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1
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2
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- 16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met
by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She
earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
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3
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- 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting,
"These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you
the way to be saved."
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4
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- 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so
troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name
of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment
the spirit left her.
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5
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- 19When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope
of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them
into the marketplace to face the authorities.
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6
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- 20They brought them before the magistrates and said,
"These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by
advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
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7
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- 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and
the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After
they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the
jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
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8
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- 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell
and fastened their feet in the stocks.
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9
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- 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
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10
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- Worship is taking our eyes off our CIRCUMSTANCES and focusing on GOD.
- Worship is ZOOMING out and refocusing on the big picture.
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11
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- 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling
before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
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12
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- Worship is getting REFOCUSED on the fundamentals of our faith.
- Worship is a way to REFRAME our circumstances.
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13
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- Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit,
to sustain me.
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14
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- Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of
our salvation.
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15
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- 17Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are
no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields
lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and
the cattle barns are empty, 18yet I will rejoice in the
Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19The
Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a
deer, able to tread upon the heights.
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Notes