Psalms 8:1 and 16:2

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Acts 16. It’s the home of one of the famous declarations of the Gospel: the jailer pleaded, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” To which Paul and Silas replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30-31). But what piqued my particular curiosity was the earthquake:

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

Acts 16:26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind with the thought that God openly demonstrated His power to save in a language the Romans understood. God shook the Earth! Weirdly, the prison doors were shaken open, but also, “every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:26). What sort of earthquake shakes iron doors open and vibrates iron shackles loose?

Along the still waters, I reflected on the fact that Paul and Silas, along with the rest of the prisoners, remained in their cells after the earthquake opened the jail doors and loosed their bands (Acts 16:28).

GOD sent the Angel of the LORD into the prison, to death row, where Peter slept, bound in chains, between two guards. The Angel of the LORD poked Peter on his side to wake him, and commanded him: “Arise up quickly.” At the Angel’s word, the chains that held Peter fell away. The Angel instructed him to gird himself, putting on his sandals, and trying them tight. When he finished tying his sandals, the Angel told him to grab his coat and follow. Guards remained in a deep sleep, and the iron gates opened “of their own accord.” They walked down the street to some intersection, and the Angel disappeared (Acts 12:8-10). Peter thought he was dreaming, but when he “considered the thing” and understood that the Angel of the Lord broke him out of prison and rescued him from death row, he went to prayer meeting (Acts 12:11-14). Peter did not return to the cell under any impression that he was obliged to  “obey every ordinance” and “honour the king” (1 Peter 2:13-17),

But Paul and Silas remained in their cell, and assured their captor they had not fled. After conducting a preaching service in the home of the jailer (Acts 16:32-34), apparently, they returned to their cell. The earthquake shook the conscience of the magistrates, for the next day, they sent the serjeants to order the release of Paul and Silas. But Paul refused to leave unless the magistrates took responsibility for unjustly and illegally imprisoning them (Acts 16:36-37). The magistrates feared the Romans more than they feared GOD, and obeyed Paul’s demand (Acts 16:38-40).

Peter “considered the matter” and decided God had freed him to go on preaching. Herod would get the message later (Acts 12:22-24). Paul remained and demanded that the “magistrates” face the power of God displayed through the reproof of the Spirit upon their conscience through the rebuke of Paul. In both instances, GOD manifested to show His power, and saints were delivered from the hands of evil men abusing their power.

Pause a moment, and consider this. These are not stories dug up from the Old Testament. These miraculous interventions of GOD into the affairs of men happened in the New Testament era of the Church.

Often, I have cried, O LORD, do you not care to make your mighty power known among the raging heathen today? I received a post today from a friend, Dr. Van Horn, encouraging us to appreciate the truth that, although “Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt” and “remembered not the multitude of thy mercies,” but instead, at the Red Sea, provoked Him, “Nevertheless he saved them” (Psalm 106:7-8a). Why? “For his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known” (Psalm 106:8b).

The Spirit humbled me to know that we need a “nevertheless” moment today. I need one! And the Church needs one. I cannot pretend before God that I am “worthy” of a show of His power, or that our church is, or that our city, or state, or nation is worthy of a divine intervention to save! But for Jesus’ sake, for His name’s sake, make Your mighty power to be known among the raging heathen today! (Psalm 2:1-12). Send Your Angel to speak and loose the shackles they have forged for us, and command the “iron gates” to open that they have set to bind us from the work to which you have called us—“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15; see Matthew 24:14). Shake the Earth and open every prison cell, and loose every shackle imposed to hinder our work. Lord Jesus, all “power” is placed under Yours (Matthew 28:18), including the power over which Satan presides (Ephesians 2:1-2). You are Prince over all the kings of this earth (Revelation 1:5). Make thy “mighty power to be known” (Psalm 106:8).

In the valley, I heard the Spirit call to me: “Come boldly unto the throne of grace, … [to] … obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Have mercy, O Lord, give us a “nevertheless.”

The Spirit taught me, Come into His presence boldly but humbly. Emboldened by His promises, humbled by His Presence: our faith encouraged, our flesh denied. And there it was, again, carried to my heart by the sound of the waves many waters: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Be so bold as to “come after me,” so humble as to “deny” yourself, and leave “self” behind. Come apart from the flesh by faith. Follow Me, Jesus said, by faith.

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed close as we entered the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

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