The Second Secret to Effective Evangelism- Acts 16:23-30

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Last week I wrote about the secret to effective evangelism. And the secret is that it's up to God! We do our part and we trust God to do His! He is the One who opens a heart to respond to the gospel. He is the One that convicts someone of sin. Those things are outside my control. My responsibility is to simply confess my faith before others. To be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies in me. To look for opportunities every day to bring praise to the name of God so that others might come to praise Him as well. But anything beyond what I can personally control about the interactions I have every day with anyone I come into contact with is strictly and completely up to God and that person.

Having said that...

I do think that God has used a certain aspect about His followers to break through the thick skin of unbelievers' hearts over and over again. And I'll tell you right now...it has nothing to do with their preaching or teaching ability. It has nothing to do with their incredible personalities. It has nothing to do with their connections or their abilities.

It has EVERYTHING to do with their commitment and integrity.

Consider the story in Acts 16. Paul and Silas are thrown in jail on false charges given by selfish, greedy slave owners who were upset that their chances for profit were gone because Paul and Silas had freed a young girl from demon possession. They were beaten with rods. They were flogged. And they were thrown in the stocks. I've never been in stocks. But I'm pretty sure they are not very conducive to sleep. So what did they do while they were cold, in pain from the beating, exhausted, and angry about their mistreatment?

They did exactly what they did in every aspect of every day and in every other circumstance whether good or bad. They praised God. In this case, their praises took the form of song and Luke points out that the other prisoners were listening. I have to wonder what was going through their minds as they listened to these two radical Christians who were so deluded by their faith that they were willing to praise a God who had let them be beaten and thrown into prison for their service to Him. I have to wonder if the guard was not also listening to them at some point.

You remember the rest of the story. There is a supernatural earthquake that throws the chains off the prisoners and the doors off the walls. All of the prisoners were free if they wanted to be. If it were me, I would have assumed that this was God's answer to prayer. I would have left as quickly as I could thanking God for His miraculous intervention. But they didn't. They knew what their mission was and they knew that the power of God combined with the faithfulness of Christians is an unstoppable force.

The guard came in and saw the open doors and loose chains and pulled his sword to kill himself before before his higher-ups killed him for his lack of ability to keep the prisoners in prison. But thanks be to God that Paul and Silas had stayed where they were! In fact, so had the rest of the prisoners too! You might miss that in focusing on the conversion of the jailer and his family when he immediately asks what he must do to be saved. But don't read past it too quickly. We aren't told how many people were in prison with Paul and Silas. We don't know exactly why they didn't run when the doors were open. I have a hunch that the jailer wasn't the only person in the jail that was converted to the true freedom in Christ that night.

And it happened because two men sang praises to God and stayed true to their mission even when they were mistreated. Even when they could have taken an easier road and technically still be in the will of God. Even when their lives were potentially on the line. They praised...and they stayed.

What about you? Does your temper at the office or in your home betray your allegiance to the God of peace? Does your insistence on the easy life of sitcoms and football games sell your talk of "he who would keep his life will lose it, but he who would lose his life for my sake will find it" short? Does your self preservation and refusal to let someone "walk over you" belittle your stated faith in a God who says to walk the extra mile and pray for your enemies?

Can you honestly and sincerely praise God when the chips are down and you are stuck in the stocks of worry and anger and hurt to the point that you can't sleep at midnight?

May we be a people who can sing through the blackest midnight so that when God's miracles happen, others will be paying attention.

The Flip-Side of Discipline: Proverbs 23:13-14

My twin daughters are 2. I've never been a dad before in my life. I can't remember how I was disciplined when I was two. All of these factors add up to one word....

HELP!!!

My wife and I often look to Suzanne Bobo for advice in parenting. Both of her children are grown Godly adults. She also works as the director of a local Mother's Day Out. In light of my serious lack of expertise and her years of work as a mom and  child-care provider, and all of the different parenting styles she has seen over the years, I thought the wisdom of this Proverb would shine infinitely brighter with her highlighting it than me. Enjoy her great advice below and may we all VOW to raise not just our own children, but also those that we have influence over to know, love, and obey the God who is the only perfect parent.

Thoughts on Discipline by Suzanne Bobo

Who can resist the sweet smile of a child?  Children bring such immense joy to our lives with their innocent nature, bright eyes, and unconditional love.  But as children grow, Proverbs 23: 13 tells us, "Do not not withhold discipline from a child."  Although we often think of discipline as punishment, I feel the following Webster Dictionary definition is more fitting.

Discipline is training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. 

Parents are responsible for shaping their children's wills and directing them in the way God would have them live.  Proverbs 22:6 states, "Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Through the years, I have come to believe that disciplining a child is more about my character and behavior than the child's.  What better way to mold a child's behavior than to provide the child an example of the behavior I would like him to achieve.  Proverbs 17: 6 says parents are the pride of their children.  Our children watch us like hawks, and they usually mimic our behavior.

 How can I expect my child or the children I work with to be happy, productive children if I am cranky and making poor choices myself?  

If I expect a child to be obedient to my instruction and respect my authority, I must exert a strong positive, consistent influence.

Due to the everyday distractions, it is often so difficult to be consistent and to follow through when we discipline our child, but it is essential.  If we tell our child to come to us when he is running off but chase him down instead, did he mind our authority?  Did he have a consequence for not minding?  If we just run after the child, grab him up, and go because we are in a hurry, what have we taught him?  The next time, he may be in a dangerous situation where he runs toward the street.  When the instruction we give our child is important enough to say, we must take the time to follow through, otherwise it should have been left unsaid.

Children are so very bright, and they learn quickly how we handle authority.
Exodus 20: 12 was the first commandment with a promise:  Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.  What a promise!!  If we have taught our children as they grow to be obedient and disciplined, they will follow this commandment.....and what a blessing will come to their lives.