Acts 16: 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
Paul and Silas were in jail as a result of Paul's calling the prophesying spirit from the slave. Her owners were furious b/c they lost their source of income when she could no longer prophecy. Paul and Silas were flogged and thrown into jail, but in the middle of the night an earthquake destroyed the jail. They could have run away, but they didn't. The jailer was so impressed by this that he asked to hear their message. He became a believer.
It is hard to comprehend the level of abuse the new Christians had to endure. We endure the mockery of nonbelievers, and the persecution of terrorists of other religions. For the most part, we find support for our beliefs all around us. We live in a Christian country, and people in our church families and other Christians support us when we state our beliefs.
Prayer: Praise God for my Christian home in a Christian country. I am so blessed to live in a place and time where my faith can grow with so few challenges. I pray for other Christians who do not have these advantages. I pray for nonbelievers that they might find the comfort I have found in my faith.
Amen
Same text, totally different take a year later.
ReplyDeleteIn 2017, I find myself troubled by Christians who think they are following the Lord, but who are actually acting on fear stirred up by those who benefit from the mistreatment of the poor immigrants. We need help from above. We need to find Christian love again.
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