DO YOU REMEMBER THE DAY?

Dearly Beloved, DO YOU REMEMBER THE DAY? “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole family” (Acts 16:34 NIV). I was invited to a get-together recently where I met a white lady. This forty-year-old lady was so excited to narrate to anyone who cared to listen how she had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ in a similar get-together some weeks back. She narrated how she had previous been religious, how she read the Bible many times and went to church and other religious gatherings before this particular one. She concluded that since that encounter, she is now having an inner joy and peace that she did not previously had. From her countenance, it is certain that she is happy with her new-found relationship with the Saviour Jesus Christ. The experience of this lady reminds me of many of similar experiences of people in the Bible who also had personal encounters with Jesus Christ. There was great joy in the city of Samaria when many people came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through Philip (see Acts 8:8). The disciples in Pisidian Antioch “were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” after Paul preached to them (Acts 13:52 NIV). The experiences of the Ethiopian eunuch who “went on his way rejoicing” after he accepted Jesus Christ into his life (Acts 8:39 NIV) and the Philippian jailer who “was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God” (Acts 16:34 NIV) are classic when one talks about people with personal encounters with the Saviour. Such day is indeed a happy day! Have you had the experience? Do you remember the day you had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ? Can you narrate the experience? Being religious is not enough to have such experience. You have to definitely and consciously accept Jesus Christ into your life. Apostle John asserted, “...to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13 NIV). It is only by believing in Jesus Christ that you can have that inner joy and peace in life (see John 20:31). The hymn writer Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) put it this way: “Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away! He taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day; Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away.” Do you remember that day? In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will continue to have the inner joy and peace of salvation in the Saviour Jesus Christ.