"Sweet Songs in Midnight Moments"

We got to do verses 22 through 33.

chapter 16 verses 22 through 33, and I hope you can Join me there.

Where we going to talk about today?

is sweet songs in Midnight moments

sweet songs in Midnight moment

Acts chapter 16 verses 22 through 33

and I'm going to be reading the new King James Version.

422 says then the multitude rose up together against them in the magistrate to off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison commanding the Jailer to keep them securely.

Haven't received such a charge you put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns and the prisoners were listening to them.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were open and everyone's chains. We're loosed.

And the keeper the prison Awakening from sleep and seeing the prison doors open supposing that the prisoners had fled drew his sword and was about to kill himself. but Paul called with the loud voice saying

the Paul called with the loud voice saying do yourself no harm for we are all here.

Danny calls for a light ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and he brought them out and said serves what must I do to be saved.

So they say it believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you and your household then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house and he took them the same hour of the night and watch their stripes and immediately.

He and all his family were baptized.

Hey, man, I hope you're with me now. I hope your live with us. I hope we are on the air. I'm really hoping that that happening right now. We ran into a little bit of technical difficulty, but we are here this morning. This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord just for a little while. I want to talk to you about. Sweet songs in Midnight moments sweet songs in Midnight moment if you weren't with us for the reading if it was blacked out, I apologize but it's Acts chapter 16 verses 20 through 22 through 33, and we were reading about was Paul and Silas being arrested on their missionary journey being thrown into prison in the miraculous way. God turned what seemed to be an unfortunate event into the finding sharing interception of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know any better poignant moment any better topic of discussion Ben midnight moments for us I don't know if you were going through one now have been through one before but midnight moments are all around us. Every time we turn on the news now. We're experiencing a new midnight moment. Here. We are again is a nation thinking we were rounding a curve on this pandemic and now we here with no uncertain terms that the second way will be stronger than the first that the death toll is increasing to rise and it's hard to be optimistic about the future that the head of us. I say hard but not impossible because all we are trained on is seeing what's in front of us at the moment and what's in front of us at the moment is restriction limitation and it's kind of a a retraction from society and everything that we call normal and that's okay because life cannot always be daylight bright and sunshine moments. Like can always be about everything working out for our good and everything feeling good to us and being good for us life is the combination of The good and the gruesome it's it's the blessed and the burdensome. It is the things that make us shout for joy and the things that make us moan and groan and Agony. It is both an but those are right of those Sunrise moments in our lives when good things are happening when good people are succeeding when good work is being done and it's for the darkness that comes When life is lost when property is restricted when progress is hindered of all that's happening in our world of all that's going on. It is easy to get caught up with the Darkness at hand being the darkness that will be but midnight moments have always been a part of our Lives. They've always been a part of how we navigated this thing called life. It hasn't been always a daytime walk there been some times when we've had to feel our way forward. We've been looking for a handle on moments circumstances and situations or all of that is true in and end this morning in the book of Acts at the 16th chapter. We're going to look at a very poignant moment in the life of Paul and Silas are they as they are about the missionary work that God has assigned them to call desires that all be saved and none be lost. He has a Godly Man dates to take to the uttermost the knowledge. The discipleship the call to Salvation of Jesus the Christ it's his life's work as solve he labor to bring Judaism to the point of prominence in all people to observe that there was a one true God for one true nation, but after Damascus he became dedicated to being a disciple that would take the news of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Not just for those born of the elect but those engrafted into the lake by your price. It wasn't just for the witness of those who had the genealogy, but it was also for us. I'm surprised who struggled on being on the outside looking in and Paul was about the father's business, but just like life just like any Pursuit we have we might be about Godly things. We might be about seeking the light of Life whoever lights seeks to exist darkness is at hand and whether you are ready or not. When do you want them or not? What do you prepare for manatt moments like midnights are coming. Midnight moment or just a prescription for every life being live keep trying to do good and there will be a moment where bad things will happen to you. Keep trying to be a positive source of strength and encouragement and they will be moments with weakness and discouragement will come they're not in the daylight times of hours or not when we're optimistic and encouraged and uplifted and excited. They be coming with down distraught distracted and dissuade about a reason for being but this morning I want to show you something. I'm hoping that you will be able to see by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even when we're in the midst of our darkest. Most perplexing time. God has the power to produce we praise. in prison life circumstances God has the power to enlist us into singing songs of Glory places of grotesqueness and it's midnight hours the working midnight hours that allows us to become the men and women of God who don't let where we are become Who We Are We become the light that transcends the darkness we become salt. That transcends the buildings. There's something I'd love to show us. I'm going to do my best to work through all this technology, but I want us to look at a couple of things. As we begin this this journey.

First of all, I want to talk about the purpose for midnight moments the purpose for midnight moments. I don't know how you feel about it. I don't know if it's something you're familiar with but here in a text if we look at contacts, I'm watching Paul and Silas about the father's business. We started in the middle of 16, but if you would backtrack the beginning of chapter 16, you'll see Paul and Silas about the mission of bringing the news of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Yes, they are excited engaged. They are ready to embrace this call of God on their lives. And as soon as they enter the city, they encounter a young woman with the power of divination. She she can see the future. She can declare unknown things and and she begins this work of of saying these other men of God. They've come to preach about the coming Kingdom. These are Jesus's disciples and they've come to be able to witness to the new life we have and I'm Paul recognizes very quickly that her work is not Divine but demonic But she's not heralding the coming of God's man to broadcast this new life that's present, but she's warning those who are profiting from God's productivity that God might be arriving to put things back in line and they see that we see it right here is Paul and Silas a walking she begins to hover around them to go before them to declare what they are and Paul in the power that God has given him in the purpose that he lives in he turns in and tells her to be silent to lose the witness of declaring who they are and she loses that ability to see what's unseen to declare. What can't be no. And all the sudden the uprising doesn't come from the carbonation. It comes from the area of Commerce because there was somebody making a living off the suffering of this young lady is in no way a picture of what could have been profitable to her. It seems as though she was being used for personal gain by the powers-that-be and Paul and Silas in their rival quickly brought it in the world. They stood as you're suffering stop being profitable for them. They become series about the one who took it away think they want to do harm to Paul and Silas. Now know it wasn't for the message they preached but it's for the money they're messing with. I don't know if that Rings true friend anybody but there's nothing like messing with somebody's economy. You can see who they're real. God is good all the time. We say that that money is the root of all evil that's not true. The love of money is in there are people who love money here in the 16 chapter. This group was hooked on their profit. There were sold on the security that the wealth they came from exploiting this young lady, but God would have no exploitation of his children. He came to set it back correct everything that's in had made incorrect by Paul and Silas is a rival. He removed her from the bondage and all of a sudden with turned out to be maybe an exciting productive time in Ministry has now become a dark midnight hour for Paul and Silas. This midnight moment came so quickly. It happened. So suddenly they was simply doing what God called him to do and the midnight moment manifested itself present since I got to park right here and tell you but sometimes we believe the darkness is coming to our lives because we are about dark things. But sometimes you can be chasing light and run into darkness. Their time for you can be about the father's business seeking to please God seeking to do his will and run into an obstacle that comes from you seeking righteousness not being ratchet. Take a come from you serving a savior instead of serving seeing most midnight moments most midnight moments that we encounter come because we've had midnight works. But now we're Children of the Lord now that we belong to a redeem a redeeming savior. You better be ready to embrace that some midnight come now because you're with the Messiah. The midnight moments are prescribed for you because they have a a benefit not only do you personally but to the world publicly. For the purpose of these midnight moments are twofold they are there to fold and we got to see them for what they are. Listen some midnight moments produced personal Holiness personal Holiness. I don't know if you can see that we're going to get to it as we move down start at verse 25 is the sentence is being put down to them verse 22 it. I mean when I go there in this isn't a multi to Rose up against them in the magistrates for out their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. It wasn't enough to be caught. In an arrestable offense, but they want to do physical harm to the men of God. They beat them. They stripped them of their clothing. They took rods and they began to strike them and open their back with wounds. Usually this will be enough to curtail any behavior that they thought contrary to Roman occupation. It was a way to suppress any uprisings of any type of movement that sought to limit and restrict the power of the Roman government. But this is done punitively. This isn't about romance about somebody's income and they wanted to send a message. They don't want anybody else coming in defeating what they had set up to be profitable by making God's people productive for the kingdom and not the world and you know, some of us might need a reminder that we work in the world. We don't work for the world. You're you're out of a job, but you still have the job. The job is for you to be about your father's business. Job is about us ministering to a lost and Dying World. We have an obligation. The broadcast far and near that the wages of sin is death. And the gift of God is eternal life, but midnight moments interrupt our daytime activities midnight moment. Give me a warning about their arrival, but when they come they block out any source of security in life, and you know what? It ain't enough sometimes midnight moment. Don't lock you up. They beat you up. Midnight moments are manifested in a lot of ways sometimes midnight moment can be physical pain as Paul and Silas are going to order the rods from these angry magistrates and citizens of this city, but there are some ones that come that no one can see the instrument that harms. Summit night Mama's produce emotional and psychological hurt. None of us are being struck right now with the rod of depression and anxiety. You can't take anymore of these locked up days. You can't be restricted anymore. You feel the walls closing in on you. You you feel like you're being excluded or kept away from something beneficial. We are so used to be free the Captivity feels like harm to us. We're so used to being privileged that restriction feels like harms. But but for the people of God, we should be ready for these moments cuz they not only come to her and just wait out physical progress, but they want to stop your spiritual progress to But midnight moments aren't just about hurting you. They got to be the benefit of helping you to. Paul and Silas have been arrested they've been beaten and now they've been charged from the same magistrate to be thrown into prison and held securely yeah, I do know that sometimes these moments come and they put us in Peculiar places with peculiar people, but we are not feel like it's unusual in this life to save you told us you will have tribulation in this life. There will be days where you will struggle suffer and even lose for the benefit of the Kingdom will be encouraged. Jesus said greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. They can lock you up, but they can never take you captive. They can beat your body, but they'll never destroy the spirit in you they can wound you physically but they're only develop you spiritually the horn to the body is Wellness to the soul in the life of the believer. I'm just a believer that this pain represents progress that this difficulty is about discipleship. What is Darkness didn't come to Dumas? It came to developer. midnight moments they have a purpose. Don't ever be afraid of the darkness you're in. Yes, there are some things in there that all known and unaware of but don't be afraid of the dark. You know, what? Whatever is Darren the daylight is there in the dark?

I don't know if you've ever been young enough for the darkness to still be exciting to you, but I used to be afraid of the dark. Didn't like it. They want any part of him just Built that way especially now my disability. I need to see everything around me and you see all obstacles, but you do I noticed them that if I pay enough attention to attention during daylight hours. The darkness doesn't scare me anymore. I learned very quickly that whatever is present when light is present is there when darkness is present does it make it easier to navigate but it does not contain anything that couldn't hurt me in the light and let me say this to my brothers and sisters. We have a God who doesn't stop walking with us because Darkness come he walks with us in the brightness of the day and when darkness, he doesn't remove himself he dropped closer. I wish somebody says closed near my God to thee is what the hymn writer would say that in the darkest times in my life. It's not that Jesus is pulling away. Usually, it's me pulling away from Jesus.

I love the fact that the Jailer not only wounded them not only restricted their movement, but he he forecasted that they must be held in the place where there will be. No progress for them. I see these things. I see that the purpose why midnight moment is personal Holiness, but I also see something else is also. Sometimes it's because of the public harm. Purpose of a midnight moon is also to call out some of the public harm that's occurring all around us on my brother says, I don't know if we get excited about this. I don't know if it moves us but sometimes you are suffering to highlight the suffering of others. Sometimes you're going through so they're going through of others can have attention that's a hard concept for us to wrestle with that. We might be Billboards to those who might believe that we have a god worth trusting. Listen, if he just saw us they just saw us walking in the good time. Then they would have no real reason to be with God anybody can go when it's good. But can you go darkness is falling. Will you trust When Trials at head will you progress when your production is being hampered by the prison? the captured you Paul and Silas willing to be witnesses to the public harm. This is what happens when you follow Christ that others will be offended because of your testimony others will be in the house of God kingdom come in the hand and they will seek to do harm to God by doing harm to you. Don't take it personal. I was already sent it through with this morning. We talked this morning about not taking rejection personally. Don't take something personally either.

Tribulation is foretold for the life of the believer. It's a part of the deal brothers and sisters. We are going to be saved but we must endure suffering what we going to be secure but we must struggle we got to be perfected, but we got to go through problematic situation. This is the process. This is the purpose of midnight make the moment bearable not to remove them from your experience is to encourage you through them, but it's not the keep you from going to them. God wants to build resilience in the life of the believer. Cuz once you know the purpose of midnight moments. And you can follow the progress in their purpose of midnight moments is to for personal. Holy. It's Republic harm it highlights the probably hard but if there's a purpose in Midnight moments, then God also has Provisions within the midnight moment. Pig makeup on at Texas we look here we see. Paul and Silas for 25 that they were not only put in jail, but the Jailer was charged to keep them securely. So not just the regular cell to be accessed from the entrance way of the jail know they were put into the Animals part of the prison. These Roman-style prisons were built in such a way with the Jailer and his family stayed in close proximity to the jail and the prisoners. Backpack if you are a Jailer holding prisoners became your way of life affects. You became the provision provider for the Prisoners the chair that was responsible for the daily feed. The Jailer was responsible for carrying out the sentences handed down by the courts on the prison escape the Jailer make sure that everybody who was meant to be in stockades were securely locked he make sure that those that will allow visitors got their visitation if that were packages or procedures that need to be followed the jail and became the gatekeeper the access point between the law and the law Breakers. b**** Jailer by all intents and purposes was a former Soldier understood what it was to receive command and rendered judgment. He handled his job. Well. What are y'all going to do with the weight that came with working as a jailer? Let me know anyone escaped on his watch it would be. On his charge if anyone got a wave with the Sinners that the court had it down if anybody got had an escape during his time of observance, he could pay with his own why do you know is problematic being a jailer? It's not a job that you might want. Carmelo are you watching Captain peeper? But because you are a Jailer you are in captivity yourself, you got to live where people are being in prison. You got to work in a prison environment. You got to exist in prison, like circumstances your families being reared in the light in the shadow of a prison. So some of the negative things from that place is now the falling on the members of your household, and I don't know of all the jobs I've ever had. I've never wanted to be a jailer. Sounds like you were in prison with the prisoners you had to watch their every move. You have to be with them when they when they spoke you had to monitor their activities. You have to be mindful of their actions in their thinking. I wonder if they cross the mind of this Jailer what a hard job. He was about to undertake but now he's received God's man and he's been charged not just to hold them but to lock them up. The magistrate meant to send a message to those messengers of God. No, no, you not going to come in out of town and ruin our money. Not only not going to put you in jail, but I'm going to put you so far in the jail. But you can be forgotten about in somebody right now is so deep into their personal prison that they feel like that they've lost all concept. Herbal Wellness, some of us have been locked up so long that we feel like f****** forgotten that were fighting for our freedom. Some of us is so restricted that we feel like restriction is all our lives are going to be prison has become your way of life. That's all you do. That's all you think about that's all you know, it's a wake up behind bars to live behind bars to walk and talk behind bars. Everything you do is from the place of being in prison, and I don't know if you've ever experienced that but there's no freedom in being a prisoner. Nothing, that's yours. I don't like you being restricted, but others are watching and minding. Your very actions thoughts and deeds. Impala side is not only locked up. He said put them in stocks. Could be one or two things historical you look at The Stockade. Maybe the stock was actually placed around their neck that would make speaking and vision nearly impossible. Are the writers say that it was a a five-hole device that held the head both hands and feet of those place within its confines. You know what Stockade coming in all different size. Somebody right now. It's feeling choked out by a past life a problem. They had some of my feeling their hands restricted by some some passwords from people in their generation or just genealogy. They had nothing to do with this accursed like you're paying the price was something that was done but not done by you that's what seeing can do to you sometime soon becomes generational in and that lifestyle is Sam becomes like a prison like dwelling. You don't know Freedom all you know, his captivity captivity you're saying makes you think you'll always struggling always be down and always be limited him always be a recessed back. But but the good news is God came that you might have life.

I'm not just locked up your locked into. Don't listen at all restricted by a physical surroundings, but there is an emotional in a spiritual hinder is to us that keeps us from reaching for the thing that gives us freedom from walking for the thing that gives us freedom disability beyond belief. It is being being kept away from the thing that could carry you with. That's what I feel like every unbeliever has this pleading. Hope that they must trust the world that is constantly let them down. It's got to be worse than being locked up. Miley Cyrus really such a place in this prison then the only way there bar is Not only was there restrictions but there was utter Darkness total disease and it was a grotesque folder. If you look at the blueprints of these archaeological prisons these fines were they laid out the footprint of these buildings? We find that the Lord in a part of the jail was restricted from receiving not only like but fresh air, let me whoever was held in that part of the prison had to be ready to dwell in darkness. And stay in a stale environment as in darkness. You were created and designed you were purpose as a creature of light but you've learned a function in the darkness of your life. That's the nature of this function is taking what is unusual disorganized and unnecessary and making it a normal part of life. Are you in this function right now? Do you think all relationships involve physical pain that's dysfunction do believe you're supposed to work work work and never receive receive receive that dysfunction do believe that no matter how good your trying to be that are always go bad for you. That's a dysfunctional place to exist. It's a dark place no light can into a mine trap in the place of dysfunction dysfunction of Darkness keeps you really even believing that good is possible. It's one thing to be locked behind a locked door, but when you aren't in a dark dysfunctional place, they can leave the door open and you still won't leave. Breakin loose your shackles and you'll still be bound. It's a state of Perpetual enslaving a Perpetual captivity in the life of an unbeliever has to be a dysfunctional existence in darkness. You're learning a navigate dark Works. You're learning to handle dark things. You're learning to know dark knowledge English-speaking dark word why some of us don't have hope and optimism. That's why some of us don't have joy and excitement the dysfunction of that dark place. That only has captured us. It's become a

But the good news is there's provision inside midnight moment. Friday verse 25 set back of the jail to receive that charge that they shouldn't get out. He made sure to put them in the most secure part of the prison, but that's what but at midnight verse 25 says and Silas. I love this we're praying.

prayer Is a prison free environment? prayer Is a place where prisoners can experience the freedom of God In Prayer? You get to be loose from the things that bind you in prayer, you're approaching a place of power and provision what you've been in the place of isolation and restriction. No, she didn't say praise, but I do notice this anytime you pray Praises in order. And every time you praise prayer should be in order. I think these two are inextricably linked the problem is we want to do one or the other. Let me tell you something. What do your prayers get answered or not? Prey should always be offered. You're not praising God for what he's going to do for you. You're praising God for who he has been to you and that's always worthy of praise. Even in a prison I can praise God because he's been a fortress and a place of safety in my life even are locked up State. I can praise God that he's been a provider and a protector, what's happened to you change who you rely on? You're in a prison you want to trust prisoners know from the prison to the Palace. It's still one source to trust. God is the only source. God is the only source.

the provision in Midnight hours is that there's always in those when I say this there is always prayers and songs for the prison

Oh somebody saying right now, I don't see how that helps. Anybody from locked up. The last thing I want to do is sing if I'm locked up. That's the last thing I want to do is pray. The problem is that the last thing you want to do ought to be the only thing you want to do prayer is not your final Resort. It's the only solution it's the only Resort is a life of Prayer. Preaching might save you but prayer ring security to your relationship singing like the light to but prayer bring power to your processes prayer connect you with the throne room in glory prayer brings you before the mediator between God and man prayer has you present at the feet of the Divine. And he's listening to your request. I don't know how I feel about it. I'd rather pray and get paid money runs out. But as long as I'm at the altar of prayer Provisions are in hand. I'd rather pray and be set free because I'm set free. I'm loose to my own devices. But if I'm in the presence of God In Prayer, I am held securely by his power. Some of y'all let prison shut down your prayer you're in the midnight moment and you haven't mentioned one word of prayer to God somebody right now trying to figure out how to get through without a Christ. They're trying to find out how to say their marriage without the Messiah. You're reading books and undertaking studies. You're looking for Solutions in the world when there's only one answer in the world that if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves. and pray who went to church so I can pause here to church has forgotten where its power is. We thought it was in the building and Kovach the bill in the way. We thought it was in the preaching to a live congregation and coded take the congregation away. You know what it was never the congregation. It was never the building. It was always a relationship with the one who brings the congregation the one who is the building. A security was always not in a place but in a person Jesus is our ever-present security and no matter where we are. There is not a place that we cannot go where the Messiah can't get to us. Listen to his words into all the world and Make Disciples of all things Alisa and low I am with you always. I will be there at the precipice of your mountains. I'll be there in the pit of your Bali. I'll be there. I'll be there when you're in the palace. I'll be there when you're in the prison. I'll be there but go to all the place some you want to only go where is Pleasant you don't want to go with profitable. You know, what prisons need prayer to? Somebody this morning TuneIn to get released and guess what? You told me in on the right day. There is power to pull you out of your prison, but it's not in preaching on the preacher the power lies not only in the prayer, but the one we offer it to don't break them in. pray to the master

And I don't know what Paul and Silas were saying, but it must have been some serious prayer. Because if they were praying it automatically produced praise some theologians speculate that maybe they were offering songs singing the words of scripture back to their savior. Part of their Heritage is Jewish males. They would have known the old writings of the Psalms and David did such a deliberate job of not only writing songs about his good days, but he wrote songs about his bad days, too. The Psalms not in chapters and verses but in numbers. In stanzas with musical breaks. It is meant to be the melody. From the mind of those who serve the Messiah it's putting the song the strength of God Scripture, or you should read the song sometime before you read them. You might want to also learn to develop your own songs. Prison mom is not to be a time for you to practice your own worship words to the Lord. From Rob best ham came out of some of our hardest Hertz.

Let me move on. I'm only their purpose for midnight moments. Not only is there a provision in Midnight moment? It's prayers in Psalms. I see something else in there, too.

It's also personal. and public

how do you spell about the under the impression that has as we ain't he's prison like moments of Our Lives that is just about us that such a selfish undertaking. Yeah, you are in prison, but it's bigger than you. Yeah, I've had moments when I felt locked up but it's been bigger than just me being locked up. There are times as as I am a child of God that I feel like sometimes I'm going through not for me, but for others it's for me and for others.

You know what to do. Not be your simple. Thought that was happening to you is just happening to be you because of you. Selfish is it for you to believe that the struggles of this world? I only meant to inconvenience you this is just about your pleasure your progress your productivity. I hate when Global things happen and we reduce it to individual impact all around us and we're upset that we can't go to the grocery store. They're individuals laying people to rest in cemeteries, and you're mad that you can't get a haircut. 6in perpetuated makes us selfish in nature. Are you on your prison thinking it's about just your progress. Sometimes you're locked up to give other prisoners. Do you know you're enjoying depression? So there's someone who is struggling with depression can see what it looks like to navigate it with braids. When you're going through anxiety thinking this is just about your nervousness, but maybe you're showing somebody else how to trust a calm God with my nervous anxiety.

My brothers sisters. We got to look at not only I service in good but I service. In serious moments as steel witness to the power of God. Can God trust you to put you through suffering and use you as an example can. Put you in the prison and put you on display? Will you gripe and moan about being Miss alive or when you praise and offer prayer so that other prisoners can hear is right there? It has been at midnight Paul and Silas was praying and singing hymns to God listen and the prisoners. We're listening to them.

That's what we called. Eavesdropping easement Evangelical. Somebody is listening to your praise to hear about a praiseworthy got somebody's observing your prayers to see how God provides. You're not offering Just For Your solution your offering. So others will see a solution. You are God's billboard. What can he show through you? Woody Show doubt dysfunctional can you show dedication and discipleship? Can God trust you? to be on display during Dark Times

What Paul and Silas can be trusted moments? They are not letting the darkness around them to become darkness in them. See they've been changed. Call know what it's like to be in a dark place. He understood blindness as saw you was freaking on the Damascus Road and its site was taken but it's Paul professing his faith in Jesus. His eyes were opened and no more Darkness for him now. So yes, it's song was a sweet song.

I wonder are you willing to pray and sing so others? Will see the source of your prayers and song. Are you willing to go in Dark Places and be a source of light and strength. Are you willing to go through difficulty and be an example of determination God needs to be able to trust that he can put you in prison, but prison won't be in you. He should be able to trust that you can take you to Darkness, but light can overcome the darkness of your life. Yalom. I'm trying to be hot right now. I don't know if I can trust me.

I don't know being trust me right now with Darkness. But you know what? I hate about me being ready. It's about God being intentional because ready or not. I lost my mom ready or not. My wife lost her father Ready or Not jobs were taken not all movements were restricted ready or not. We had to start the pastor in some peculiar X rainy or not for Darkness it came but God wants to trust that will be dedicated in darkness. The death won't keep us from speaking about eternal life. The being broke won't make us forget that our God has cattle on a thousand hills.

Got trucks, but you can be heard me and still know that there's a balm in Gilead.

But you can be lost and still know Jesus is the way the truth and the life Kenny trust you. I don't lie down if you need God just to be a god of Good Times let him know cuz he won't leave you there. You can't just trust God when the sun is shining midnight moments magnify your necessity to lean and depend on the Messiah.

He might not get you out, but he'll be there with you.

Can you trust?

It was a purpose for midnight moments personal Holiness public on the provision of midnight moment was prayers and songs and a personal and public demonstration. But there's also power. a midnight moment

power from Midnight moments is where I'm going by myself closing here. Suddenly verse 26 days. There was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison. We're shaking. I want to get you happy. I want to stay, I want to rest. I want to relax when I tell you. It is not a given fact that all praise and all prayer for juices that kind of response. But can I tell you something all praise to the right Source in all prayers offered to the right? God have the potential? To shake the very core Foundation of that thing that's holding you. That's the kind of God. We serve we're not praising him asking if he's able to do God is always

I'm always bothered by people that pray with this presumption that God operates from a place of weakness. God has all power has there's nothing you're going through that God can't admittedly Rectify for you. Nothing cancer no matter how incurable the man. It's simple for God. No matter what your disease, although there's no vaccine for this coma caca que it would have thought.

Do you even break a sweat to remove the things that's tricking us here on Earth on Prejudice. A Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure and although God has all power. It might not be his will to work that way. You know, sometimes it's God's will that you carry cancer and it kills you. Sometimes it's God's will that you stay broke and never get paid that you lose that house or car that your loved ones. I'm tired of us giving God a Rosy gold outcome for all situations because if he is God like that. God gets Glory when it works out for you and when it works you over.

God can get Glory from successes and struggles.

I wish I had Bible Brown put you on you. Don't believe me, but you can believe the word of God come here Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.

Acting so I didn't mind trying to get rid of anything. That won't worship Him and know these three boys ain't going to bounce but they also can't be broken. Listen to what they say. Okay, we're not careful. Can an about talking to you? About what's about to happen? Listen, you can throw us in the furnace, but we will not bow. Our God is able listen to the statement to Deliver Us from the fiery furnace. But listen, but even if he doesn't even if faith even if I stay late locked up, can I still stay with the Lord even if my body stay stricken with pain but I still trust in the paradise. He's prepared for me. Even if I don't get paid will I still serve the Lord my resources? Our problem is we only get with God and things stay good with us. But God wants to be God in your life. Whether it's good or gross weather is greatness of grotesque weather is Deliverance or demised. God can be trusted.

In the Bible says that when they song the Earth shook, but listen it shook the foundations of the prison. I want you to skip over that part. You know what? It really did it rented the place of capture ineffective or anybody else. Let me see what it is. God ship that place so hard that everything that kept everybody bound was upset. That's what happened when God came to deliver. The earthquake was so severe that no one would ever be able to be held secure in that prison again change. Strength of the prison it weakened it at its core y'all need to stop right here because somebody is in the same problem for the 19th time and they think they're never going to get out. But every time God speaks through their escape the foundation a little bit. Why do fast before can't hold you back now? They continue to it, but it won't be able to hold you. I'm so glad that God changes the power of the prison's I'm punished with. He fixes it so it will not knowingly. Hold me any longer, but it will not hold my can my brother and I or my countrymen can no longer hold us. Do you want to get out of your cell, but God wants to open every cell? You want to be released from your predicament, but God's trying to destroy every Power that holds people captive. You want to be released from your shackles? God wants to tear down the foundation of the prison. He wants full release for all prisoners. Not just the release of you one person.

That's what the scripture says. All the doors were open immediately and listen and everybody's changing personal praise and prayer produces Public Power. a purpose What you do in secret God shows out in open. Some of you are struggling and you have yet to call out on God because you can't see how it's going to be released to you. But do you know God might be waiting for you to call? So not only can he released you he can really is everybody bounce like you. He was hoping every prison he wants to lose every chain. He wants to set loose every shackle. He wants to break down. Every restriction. God doesn't want partial release. He wants full release for all prisoners. He came to set the captives free. Listen, not only for the jail. But sometimes you're a midnight moment for the jailer. Right there. In The Keeper of the prison Awakening from his sweet seeing the prison doors open and the prisoners fled. Listen, they didn't run he's supposed. Drew his sword and was about to kill himself the Jailer knew that was it for him. How can you be a Jailer and he can't keep the prisoners that are under his charge. He knew the magistrate would take his life. If any one of the prisoners was missing and rather than suffer execution. He was going to suffer suicide he would take his own life because of that Champions Jailer than what am I I want to speak to somebody right here. Tell me you ain't locked up some of you are doing the lock. Some of you aren't down some of you are doing The Binding some of you are built and restrictions for the people around you. You're the one talkin hinderance when the people at talking help. You're the one being depressed when other people are trying to be delighted you bring the spare while other people are looking for determination. Some of you are not only those that are in jail. Some of you have grown to become jailers yourself.