You're now on your way to jail, you may be on the road 10 minutes, it may be 30
minutes, depending on how far it is to the jail. I remember riding in the back
of a squad car, trying to get the officer's attention:
"Sir," I said.
Silence.
"Sir," I said, louder.
Silence.
"Sir, I have something I'd like to ask you."
Finally, he turns and asks cautiously, "Yes, what is it?"
"There sure are a lot of wild beasts out here aren't there?"
He shakes his head and says, "Yes, there are."
"Well, I just wanted you to know one thing, there are a few lambs of God,
too."
That one statement started to soften the officer's heart and he began asking me
questions and was sincerely interested in what I was doing. We talked about the
Word all the way into jail.
Not only are you going to testify before the judges, but you're also going to
convert the policemen. Apostle Paul was chained and put under Roman guard, which
is the equivalent of the police of today. For two years, he kept making
conversions so the guards needed to be replaced.
| By a long, light chain Paul's right wrist was linked to the left
hand of a Pretorian guardsman. . . . Paul was chained to a soldier by day and to
two by night, and this for two years! Many soldiers were thus forced to observe
closely the life and labor of Paul when alone and with visitors. Can we imagine
Paul not preaching Christ to his guards? Can we not imagine the soldiers in
their guard-room discussing Paul and Paul's Christ? Can we doubt some of them
were converted? Sent abroad through the empire, they scattered the seed of the
Gospel throughout the world. Thus Paul turned even his prison into a
Practical Missionary Seminary. William Dallmann, PAUL - LIFE AND
LETTERS |
Even though that police officer is your enemy, you are to love him. You are to
treat him as you would want to be treated. If he slaps you around, offer him the
other cheek. Be kind, talk with him of your Lord Jesus Christ. Again, your only
purpose is to speak of the One who sent you. Don't be ornery, don't be nasty,
treat him civilly.
One of my friends began singing praises to the Lord on the way to jail and the
officer joined in with the singing. Another time my wife started singing from
the back seat and the police officer turned up the music on the radio to drown
her out. Eventually, he realized his rudeness, turned off the radio and joined
in the singing.
