Monthly Archives: August 2019

THE BOOK OF ACTS – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

“The head man in that part of the island was Publius. He took us into his home as his guests, drying us out and putting us up in fine style for the next three days. Publius’ father was sick at the time, down with a high fever and dysentery. Paul went to the old man’s room, and when he laid hands on him and prayed, the man was healed. Word of the healing got around fast, and soon everyone on the island who was sick came and got healed.” Acts 28:7-9 (The Message).

Imagine a small community of islanders having to play host to 256 unexpected guests, and not just for a day!

But with Paul among them, they were not parasites. Through him, God repaid their hosts’ kindness and generosity in ways that were far beyond what money could buy. Wherever he went, you could count on it that Paul would share his priceless message and the mercy of God that reached out to all people. In the unshakeable knowledge of God’s grace, he gave away the gift of healing to people who were ignorant and undeserving but who needed to know Him as much as anyone else.

Once again the devil’s agenda was thwarted and what could have been a terrible disaster turned out to be another of God’s opportunities to share His love with an isolated island community which might not have otherwise heard. Paul did it in a very practical way, dispensing healing through the power of the Holy Spirit to the whole island. I’m sure many of the people would have wished they were sick just to experience God’s healing power!

“We spent a wonderful three months on Malta. They treated us royally, took care of all our needs and outfitted us for the rest of the journey. When an Egyptian ship that wintered there in the harbour prepared to leave for Italy, we got on board. The ship had a carved Gemini for its figurehead: “The Heavenly Twins.”

We put in at Syracuse for three days and then went up the coast to Rhegium. Two days later, with the wind out of the south, we sailed into the Bay of Naples. We found Christian friends there and stayed with them for a week.” Acts 28:10-14 (The Message).

Mission accomplished! The Roman centurion and soldiers must have breathed a sigh of relief when they placed their feet on Italian soil. Luke does not specify, but it seems that the centurion trusted Paul enough to allow him to stay with friends until they could deliver him to Caesar. Perhaps he left him in the custody of one or two soldiers while he continued on to Rome to make arrangements for Paul.

One wonders why Luke commented on the figurehead on the Egyptian ship. Was he telling his reader that the ship sailed under the protection of “Gemini” until the moment that Paul and his little company of believers stepped on board? From then on, while they were on the ship, it sailed under the covering of Paul’s God. The company that boarded the ship after their own was wrecked had learned that anywhere was safe, even in a hurricane storm, where they were in the hands of God.

Would they ever forget their interlude in the company of Paul? Their time on Malta was no trial — they had experienced the bounty of God’s provision through the islanders, and all because God was showing them the care and favour of a loving Father. No doubt Paul took every opportunity to tell them the story of Jesus and demonstrate His resurrection power by healing sick people.

Wherever he went, Paul was a living, walking, breathing testimony to Jesus. He turned every disaster into an opportunity to put the glory of his Master on display. As turbulent and eventful as his life had been, it was all lived for and focussed on the one person who had captured his heart and transformed him from angry persecutor to passionate preacher. For Paul, God’s peace which was his priceless possession was all that mattered and came to him through his unassailable trust in God.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV).

THE BOOK OF ACTS – A MARKED MAN

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CHAPTER 28

A MARKED MAN

“Once everyone was accounted for and we realised that we all made it, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The natives went out of their way to be friendly to us. The day was rainy and cold and we were already soaked to the bone, but they built a huge bonfire and gathered us around it.

Paul pitched in and helped. He had gathered up a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held on. Seeing the snake hanging from Paul’s hand like that, the natives jumped to the conclusion that he was murderer getting his just deserts. Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear. They kept expecting him to drop dead, but when it was obvious he wasn’t going to, they jumped to the conclusion that he was a god!”  Acts 28:1-6 (The Message).

Talk about drama! Never a dull moment with Paul around! It was obvious that Paul was a marked man. If it was not one thing, it was another. Since the storm had not taken him out at the end of a long line of assassination attempts, here’s another trick up Satan’s sleeve. A venomous snake was just the thing to finish him off and this time no one could help him.

But there was a word from God to cover even a situation like this one. “And these signs will accompany those who believe. In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and when they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.” Mark 16:17-18 (NIV).

Paul was not fazed by the sight of a deadly snake dangling from his hand. Why should he be? Was he not walking on the Word of God? He shook it off as though it were a bug and carried on feeding the fire. Unlike his hosts, he wasn’t expecting to drop dead because he was going to Rome!

The reaction of the islanders was typical of people who interpreted life from a superstitious world view. To them everything was a series of cause-and-effect events as a tit-for-tat response to their behaviour. When the snake struck, according to their understanding Paul was being punished because he was an evil-doer but when nothing happened to him, they changed their tune. He must be a god!

There is a valuable spiritual lesson for us even in this bizarre happening. What was it that prevented the serpent’s venom from circulating through Paul’s body and doing its fatal damage? Was it not Paul’s attitude? Had fear taken hold of him so would the snake poison have done? He was protected from death by his confidence in the words Jesus had spoken.

How many times we are “bitten” by the venomous words spoken to or about us! Words have the power to strike and latch on to our minds like a viper’s fangs. We have one of two options: receive them and allow the poison to seep into our minds and affect and infect our lives, or shake them off and remain immune to their deadly intention. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit — you choose.” Proverbs 18:21 (The Message).

How we deal with them depends largely upon what we think of ourselves. A few days ago we looked at the reason why Paul was so unaffected by his circumstances. He was already a dead man. He died on the day he met Jesus. Since you can’t kill a dead man, not even a poisonous snake could kill him. He was in the hands of God, not circumstances, so he could shake off the circumstances and stake his life on what God had spoken.

What a way to live! Carefree in the care of God! When you are walking on the Word, your feet are more securely planted than on solid earth!

THE BOOK OF ACTS – 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 featured 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 BOOK OF ACTS – 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.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – 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 was 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),