Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....July 15, 2019
The Final Act....Acts 27
After 12 weeks in the book of Acts, I hope you’ve begun to discover and appreciate that the Christian life will always and only be a life in alignment and in sync with the Holy Spirit. Contrary to cultural and religious opinion, the Christian life isn’t based on the ingenuity, ability, and effort of our capable flesh, but is a life lived under the influence and directed by the Holy Spirit It isn’t what we can do in our humanity that pleases God, but what God can do in/thru us when we live submitted to him that puts a smile on God’s face.
As we close our series this week, we are going to discover from Paul what it looks like when believers walk in the Spirit. Lest we forget, Acts is a record of the unleashing of the Holy Spirit upon the world, the church, and in the lives of every believer. Throughout this account, we’ve seen God at work in a powerful way to explode the Gospel into the world. Yet it’s vital to remember that Jesus didn’t become a man to die on the cross to atone for sin so we could just see it – He came so we might experience it. Neither did He enter into our lives in the person of the H.S. to make us feel good about ourselves and our eternity; He came to fill/indwell us to empower us to live each day on mission for Him.
In Acts 27, Paul showed us Holy Spirit living in action thru the most challenging of circumstances. Truth is one of the best ways to validate one’s faith to prove it is authentic is through trials/storms. The book of James tells us to – Consider it joy when you encounter trials of many kinds b/c you the testing of your faith produces endurance. That is, the testing of your faith authenticates that your life is in proper alignment under the influence of the Holy Spirit
In Acts 27, after a series of arrests and trials in Jerusalem and Caesarea by the Sea, Paul is being transported to Rome to be granted an audience with Caesar.
This text reminds us when bad things happen to God’s people they’re happening for earthly and eternal reasons and not because of karma or bad luck. They remind us we live by faith instead of fate – and that nothing happens outside of His purview.
In case you don’t know the story, Paul boards a ship in chains under the command of a Roman Guard to stand trial before Caesar in Rome. As the ship sets sail, they encounter a series of challenges requiring they ditch the first ship to board a larger ship. As the voyage continues the ship encounters a storm w/ hurricane winds and the ship was lost. Everyone swims to safety to Malta where Paul is bitten by a viper and lives – and then performs a healing.
While there are many lessons in this story about leadership, faith, God’s sovereignty, and more, I believe the great lesson to be learned is about how believers are to live life. We distinctly see the difference b/w walking by faith and living by fate. In the crew, we see men who trusted in what they could or couldn’t do – in what they could manage, handle, and chart and what they couldn’t. We see men who trusted in their abilities and ingenuity living life thru the lens of their present circumstances and personal preferences. And in the end there was despair, defeat, and desperation.
In Paul we see a different pursuit or outlook on life. We see a man who lived beyond his circumstance for a purpose of Divine origin greater than himself. Instead of seeing his life through the lens of personal ambition, he saw his life as the Divinely directed/orchestrated will of God. He saw his life as a series of God provided opportunities for ministry instead of as a series of random events of fate.
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.
Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis; they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard w/ their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said:
“Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, b/c not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail w/ you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” -Acts 27:13-26
Whereas the sailors in the storm defaulted to trusting in their own abilities to save their ship and lives, it ultimately proved ineffective against the storm. But Paul was a man who reveals to us how to walk anchored in the H.S. even in the midst of a storm!
The Anchor of God’s PRESENCE
Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me...
Paul lived in tune and under the leading of God’s voice – Thus, even in the midst of a raging storm, Paul found he wasn’t alone – God was present to minister peace to his heart. And the same God who was present w/ Paul is present w/ us. Even when it seems He’s distant, He isn’t. He is there – watching, leading, protecting, and being God.
When Tony Campolo was a boy his mom paid a teenage girl a nickel a day to walk Tony home from school. In 2nd grade, he rebelled telling his mom if she gave him a nickel a week, he’d walk home from school by himself. After begging, she relented and let him have his way, and for 2 yrs he walked himself the 8 blocks to/from school. Years later at a family party, he was bragging about his independence and reminded his family of how he had taken care of himself as a boy. His mother laughed and shared the rest of the story.
"Did you really think you were alone? Every AM when you left for school, I left with you. I walked behind you all the way. When you got out of school, I was there again. I always kept myself hidden, but I was there and I followed you all the way home. I was there just in case you needed me."
The Anchor of God’s PROMISE
Did you know there are 8,810 promises in the Bible? Nearly 25% of the all Bible verses contain a promise from God. Here in Acts 27, God makes Paul a promise.
‘Do not be afraid, Paul; You must stand trial before Caesar
As Paul weathered the storm, God sent an angel to remind him that he was going to stand before Caesar and that everyone on the ship was going to be spared. This promise helped Paul to see it through without fear.
The promise of God is a powerful aspect of faith and a key element of living out God’s will. Knowing He has a plan for us and that He will be present can give us great confidence in our earthly circumstances. This is how we must pursue the Christian life – according to God’s Word.
God made a promise and God kept His Word! He spared every life and proved Himself to be as good as His Word!
When Jesus takes your hand, He keeps you tight. When Jesus keeps you tight, He leads you thru your whole life. When Jesus leads you thru your life, He brings you safely home.
The Anchor of God’s PROVIDENCE
Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all b/c it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us w/ the supplies we needed. -Acts 28:1-10
Now this might be hard to fathom, but not only was God present, but God was at work both in and thru Paul.
In that moment, the storm and snake was the safest place in the world for Paul to be because he was resting in the center of God’s will! He was right where God wanted him to be. The storm and the snake were part of God’s plan He was working out His plan in Paul's life. He authored the circumstances to give Paul the helm for the sake of the Gospel.
God is always (even when we have a hard time seeing it) at work in us, thru us, and beyond us for His glory/ and His will.
I pray in some small way, this journey through this important book, Acts, you have taken to heart what it is saying to all of us...Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
I love you all!!!
Around the first of this year, when struggling with what to come up with to write in Reflections, God began to put teaching thru the book of Acts on my heart. He knew at that time what I didn’t know – that we’d be in a brewing storm regarding the future for me. He also knew then that we’d be studying Acts 27 and Paul’s response to His storm just as our storm is beginning to rage. Here’s the point – this week, as one wave began crashing after another and the winds began to howl, God pulled me to the side and spoke ever so gently – are you going to handle this man’s way or My way? You do know I am present? You know I promise to walk with you? You know I’ll watch over and protect you? And you do realize I am providentially at work in and thru you in these stormy conditions. So TRUST Me!
Now, Gods Words make so much sense after going through the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. In retrospect, now, I can see Gods Hand at work in my writing to you. I am going to trust God over the next few weeks as we look at a disturbing subject in our lives today in America.
As I wrote to you a few weeks ago, I am not a particularly political person. It was my pleasure in my life to be able to know Senator John McCain and to be a part of many of his campaigns, including his presidential run in 2008. What I found in that particular campaign was the dirty, muck-filled swamp of American politics. I swore at that time I would never get involved again which brings me to the subject of our teachings over the next few weeks. I have entitled the new series....Don’t just sit there….DO SOMETHING!!!
It revolves around the politics in America and in particular, the Socialist Left Progressive wing of the Democratic party and their mindset to destroy Christianity in America and the world. I entitled it thus because if we sit here and do nothing, Christianity will be destroyed and we will live in a Socialist/Communist America. I, for one, cannot stand by and watch the belief I have in Jesus Christ be destroyed and taken away from me.
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
A Simple Lesson
A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The rat turned to the pig and told him, "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!" "I am so very sorry Mr. Rat," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers."
The rat turned to the cow. She said, "Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?"
So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's rat trap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
This week we look at the 2nd Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians...
Who wrote the book?
Just because Paul visited a city, preached the gospel for weeks or even months, and founded a church by guiding converts to the faith, this did not protect the new church from scheming heretics. In fact, the immaturity of any new church presented a perfect target for those who meant to mislead and distort the truth. Paul, worried about his friends and their troubles with false teachers, wrote this second letter to the believers at Thessalonica in the hope of encouraging their young but burgeoning faith.
Where are we?
Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians from Corinth in AD 51 within months of writing the first letter. Since the subject matter of the second letter has a number of thematic similarities to the first, Paul probably had received a second report from the city detailing continuing questions or problems regarding the end times. Several of Paul’s references indicate that some in Thessalonica were deliberately misleading these new believers, even to the point of false teachers forging letters to make them look as if they had come from Paul....
(2 Thessalonians 2:2). The apostle, therefore, took extra care in this letter to make sure the Thessalonians understood not only his views on the end times but also what his handwriting looked like, so they would be able to identify letters as authentically his (3:17).
Why is Second Thessalonians so important?
Second Thessalonians distinguishes itself by the detailed teaching it presents on the end times. False teachers had been presenting fake letters as if from Paul and telling the Thessalonian believers that the day of the Lord had already come. This would have been especially troubling to them because Paul had encouraged them in his previous letter that they would be raptured before the day of wrath came upon the earth.
So Paul explained to them that this future time of tribulation had not yet come because a certain “man of lawlessness” had not yet been revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Comparisons with other passages in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation reveal this man to be none other than the Antichrist. But Paul encouraged the Thessalonians not to worry, because the Antichrist would not come until a mysterious restrainer—the Thessalonians apparently knew his identity—was removed from earth (2:6–7). The identity of this restrainer has been heavily debated, though due to the nature of the work the restrainer does, He is likely the Spirit of God working redemptively through the church. When the believers leave the earth in the rapture, all who remain will experience the wrath of the tribulation.
What's the big idea?
The apostle Paul, in concern for the Thessalonian believers who were trying to stand firm in their faith under pressure from false teachers, taught the Thessalonians in this letter that their hope in Christ’s future return should serve as an encouragement to them in their suffering, motivating them to live responsibly for Him. Paul always connected his teaching on Jesus with the practical growth he expected to see as a result of such a deeply held faith.
How do I apply this?
Discipline and self-control are two qualities that quickly slip away in a society so focused on the material that its people forget the spiritual realities that should dictate their lives. Fat with financial and material success, many people today have descended into an unruly and lazy existence that possesses little care for others, especially of the kind that might conflict with our personal, fleshly desires. How does your daily life come into conflict with God’s desire for you to live well and serve others?
Paul knew that hope in Christ would encourage perseverance in godly living. And hope is exactly what we lack today, one of the great roots of this gradual slip into increased self-centeredness. As you read the words of 2 Thessalonians, allow them to rekindle your hope and fan into flame your desire to live in God-honoring, industrious ways.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou