Written by: Pat Madden

Acts 16 v 9-10
That night Paul saw in a vision a man from Macedonia. The man stood and begged, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we immediately prepared to leave for Macedonia, understanding that God had called us to tell the Good News to those people.

Notes
God has a plan for each of us. He has ways of letting us know these plans – in this case for Paul, a vision. The amazing thing is that Paul and his followers moved into action immediately, understanding God’s call and responding to it. 

I stand in awe of Paul and his followers: I recently sensed that God was calling me in a radical change of direction, which would involve giving up my current job and stepping out into the unknown. Much as I knew that God was calling me, it was a hard step to take, and I felt the need for constant reassurance that this is what God wanted me to do!

There is a challenge for each of us, not only to be open to the call of God, but to be able to understand it, and to act on it. 

Acts 16 v 11-13
We left Troas and sailed straight to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to Neapolis. Then we went by land to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for several days.
On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the river where we thought we would find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them.

Notes
Following God means a journey- this is illustrated by the way that Paul and his followers journey to the heart of Macedonia in response to the call of God. We may not know where we are heading, we may – like Paul – find ourselves strangers in a strange land, yet if we trust in God and honestly seek to answer His call, we will be safe.

Paul and his followers show the importance of finding a “special place for prayer”- we need to find our own special place. In a hectic, busy world, it is more important than ever to make the time and the space for this time of prayer, but it is also more and more difficult to do. Yet our spirits need nurturing just as much as our minds and bodies, and this is done through prayer. It is interesting that there are women in that special place for prayer – spending time with other people in prayer and sharing, is vital to each of our growth as part of a Christian community.

Acts 16 v 14-15
One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira whose job was selling purple cloth. She worshiped God, and he opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying. She and all the people in her house were baptized. Then she invited us to her home, saying, “If you think I am truly a believer in the Lord, then come stay in my house.” And she persuaded us to stay with her.

Notes
It is through worshipping God that Lydia’s mind is opened. This challenges me to continue to worship God always, so that He will help me to discern His voice in the world around me. I need to pray always that my mind will remain open to the will of God. 

Paul and his friends stayed with Lydia – this was at the response to her request, “If you think I am truly a believer in the Lord”. Lydia is publicly laying herself on then line here – how many of us today are prepared to do as much?? So the fact that they stayed is a public endorsement of her faith and her testimony. And Lydia is a sales woman – trading in valuable cloth. This illustrates that believers can witness in every aspect of life and work – be a Lydia in YOUR workplace, school or college!

Acts 16 v 16-17
Once, while we were going to the place for prayer, a servant girl met us. She had a special spirit in her, and she earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. This girl followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God. They are telling you how you can be saved.”

Notes
It is hard to imagine a person being owned by another today – but there are many ways in which people are trapped and persuaded or coerced to use their special gifts for ill. Our challenge today is to consider the special skills and gifts which we have, which are God given, and to reflect how we use these gifts for the glory of God.

On the surface the woman is proclaiming the salvation of God – but here seems to be where the story ends. There is a need not only to proclaim the salvation of God, but to accept it as a reality of my own life, and make my life a witness to that salvation. Sometimes the strongest witness is a simple Christian life, quietly lived.

Acts 16 v 18-19
She kept this up for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” Immediately, the spirit came out.
When the owners of the servant girl saw this, they knew that now they could not use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the city rulers in the marketplace. 

Notes
Why was Paul “bothered” by the woman shouting after him? The message was positive; “These men are servants of the Most High God. They are telling you how you can be saved”. Yet Paul saw it was the spirit within her speaking, and not the woman herself, and so he told the spirit to leave. To her “owners” she had now lost her value, as she could no longer tell fortunes and make money. So Paul and Silas were in trouble!

The message is empty if the heart is not in it. How many times have I said something I know people want to hear, but that I don’t really believe in my heart? To worldly people there may be great value in that, but God sets His value on the integrity of my heart. 

Acts 16 v 20-21
They brought Paul and Silas to the Roman rulers and said, “These men are Jews and are making trouble in our city. They are teaching things that are not right for us as Romans to do.”

Notes
They brought Paul and Silas to the rulers because they had lost a source of income – Paul had driven out a spirit from a woman whose “owners” used her to sell fortunes. Yet the reason they give is completely different – they cite the “difference” of Paul and Silas. How easy it is to do this – to highlight differences to instil fear and prejudice – bullies thrive on this way of operating.

Paul and Silas were considered to be troublemakers, because they were bringing a message that was new – the message of Christ and salvation. In some quarters it is still considered an unpopular message, and people will still find reasons not to hear, and reasons to abuse those who bring the message. But the message is still given, every day, all over the world, because of people like Paul and Silas, who are prepared to risk their own well being for the good of others. May I, too, be one of these people!

Acts 16 v 22-24
The crowd joined the attack against them. The Roman officers tore the clothes of Paul and Silas and had them beaten with rods. Then Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to guard them carefully. When he heard this order, he put them far inside the jail and pinned their feet down between large blocks of wood.

Notes
How often we see the “crowd join the attack against them” – in a variety of situations. In this case, it is Paul and Silas, brought to the Roman rulers accused of teaching the Romans inappropriately. I consider… if I was in the crowd, and not actively arguing for Paul and Silas, how would I be viewed? Surely as being against them, along with the rest of the crowd… I wonder how many active aggressors there were in the crowd, and how many people just couldn’t find the motivation or the courage, perhaps, to speak up for Paul and Silas.

The very thought challenges me to consider the things I might be perceived as “going along” with, simply because I haven’t actively stated my position. How can I ensure that I can “stand up and be counted” for the things that matter to me?


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes