The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. — Acts 16:16-40

Our household has moved back to where it started some 30+ years ago.

The young starry-eyed couple carrying now the evidence in soul and body of having traveled a few miles.

In and now out of the doors of this family have traveled the next generation each one as unique as a sunset.

The prayer then, now and as long as there is breath in our lungs, “O God, may Jesus be their passion.”

The jailer in this story worked under a serious no tolerance policy.

“If any prisoners escape, you die.” He thought for sure that the earthquake and opened cell doors meant his demise.

In order to protect his family, he was going to take his own life.

Paul interceded not once, but twice.

First to save his physical life and second to save his eternal soul.

True to form, this man made sure his entire household was protected and right with God too.

For some of us, thoughts of our household bring great joy.

For others of us, great sorrow. For most of us, it’s a mixed bag.

Regardless, there remains a need for a faithful spiritual leader among them.

Is that you?

We cannot choose Jesus for our family, but we can sure set the table for them.

What adjustments need to be made in your life to point those closest to you to the one who alone holds salvation in his hands?

Holy

And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple. — Ezekiel 43:1-27

After speaking for a while, the older gentleman went into his garage and brought in this tool he had made.

His job for many years was literally to make tools to repair and maintain all the machines.

The tool he retrieved that day was a socket wrench that allowed you to switch from tighten to loosen by a little lever on the end of the handle instead of the top.

Genius!

It was set apart for tight spaces and for conversations like the one we were having.

The Temple Ezekiel’s audience was acquainted with was now just a distant memory.

It was destroyed and they were captive exiles.

God had finally judged them for their gross idolatry.

Yet God, in his grace, gave Ezekiel a vision for a new Temple.

In so doing, God was inviting the people once again into a relationship with him.

This relationship required absolute holiness which was accomplished and ushered in by great sacrifices on this Temple’s new altar.

Absolute holiness.

A place fully and completely set apart for God.

A place that God finds acceptable for his presence.

Where is such a place to be found?

The Bible, shockingly, tells us again and again that when we put our faith in Jesus, we become just such a place — “the Spirit who makes you holy.”

In light of this reality, we are to “stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching” we have received.

God’s holy word is where God’s holy people go to take a stand.

The writing on the wall

Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. — Daniel 5:1-31

Watching as the final points trickled in, it was clear.

The writing was on the wall for my fantasy football team.

The season had proved to be an exercise in futility.

Out-of-character performances by my players and complete mismanagement on my part sent me to the bottom of the standings.

With the familiar refrain, “Wait till next year” echoing in my mind, I humbly went to bed.

King Belshazzar was living it up.

As King Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, he had quite the kingdom.

However, he apparently was either a slow learner or a quick forgetter.

He knew how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar.

Yet, he specifically chose the gold cups taken from God’s Temple to use in his party for the purpose of worshipping his false gods.

Bad idea.

The floating handwriting on the wall told him so.

He never saw another sunrise.

God numbers our days.

God weighs our lives.

God divides kingdoms.

God’s time of judgment came for the king as it will come for us all.

Any life not covered by the righteousness of Jesus will be found wanting and left separated from God.

God rules his world with justice and truth as well as with grace and mercy.

Peter told us in his letter that the end is near.

We’re in the last days.

Today, Paul wrote, is the day of salvation.

Let’s be quick learners and slow forgetters.

Tom Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.