Thought of the Day !!

    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?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
                                                Acts 16:25-33 (ESV)

I was reminded of the story of Paul and Silas being imprisoned in Philippi this morning as I was listening to K-Love.  There was a wonderful testimony being given by a woman whose husband has been in prison for nine years.  It seems that she had grown up in a Christian home but really hadn't committed her life to Christ.  She was not a bad person, and like many of us, would have told anyone who asked that she was a Christian. 

Somewhere along the line her husband got saved while in prison (I guess, seeing as how I didn't hear the beginning).  And the wonderful testimony was that he led her to Christ.  He goes up for parole in a couple of years, but they both see these next two years as him being used by God as a missionary there in prison. 

Paul and Silas used their time in prison to pray and sing, and even convert people.  While we might simply feel sorry for ourselves, they saw their time in jail as an opportunity to reach out to those who don't know Christ.  So will this man in the testimony I heard this morning.  But do we have to be in jail to witness for Christ?  It would seem that we have even greater opportunities, seeing more people, to witness.  But do we?

I have to be the first to admit that I find it easy to get caught up with my ministry to the people of my church and sometimes forget that, as John Wesley stated, "The world is my parish".  Let us share the love of Christ with others today.  Let us show people Christ with our actions.  Let us speak to people and give them the opportunity to hear testimonies that could change their lives forever.

In the love of Christ,
greg