Tag: world view
Singing in the night!
Scripture reading for May 27: Acts 16
” About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:25-30
This story is a contrast of different world views. In Paul and Silas we have prayer and worship, in spite of being in the prison dungeon in chains. In the other prisoners, we find curious listening and probably some mocking of their faith and worship. In the jailer, we find despair in his assumption that his life was over if the prisoners had escaped. I imagine all would have been shaken up because of the strong earthquake that opened the doors and unfastened the shackles. Why wouldn’t they escape with open doors and loosened chains? That should have been the logical outcome. Faith works by love!
The contrast is one of worldly logic and human nature and its fears with faith and supernatural peace. Paul and Silas were prisoners of Rome but free to worship and pray. They entered the world of God’s abundance and divine provision where all things are possible. As they worshipped, heaven did what human strength or reason could not. Invisible forces of angelic power and God’s providence shook the jail and those inside and outside. The jailer and his household were saved and redeemed. The magistrate ordered their release from jail. Paul and Silas demanded an apology and got one. They visited other believers and departed, having done God’s will and work.
How do you think you might have responded to being beaten and imprisoned for the Gospel? Why does God allow His people to go through this kind of suffering in doing His work? What role did these apostles have in reaching the jailer and his family?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sharing with us Your amazing ability to answer prayer. Thank you for using Your people, even in suffering, to witness hope to those imprisoned by their own sinful world view. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit to live in such manner as to have people ask how to be saved. Amen!
Escaping death and judgment
Scripture reading for April 11: John 5
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”” John 5:24-29
Our world view concerning death and the after-life is determined by many things. We all have eternity in our hearts, given by God. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We have a conscience that gives us basic knowledge of God’s laws, acting like a stop light inside of our souls. Various religions teach different ideas about the afterlife and judgment and like a consumer, we can pick and choose what we think is best for us. So the prevailing world view is that there are many paths all leading to the same goal–peace and joy in the afterlife. If that is true, there is no need to repent of any belief we currently hold.
Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of eternal life through faith in Himself. He boldly proclaimed the Father’s Word that whoever would hear His Word and believe in the Father Who sent Him, would not come into judgment but have eternal life. They would actually pass from death through God’s wrath under His righteous judgment to eternal life. They would participate in the resurrection of life in that final hour when in their graves, they would hear God’s voice and arise to eternal life. This offer was to ‘whoever’ would hear His voice now and believe in the Father! Those who refused Jesus’ call now would be judged by Him and hear His voice calling them forth from the grave to stand judgment.
Have you heard the voice of the Son of God calling you to repentance and eternal life? When would you prefer to hear the voice of Jesus: Now or at the hour of His judgment? Does it shock you to learn that the One Who offers you salvation through His Word will also be your judge if you don’t listen to Him?
Prayer: Thank You Father, for sending Your Son and giving Him as a sacrifice for our sins. I have heard His voice through God’s Word and believed Him receiving eternal life. I look forward to hearing His voice call me into His eternal kingdom when He comes again. Use me to encourage others to believe. Amen.
The ultimate ‘sign’!
Scripture reading for April 8: John 2
“So the Jews said to Him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” But He was speaking about the temple of His body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the Word that Jesus had spoken.” John 2:18-22
Jesus had just come into the temple during Passover week, and found traders and money changers at work selling sacrificial animals to those coming to the temple for that holy week. Jesus made a whip and drove out those selling sacrifices and the money changers. He declared that His Father’s House was not to be a house of trade, but a house of prayer. This prompted the religious leaders to ask Jesus for a ‘sign’ to justify His actions. Jesus made a startling statement that challenged their world view. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” caused great controversy. The Jews knew that it had taken forty-six years to rebuild the temple. They were thinking naturally and mocked Jesus’ declaration.
However, Jesus was not speaking about the building, but rather about His own body. Jesus knew what the Jews and Romans would soon do to Him. He knew the plan of His Father and was in full agreement with the Father to give His life. His ‘temple’ would be the ultimate intercession given on the altar of the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus knew that He would be vindicated and raised from the dead on the third day. He gave this prophetic sign at least a year in advance, and would not be fully understood by His disciples until after it had been fulfilled on resurrection morning! Jesus’ world view and this sign helped and is helping disciples to believe to eternal life!
Have you ever been told something about Jesus or life that did not make sense? Does this ‘sign’ given by Jesus to His people and disciples cause you to grow in faith? Are you sharing this ‘Gospel’ sign with those in your life needing an expanded world view of life?
Prayer: Father God, thank You that Your Son Jesus Christ used His body as Your temple and our perfect sacrifice. Thank You for the amazing ‘sign’ of the resurrection that helps us believe Jesus is God’s Son. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to empower me to pray for the lost and share this ‘sign’ with them. Amen.