Acts 27-28
December 22, 2014

Being a minister, I often read the Bible listening for ideas and concepts that strike a chord with me.   Something that stirs me in some way that I might preach on, or find interesting.

So here's a couple of things from this passage.
1.  Paul, a godly man warns the owner of the ship not to sail, but he won't listen.   It could be because he doesn't value the opinion of Paul, or because he wants to get his good to market sooner.  Either way, he loses the entire load.   The owner of the boat should have investigated Paul, to find out what sort of person he was.   Had he done this, he would have know what miracles Paul had been performing, and it might have changed his opinion.    In the same way, God often warns us, through His Word, or His people, about dangers in the future.  He tells us what paths to avoid, and when we obey we are spared great loss.
2.  Paul encourages all the men on the ship, and it is our job to be encouragers.   I wonder if Paul learned how to do this from Barnabus?   I don't think he was a natural encourager before they met.
3.  Some churches have taken the account of Paul surviving a deadly snake bite as the one sign of a true disciple.   They fill their church with snakes and allow themselves to be bitten by them.  Ironically the apostle himself would have called them crazy.   Jesus taught that we would be protected from many injuries and illnesses as we shared the Gospel.   Protection from the effects of a snake bite are mentioned, however Jesus never said that we would live forever, or that we would never become ill.   While it is certainly in His power to cause us to live forver without any illness, it never seems to have been His intent.  The true symbol of Christianity is a repentant heart, and the fruit of the Spirit that flows from it.
4. As far as we know, Paul never leaves Rome.  But there doesn't seem to be any rush to judgement.  He spends two years in a rented home awaiting trial.  Things will become far more harsh in the days ahead, but for the moment he is free to spread the Gospel to any who will listen.

A couple of times in the last few weeks people I know have suffered some significant setbacks.  Some were physical, most were financial.  I celebrate the fact that in every case the people involved didn't despair, didn't reject the idea that God loves them, and didn't quit believing that God would provide.   As of today, as far as I know every one of them has still been able to provide for themselves and family.  Praise the Lord!   If I learn anything from this passage, it's simply that God sometimes works in ways that we don't imagine to bring about His will.    Who would have thought that God would use a shipwreck to convert an island nation?   I wonder how devout people on Malta are today?   does Christianity still survive there?   Would any of the residents be in heaven if it weren't for Paul being sent to trial before Caesar?    God is never without a plan, or without resources to enact it.   He is always several steps ahead of anyone else in the process....including the devil, who cannot possibly keep up.
Therefore I do not worry,  God has purpose in all things, and in all things, He works for the good of those who love Him.


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