SPIRIT OR SITUATION CONTROLLED?

Believers are either Spirit-controlled or situation-controlled. And what controls us will determine the outcome of all the events in our lives.

Paul and Silas in the Philippian prison are good examples of how the Holy Spirit can control believers in adverse situations. A prison is obviously intended to be a controlling place. Cells and chains are meant to restrain people. But these two chained prisoners were never more free to totally serve the Lord! You can control humans but you cannot control the sovereign Spirit! At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God. They were limited horizontally but not vertically! They were not resigned to their impossible situation but fully expected God to work, and He did. In fact, He really “shook-up” the place by sending an earthquake! Soon after this the jailor and his household were converted. What could have been a very negative situation became a salvation situation! Only the Spirit of God could orchestrate all of this.

And this is not the end of the story. These prison events led to the establishment of the Philippian church in Macedonia. This was the beginning of gospel work in Europe.

Most of us in this part of the world trace our spiritual heritage to Europe. Paul and Silas were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go to Asia. So, in God’s providence the gospel went West rather than East. Read the whole account in Acts 15:40-Acts 16:1-34.

Two Spirit-controlled men triggered a series of God-blessed events that continue to this hour and will continue for all eternity! “Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgmnts and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.