March 24, 2019

    Through The Storms    

Acts 27: 1-26

Acts

When the time came, we set sail for Italy.  Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of an army officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.  And Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us.  We left on a boat whose home port was Adramyttium;  it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province of Asia.

The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs.  Putting out to sea from there, we encountered head winds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.  We passed along the coast of the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.  There the officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandra that was bound for Italy and he put us on board.

We had several days of rough sailing and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus.  But the wind was against us, so we sailed down to the leeward side of Crete, past the cape of Salmone.  We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.  We had lost a lot of time.  The weather was becoming dangerous for long voyages by then because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it.

"Sirs," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on - shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger to our lives.  But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ships' captain and the owner  than to Paul.  And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor - a poor place to spend the winter - most of the crew wanted to go to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.

When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it.  So they pulled up anchor and sailed along close to shore.  But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (a "northeaster" they called it) caught the ship and blew it out to sea.  They couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.

We sailed behind a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat that was being towed behind us.  Then we banded the ship with ropes to strengthen the hull.  The sailors were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor and were thus driven before the wind.

The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard.  The following day they even threw out the ship's equipment and anything else they could lay their hands on.  The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

No one had eaten for a long time.  Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens.  You would have avoided all this injury and loss.  But take courage!  None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.  For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar!  What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.'  So take courage!  For I believe God.  It will be just as he said.  But we will be shipwrecked on an island." 

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 Thoughts....

1.  Be honorable and worthy (27:3).

2.  There WILL be rough days ahead where you will feel the pressure of things against you causing you struggles with great difficulty.  Hold on to the truths of your faith with the Lord.

3.  Listen for God's voice.  You will be a visionary for all.

4.  Find a quality and safe port in every storm with Jesus. 

5.  Sometimes life can be so difficult, you just have to rest.  Trust God. 

6.  You may have to give up much...like disobedience, thoughts of fear, failure, loss, retaliation.  

7.  Never lose hope.

8.  Take courage!  The best is yet to come!  Believe God in his goodness will grant you safety! 

10.  KNOW God WILL bring you through. 

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Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit forgive me for my sins, so that I may be a cleansed vessel to which Holy Spirit would want to come, rest and have his being, to lead, guide and direct me.  Heal me and make me whole.  I've known the good, the bad, and the ugly storms of life.  Can I please live the good without storms for a while?  I believe....in you.  I have hope.  I'm listening.  I will make every attempt at being courageous, although I'd rather not have to be in a storm to need that.  No matter what, I will be honorable, so to be found worthy.  I'm holding on....to you.  I will rest....in you.  I KNOW you WILL bring me through.  I thank you.  I praise you.  I love you.  Amen.               

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 More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

'All who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.  For you are all Christians - you are ONE in Christ Jesus.'  Galatians 3: 27

  It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!

Teach tolerance....reach in acceptance....worship as one!

Respect....Embrace....Encourage!

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Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, animals, the earth, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart.  

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  One last thing....

Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!

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