Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4
Paul wrote this to the early church at Philippi, while he was imprisoned in Rome. It had not been the first time the Philippian Believers had seen Paul imprisoned. Indeed, when he first had come into Philippi to preach the gospel of Christ, Paul had been beaten and thrown into prison.
And the multitude rose up together against them (Paul and Silas): and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. Acts 12: 22-24
There was never a time within the early church that those following Christ were not subject to ridicule, hostility, imprisonment, and even death for their belief. In many nations today, the same remains true. Continue reading “How to Impact the World Turning Despair to Joy”