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March 17th is set aside each year to remember a man who lived in Ireland in the 400s. His life would not only lead thousands of the Irish out of satanism to Jesus Christ as their Lord; his Biblical teaching concerning government would literally lay the foundation for liberty in America.

Patrick of Ireland was actually born in England, but at sixteen years of age was captured and taken to Ireland to be a slave. While many in our day would blame God as being unfair if that happened to them, Patrick did just the opposite. He recognized that the heathen living of him and his neighbors had brought him this captivity. He described their state as being,

“…quite drawn away from God, we did not keep His precepts…”

(Great Christian Classics, Kevin Swanson ed. (Generations With Vision, 2010), p. 135)

But during this time of captivity Patrick would find the ultimate freedom for a human being. He turned to Jesus Christ as His Lord with all his heart. He related this experience by declaring that during this time,

“…the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief…that…I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God…”

(Ibid. p.135)

Jesus became his very life and his only desire was to serve His new-found Lord with all the fervency with which he had previously served satan. He stated his desire was to:

“…proceed without holding back from danger to make known the gift of God…to spread God’s name everywhere with confidence and without fear…”

(Ibid. p. 137)

And he found Jesus Christ to be alive and very well able to deliver him from every evil. Indeed when he was twenty-two he was shown by God in a dream that a ship was being prepared for him to carry him back to his family in England. And even though it was 200 miles from him, he fled from his master and trusted God to lead him to that ship.

Indeed, the Lord did just that. Through prayer a miracle was worked to get him onboard with a group of pagan sailors. Once on land they marched through the English wilderness for twenty-eight days, reaching a point near starvation. As the pagan sailors were challenging the ability of this Christian’s God to meet his need, Patrick boldly told them,

“Be converted by faith with all your heart to my Lord God, because nothing is impossible for Him, so that today He will send food for you on your road until you be sated, because everywhere he abounds.”

(Ibid. p. 139)

And true to his word there shortly appeared a herd of hogs in the road ahead, some of which they killed and ate until they were completely full.

Once back with his family they begged him never to leave them again. He didn’t want to, but one night there appeared a vision to him and in it a man named Victoricus coming to him and handing him letters which were “the voice of the Irish.” The Irish seemed to be crying out to him to return to Ireland and “walk again among us” as a “holy youth” and share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Patrick would do this and lead thousands to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. He also would teach the Irish chieftains the way of God in civil government.

This present time calls, once again, for men like Patrick: Men who will be bold; fearless in the face of rulers who hate God and hate His Word. It calls for us to accept that we were born, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) and seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit that we may “speak the Word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Are you speaking the Word of God boldly to those who don’t know Him?

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you. I’m Don Pinson; this has been Think About It.