This Week's Lesson: How To Praise God

My wife and I teach Sunday School, and this week's lesson was "How To Praise God". It referenced the following:

Psalm 34:1
"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

The story was about Paul and Silas, and how they were imprisoned for preaching Jesus Christ and for doing good works. The community of religious folk didn't like it, especially when they rebuked the spirit of seer that followed them (the one that made the religious fold rich because of her fore-knowledege).

So when Paul and Silas were in prison, after having been beaten, and they started praising God. I'm sure prison's aren't the quietest places on earth, and probably the same that night. But they still praised God in song.

When the earthquake started, I wonder who the first prisoner was that realized that the singing of the preacher was setting them free? I know it was only God that kept them there, that's for sure. The presence of God is so sweet, whether in prison or on vacation.

Then the guard charged in, thought the prisoners had escaped, and was ready to take his own life. This was common back then, as you would have to forfeit your life for the one who kept his. At that moment, Paul and Silas let him know that they were all still there - a miracle in and of itself. The guard was baptized that night, and if I am not mistaken, received the Holy Ghost as well.

The whole moral of the story is that, while most of us would whine and groan when in that same predicament, whether it be because of doing bad or doing good. Paul and Silas chose to praise God, and not just worry about themselves. Because they chose to do so, an entire prison got to experience God's awesome power (not only were Paul & Silas set free, the entire prison was), and at the very least, the guard came to the knowledge of Christ.

What a blessing we can be if we would just be more concerned with God than our own selves.

What Child Is This?

Wow, blink and it's gone. Has It Really Been That Long? 4 months and counting since my last blog - what is wrong with me?

I have tons going on in life, you'd think I'd at least have time to share it with you all.

God is still doing amazing things in and around my life. Here's a taste:

Last week, one of our Sunday School students called (he's 9), and was asking if he could help teach. I told him that if he prepared and cleared it with my wife and I, that sure, we'd love to have him help out. He got excited, and let us know he'd run it by us, and then the conversation ended.

Apparently, after said conversation, he grabbed his Bible and trekked over to his grandma's house to ask for some help (she informed us that this brought a tear to her eye). He asked for her help with writing out scripture he had found.

He called us back later on to tell us he was going to read from Isaiah 9:2-7. This is what he had his grandma help him write out, and shared with us in class:
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2 "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."
3 "Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil."
4 "For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian."
5 "For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire."
6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
7 "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

I'm stoked that one of the students we teach, especially that age, undertook such a task. He gave us a short, one sentence meaning of the scripture after reading it - that it's about hope and promise.

I'm glad God continues to work in my life. I am far from perfect, so it makes it that much better to know that the King hasn't left the building.