April 2, 2020 (Thursday)
Once upon a time, about 2000 years ago, there was a man in the city of Tarsus known as Saul. He grew up and became a religious leader known as a Pharisee. He was a member of the august body of rulers known as the Sanhedrin, in Jerusalem, the greatest city of Israel.
He kept hearing rumors about a rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, who, after his shameful execution as a blasphemer, had developed quite a following of people who believed he had risen from the dead. They were saying that he was the Messiah and if you believed in Him you would have eternal life.
The Sanhedrin appointed Saul to do away with those people, and as he went about his work of persecuting them, he had an experience on the highway to Damascus that changed his life. 
He met the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. In due time, he made trips to other countries, telling people about his experience and inviting them to accept Jesus as their Savior, too.
On one of his trips, he visited the city of Troas, on the west coast of Asia Minor, where he had a vision of a man who beckoned to him, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.” And so he and his companions sailed across the Aegean sea and went to a Roman Colony known as Philippi, where he shared his good news but was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into a Roman prison with his friend, Silas. They sang together and praised God. They were overheard by the Roman soldier who guarded the jail. An earthquake hit and the prison gates were opened. Assuming his prisoners had escaped, the guard was attempting suicide when stopped by Paul (Saul’s Gentile name) and Silas. Astounded by their presence, after hearing their songs and praises, he appealed to them: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul replied with no hesitation, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your house.” The soldier believed, as did the members of his household; then they invited the ex-prisoners to a celebration at their house.
They thus started a church in Philippi. Then they went to Thessalonica, and after that, Berea, and so on until after several trips to non-Jewish countries, (which nonetheless hosted Jewish synagogues) won Jews and Gentiles to the Lord in great numbers, starting churches all over their known world.
Many years later the western world was discovered and settled, and eventually the United States was established as a nation. The legacy of faith in Jesus as Savior, left by Paul and his brothers in Christ, made it to the new country, and that’s why we have many Christian churches in this country.
Today, millions of people around the world believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. The world is a better place and your life and mine are enriched by this wonderful truth.
Oh, end of story: we are living happily ever after.