews.

Paul and Silas were not going to allow the disturbance in Thessalonica to cause them to keep quiet about the good news of God’s gift of salvation. Paul and Silas were more concerned about obeying the command of Christ to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, … Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” than they were about their personal safety.

Because Paul and Silas were willing to keep preaching the gospel to the Jews, they saw many believe in Berea. God had prepared the hearts of the Bereaians in that they were willing to study the scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas taught them was correct. They were willing to give up the traditions of their fathers if the tradition of their fathers was not in accordance with the scriptures.

By adding virtue to your life, you are putting on the mind of Christ. Christ was willing to sacrifice HIS life so that you might be save. Paul and Silas had this same mind and even though their lives had been threatened for preaching the Good News, they were willing to continue to teach in the synagogues so that the truth of God’s gift might be revealed. Because they were persistent and did not easy quit the race that was set before them, God enabled them to see much fruit as a result of their persistence.

God has a special purpose for your life. Just because you run into trouble in fulfilling God’s will for your life, this does not give you the right to stop and abandon the will of God. Instead, you need to have the mind of Christ which will enable you to continue to pursue God’s purpose for your life. Rather then worrying about the lack of results, you will continue to persist in doing God’s will and allow God to control the results. You do not want to follow the example of the children of Israel who were willing to follow God until they reached the Promise Land. Once they reached the Promise Land, they allowed the fear of failure to cause them to reject God’s clear direction.

When you add to your faith virtue, no longer are you concerned with the results of your work. Instead, you focus on your part of obeying God’s instruction and allow HIM to control the results. When you begin to become concerned about results, this is a good time to examine your life to see why you are allowing the cares of this world to crowd out the things of God. Use these concerns to enable you to focus once again upon God’s will for your life. Put on the mind of Christ and continue to obey HIS’ commandments and allow HIM to choose what results come from your obedience.

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

When Paul and Silas reached Thessalonica, there was a synagogue there for the Jews. While Paul may have been called to preach to the Gentiles, he took the opportunity to preach the gospel to the Jews by preaching the Old Testament scriptures to them. Paul reminded the Jews that scripture shows that the Messiah was going to die and be raised from the dead. Paul did have some conversions among the Jews but the greatest harvest came among the Greeks.

Just because God had called Paul to preach to the Gentiles, this did not stop Paul from preaching to the Jews. Paul understood that when he preached the gospel to the Jews, he had to use the authority of the Old Testament. Because of his training, Paul understood the texts that the Jews put all their confidence in and he was able to have results converting some Jews into believing that the Messiah had already come.

Paul could have come to town and skipped out on going to the synagogue. He could have said that he was called to the Gentiles and that it was someone else responsibility to preach to the Jews. However, Paul understood that just because he was a missionary called to preach to the Gentiles, this did not shield him from the responsibility of ensuring that his own people heard the truth of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

Paul understood that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He understood that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternity with the Father. He also understood that if it were not for him, some might never hear the important message of Salvation. As such, Paul was always looking for opportunities that he might share the truth. It was his custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath and preach so that the Jews might hear.

God may have given you a specific calling. However, that calling is not the only thing that you must do during your lifetime. God is going to bring people into your life and it is your responsibility to be willing always to give a reason for the hope that lies within you. You cannot afford to be so focused on your calling that you miss opportunities God has for you to touch the lives of others.

Your focus should be upon God. You should daily be seeking HIS face and asking HIM to give you opportunities so that you can minister unto HIM. You should never shy away from an opportunity to expound upon the scriptures so that those who hear you have the opportunity to accept or reject the truth. In order to be constantly looking for opportunities to serve the Lord, one must first ensure that they have added virtue to their life. Learning to think upon the things of God puts you in the position that you see more opportunities for you to share the truth of God�s gift.

You need to change your mindset off of yourself and onto the things of God. By focusing upon the things of God, your perspective of the world will change. You should be in a better position to see the fields that are white unto harvest and you should be willing to take every opportunity to harvest those fields. Add virtue to your life and follow the example of Paul who constantly sought opportunities to share the truth.

Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Paul and Silas were locked in a prison cell and while they were praying and praising God, God sent an earthquake and caused everyone’s shackles to be loosen and the prison door to be opened. When the earthquake woke the guard, he immediately saw that the prison doors were opened and believing that all the prisoners had somehow escaped, he was going to kill himself before the magistrates found all the prisoners gone and killed him.

Put yourself in Paul’s shoes. Here you are beaten and put in prison for doing the will of God. You have the right attitude towards God and God sends an earthquake that sets you free. However, there is only one thing between you and your freedom to go back and do the will of God and that is the guard. God seems to be taking care of the guard by causing the guard to be hasty in taking his life before he even counts to confirm that the prisoners are all gone. Think about it, isn’t God good, HE is just taking care of everything and HE will be the one who receives all the glory for this miraculous escape.

However, you are not Paul, and this is not what Paul did. Paul did not see the earthquake as an opportunity to escape; Paul saw it as an opportunity to allow the light of God to once again reflect through his life so that the jailer will see the love of God. When God helped Peter to escape, he did so without the jailer waking up. Paul understood that God does not desire that anyone should parish but that all will come to the realization of who HE is. Paul understood that if the jailer killed himself, he would never have that opportunity again. Paul was more concerned about souls then his freedom.

Paul was simply living out the words of Jesus who told you to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” While Paul would have loved to be free, he was more concerned with ensuring that HE obeyed Christ’s commandments.

Virtue requires a change of thinking. No longer should your desires consume you. Instead, your thoughts should be filled with the things of God. You should be looking for opportunities that you can serve God rather then how you can just get by in life. Your life is now no longer all about you; your life is about allowing the light of God to shine through you so that the world sees God through you. Your life should be a testimony of how God has led you and directed your steps so that HE received the glory.

Paul did not have thoughts of escape because he was looking at the prison guard and all the prisoners as individuals who needed God’s love. Paul and Silas’ prayers were probably not for deliverance of themselves but for the deliverance of the souls that were bound for hell.

Adding virtue to your life will cause you to be more concerned about the people around you then you are for your own well-being. Jesus told you that you are to love your neighbor as yourself. How can you love your neighbor as yourself if all you think about is what God owes you. Instead, you must change your thinking to start contemplating how God is using you to touch the lives of those around you.

Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Paul and Silas had just cast out a devil that dwelt in a damsel. The girl’s masters were upset because they saw that they were not going to be able to make any more money off of this girl’s fortune telling. The girl’s masters had Paul and Silas thrown into prison. Paul and Silas may have been in prison, but they did not allow the dark cold cell of a prison to stop them from praying and praising God.

Paul and Silas did not pray in silence. They did not pray so that only they could hear. Instead, they prayed so loud that their fellow prisoners heard them. Paul and Silas did not care what others thought of them. They understood that it was God’s will for them to be in prison and as such, they did not temper their voice but instead, ensured that all in the prison understood that these two men trusted in God and that God was the source of their hope. Paul and Silas probably figured that someone would hear the prayer and praise and accept God’s gift of salvation.

The boldness that Paul and Silas demonstrated in this prison cell this night does not occur absent virtue dwelling in ones life. When something tragic occurs, your first response is an excellent snapshot as to where your heart is. Is your heart like Paul and Silas who were not bitter at God but instead immediately allowed God to receive the glory for their present situation? Paul and Silas were thinking upon that which is true, honest and a good report. They were looking for ways that they could serve God. As such, when a trial sprang up in front of them, they were in the position that by the grace of God they were able to overcome the thoughts of depression and discouragement.

Trials will occur in your life. How you respond to your trials will reveal to the world whether virtue dwells within you. Your response to circumstances that appear to be unfair will reveal whether you are thinking upon the things of God or thinking about yourself and doing what is best for yourself.

Think about the last time a trial sprang up in your life. How did you respond? Did you immediately thank God for the trial? Did you take the time to sing God’s praises? Did you look for ways that God might use you in the new situation? A proper response to your trial demonstrates that your heart is set upon the things of God.

If you did not respond properly to your last trial, use it as an opportunity to come before God and confess your failure and seek to repent and change from your wicked ways. While everyone may have responded the way you responded, it dose not mean that it was proper for you to respond that way. Your life is to draw the world’s attention to God and if your actions do not demonstrate that you are called by a higher power, than your life is not the testimony that God desires to see.

Add virtue to your life will change your perspective on the world. No longer do you seek to serve yourself but instead you seek to find how God can use you no matter where HE places you. Virtue requires a changed mindset. A change that is not always instantaneous. Allow God to change your actions by first changing your thoughts and heart.