I was praying, meditating and just generally thinking about the things of God, when this interesting (I thought) idea popped into my mind.
JUST EXACTLY HOW DID THE APOSTLE PAUL INSPIRE HIS JAILERS TO SURRENDER THEIR LIVES TO THE VERY THING THAT PUT PAUL IN JAIL IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Here we are, a good too many of us anyway, scared to witness Jesus for fear we'll be made fun of, people won't like it or whatever our personal excuse is for avoiding doing what we have been commissioned by Himself to do, and we are walking around FREE.
Paul was in jail, in peril of his physical life, at the mercy of those who held him, and he not only WITNESSED Jesus Christ, Him crucified and raised from the dead, but he actually PERSUADED his very jailers to believe the same thing that put Paul in their jail cell!
I do believe that Paul was a very persuasive orator, however, unless they saw POWER and PURPOSE and PERSONAL GAIN in the message, it isn't likely his jailers would risk themselves in this manner. Especially not considering that this was a society that was KILLING CHRISTIANS.
What Paul may have said is fairly obvious from his writings - he would have told them they were sinners in need of a Savior and that Jesus IS that Savior who died for their redemption. What accompanied that testimony that persuaded them? His enthusiasm? Would that have been enough for them to risk their lives? His sincerity? Could that have ever been enough? Words are powerful tools, but just words alone I'm sure could not have done it.
Those words must have been confirmed by actual changes in their hearts, actual manifestation of God healing power and His transforming Presence!
When Paul spoke, he did so with FAITH that God would move! Do we speak with FAITH or timidity?
MAKE IT COUNT FOR CHRIST!
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