Day 27: Acts Ch.27 Add surviving a shipwreck to Paul’s long list of harrowing experiences as a missionary. Although Paul was a prisoner at the time, he assured the crew that they would survive the pending shipwreck if they followed God’s guidance. Pray for God’s strength to be faithful during the storms of life.
Pray for the Church to go in faith, always believing God is in control.
JESUS today YOU will SAVE me.
Eat This Book
Read Proverbs Chapter 27
Acts 27
1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.
2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
The POFW Daily Bible Reading 
9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
At times it seems hard to believe the words that are given to us especially from people we don’t trust. But when it’s Gods will it will be done.
We get tested daily and we should never loose faith if God has already showed you his path.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Even in the midst of our adversaries God can turn our situation around… What the Devil meant for bad, God can use it for His purpose. #firstfire #firstthekingdom
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 Crete. You would have avoided all this damage 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.”
Acts of the Apostles 27:21-26 NLT
Even though the ship men was proud and refuse to listen to Paul God still had grace
But what really caught my eyes is when Paul said you will be shipwreck this made me think how many times have our proudness has caused a shipwreck yet even when we were proud hearted God still save this we didn’t deserve it but his grace it’s greater the captain was proudheart and didn’t want to listen causing a shipwreck
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Sometimes the ship over the sea
Whenever you look at the sea of life and the storm is raging all around you, we have to have faith that God is the captain of the ship and he will guide you to safety. We have to have faith when it looks as if the ship is coming apart and all hope is gone. God will deliver us and keep us. Finally through this tempest, the centurion and others began to trust Paul in what he was saying.
Today church we have to rely on God if we are going to make heaven our final destination and allow God to take us where we need to be. I am reminded of an old song this morning as I read this scripture:
Old ship of Zion-
She’s a big old ship and she’s sitting mighty low in the water
‘Cause she’s been on her maiden voyage
Ever since the blood of Calvary bought her
She’s weathered violent storms
Some passengers jumped overboard and drowned
But she’s not just some Titanic
She’s the church and she’s not going down
Sail on old ship of Zion brave what lurks in a cold dark night
Sail on old ship of Zion till you see that beacon light
Sail on old ship of Zion He’s on board you’re not alone
Sail on till you hear the Captain
Say Land’s in sight you’ve made it home
This ship was launched from a hill outside Jerusalem
Caught a brand new gust of wind
When it breezed through the upper room
Rode out a storm with a jail cell song at midnight
What makes you think she’s gonna sink
In some modern day typhoon
Sail on old ship of Zion He’s on board your not alone
Sail on till you hear the Captain
Say land’s in sight you’ve made it home
Sail on old ship of Zion
Sail on old ship of Zion
Sail on old ship of Zion
He’s on board and I can’t wait to hear Him say
Church you’ve made it home
This is exactly what the church and those believers that God is needs to heed the warning. Seek first the kingdom and allow God to captain the ship and your life and we will make it.
I live the kingdom!
I honestly didn’t know what to say at first but then it hit me. Paul warned them paul was a man of God.
Always listen to the man of God, because God has already spoken to him . If you don’t obey you will be shipwrecked. Lost, stranded , alone, far from God . You will be exposed to the enemy with no protection
All because of disobedience.
Acts 27
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
We have began to eat spiritually. As I was standing at the altar last night recommitting to God’s will;my ole was to save my family . Staying in the boat during the storm when you want to jump ship and swim for your life. PUl admonished then their safety was still in the boat. Strength comes from the spiritual food intake like Sunday night s. service. There has to be a depth in the spiritual realm. It cannot be just s nerd snack but a full dinner. The nourishment for the storms of life. Though the waves crash against the ship. Though the storm is raging stay in the boat. I’m not sure what is getting ready to take place spiritually but I believe it is big . God sees our commitment we are keeping. He servehere we are and He us faithful. Paul had such a great confidence he took the lead when he was the one in bondage. He led through the storm . Evidently those who were his captors had no strength. I believe without a doubt this is what God wants though we ourself may be going trough some of the toughest trials we have ever faced we are to still lead with confidence that no matter the situation God is our strength. Yes there is a shifting in the spiritual realm a boldness yet a calmness in the storm . Peace assurance and anticipation. My soul delights in your presence oh Lord. Though the tempest is raging I must trust in You
Sometimes He Calms the Storm
All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn’t mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we’re shaken
We cannot be pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain beats down
On those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Acts 27:11, 16-17, 20-26, 29, 31-34, 39-40, 43-44
Matthew
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
God goes before me and knows everything it’s my part to be obedient.
GOD would never place me in a ship that I have never been in without Him, training or someone of authority to take instructions from I MUST BE OBEDIENT, EVEN WHEN it sounds crazy because I either don’t trust, lost faith, or let fear take over.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
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,
So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.
Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat—
Acts of the Apostles 27:22-23, 25, 35-36 NLT
We are the Church no matter where we are, no matter the circumstance. When the storms of life are ripping people apart we have the hope inside of us that will keep them going. God has called us to stand in those places, to be His hands and feet. When God works through us we become miraculously empowered. We are counselors, encouragers, builders of people, feeding people the spiritual sustenance they need, helping them find their way, we are the Light in the darkness. Who can we encourage today?
Who can we invite to church today?
Who can we talk to, reach out to, pray for today?
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Sometimes you need to stay in the ship!!! We are humans that are constantly making mistakes for there is only ONE PERFECT and that is CHRIST. When you put a bunch of humans in one building they are bound to make mistakes and offend one another; but just because you are offended YIU SHOULDN’T leave!!!! Your SALVATION DEPENDS IN YOU STAYING IN THE SHIP!!!! Yes we will tare through some storms and we may get trashed by the waves but as long as we stay in the ship we will be SAFE! We need to hear the voice of the man of God and only come out of the ship when he says to. Church the time has come when we MUST bound together in prayer and in fasting to bring REVIVAL TO THE LAND!!!
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Sometimes you need to stay in the ship!!! We are humans that are constantly making mistakes for there is only ONE PERFECT and that is CHRIST. When you put a bunch of humans in one building they are bound to make mistakes and offend one another; but just because you are offended YIU SHOULDN’T leave!!!! Your SALVATION DEPENDS IN YOU STAYING IN THE SHIP!!!! Yes we will tare through some storms and we may get trashed by the waves but as long as we stay in the ship we will be SAFE! We need to hear the voice of the man of God and only come out of the ship when he says to. Church the time has come when we MUST bound together in prayer and in fasting to bring REVIVAL TO THE LAND!!!
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Obedience keeps you safe. These men even clung to the smallest broken pieces of the boat and it carried them to safety. Even when it doesn’t seem like there’s much hope, cling to the Word of God and the promises He has for us. We are going to live and not die; we are going to overcome and not fail; greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 27:31 KJV
Don’t allow the trials of life keep you from being saved!! Your children and grandchildren are watching your every move.
Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.
1 CORINTHIANS 16:13
Acts Chapter 27 verse 38-40
38.and when they were on the ship,they had eaten enough food so they could lightened the ship so then they casted out the wheat into the sea of the ship.
39. And when they know it was not the land and it was the day they were on the beach Shore discovering a certain creek which they minded to thrust in the ship if possible.
40.And the Anchors that they had taken up from the sea,the crew had told them to loosen the rubber bands so they could hoise the mainsail to the wind and they had made to the shore.
10“Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.”
Paul was warning the crew of the dangers coming. God used Paul as a prophet during this moment. It’s wise to listen to men of God, especially a prophet, that tells something. Whether it’s good news or bad news. Listen and obey the Word of God. The outcome will save you and bless you.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
There is so much going on and so much excitement in this story. One of the things I noticed in that these people who did not follow God, received Mercy even though they were disobedient to what Paul, a prisoner of theirs, had told them. There’s a lot of different principles to take away from everything that’s happening in this chapter. Such as always taking the man of God with you and Lissa guidance will often keep you from steering in the wrong direction. And even if you do disobey God will still have mercy and have a way out through the turmoil that you just got yourself into. God has this beautiful niche for pulling us out of our own troubles that we could have avoided if we had just listened to him from the very beginning. I believe it’s most important that we learn the lesson how to adjust avoid the issue altogether by listening to the man of God and allowing him to speak into our lives to avoid trouble in the future.
Verses 21-22 MSG “With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, “Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there’ll not be a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.” I can only imagine what all these people on the ship were thinking when Paul spoke these words. They were probably thinking “OK, Paul, how in the world do you see “things looking up”?? But, Paul wasn’t focused on the storm they were in; he was focused on the promise God had given him.
Acts 27:23 -24 [Amp] For this [ very ] night there stood by my side an Angel of God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship , [24] And he said , Do not be frightened, Paul ! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar ; and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing. So keep up your courage men for I have faith and complete confidence in God. To avoid any more trouble in our lives we should listen to man of God. And stay in the boat with Him. To lead us and guild our lives
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Acts 27:21-24 KJV
Paul spoke with confidence after hearing from God’s Messenger. We can speak with confidence also because we have heard the gospel preached, hopefully, researched it for ourselves and we have seen the results of it every week for the past two years!! Therefore, we can testify to the truth with a holy boldness and confidence. May God use us all in this hour to boldly proclaim His Word!
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
This portion of scripture reminded me of a message Bro. Tallant preached several years ago – The High Cost of a Bad Decision.
Although Paul warned those in charge, they did what they wanted and it cost them everything but their lives.
God can warn us of harm to come, the road not to travel, the sin not to commit, but if we are disobedient then we will have to deal with the consequences. We may have our life when it’s over, but we could lose everything in the process. Lord help us to be wise enough to listen to the man of God and he Word of God and not take unnecessary chances with our eternal salvation.
iLove the Kingdom
13And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
WoW, as I read this my mind exploded. Yep, mind blown. How many times have I seen folks go against the counsel of the man of God? I’m telling you right now I have seen alot of people go against the counsel of the man of God. Ya’ll, it aint pretty when folks believe the deceptive south wind over the words of the man of God.
Back in 2010, I was at a dealership about to sign the papers on a car. I had the paper right in front of me and the pen in my hand. The beady shark eyes cars salesman staring at me across the table had a smile on his face. All the sudden, the phone rang…it was Pastor Watts. “Hey, Pastor…” There was a question on the other end of the line, “What are you up to bro?” I answer, “about to sign for this car”. The uneasy response from the line replied, “Something dont feel right, I wouldn’t do it if I were you.” I responded, “yes sir” and hung up.
To me, it was not a hard choice to make. There was only a little disappointment but no anger, no arguing, did not try to justify anything. I simply looked at the shark (I mean salesman) and said, “Sorry I cant do it”. Wow, that shark faced man went from smiling to vicious in 1.1 seconds as he told me how stupid that was and wanted to know the name and phone number of my pastor.
Well, it was a good thing I listened to pastor. Yep, a few weeks later a large hail storm came and I’m sure the “new car” would have been beat to a pulp (I wonder if it got beat up at the dealership) and a few weeks after that is when the housing industry in Fort Worth fell through the floor and my company had no work for us and I was forced the next couple of months to seek new employment…and there is no way I could have afforded a car note at that time.
Conclusion. Listen to the man of God and you will be under the protection of the Almighty. Believe it or not, God knows the future and he gives the man of God insight into it every so often.
““Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.”
Acts of the Apostles 27:10-11 NLT
The voice of your spiritual leader should be one of the most influential in our lives. It seems like it always start off with disobedience. From disobedience it’s a stairway down to destruction. It will lead you down a path you don’t wanna go, it’ll keep you longer than you intended, take you out further than you even imagined.
31. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Genesis 6:
18. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
19. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
As the boat in Paul’s life and the ark in Noah’s life saved their physical lives, the Church today saves our spiritual lives.
If we ignore the warnings that God is sending through His messengers and choose to leave the means of escape He has prepared for us, we will have all of eternity to remember and regret the choices we made.
…Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
…Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed…the owner of the ship, more than…Paul.
…Paul…said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me… And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
…Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
…Paul besought them all to take meat, saying,… for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
…And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners… But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; …And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Acts 27:3, 9-11, 21-26, 31, 33-36, 42-44
Storms have a way of making believers out of skeptics.
You can tell from the above chronicling of Paul’s interactions with the centurion, that Julius began the trip with a respect for Paul’s character which did not extend to a belief in Paul’s One, True, All-Knowing God. Since Paul met Julius in Caesarea, it’s quite possible that they were both friends of Cornelius. Perhaps Julius had heard of Cornelius’ conversion and had listened with interest to Paul’s many testimonies to visiting dignitaries. Whatever his interest, however, Julius obviously had no faith in Paul’s prophetic ability and, thus, launched when Paul said to stay.
Then came the storm…
Everyone was sick and frantic with fear but Paul. Paul had a clear head and an encouraging voice. Only Paul’s God was sending angels in answer to prayer. Only Paul could see through the deceptive actions of the crew. Every other man’s relationship with and hope in their gods had failed, and they were all willing to sacrifice others to save their own skin. Only Paul had an abiding hope for the future and a love and concern for the lives of other men.
Only Paul remained steadfast and unshaken in the midst of the storm, and Julius couldn’t help but notice the difference. Though the passage doesn’t actually say that Julius became a believer, we can tell from his saving of Paul (at the risk of his own life) that he wasn’t willing to go through the rest of the trip without him. He even became a means of fulfilling the prophecy that Paul had given.
People are watching you in the storm. They are judging your faith, your God, by how you react when the winds blow, the seas of life shake, and the sky above grows dark. Do you tremble like other men? Or become angry? Do you fall apart and run around frantically trying to only save yourself? Or, do you have a peace bestowed upon you by an unshakable relationship with a living God? Do you have confidence in His promises? Do you have compassion even in your own suffering?
The storm sifts those who truly believe from those who do not. The storm gives weight to your testimony. Your peace in the storm can convince the stubbornnest of men.
All that being said, having God’s peace in the storm comes from having an abiding relationship with Him every day. You won’t hear His voice over the waves, if you haven’t familiarized yourself with it in the calm. It’s only a fire that burns brightly and consistently every day that can’t be extinguished by the winds and the rains.
How’s your altar? Is the fire burning? There’s a storm coming, and others will be watching your flame.
9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
The dangers of not listening to the man of God
When we do not listen to what is spoken over the pulpit or spoken to us by the man of God. We fall very cpose to dangerous situations.
Young people, i encourage you to listen. Take it from someone who is not much older than you. Pastor, the youth leaders, and your familt want nothing more than the best for you. Seek after Godly wisdom in your lives. When in doubt, pray and ask questions to those qho you trust. Seek after Gods will for your life. Know the Word of God. I have seen too many young people, going the right direction towards God, and the man of God warns them aboit something. They dont listen and now are paying consequences for those responses all because they didnt listen to the man of God. Dont be like this world and scuff against leadership and authority in your life.
We mist seek after His Kingdom first everyday.
How is your altar.
FIRST THE KINGDOM
GODLY WISDOM TRUMPS WORLDLY EXPERIENCE
9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
This FIRST and most Important lesson, we should learn in life is the safety, blessing and peace that come with submission to authority. GOD in HIS infinite wisdom places people of authority in our lives to teach us these wonderful lessons.
It begins when we are young children. GOD has initiated the “rod” of correction to train children the value of submission and obedience. We learn very early in life that there are wonderful benefits when we obey those in authority over us.
Here in Acts 27 we witness the Spiritual aspect of the principal. Paul the man of GOD who knows nothing about sailing says don’t sail. But the sailors who are knowledgeable and experienced sail anyway and lose everything.
GODLY WISDOM TRUMPS WORLDLY EXPERIENCE
It looked and felt right, but the Man of GOD said no. GOD is speaking to someone right now about the spirit of pride that controls you to the point of no submission. You think you know more than GOD because you have experience. GODLY WISDOM will always TRUMP WORLDLY EXPERIENCE.
Listen to the Man of GOD, it is likely that GOD is speaking through him to guide you away from trouble.
iRepent
iPraise
iPray
iWork
iGive
iReap
iGo
iBlessYouInTheNameOfTheLordJESUS
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
Acts 27:21-26 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/act.27.21-26.KJV
It amazes me how it takes the shipwreck for them to realize that Paul was telling them right, Gods plan for our life is his plan, nothing can change it, nothing can keep it from coming forth in Gods time, it’s hard to comprehend that when I run I think in my human common sense, that I’m done, there’s no way, But hes God because He holds our destiny, stop running stupid, aren’t you tired yet, Jesus, help me to stay rooted and grounded and to burn my running shoes! In Jesus name!
irepent
ipray
ipraise
iread
iblog
itithe
igive
iserve
isubmit
iblessyouinthenameoftheLord
And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Acts 27:42-44 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/act.27.42-44.KJV
So in the face of the storm; they listened to the man of God. This is what happens; I’m good. I don’t need anything at the moment; then all of a sudden your world gets turned on its head. Now what am I going to do; I lost my job. This is what the man of God is telling us; don’t wait until your in the storm. God will guide us through the storm, but don’t wait till it’s in full rage to seek Him. Lord help me today to seek after you. Let me seek You before the storm. Thank you Jesus.
ipray
iread
iblog
itithe
igive
iworship
ipraise
iserve
isubmit
IBlessyouintheNameoftheLordJesusChrist
#godslist
“Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.” So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.”
They would’ve all died if it wasn’t for Paul and Jesus
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Acts 27:10
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
Acts 27:14
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
Acts 27:21
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
Acts 27:22
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Acts 27:23
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 27:31
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
Acts 27:33
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Acts 27:34
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Acts 27:35
But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
Acts 27:43
And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Acts 27:44
Listen to the man everything’s going to be okay.
A.L.M.A.S.
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Acts 27:10
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
Acts 27:14
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
Acts 27:21
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
Acts 27:22
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Acts 27:23
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 27:31
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
Acts 27:33
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Acts 27:34
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Acts 27:35
But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
Acts 27:43
And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Acts 27:44
Listen to the man everything’s going to be okay.
A.L.M.A.S.
When you don’t heed the warning’s that are given to you you have to go through things that are much harder than what you could’ve gone through. It is important for us to listen to the man of God into listen to the warnings that are given so that we don’t have to go through great storms in life. But when we do we have to listen again to the voice of God and the voice of our man of God so that we can all get out of the storm safe.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
We all need a man of God in our lives that will pray and speak peace in our storms, life where there’s death, and hope where there’s despair. We need someone that will keep us accountable and guide us spiritually. It will help us grow spiritually.
27:22 And now I exhort you. To be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
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Let us believe , let us take the man of of God’s word when he first give it to us.
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Let’s believe the first time!!! And obey it.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
No doubt Paul prayed each and every day of the voyage and especially during the storm, but 14 days later, the angel came. God hears us and knows what we face even before we do and if we wait upon him, he will make a way through or out that we cannot see ourselves. This reminds me of when Daniel prayed and the angel was withstood by satan for many days before he could bring Daniel the message from God. We may feel God doesn’t hear us or see our storm when it is raging all around us, but he hears and will answer right on time. It’s about his will being done when we come out on the other side. Seek God while in the storm so we can be in his will when it’s behind us.
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
Make me a house of prayer
FIRE ON MY ALTAR NEVER BURN OUT
Night Day night DAY
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Through the storm you shouldn’t forgot to eat your meat!
Paul recognized that these guards were working so hard to keep the boat from sinking in the storm, they didn’t even stop to eat or take care of themselves. Paul knew for the betterment of their health they needed to eat, and not just any food but something that could sustain them such as meat.
We need to recognize to when we are going through a storm, we need to feed ourselves with the word of God and take care of ourselves spiritually, so that way we can help the other people that are on the boat.
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
God used Paul to warn the men but they chose not to listen and take heed. Daily we are given choices to make. The outcome depends on who we are are listening to.
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
There will always be sunshine behind every storm
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 27:9-12 & 21 (AMP)
9) Now much time had been lost, and navigation was dangerous, because even (the time for) the fast (Day of Atonement) was already over, so Paul began to strongly warn them,
10) Saying, Men, I sense (after careful thought and observation) that this voyage will certainly be a disaster and with great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.
11) However, the centurion (Julius, ranking officer on board) was persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship rather than by what Paul said.
12) Because the harbor was not well situated for wintering, the majority (of the sailors) decided to put to sea from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
21) After they had gone along time without food (because of seasickness and stress), Paul stood up before them and said, Men, you should have followed my advice and should not have set sail from Crete, and brought on this damage and loss.
“Should Have Listened To Paul”
“Should Have Listened To Pastor”
We would do well to listen to Pastor, who is the authority and shepherd in our life, because it will keep us from a lot of “sinsickness” (i’m sorry. it said “seasickness” in vs. 21) in our life.
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
We are all go thru trails but they are to make us stronger not keep us down. Readimg this chapter the song There is a promise coming down that dusty trail comes to mind.
24 diciendo: No temas, Pablo; debes ser llevado ante César; y he aquí, Dios te ha dado a todos los que navegan contigo.
25 Por tanto, señores, tengan buen ánimo: porque yo creo en Dios, que así será como me fue dicho
* Pablo tenía el respaldo y cuidado de Dios . En medio de tantas dificultades pudo mirar la protección y cuidado que el Todopoderoso tenía sobre el.
Y no solo de el , sino que Dios también cuido de sus compañeros de viaje, a pesar de que lo llevaban prisionero.
* La Bendición de Dios sobre sus hijos es tan grande y maravillosa que aún los que están cerca de nosootros aunque no lo conozcan , les alcanza.. Gracias Señor Jesucristo!!
Thank you Jesus for yesterday’s messages!!!
“When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were 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 took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged 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 Crete. You would have avoided all this damage 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.””
Acts of the Apostles 27:13-26 NLT
When a man of God gives you a warning, listen to it. Don’t over look it or question it or do whatever you want because that will lead you straight to danger. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way and go through some things but if you would have listened to the man of God it might have made the trip or experience a little easier. Be blessed today!
“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.””
Acts of the Apostles 27:23-26 NLT
I learned that Jesus will strengthen In the storm Devil will not strengthen you never
In this chapter what came to me was…….
9-10 By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, “I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship—to say nothing of our lives!—if we put out to sea now.”
Paul was very cautious about the people sailing on the ship. It’s kind of like we as the POFW church our the ship, Jesus is the water and the sailors are the new believers. During our sailing trip we always floating on Jesus and having a new believer during our sailing trip you’re always floating on Jesus and having a new believers in our boat. But sometimes struggles, and that’s the waves, for example the Waze will be the devil. The devil tries to sometimes prevent us from getting tardis nation heaven, but in this case land. We as a boat have to stay strong and prevent the waves. Jesus, the water will help us through because when the waves are calm it’s an easier way to get to Land we at the boat have to stay strong and prevent the waves. Jesus, the water will help us through because when the waves are calm it’s an easier way to get to Land. STAY STONG ON THE WATER POFW!!!😁😁😁😁😁😁
I got my Bible verse from the Message version of biblegateway
42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
Making sure we know whom we surround ourselves with….. the prisoners were left unharmed because Paul was amongst them. I wonder how many times I have been kept out of harm’s way…….
If we can take the time out to listen to direction, life would be much easier. God will give us the direction we need, but unfortunately most will not hearken to the voice of God. We must be willing to listen to what God is telling us. His direction will keep us from walking into the traps the enemy has setup for us. We do not know the time nor the hour when God will return, but what we do know is that when he comes back those who have lived the life according to his word will be called away.
A persons trade and experience cannot compare to the wisdom God gives to His people. They followed the instructions of the sailor instead of the direction of God. You may ask why I said of God and not Paul and that is because Pauls knowledge came from God to give them direction.
Throughout our walk with God others may not always listen the first time and we may have to endure the storm with them even when they are not listening but we should be bold and walk with wisdom. There will be a moment in the storm when we can use wisdom to direct everyone out of the storm with their life in tacked.
Paul was traveling and went through a storm. I learned to always do the right thing because not listening to Pul was the wrong thing to do. -Zion
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
See Paul was the spiritual leader a man of God and this man didn’t even listen to Paul but the master of the ship. God wants us to listen to our spiritual leader and not our friends who are the masters of their own life. We need to know who and when to listen to
The Lord spoke to Paul that no one of the ship will pereshed . When the Lord talk already to you about something you had better beleive , He is faithful
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Sometimes, we are able to benefit from just begging near the man of God. These men were saved just because Paul was on the same boat.
“The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.”
Acts of the Apostles 27:20 NLT
https://www.bible.com/116/act.27.20.nlt
We’ve all been in a storm like this where it seemed there was no hope. God always made a way and showed out for us everytime. Whatever we may face everyday just trust in the Lord and your hope should be restored your faith will be filled and you will be in good hands. We’re all in the hands of God in trial and out.
But soon afterward a violent wind, called Euraquilo [a northeaster, a tempestuous windstorm like a typhoon], came rushing down from the island; and when the ship was caught in it and could not head against the wind [to gain stability], we gave up and [letting her drift] were driven along.
ACTS 27:14-15
Letting go to gain stability. Letting go of control over your life when you are being tossed in the wind and over taken by the strong gust of turmoil and heartache. Never gaining ground and always falling down. Letting go of your life so that you can stand on solid and steady ground. Letting God be your current and letting God guild and protect you as he sets you back on sturdy ground.
Lord i pray that through all our struggles and all our needs and wants for the church, we are able to keep our faith, when these things seem so far out of reach. Lord i pray that the gravity of situations does not pull us under, but only allows us to stand firmly on our faith in him. Jesus you are all mighty you are our comfort our protector our fortress our healer our provider. You are yesterday today and what is yet to come. Lord we put our faith in you, lord we stand on the foundation of your word and gain stability through it. In Jesus name, Amen.
Courage is contagious, as well as timidity. The holy bravery of one good man may make many others become brave.
Follow Pastor as he follows Christ! Don’t jump ship
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Make me a house of prayer
FIRE ON MY ALTAR NEVER BURN OUT
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
I am not my own
With all certainty Paul, had renounced his personal agenda. Everything that deal with his life, he had given himself to give Gods plans and will first.
Do we need a Paul conversion experience to have a Paul like conviction? God has called everyone of us to his kingdom in a unique way, with the full intention to be used by him for his kingdom.
Let’s rearrange our priorities and put Gods first!
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
We can only survive the storm if we stay in the ship. The ship is like the church, if we stay together unified in the church we will stand against the waves. Even when it seems safer to abort, if we anchor ourselves with the word of the Lord and trust in his report we will find abundant life.
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
Sadly many people live this way and it takes them a couple of shipwrecks before they learn to trust and heed to the voice of the man of God. God has placed him that he may help direct you especially in the middle of storms it may seem that the man of God always has a word. Yet who are you going to believe and obey?
v25 ” for I believe God,”
Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me . John 14:1
42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
At first thought, the next action was to kill all of the prisoners. And as we’ve all heard before, “But God. . . “ But the centurion was willing to save Paul. In trusting in God and sticking to the faith and His belief, Paul not only saved himself but also the other prisoners by his actions. “But God. . . “. Had Paul denied God or just went along with whatever they wanted him to do, then he wouldn’t had lived through the incident. He wouldn’t have been able to save the lives of many others. He wouldn’t have been able to have been the testimony he showed to be. Be like Paul! Stick to your beliefs! Be a testimony! Be a witness!
should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Put your trust in the Lord always and have a prayer life with him.
Life
Sometimes the sea is calm and the wind blows softly. But other times the wind rises, the sky darkens, and we find ourselves in the midst of a terrible storm. We know that’s the way life is, and in Acts 27 we read of such a storm in the life of the apostle Paul.
He had been arrested for preaching the gospel of Christ and was now being taken to Rome to be adjudicated when they encountered a huge storm. Perhaps you’re even in the midst of a terrible storm yourself, and all hope has seemed to vanish.
First we need to realize there are many different types of storms we all encounter. Then we’re going to see what Paul did in his storm and what we can do.
• There are normal storms. The Bible says God makes it rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). We simply live in a world that has storms as a natural part of life.
• Then there are some storms we engineer by our own foolishness and disobedience.
• There are also storms God sends us for growth. Jesus commanded His disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of the sea (Matthew 14:22-24). He knew a storm was brewing but was teaching them a lesson for their development.
• And then there are storms we’re dragged into by other people. That’s where we find the apostle Paul. He was a prisoner who had tried to warn them! But they wouldn’t listen so he was dragged into his storm by others.
Sinking the Ship
The sailors on Paul’s ship took some actions that made things worse. We tend to do some of these same things when we find ourselves in a storm. Let’s look at some of the ways we sink the ship.
Make decisions in haste. Verse nine says much time had past, and they felt they had to do something. Have you heard some say “Let’s do something even if it’s wrong!” If you’re in the middle of a decision, wait on God. If you feel something pushing you, I can assure you it’s not the Holy Spirit. He leads and He guides, but He doesn’t shove.
Depend upon worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom. The captain and owner of the ship believed each other instead of Paul (verse 11). Don’t go to the people of this world and ask them what to do. Seek a godly counselor — one that bases their counsel on the Word of God.
Take the easy way out. Because the harbor wasn’t up to their standards, they decided to depart hastily (Acts 27:12).When they made their decision, it was based on what would be easy. Almost always you’ll find trouble this way! Sometimes, we’re called upon to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Follow the crowd. There was a crowd on that boat. When they took a vote, Paul was outvoted (verse 12). They said, “Let’s sail.” But if you think about it, often the majority is wrong. Don’t get the idea that if everybody says it, then it’s right. You may go from person to person trying to get permission to do what you already decided to do, but frequently, the majority is simply a lot of people pooling their ignorance.
Depend upon circumstances. In Acts 27:13 they said, “The sun is shining, the sea is calm, and the wind is blowing in our direction; it must be the right thing.” There are a lot of people who are led by circumstances and say, “Lord, it must be Your will. It looks good.” But that soothing south wind may turn into a horrible, ferocious storm.
Responding to Rain
When they found themselves in the teeth of this torrential rainstorm, the ungodly on this ship reacted in some curious ways.
• In verse 15, they saw dashed dreams as the floundering vessel began to sink.
• And they also saw desperate efforts as described in verse 16. They desperately tried to get the tackle of the ship back together.
• Subsequently in verses 18-19, they experienced wasted resources. They started dumping what they thought were precious things into the ocean. What a waste!
• Then in verse 20, they lost hope.
• And finally, in verse 30, we see their foolish actions almost caused their demise as they tried to escape by lifeboats.
In contrast to the ungodly responses, Paul said “be of good cheer” (verses 22 and 25). Can you imagine saying that in the midst of these problems? But the same One Who gave him songs in the night in a dungeon at Philippi gave him peace in the midst of this storm — His name is Jesus.
“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.”
Acts 27:10-11 NIV
In verse 10 Paul warns that they will face disastrous times if if they continue to sail on but those who had the ability to change course decided to move forward despite his warnings. There are people in our life, such as Pastor, that are there to lead and guide us, help us make sound decisions, and warn us when we are about to wreck, but sometimes we think we know best and continue to move forward regardless. We can saved ourselves a while if shipwrecks if we just heed to the advice that has been given to us.
“But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.”
Acts of the Apostles 27:22 NLT
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but God’s word shall not pass away. Our help comes from the Lord, seek after God for His ways are greater than our ways. His thoughts greater than your thoughts. What God has speaks is true and forever settle in Heaven trust in Lord.