Bible Study: Abide In The Ship

King James Bible Study Devotional

Message Title: Abide In The Ship

For: Thursday November 18, 2010
Chapters: Acts 26-28
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Details of Today's Reading: Paul defends himself before King Agrippa, his voyage to Rome, the storm at sea, shipwrecked at Melita, Paul arrives in Rome and meets Caesar, and his ministry in Rome.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

A ship is a large vessel, a container, that cannot be carried aboard another. Have you seen some of the ships out there? They are huge, I guess they would have to be in order to transport so many things and withstand the storms out there. Now, imagine that ship being Jesus Christ, He is so big that nothing else can be carried aboard Him. The second we accept Him as our Savior we enter His ship, we become contained and protected within His walls. Now, when the storms of life try to shipwreck us we can be confident that we will be able to withstand them. However, at times, even the strongest Christian can weaken and lose sight of Him. When we get to that point it is time to call Him and get back on the ship. “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” - Psalm 107:28-30.

When Paul headed back to Jerusalem he had no idea what would become of him, he heard rumors, people warned him to stay away before he got killed, he got arrested, and even some of the Jews plotted to kill him. I am sure that he was a bit depressed and nervous at times, but the one thing he could count on was that he knew God was with him. After they could not find anything to charge him with he was sent from one country to another in hopes that someone would find something to charge him with and kill him. Now, he is standing before King Agrippa and gets to defend himself. “For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles...And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar. ” - Acts 26:21-23,30-32.

Paul never stopped witnessing the Gospel to anyone God led him to no matter what he was going through. King Agrippa was about to let him go, but he knew he had to stand before Caesar so, he was boarded on a prisoner ship headed for Rome along with 275 other men. As they were sailing a storm was brewing, Paul warned them not to continue in the direction that they were going, but they refused to listen and headed right for it. “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, 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 master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.” - Acts 27:9-11.

For 14 days Paul and the other men were in the middle of a hurricane, then Paul spoke up. “Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved... 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 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 27:31,39,42-44.

The Holy Spirit warns us about storms that are brewing in our own lives, often we ignore those warnings and it is only when we are in the middle of a hurricane that we realize we should have listened. The amazing thing about God is that even when we do ignore the warnings He will help us out of the storm. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:8-10.

The time had come for Paul to face Caesar, first he went before the chief of the Jews, “And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans...For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening...And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” - Acts 28: 17,20-23,30,31.

After all the treacherous storms Paul went through and not knowing what was to come of him when he arrived in Rome, he prevailed through his faith in God and was blessed after his suffering. Paul, a man that began his life persecuting Christians, turned his life around and became the most well known and greatest evangelist there ever was. He endured much pain, suffering, and some humiliation, but never lost sight of Christ. He is a testimony that anyone can turn their life around and be blessed by living their lives for Christ. It's not easy to remain faithful, sometimes we may even get shipwrecked, but Christ is always there and when we humble ourselves and abide in His ship He will make sure that we too prevail and are blessed through our suffering.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1,2.

Be blessed, enjoy the rest of your day/night and week,

and God Bless You.
I am praying for you,
Christina

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