Saturday, July 9, 2011
Acts 16:23 "The Wounded Are Praying & Singing" (July 10)
Acts 16:23 They tore off their garments and severely beat Paul and Silas with rods, then violently threw them in prison. No clothes to soak up the blood. Naked and wounded at Midnight, Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns. Their roommates hear every note, every sacred word. The physical pain had to grow greater as the night wore on. Oh! to be found in worship in the midst of battle and betrayal. Suddenly, an earthquake that shook their very foundation, unlocked every prison door and every constraint. And the prisoners did not move---no small miracle there. I wonder why. It's a transformation of lives. One second, it's a suicidal attempt. The next second it's a salvation encounter. Deliverance of an entire family. Deliverance of a jail full of messed up people. And the jailer washes the wounds of his wounded prisoners. I read today how our fears, loneliness, wounds can be a gift to others once we stop bleeding and heal. BUT, these guys never even stopped bleeding...alongside each of them came The Deliverer.
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If you get a chance, listen to Selah sing Paul and Silas's story: http://youtu.be/iN9SpcWLbLs
ReplyDeleteFrom suicidal desperation to joyful salvation, in a matter of hours, an entire household was saved because Paul and Silas testified. Even in their physical pain, their exhaustion, their own despair, they sang and prayed. And God used their suffering mightily.
In the same hour, the guard was changed-from brutal criminal watcher to compassionate wound washer, he was baptized, his family was saved, and they worshipped and began to serve, feeding them and rejoicing. Lives were changed, God’s servants were ministered to, and salvation spread. Was it still the middle of the night? Even in the darkest hour, Jesus is the catalyst for eternal joy.
Please keep our Siesta friend, Melana Cummings, and her daughter, Sarah, in your prayers as they bury their 23 year old son-in-law.
Blessed Sunday to you!