by: Abdel Judeh
People are drawn to the extreme, especially teenagers. I remember watching with great anticipation as Nik Wallenda walked a tightrope across the Grand Canyon. I remember sitting there in unbelief as Felix Baumgartner jumped from outer space and landed on Earth – with his Red Bull! It is a picture that will be forever burned into my mind as he stood on that platform and looked down at our planet right before jumping. He stepped off the platform and fell 120,000 feet. That was riveting! That was extreme! There are times in the Scripture where God did the extreme. Times when He chose to completely abandon the laws of science and reason and show Himself strong. I think of Elijah on Mount Carmel – God did the extreme when He answered with fire! I think of when the sun stood still for Joshua during the battle – God chose to do the extreme! In Acts 16, God did the extreme when He sent an earthquake to free his servants Paul and Silas from the inner prison. There are times in our lives when we need God to come through in an unusual way. There are going to be times when we need God to do something that only He can do; times when we need to see the Earth shake. Please read along as I write about how to make the Earth shake.
In Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas found themselves in a very difficult position. They were arrested and beaten for simply preaching the Gospel and healing a young girl who was possessed with a devil. This young girl was treated by her masters as a circus act, and they profited from her demon possession. Once she was healed, instead of rejoicing because they loved the young girl, they were furious because they now lost their profit. This young girl was nothing more than an ATM for these wicked men. Everyone WILL NOT be happy when you do right and good things happen.
In Paul and Silas’ case, they were beaten and put into prison (vs.23), an interesting thing about this story is that as they were brought into prison their jailor was given a very stern charge to keep them. The Bible says about the jailer, ‘who having received such a charge thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.’ What was the charge given to the jailor? Whatever he was told, he certainly took it seriously. He put Paul and Silas in stocks while they were in their inner prison cell to make sure they were secure! I’ve studied the charge that the jailor was given and some believe it was a fate worse than death. Some believe that the jailor was told that if these special prisoners escaped his care he would be put into prison himself. Not only would he be put into prison, but he would have a dead body secured to his body! A corpse would be tied to his ankles and to his wrists and to his neck. Everywhere he went, he would be accompanied with death. When he lifted his hands to his mouth in order to eat, he would also lift a dead man’s hand to his mouth. When he slept, he would sleep on top of a dead man. Eventually you would die slowly as that dead body decomposed and the infection and rot worked its way into your body! ‘Who having received such a charge…’ No wonder why the jailor was about to commit suicide when Paul and Silas were thought to have escaped from his watch!
Paul and Silas were in a position where they needed God. Their friends could not help them. Money could not help them. They needed a miracle; they needed to see the earth shake. God came through just in time! He sent an earthquake that split that prison in half, and freed the prisoners including Paul and Silas. The jailor, knowing his fate was about to commit suicide when he heard Paul and Silas calling out for him. Seeing their faith, the jailor and his entire family got saved that night! This is a wonderful story in the Scripture. Read on as I point out some things that I believe caused God to send an earthquake for Paul and Silas
1. They praised God in adversity. (vs 25)
Paul and Silas were in a desperate situation. They had been brutally beaten and then unjustly thrown into the inner prison with the worst of the worst. Many people, if put into that same position, would question God and lose faith. Instead of asking “Why?” they asked “What?” There are going to be times in our life when we are simply facing adversity. These are the times when we need God the most, but many of us never feel the earth shake because we are stuck asking “why?” when Paul and Silas prayed and they sang songs of praise to God. I’m sure they didn’t want to be in that prison, but they trusted God and instead of asking “Why?” they asked “What?” When you’re facing adversity ask God, “What are you trying to teach me?” Have faith, pray, and sing in tough times.
2. They prayed at midnight. (vs 25)
The midnight hour is typically a time of sleep. If we are ever going to see the earth shake, we will need to pray while others are sleeping. The fact that they prayed at midnight revealed just how much they wanted to see God work. When was the last time your prayer extended beyond your normal prayer time? When was the last time you were so consumed with wanting to see God work that you went above and beyond what you normally do day in and day out? I’m sure Paul and Silas were tired and sore, yet they pressed on in prayer and they received their answer.
3. The prisoners heard them. (vs 25)
This is an often overlooked part of the story. Paul and Silas prayed and praised in such a way that the prisoners heard them at midnight. They displayed BOLD TRUST in God. I love working with teenagers, because teenagers are bold. Many teenagers are bold in everything they do, except their relationship with God. No wonder God shook the Earth for Paul and Silas, they were bold! Imagine what kind of things the worst of the worst were screaming at Paul and Silas as their praise kept them from sleeping! They were bold! Have you ever been soul winning, and came across a group of rough characters and you thought to yourself, “I’ll just keep walking, they probably wouldn’t listen?” Paul and Silas were bold in the face of hardened criminals! As Christians in today’s world we need to be so bold that the prisoners hear us! So often our Christianity is kept secret, that’s not the kind of faith that sees the earth shake.
The result of all of this was simply amazing. God came through for Paul and Silas ‘suddenly.’ While they were doing right and being bold, God came through for them. ‘Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’ Sometimes God comes through ‘suddenly’ when you least expect it. The foundations of the prison were shaken, doors were opened and everyone’s bands were loosed (vs 26). Finally the hardest case was won when the very jailor asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” I’m not sure what he was calling Paul and Silas before God shook the earth, but I can guarantee it wasn’t, “Sirs” – they had earned his respect.
Here we are in 2013 in an uncomfortable position as Christians and as Christian teenagers. The world is as fierce as ever. Sin abounds on every hand. Christians are not respected in society and sometimes as young people we become ashamed of who and what we are. Oh how we need God to shake the earth for us. We need to see the foundations shaken, doors opened and bands loosed. Perhaps you are facing a situation in your own life where you need God to come through. Remember Paul and Silas and praise in adversity. Instead of asking ‘Why?’ ask ‘What?’ Pray at midnight, while everyone else is sleeping. Be bold and unashamed of Jesus no matter who sees and hears. I believe God can still shake the earth, but he will use committed Christians to do so!
Abdel Judeh
Youth Pastor
Landmark Baptist Church
Parkersburg, WV