Author: jma47

Shipwrecked Opportunities

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There is so much in the story of the ship that carried Paul to Rome. It seems prophetic for our times in this pandemic. The world has been caught up in a tempestuous storm.
 
Paul had just told everyone what the angel had said to him. Then in Acts 27:26 he said, “However, we must run aground on a certain island.”
 
In verse 30 some of the sailors were seeking to escape. Paul told the centurion that unless the men stayed on the ship they wouldn’t be saved.
 
Verses 39-44 is the account of the shipwreck. Verse 44 says that they all escaped safely to the land, which was called Malta.
 
Acts 28:1-10 is the account of their time on the island. Paul had many shipwreck opportunities to bear witness of the Lord. First, the natives welcomed them. It was raining and cold so they kindled a fire. Verse 3 says, “But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.”
 
Verse 5 says, “But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.” What a testimony! The natives were expecting him to suddenly fall down dead.
 
The leading man of the Island entertained the shipwrecked men for three days. His father was sick. Verse 8-9 says, “…Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.”
 
Paul used the shipwreck to declare the Lord before those around him. Nothing daunted him. He moved forward in the power and confidence of the Lord. He demonstrated his faith at every opportunity.
 
Paul shook off the deadly viper. What an example for us. We must shake off the fear that seeks to fasten onto us through this virus, just as Paul shook off the viper. Those around us are watching to see how we react. May our confidence be in the Lord. May He be glorified through our words and actions.

Undeterred Part Two

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Yesterday I was working on my Emotional Freedom paperback. That was written in 2016, but the words were about Jesus not being deterred. I love God’s timing.
*Jesus is our ongoing example. Luke 9:51 says, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.”
*Nothing deterred Jesus from His set course. He did not shrink back. He knew that when He died on the cross, it would pave the way for you and me to have an intimate relationship with Him.
*Hebrews 12:2 told how He endured. His focus was on the joy that was set before Him. The verse also reminds us to keep our focus on Him. It says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Paul was undeterred as he stood before the council. He wisely spoke words that would disrupt the council. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were divided in what they believed. Such a great dissension took place that the commander brought him into the barracks to protect him.
Acts 23:11 says, “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
Paul remained undeterred when there was a plot against him. Forty men made a great oath to not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. The Lord intervened. Paul was moved in the night and sent to the governor Felix. By the way, the Bible never said another word about the forty.
Paul stood before Felix, and King Agrippa as he recounted his journey and salvation on the road to Damascus. He appealed to Caesar, and thus his journey to Rome via a ship was procured.
The ship was caught in a tumultuous tempest and everyone feared for their lives. Paul remained undeterred. Acts 27:2 he told the men that an angel of God had stood by him. Verse 24 says, “…Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.”

3 FREE EBOOKS

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Today and Saturday on Amazon, I have 3 FREE ebooks (this is the last until the remaining 4 of 35 are formulated and published)
 
Controlled Thinking: girding truth around your heart
 
Demolishing Strongholds: cultivating fallow ground
 
Observing Your Life: secured steadfast and anchored in Jesus

Undeterred

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Remember that Paul said to imitate him as he imitated Christ. Jesus set His face like a flint. He was undeterred. Paul imitated Him.
 
Acts 20:22-23 says, “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”
 
Verses 24-38 was his last admonition to them. Verse 37-38 says, “Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more.” Emotional scene.
 
In Acts 21:11 a prophet named Agabus said, “…So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” In verse 12 they pleaded with him not to go.
 
Verse 13 Paul said, “…What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
 
It was because Paul was undeterred that we have his prison epistles. He wrote words in his crucible-trials that we live by. He gave us doctrinal foundational verses. His letters to the churches have timeless words. The prayers he prayed for them are prayers of strength and hope for us.
 
Colossians 1:9-11 are his heart-worded prayers. One’s that we can pray for ourselves and for others. “…that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”
 
Time after time Paul had folks begging him not to do something. Yet the Lord set his course and he remained undeterred to the end. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” May we imitate him and he imitated Christ.
 

The Blessing In Obedience Part Two

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I came to a part in Bruce Olson’s autobiography last night where he told about running from what God wanted him to do. He had gone to South America to take the gospel to the Motilone tribe.

He first encountered the Yukos. He stayed with them for awhile but left because he was tired of them, and they were tired of him. He longed for a coke and a hamburger. (It reminded me of the children of Israel when they longed for the food of Egypt). He tried to leave twice. Each time his donkey dumped him and he had to go back. He concluded that it was better to obey God. God had sent him. He would help him get to the right tribe.

What happened when Jonah ran from God? I remember the chorus we used to sing: God told Jonah to go down to Nineveh, that old wicked town,  but Jonah didn’t want to go where he was sent…. It doesn’t pay to disobey that’s all there’s to it. Like old Jonah you’ll find out the hard, hard way.

I often read Acts 16:6-10  when my way is blocked. Paul and his team headed out but the Holy Spirit forbid them. They turned to go another direction and it says that He did not permit them. What would you do in their case?

The Lord had a specific area where He wanted them to go and preach the gospel. It was revealed in a vision to Paul. When they started that way, everything opened up easily.

Years ago the Lord gave me a definition for frustration: God intercepting my way to redirect me into His way. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

At one point in Bruce’s account he got really sick with hepatitis. He knew he had to get out of the jungle. He prayed, “You brought me here to work with the Motilone Indians, help me.” The Lord intervened. He persevered in what the Lord had called him to do.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” In the beginning of Bruce’s call, he tried to do things in his own strength and failed. When he simply obeyed the Lord, and relied totally on Him, he was blessed immeasurably. So it is with us. The path of obedience is strewn with grace and blessings.

3 (THREE) FREE EBOOKS

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Today and Thursday I have three free ebooks on Amazon
 
Exposing Self-Deception: overthrowing the lies you have believed
 
Emotionally Indifferent: pretending you are unaffected
 
Spiritual Roots to Disease: healing wounded hearts

The Blessing In Obedience

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Acts 10 is pivotal. The door opened on the hinges of two men who were obedient. Verse 2 says of Cornelius, “A devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”
 
The Lord spoke to him in a vision. In Verse 5-6 the angel said, “Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter…He will tell you what you must do.”
 
Cornelius did send for Peter. In the meantime Peter saw a vision that was out of character. The Lord was telling him to kill and eat unclean animals. The Lord said in verse 15, “…What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
 
As Peter thought about the meaning of the vision, Cornelius’ men arrived. Verse 19-20 were his instructions. “…Behold, three men are seeking you…go down and go and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.”
 
Peter went with them. When he got to Cornelius’ house, they were all waiting for him. Talk about exciting. Verse 33 says, “…we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
 
In Verse 34-35 Peter opened his mouth and said, “…In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” Peter then preached the gospel to them. Cornelius and all his household got saved!
 
Though Cornelius believed in God, he prayed to God, and he gave money for the poor, he was not saved. His religious activity was lifeless. The Lord honored his heart and made the way for him to hear the gospel.
 
King Saul on the other hand heard the word of the Lord through Samuel the prophet. However, he took matters into his own hands and lost his kingdom. 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to HEED than the fat of rams.”
 
Let’s put the two scenes together. One, there was instant obedience. Two, there was disobedience. We are in a new era with this world wide pandemic. Things as we knew them may never be the same.
 
Isaiah 43:18-19 Amplified says, “Do no (earnestly) remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give HEED to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” May these verses speak to our hearts.

Saul of Tarsus

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Before Conversion
We know from Acts 7:58 that Saul was a young man. Acts 8:3 and Acts 9:1 showed his zeal for God. Later he wrote in Romans 10:2 that it was a zeal without knowledge.
 
We know also from Philippians 3:3-6 that he was of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and he was a Pharisee. From Acts 22:3 we know that he was highly educated under Gamaliel.
 
After Conversion
Saul was radically encountered by Jesus. He was on his way to Damascus to hunt down any who were of the Way, in order to put them into prison.
 
The Lord intercepted Saul’s way to redirect him into His way. The Lord spoke to Ananias of Saul’s future. Acts 9:15 says, “…he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” Saul fulfilled those words.
 
Verse 16 says, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-27: labors more abundant, stripes, in prison, in deaths often, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, perils, weariness, toil, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold, and nakedness.
 
Note: Saul was not called Paul until Acts 13:9. It says, “Then Saul, who also is called Paul…”
 
Paul remained zealous for the Lord, but with knowledge. He began a whole new ministry. He was so transformed after his encounter with the Lord, he immediately preached Christ in the synagogues. Acts 9:21 says, “Then all who heard were amazed and said, Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
 
Verse 26 says, “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.” Barnabas brought him to the apostles. Saul declared to them how the Lord had encountered him, and how he had spoken boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
 
Paul later wrote to the Corinthians church. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” His letters still instruct us how to imitate the Lord in our daily walk. May we emulate the Lord in every aspect of our lives.
 

The ‘Acts’ of Acts 8 Part Two

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There is another scene in chapter 8 to look at today. Simon the sorcerer used to enamor the crowds with his magic. Verse 10 says that the people said: this man is the great power of God.
 
Philip was in Samaria preaching. There were miracles, possessed folks were delivered, and many were healed. Verse 12 says, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”
 
Verse 13 says that Simon also believed and was baptized and continued with Philip. When Simon saw the power of God released when Peter and John laid hands on folks, he offered them money to get the same power.
 
In verse Peter scathingly said, “…your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!” Verse 21 Peter told him that his heart was not right with God.
 
Verse 22-23 says, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound in iniquity.”
 
His heart was not right because his thoughts were full of hidden sin. Our hearts are our belief center. All thoughts come from what we believe. When we bury bitterness in our heart, it feeds out through our thoughts and actions. Bitterness creates chemical imbalances that can cause inner defilement and disease.
 
Unresolved issues of bitterness, anger, resentment, and unforgiveness negatively affect us as well as those around us. Hebrews 12:15 calls it a bitter root judgment that defiles and contaminates.
 
Have you allowed your circumstances to negatively affect you, so that you spew bitterness through your words and actions? Father help us to draw others through a fragrant heart as we walk in Your grace. Help us to have a gracious attitude in all that we say and do.
 

Three (3) FREE EBOOKS

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I have three free ebooks on amazon today and Tuesday
 
Garden of Your Heart: bearing fruit that glorifies God
 
Honey-Laced Words: imparting grace to your hearers
 
Putting Off The Mask Of Pretense: cultivating a heart of integrity