Monthly Archives: September 2013

Walking On The Word

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WALKING ON THE WORD

“At daybreak, no one recognised the land — but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach. They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail and ran before the wind toward the beach. But we didn’t make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up.

“The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so that none could escape by swimming, but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them, He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely.” Acts 27:39-44 (The Message).

Terra firma! How thankful they must have been to feel solid ground under their feet. After two weeks of hurricane force wind and lashing rain, no matter how wet, cold and bedraggled they were, they were safely on land, for now. But there was still a long road ahead of them. They had no idea where they were, whether the island was inhabited, whether the islanders were friendly or hostile, where they would find shelter, food and water and if and how they would ever reach their destination.

I guess one person was unfazed by their circumstances. God had told Paul that the whole company would be saved. He had also told Paul that he was going to Rome. On the strength of God’s word, Paul believed that it would all work out for them.

The centurion’s trust and respect for Paul saved the lives of all the prisoners. After all, Paul seemed to be the only one in the company, together with his travelling companions, who was level-headed in the situation. He needed him to navigate the present circumstances to a satisfactory conclusion. The captain of the ship features nowhere in the story. He seems to have faded out of the picture after his bad mistake.

There is a clear and necessary lesson for believers in this event. Paul had learned, through many years of dangerous living, to find his safety, not in any geographical hiding place, but in the Word of God. As long as he believed and acted upon what God had said, his life was indestructible until his work was done.

God does not guarantee our safety for safety’s sake but for our role in His big story. Paul knew that Rome was the most dangerous place of all for him. He would have to face the crackpot, Nero, who had a pathological hatred for Christians because they challenged his arrogant claim to being Lord. Death held no terror for a man who passionately believed in and proclaimed the resurrection. He had only one desire — to please his Master and to fulfil his calling. He could do it only one way — by staking everything on God’s word.

On one occasion Jesus had left His disciples to cross the lake on their own while He went onto the mountain to pray. A storm arose and battered their little craft until they had given up hope and resigned themselves to being drowned. Jesus realised their plight and crossed the lake on foot to rescue them. They thought He was a ghost until He called out to them and they recognised Him. Impulsive Peter also wanted to try walking on water. Jesus said, ‘Come,’ and on the strength of His word, Peter clambered out of the boat and walked on water until his senses got the better of his faith.

There is no place in life more secure than in the word of God. When God speaks, He means what He says and will do what He says He will do. It is not our place to choose from His word what is convenient or comfortable for us. That is presumption. We are to live by “every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Our role is to wait and listen until God speaks to us, whether it be through His written word or in some other way that is compatible with His nature and His Word.

The story of our lives has already been written in His book. It is up to us to overwrite our story to match His by listening and being obedient to His Word. Then, like Paul, we can know that the outcome, no matter what the crisis, is sure in God.

The Safest Place

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THE SAFEST PLACE

“Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow. Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, ‘If these sailors don’t stay with the ship, we’re all going down.’ So the soldiers cut the lines of the lifeboat and let it drift off.

With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: ‘This is the fourteenth day we’ve gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! But I urge you to eat something now. You’re going to come out of this without even a scratch.'” Acts 27:30-34 (The Message).

Amazing, isn’t it, how there are always the few who want to rock the boat! God’s reassurance, through Paul, that they would all survive this ordeal depended on them all staying together and working together. But there were the few who didn’t care about the others. They were only interested in saving their own skin.

They hatched a plot to launch the lifeboat and try to save themselves but Paul was quick to realise what was up, and took charge. Have you noticed how the authority on the ship changed? In this crisis the captain had done everything he could but nothing was working. Where was he at this stage? Paul took over as the one with the hotline to the throne of God.

First step: Make sure that everyone pulled together. He quickly nipped the splinter group’s plot in the bud. His sixth sense warned him that these men were up to something. By this time the centurion had complete confidence in Paul. He was not the usual sort of prisoner and his word carried authority. The soldiers ditched the lifeboat, cutting off any possibility of escape and forcing everyone to stand together and wait for instructions.

Second step: Breakfast! No one had eaten since the storm began. Fear and the frantic attempts to save the ship had taken their appetites away. Paul knew that they would not survive a swim in the raging sea without the reserves of strength from a good meal. Even the suggestion of food must have put new heart into everyone on board.

“He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around, and they all ate heartily — two hundred and seventy-six of us, all told! With the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping the grain overboard.” Acts 27:35-38 (The Message).

Now they were ready for the next step. By this time the ship was just a shell — cargo, tackle and food gone. There could be no going back. In spite of the fact that their plight was the outcome of foolish decisions and poor judgement, God had not abandoned them. Paul was their lifeline — bringing the hope of salvation from a watery grave if they believed him and heeded his instructions.

How often we land in equally tight corners in life through our own stubbornness and bad decisions. We deserve to be left to find our own way out because we got ourselves into it, but we have a loving Father who is more interested in getting us out than in how we got there in the first place. Every sticky situation is God’s opportunity to reveal His love and His goodness. It’s not about us. It’s about Him.

Jesus showed us how this works. He used every human condition to put His Father’s glory on display. On one occasion He and His disciples met a blind man on the road. Their question to Him was: ‘Whose fault is it that this man was born blind?’ His reply startled them. ‘You’re asking the wrong question. Don’t look for someone to blame. Let’s see what God can do.’

Every crisis is God’s opportunity if we have the right attitude. Paul listened, followed and used his common sense to steer the entire complement of people on board the doomed ship to a safe conclusion. The captain had run out of options but Paul was in touch with a covenant God who promised always to be with him. He is the same God for us as He was for Paul and his companions.

Anchored In The Word

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ANCHORED IN THE WORD

“‘Last night God’s angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, ‘Don’t give up, Paul. You’re going to stand before Caesar yet — and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.’ So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what He told me. But we’re going to shipwreck on some island or other.’

“On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight, the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that, ninety feet. Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight.” Acts 27:23-29 (The Message).

What a hopeless situation! Adrift on the ocean in a hurricane, no engine to carry them to safety, the wind too strong to power the ship anywhere but into disaster, the sailors were at the mercy of the elements. To crown it all, they were being driven onto land. They had no idea where they were; it was pitch dark, in the middle of the night and dawn was still hours away.

The best they could do was to throw out their anchors and hope they would hold until daylight. And they prayed! To whom did they pray? Most likely to their gods! They didn’t know Paul’s God. What good was that? Firstly, their gods did not exist; secondly they were deceived into thinking they did exist, but they were actually in Satan’s grip. What was his agenda? Drown them! He wanted Paul’s hide and the others didn’t matter.

Where was Paul? Praying! To whom was he praying? To the God he had served these many years! He knew his God. He had delivered him through many perils in the past. I can imagine that Paul was not praying for a miracle. He was praying for a word. It was God’s word that had steadied him in many a difficult situation. He knew that, when God spoke, he had an anchor.

Once again God came to him with a word. Not only was Paul still bound for Rome, but all those with him as well. Paul had his anchor, not a flimsy piece of metal that would try to grip a rock in a violent storm, but the sure word of God that would hold in the fiercest gale. Armed with this reassurance, he spoke what he believed.

How different is God’s way from the “name it and claim it” philosophy that is rife in some parts of the church today. God has not left the initiative to us to choose the “word” we want to believe. The devil tried to stick that trick on Jesus but He refused to buy it. ‘Jump!’ said the devil. ‘No way!’ Jesus fired back, “‘…Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Deuteronomy 8:3b (NIV), He quoted.

God’s word is not a magic formula to get what we want. It’s His mandate for living life His way so that He gets what He wants. Paul knew that, and he waited on God for His word to guide them through this trial. When God had spoken, Paul had his instructions and his security, and could carry the message to the poor sailors who were frantically trying to get their non-existent god’s attention.

The tragedy is that so many believers have been taught this “faith” walk, and when God doesn’t respond to every click of their fingers, they become disillusioned and blame Him for not answering their prayers. But God is not obliged to do things our way. His way is submission to Him. He is telling the story, not us, and we are the characters in His story, not the authors.

Armed with the sure word of God, Paul was able to bring comfort and reassurance to the entire complement of people on the ship. Whether they believed him or not what up to them. God had spoken and Paul had given the “amen” to His promise. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ. And so, through Him, the “amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV),

They Thought They Knew Better!

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THEY THOUGHT THEY KNEW BETTER!

“We came under the lee of a small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails. But the rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors.

“Next day, out to sea and badly damaged by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard. The third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle and provisions. It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars. Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.

“With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, “Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you there’ll be not a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship — the ship itself is doomed.” Acts 27:16-22 (The Message).

Who are the “we” in this story? No doubt it was “all hands on deck” for everyone on the ship including the centurion and the prisoners. Every pair of hands was necessary to save the ship from being dashed to pieces on the island’s jagged rocks. Once they were past that peril there was no letting up because the ship was in danger of sinking in the violence of the wind and waves.

Everyone worked frantically to lighten the ship. No thought now of saving the cargo! There goes all the money they were supposed to be earning, by the foolish chance the captain took! They stripped the ship to the bare bones in the hopes that they could keep it afloat until they hit land somewhere.

All their values shifted in the peril they were in. It was no longer about business. Now it was about lives. It’s a pity the powers-that-be had not considered that in the first place. But it was too late now — a good lesson learned if they ever survived!

Where was Paul in this spell of furious activity? Stripped to the waist hauling cargo? No, Paul had his own work to do. Somewhere on the ship, out of the way of the toiling men, Paul was praying. His work was just as vital as that of the sailors. It took time and effort to engage with the Father for the lives of the people on board. Paul took nothing for granted. Like Moses centuries before, he stood before the Lord in intercession for men who did not deserve His mercy. They were all in it together and together they would live or die.

Some may have looked upon Paul as a shirker. His hands were needed to get the job done as quickly as possible. Some may have even felt resentful towards him. But Paul turned his face towards the Father and, in the midst of the fury of the storm, he grew quiet inside as he focussed on God. Deliberately shutting out every other sound, he listened for the inner voice that would give him clear instruction for the moment.

Since God is everywhere, he knew that God was there. In his heart there echoed the many promises of His word. “When you pass through the waters I will be with you…” Isaiah 43:3a NIV); “…He will never leave you or forsake you,” Deuteronomy 31:6c (NIV). In his prayer he appealed to the mercy of God, that attribute that was heaviest in Him. Perhaps he recalled how Moses pleaded for the lives of God’s unfaithful people, undeserving as they were, and prayed for the lives of everyone on board.

The Father graciously heard the passionate cries of His child, and into Paul’s heart stole the peace that transcends all understanding, the sure confirmation that his prayer had been answered. With confident steps he returned to the toiling men with the reassurance, “No-one will be lost.” Would they believe him this time?

Once again, God was there to thwart the murderous plot of the enemy to sacrifice the entire crew in order to destroy Paul. His overshadowing protection in spite of the danger, would prove to all on board that there is no other God and that He is powerful and full of compassion.

Whose Agenda?

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WHOSE AGENDA?

“By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, ‘I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship — to say nothing of our lives! — if we put out to sea now.’

“But it was not the best harbour for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further on, was more suitable. The centurion set Paul’s warning aside and let the ship captain and the ship-owner talk him into trying for the next harbour.

“When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing. But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor’easter, struck. They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork on the storm.” Acts 27:10-15 (The Message).

It would be natural and easy for us to read this account of Paul’s voyage from a purely human point of view. Winter on the Mediterranean was storm season and to venture out in a sailing ship was madness. The ship captain, ship owner and sailors all knew that. The centurion also knew it, although he was not a seasoned sailor. So why did they try to defy the natural order of things to continue their journey, knowing that disaster was inevitable?

Was it greed that drove them on? To get their cargo to its market meant more money for everyone. That’s logical. To remain in dock for the winter would mean less money — and extra expense for the centurion who had prisoners to feed and accommodate for several months.

Although they knew the conditions of the sea very well, the captain and the ship-owner were fooled into believing that the gentle breeze that was blowing at that moment was the foretaste of a smooth and uneventful voyage. They ignored Paul’s warning. After all, what did he know? He was a preacher, not a mariner! They had yet to learn that he had a hot-line that was prophetic and accurate because God was intimately involved in the destiny of His son, Paul. He had a date in Rome and it was up to the centurion and the ship to get him there safely.

But, as always, there was an enemy with his own agenda, at work in the situation. It was Satan’s plot, no doubt, to send the ship, its contents and it passengers to the bottom of the ocean to prevent Paul from ever delivering his message in Rome. Like his Master Jesus, when He was on a mission to deliver a demon-possessed man in the Gentile territory of the Gadarenes, a storm was a good way to get rid of the opposition. It did not matter that a few others not involved in Paul’s mission would perish with him.

It does not necessarily mean that Satan was responsible for creating the storm. Did he have the power to do that? But it does mean that he could easily influence men who did not have the Spirit of God to go against experience and their better judgement for the sake of money. It was not in their heart to heed the warning of a man of God. They chose to press on regardless, playing right into the hands of an unseen enemy.

But not only did the enemy have an agenda. God had one too. He had safely navigated Paul through the stormy seas of Jewish hatred, murderous plots, unjust trials, and vacillating Roman indecision. This was His opportunity to reveal His goodness to godless sailors and even to a heathen island tribe in spite of adverse weather and foolish decisions.

Does this not give us hope for ourselves as well? Through and because of these experiences Paul was able to write, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28