"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." - Romans 1:16
I have been challenged lately through sermons, conversations, studying Scripture, and prayer to understand the power of Scripture and how important it is to know. One thing that I have begun praying daily is that God's Word would transform me! His word is life changing, but I have to be open and accepting of that change.
I was listening to my former pastor, Perry, and his sermon a few weeks ago really challenged me. He was preaching on Acts 16. In the chapter, Paul and Silas are in prison. They had been stripped and beaten and were confined to a small space. (Makes my suffering seem very minuscule) Now, I can guarantee you that my first thought would NOT be thanking God and praising Him. But, Scripture says that they were singing songs, worshiping, and praising God in their jail cell! Wow! Perry said "sometimes God uses our pain and suffering to set other people free." That hit me right square in the face! We, and by we I mean I, am way too focused on myself. When I am hurting, I am all I can think about. When I am suffering, I tend to care only about fixing it for myself. It seriously makes me sick! Why do I not search for purpose in my rotten situations like I do in the easy and happy ones? Because Paul and Silas were completely focused on worshiping God for WHO He is and not just WHAT He does, God shook things up a bit and ended up setting every person free in the jail! Would this have happened if Paul and Silas hadn't gone through all the suffering and torture for that short time? Probably not! And even more than that, one of the guards gave his heart to Jesus! This is the power of the gospel!
I was teaching my girls in Sunday School about King Josiah this past Sunday. He became King of Judah when he was only 8 years old. The nation had become so focused on idolatry and had fallen so far away from God. Josiah wanted to point the people back to God and after 18 years of his reign, he asked a servant to go to the temple and get some things. His servant found a book, the book of the Law, and brought it back and read it to Josiah. He had never heard this before and he became very angry that nobody (including him) was following God's law. IMMEDIATELY he changed and challenged his people to change. God's Word changes lives!!!!
I hope this will encourage you to not only study Scripture, but to let it transform you! God's Word is powerful, and I for one, am tired of watering down its message and treating it as just another good book.
I was listening to my former pastor, Perry, and his sermon a few weeks ago really challenged me. He was preaching on Acts 16. In the chapter, Paul and Silas are in prison. They had been stripped and beaten and were confined to a small space. (Makes my suffering seem very minuscule) Now, I can guarantee you that my first thought would NOT be thanking God and praising Him. But, Scripture says that they were singing songs, worshiping, and praising God in their jail cell! Wow! Perry said "sometimes God uses our pain and suffering to set other people free." That hit me right square in the face! We, and by we I mean I, am way too focused on myself. When I am hurting, I am all I can think about. When I am suffering, I tend to care only about fixing it for myself. It seriously makes me sick! Why do I not search for purpose in my rotten situations like I do in the easy and happy ones? Because Paul and Silas were completely focused on worshiping God for WHO He is and not just WHAT He does, God shook things up a bit and ended up setting every person free in the jail! Would this have happened if Paul and Silas hadn't gone through all the suffering and torture for that short time? Probably not! And even more than that, one of the guards gave his heart to Jesus! This is the power of the gospel!
I was teaching my girls in Sunday School about King Josiah this past Sunday. He became King of Judah when he was only 8 years old. The nation had become so focused on idolatry and had fallen so far away from God. Josiah wanted to point the people back to God and after 18 years of his reign, he asked a servant to go to the temple and get some things. His servant found a book, the book of the Law, and brought it back and read it to Josiah. He had never heard this before and he became very angry that nobody (including him) was following God's law. IMMEDIATELY he changed and challenged his people to change. God's Word changes lives!!!!
I hope this will encourage you to not only study Scripture, but to let it transform you! God's Word is powerful, and I for one, am tired of watering down its message and treating it as just another good book.
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