May 24, 1738. A man attends a meeting he wanted to avoid. Someone stands up and reads something and begins to speak to the group about what he's read. At 8:45 PM, the reluctant attendee looks at his watch and notes the time. Something is different.

In 1513, A professor is studying for his lecture. He reads from a book. Something is different.

In 386, another university professor has reached the end. He's thirty-two, but by now his wild life has brought him to a mind and body that are saying, "We can't take it any more." He visits a friend's house, sits alone in the garden and begins to cry. Over the way, children whom he can't see are playing a game. They recite words. "Take and read," they say, "Take and read." A book lies on the table nearby. The professor takes it up and reads part of it. Something is different.

Each person, hundreds of years apart, picked up a copy of the same book. They each read Romans by Paul. The book persuaded each one of them to put their faith alone in Christ alone. At 8:45 PM, May 24, 1738, John Wesley, upon hearing Martin Luther's preface to Romans and then hearing a word about it, notes the time and writes, "My heart was strangely warmed."

Martin Luther, studying for a lecture reads Romans and learns of righteousness' being a gift of God, free, upon faith alone in Christ alone.

Augustine had sinned away his youth and had found the hole was still in his heart, cried alone in a garden and hears the children's game. He takes and reads in a scroll of Romans.

Eternal life and forgiveness of sins came to all three men who read the same book by the same author. Romans by Paul. And each one exerts and influence on world history. Men and women, English Protestants all, came to and established America and all influenced by the writings of Paul.

From Paul to Augustine to Luther to Wesley, with uncountable numbers in between. The writings of Paul have made an impact on world history. Romans or the personal history of someone in your genealogy (spiritual or physical) who read Romans may have started your own personal spiritual history generations ago.

The power of the Word in a person's life is such that it starts or continues a golden chain of salvational events. Maybe you're the first in your family, but you've started the chain. Maybe you're a golden link in a chain long-since started generations ago. Whatever. It's the power of the Word that changes personal and even world history.