Singing in the stocks.

Acts 26:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:(24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.(25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.(26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.(27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.(28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.(29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,(30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?(31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The statement is true, "Your life may be the only Bible some people read." These two great preachers had been beaten and ridiculed and imprisoned for their faith, yet with absolute determination, and the zeal and love for God that charaterized their lives, they sang and praised God for their salvation, in spite of their condition. What is your testimony to the world?

The second thing we can see here is a man who needed Christ. His need may have never been evident to him before. He seems to be oblivious to the matter, until, through circumstances beyond his control, he is confronted with his condition. This confrontation does not come in an irate manner, by men who condescend to tell him his need. He is not "raked over the coals," nor is he "showed" what he needs in an ignorant manner, as is the case of many "so-called" witnessing attempts today. This jailor, in fact, only hears the singing and praising of two badly beaten men. He does not hear the mumbling and groaning of men who were told someone would not take a tract, he hears the praise from men with bloody backs.

There may be someone who has never realized their need for Christ that comes into our lives today. Will our attitude be one of helping them or of offending them.