August 2010
It is wonderful when you visit our site
for a word of encouragement. It is important
for us to remember that in these troublesome
times, "The Lord is our strength and
song, and has become our salvation...This
is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice
and be glad in it...Oh, give thanks to the
Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures
forever."1
Rejoice in the Lord...
It could be that you find
very little to rejoice about these days.
Maybe you have not experienced your deliverance
the way the above verses depict; but rejoice
anyway, because the provision for your salvation
was given 2000 years ago through the finished
work of Jesus Christ. He died and rose again
for your salvation, freedom, and rejoicing
Listen to apostle Paul's
words to the Church -- the Body of Christ:
"Always be full of joy
in the Lord! I say it again--rejoice!
Let everyone see that you are considerate
in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming
soon.
Don't worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything. Tell God
what you need, and thank Him for all He
has done. If you do this, you will experience
God's peace, which is far more wonderful
than the human mind can understand. His
peace will guard your heart and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus."2
You may wonder how in the
world is this possible? The apostle Paul
never tells you to do something unless he
tells you how. He says:
"Fix your thoughts
on what is true and honorable and right.
Think about things that are pure and lovely
and admirable. Think about things that
are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep
putting into practice all you learned
from me and heard from me and saw me doing,
and the God of peace will be with you."3
Jailhouse Rejoicing
The above words were specifically
written to the Church at Philippi, where
the apostle Paul and Silas were put in jail
for casting an evil spirit from a slave
girl possessed with a spirit of divination.4
"They were severely beaten, and then
they were thrown into prison. The jailor
was ordered to make sure they did not escape.
So he took no chances but put them into
the inner dungeon and clamped their feet
in the stocks."5
Would you praise God in this situation?
"Around midnight,
Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners
were listening. Suddenly, there was a
great earthquake, and the prison was shaken
to its foundations. All the doors flew
open, and the chains of every prisoner
fell off! The jailor woke up to see the
prison doors wide open. He assumed the
prisoners had escaped, so he drew his
sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted,
'Don't do it! We are all here!'
Trembling with fear,
the jailor called for lights and ran to
the dungeon and fell down before Paul
and Silas. He brought them out and asked,
'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'"6
This jailor had just experienced
an earthquake caused by men clamped in stocks,
praying and singing hymns to God. The doors
of the prison flew open, and the chains
of the prisoners fell off! The jailor drew
his sword to kill himself, but Paul stopped
him, assuring him that no one escaped, which
would mean the jailor's death. He fell down
before Paul and Silas, desiring to be saved.
Is your life in turmoil and despair in need
of salvation?
God Opens The Heart
Paul and Silas had experienced
the knowledge of salvation, which caused
them to pray and sing hymns in times of
trouble. The jailor wanted what they had
in their lives -- salvation.
The Greek word for salvation
is sozo. Sozo means to be saved, healed,
made whole, delivered, rescued, liberated,
soundness, and a lot more. It has to do
with a salvation in this life. Not so much
a change in circumstances, as a change in
us. Our hearts and emotions change. We receive
the power to win over the circumstances,
whether they change or not.
It is no accident that
you are hearing this word of salvation.
There is something that God desires to do
in your life, like He did with a woman named
Lydia in Philippi, who heard the message
of salvation. The Lord opened her heart
and she accepted what Paul was saying about
Jesus.7 Is God opening
your heart to receive salvation today?
What Must I Do?
You may be having a bad
day like the jailor at Philippi. He didn't
start off his day thinking he would be saved,
but circumstances led him to ask, "What
must I do to be saved?" And God opened
his heart as Paul and Silas shared the word.
They answered his question and possibly
yours as follows:
"They replied, 'Believe
on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved
along with your entire household.' Then
they shared the word of the Lord with
him and all who lived in his household.
That same hour the jailor washed their
wounds, and he and everyone in his household
were immediately baptized. Then he brought
them into his house and set a meal before
them. He and his entire household rejoiced
because they all believed in God."8
Rejoicing comes when one
believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. One must
believe that Jesus is who He claimed to
be. The Gospel of John was written "so
that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God, and that by believing in
Him, you will have life."9
You must believe in what Jesus did, "...that
He died for our sins...He was buried, and
He was raised from the dead on the third
day."10 The Scriptures
say:
"...if you confess
with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing
in your heart that you are made right with
God, and it is by confessing with our mouth
that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell
us, 'Anyone who believes in Jesus will not
be disappointed.' Jew and Gentile are the
same in this respect. They all have the
same Lord, who generously gives His riches
to all who ask for them. For 'anyone who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"11
If you are not rejoicing
today, it is because of unbelief. If so,
pray "...Lord, I believe, help my unbelief."12
Listen to the apostle Paul's prayer for
you and the church at Philippi, saying,
"I pray that your love for each other
will overflow more and more, and that you
will keep on growing in your knowledge and
understanding. For I want to understand
what really matters, so that you may live
pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.
May you be filled with the fruit of your
salvation--those good things that are produced
in our life by Jesus Christ--for this will
bring much glory and praise to God."13
A Prayer For You ...
Heavenly Father, I want
to surrender my life to Your plan, so that
I can rejoice in my salvation. I believe
that You sent Your Son Jesus to take my
sin, guilt, and pain upon Himself, so that
I could be made right with You. I believe
my sins are completely forgiven because
of the precious blood of Jesus. I believe
that You raised Jesus from the dead, and
I confess Jesus as Lord with my mouth. Forgive
me for trying to save myself by my own works.
I turn to You with all my heart, and trust
only in the finished work of Calvary. Thank
You for this awesome gift of eternal life.
Thank You for taking up residence in my
heart and for inviting me into Your glorious
kingdom. I commit my life to serving before
Your throne forever. Amen.
Scripture References:
Acknowledgement: A special thanks
to Sherry for transcribing this months view!
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