Tag: People Parrish

 

FACING TRIALS ALONE

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Act 27:
31: Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

At the height of his popularity, Rudyard Kipling was one of the most widely read authors of all time.
At one point it was estimated that each word he had in print was worth twenty-five shillings.
A group of students at Oxford University pooled their change and sent twenty-five shillings to Kipling, and the accompanying letter read, “Send us your best word.”
Before long, the reply came back. And so with great anticipation, the students opened the envelope from Kipling to find a single word printed on the piece of paper.
It simply said,
Thanks.”

One little word, but what power can it accomplish

How often do we use this simple word that can say so much all by its self?

Thank you Jesus, for being my savior, my Lord and my Friend.

Lets us Pray?
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We all have a bad habit of doing things all by ourselves and perhaps no one is worst with that then me. I hope I am the only one here today with that problem.

When someone needs help I am willing to go and help them, but when I need help and they ask me I just say ”That’s OK I can do it”. Then I suffer through the heat of the mess all because of some stupid little inner me that can’t seam to say OK I need you to help me.

I am glad Paul was not like that he knew where his help came from and he trusted God with his life.

Our story today starts with Paul being under arrest and escorted by a Roam guard.

First we must understand the setting of the story and the reason why Paul was where he was.

Paul was a prisoner and on his way to see the judge in Roam, Why because He was a Roman Citizen so he could only be judge by a Roman court

There are two reasons in life that we all suffer;

Number 1: Is problems we cause and bring upon ourselves. This we do through

Drinking, Drugs, Partying, This hurt our bodies

Number 2: Is problems that come because we refuse to be like what the world calls normal.

Jesus was one of these types. He was not the Normal

When he was just a little boy I am sure there were many of times his friends called him to go with them and do a little hell raising, but he would not go with them.

Sometime in life we must learner to stand alone.

We will not always be able to hide in our pleasant of comfort places where we feel warm and cozy. We need to take a stand of being different at being a true Christian

At being someone that said No; I will not follow the crowd Jesus is my leader and I will follow only Him.

Why do we fear to stand alone, what makes us afraid?

There is a day when we will be called to stand before kings and rulers of this world. How does that make you feels?

The Bible said don’t worry about what you are to say.

Mark 13
9: But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
10: And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
11: But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Mt:10:28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Now let’s look at Paul and his problems

Act 27:
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.

It way late in the year and the winter months were just about on them. There was still some time for sailing but for only short trips and close to shore.

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.

This all makes good sense to me,

I am a sailor, I don’t expect Pastor Paul to be able to tell me how to run my Ship or when it is good or bad weather. I am an expert right.

So the Centurion would only be expected to believe the ship owners rather then believe Paul

In our world people who do not know God believe what they are told by men of the world, not by men of God

13: And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

This is kind of like Sin, at first it seams that all is OK and you have manages to achieve your objective, but like all Sin it is not what happened in the beginning or in the middle, but what happens in the End.

14: But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

We know it better by its 21 century name Typhoon

15: And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

Let me explain what is going on:

The Captain of the ship has lost all hope; he and his crew are doing all they can to keep the ship on curse but the Seas and the Wind keep pushing them backwards.

They had no Compass, they had no GPS to tell them where they were. All they had was the Stars and the weather was so bad the could not tell where they were

16: And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

The weather seam to lay down some and they took the opportunity to try and make what repairs they could to the ship.

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.

The world would give-up hope, but not God people, they know with Jesus there is always hope

When things seam like it is over we know that is where God takes control

The same is true in our lives today. Satan may make you feel that the end is near there is no hope, your condition is beyond help.

Don’t listen to that, Do this real fast, put a mirror under your nose and bread out, quickly remove the mirror and look for vapor residue on it. If it is there then you are still alive and there is still hope for you.

Why because Jesus came to save all who call on his name, no matter what boat you are in he can save to the up-most in any condition

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.

No one was interested in what Paul had to say before, but they are interested in hearing what he has to say now.

A few weeks ago I was in Honduras, some of the Church leaders were telling a story about the resent Earthquakes there.

He said all the Churches were almost empty one week and then the earthquake and now its standing room only

It is funny how when there is trouble; the world looks to God, but as soon as the trouble is passed the world goes back to doing what it was doing before

Paul did not sway he stood firm because his Rock was Jesus and when your Rock is Jesus you can’t be moved.

Lesion to what Paul is telling the people

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.

This was like a 9.9 Earthquake, and everyone was trying to get as close to Paul as possible

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;

Have you been on a boat for more then a day, what was the sea condition, Good / bad.

We went fishing for my Son bachelor party in Tampa, what a good time, the ride was about 1 1½ hours out to the fishing area, the seas were about 4 to 5 foot, just beautiful for an old seaman like me.

Everyone was doing great except Pastor Edwin he was sick as a seadog, the only thing he was doing was feeding the fish over the side of the boat.

I almost felt sorry for him, almost that is.

I can only imagine how it would be with a boat load of men about 266 of them in a Hurricane force winds. I road out many of hurricanes offshore but never with so many people on board

Now the boat was coming up behind an Island, trained mariners can tell the difference in the sound of the sea and the waves of the Oceanic.

Look at verse 28

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.

Here is a massage for us today.

Only as we abide in Jesus can we be saved

The world may have all types of roads to heaven but none lead to Jesus

John:14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is only one way to heaven and that is by Jesus and the sacrifice he has giving on the cross in payment for our sins

And there is only one way to get forgiveness, Except it by faith what He has done for you

Now they are all waiting for Paul to give the word

The Roman centurion, the ship owner, the ship Captain, the crew, and the passengers, All eyes were now on Paul

Act 27:

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.

If you are to be saved you must committee your live to Jesus, you must put yourself in His hands and let go of the rope that holds you too this world. The ride may get bumpy but the end results is what counts

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.

Many times in our life we will face trials; and come up against forces mightier then we are.

Eph:6:12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

When we are doing God will and going where God wants us to go, we must remember that He will take care of the problems that stand in the way.

God will not let his People Parrish, we may face trials but we will not face them alone

The ship was lost but the 266 souls were saved,

This is a great lesion for us today, by Faith we are saved through the Grace that Jesus gave on the cross; dieing in my place that I might have the life.

For he took my place in exchange he gave me his life . O what Love, O what a savior is Jesus my Lord.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for Jesus, someone’s life may be counting on your testimony

It is my pray that each of us will come to know Jesus as Paul did, that no matter what problems come to us in live we can say I know that my savior is in control and I have nothing to fear.

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