Changing Mind Set

Acts 16:25 NASB “Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;”

To get the background on this, check out Acts 16:16-40 and if you are unfamiliar with who Silas was, just click on his name.

So, having had their outer garments stripped from them and then being beaten with rods, plus had their feet placed in stocks in an inner cell of the jail, here Paul and Silas are found about midnight, praying and singing hymns of praise to God.

Different reaction than most of us would probably demonstrate, if we were in their places? Yes, you’re right, we probably don’t want to go there. And the reason for that difference in mind set is, that they understood and comprehended something down to their very core, that we haven’t fully grasped, like they did, and we should.

I’m driving to work early this morning, on a road in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada, on the surface of this planet earth, in our local solar system, in a galaxy, where our planet is but a grain of sand, in comparison to all of the planets and galaxies that there are in the known universe, being mindful of how small this planet is and how totally insignificant I am in the big scheme of things, and it strikes me that my eyes and mind have been opened to partially see what I cannot see and at least in part, comprehend that which I cannot comprehend.

And, just to make things interesting, due to all of the unique circumstances that make this planet earth, what it is, there is a distinct possibility that the only planet in the whole known universe that has these “special” circumstances that we have here on planet earth, is planet earth. Now to be fair, I did say distinct possibility, but to say that planet earth is extremely rare, would probably be a safe understatement.

And then, very early in ancient recorded history, we find archeological evidence for the nation of Israel, in addition to surviving highly accurate copies of Israel’s ancient Holy Scriptures.

And in these ancient Holy Scriptures, which are a testimony of God to Israel and all other nations (Gentiles), there are foretelling (prophecies) of a coming Redeemer, an Anointed One, Messiah, who would save Israel and the rest of humanity from their sins. Sins being where we transgress or do that which violates the nature and being of a Holy Righteous God. And this Messiah would be called God and His Kingdom would have no end.

And these Holy Scripture prophecies tell us Who He is, when He would come, where He would be born, what He would accomplish and why we need Him to redeem us. The very Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

And then Jesus began His ministry at about the age of thirty for approximately three short years and fulfilled these prophecies. Yet Jesus Himself did not write one book nor travel beyond two hundred miles.

And Jesus spoke words of first hand knowledge and wisdom about God His Father that no other man before or since Him has spoken, He not only spoke, but He also showed us of His Father, of His power, compassion, forgiveness and healing. He spoke the words given to Him by His Father and He did that which He was shown and asked of by His Father, even to the very laying down of His own life and taking it back up again, like He said He would, and was asked by the Father to do and did. No one, in the history of the world, has ever said that they were God, and then died and rose again from the dead. No one, ever, except Jesus.

And Paul had met Jesus on the road to Damascus and Silas was strong in faith to our Lord. So their perspective or their mind set was different, because they were in the care of and under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in whom all authority and power in earth and in heaven had been given.

This is the reality of our faith, we are not fearful of death or whatever the world may throw at us because. . . . We are part of His Kingdom, which has no end and will stand when all that we see has gone, for there will be a new earth and we will be given new bodies and we shall reign with Him forever. And this life that we have been given, is not the end, but merely the very beginning, because of Jesus, we have passed from death unto eternal life. Because I live, you shall also live.

And so Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns of praise to God. They saw a bigger picture, they had a different perspective, they knew the author of life, eternal life and nothing in this world caused them to fear. Nothing.

Maybe that is why they did not write of nor get into what they called “worldly chatter”. Paul said we preach Christ crucified. But what do we preach and why?

Something to think about.

Worth is the Lamb! Blessings!