Good Morning All,
Have you ever been on the
wrong side of a locked door? Maybe you
were locked in but usually we are locked out.
Maybe you locked your keys in your car or slammed the door of your house
or apartment shut just as you remembered the keys on the table. For most of us, this is more embarrassing
than anything else. But have you ever
been locked in or out on purpose? Have
you ever had someone keep you away from them by design? Have you ever been locked in a jail
cell? Have you ever been locked in a jail
cell unjustly? This would be extremely
difficult. There was a story of a young
man who was accused of stealing a backpack.
He was held for two years waiting for a trial; he was eventually
released. He missed his junior and
senior year of high school and really never could recover and re-enter
society. He committed suicide at the age
of 22. He could never get out of prison.
Our verse is the first of three times in
the Book of Acts where God opened the jail to free the apostles. This was done to protect the apostles, to
embolden the apostles, and to be a witness to the world. Nothing could stop the kingdom of God from
expanding. Nothing can stop God when it
comes to his expression of love for his people.
This love strengthened the apostles in their bold proclamation of the
Gospel of Jesus. It strengthened their
faith to face all the challenges of life that were in store for them.
Earlier, I asked if you had ever been in a
jail cell. Most will answer no. Yet we all have been in jail; we are held
prisoner by our sins. The devil will
hold us there as long as he can. He will
torment us as long as he can and he can as long as we stay there. But we do not have to stay; God comes and
opens the doors to your cell to free you.
He opens the door so that you can leave the depths of the darkness of
the cell of our guilt and fear. God
opens the door so that you can be reconciled to him and be part of his family.
There is nothing in your past that has to
keep you in your prison. God has freed
you by the forgiveness of your sin. The
devil will tell you to stay in your cell but the door is of and God calls you
out of the dark and dank into the refreshing and the light. You do not have to stay there in that
cell. God has freed you from sin and
freed you from the devil’s prison. God
opens doors so that you may freely and confidently approach his throne, seeking
his mercy and grace. God opens doors so
that you may approach him as children approach their loving father. The doors are open; don’t stay in prison!!
Father of all
mercy, we give you thanks that you have freed us from the devil’s prison. Give us the faith to walk out the open door
to the freedom that you give us. Guide
us by your Spirit to know the comfort of being out of prison and living in the
joy of your eternal kingdom. In your
grace, we are free indeed. In the
precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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