June 16, 2008

Today I was reading in Acts 16. It is about how Paul and Silas are traveling to different places preaching the word of God. It is the story where they are preaching in different places and a fortune-teller who is possessed with a demon continues to follow them around and say, " These men are servants of the most high God and they have come to tell you how to be saved." It says how Paul got so annoiyed that he cast the demons 0ut in the name of Jesus. The woman had made her masters very rich, and since the demon had been cast out they would no longer make money. So the masters go to the town council basicly and tell them that Paul and Silas were doing customs outlawed to Jews. So they are taken into the town square and stripped and beaten severely and then put into a jail cell. The bible explains how they are in this jail and start singing praise songs. Now the funny thing is that I have heard this story so much I start to think well obviously; why wouldn't they be praising God. The more I thought about this I started to actually believe that there would be no reason for them to not to praise God. Think about it for a second. Matthew 10 and 12 talk about how the persecuted man is blessed for his kingdom is that of heavens and that, like the prophets before you, being persecuted will bring you treasures in heaven. So if I were these guys I would say, " You know what, it sucks that we got beaten and I am probably going to not heal for like 12 days, but guess what Silas? We are going to get a huge mansion in heaven man! You know how many times this has happened to us; I'm going to ask God for an indoor, inground pool!"

Moral of the story: Don't ask for persecution, but when it comes upon you; Thank God for he said that if he was persecuted we will be too. We are on the same team as the almighty God and if I can take one for the team; more or less for my God.... Then Thank God! I'm going to have more riches in heaven and more importantly have God smile down upon me.


I'm going to do devotions every day on here from now on.