It’s amazing we are afforded the ability to ponder then proceed. Because remember the simple fact: if we are still alive, then God has a PURPOSE for us, and while discovering this, we also get to play … ponder proceed play ponder again…

(Yesterday I wrote this on the beach… Today I am home job searching – always a balance…) 

I am sitting in the shaded sunshine under the beach pier, watching the waves and the people. The water is warm. I see two gentlemen kicking a tennis ball as they walk, a little 2-3yr old scooping sand watching her father make a little sand castle and then him helping her rinse her hands in the waves by holding her up in the air – fun, I think the beach is where I see dads consistently playing with their children – blessed sight… Mom and grandma are looking on in delight too… Then some people are reading, some are sleeping (which I just woke from a needed nap myself), and others are splashing in the waves. You would have not known from a morning of pouring pouring rain, that this afternoon would be so very sunny beautiful. I enjoy the shake of the pier – almost cold in the breeze so I slid to the sun with a blanket to block the sunburning.

And sweetly I had a picnic lunch after church today in the great Auditorium of Ocean Grove, with Salvation Army band majestic playing, so nice to sit and absorb the majesty of it all, then I went over to “Days” had my ice cream, key lime pie, yum… Key Lime Pie ice cream is my favorite summer flavor there – but they have not had it but I saw a woman walking out with some – and she said she had to ask for them to get it from the back – so I did – and wow yum…

The church sermon stuck with me as much as the music did – even more: The sermonist said: be Heaven looking and earthly acting to purposely help others. Yes, let the Lord find your work for you, let the Lord open up your path, be of His Purpose.  (The YouTube link is below). 

The sermonist’s scripture was Acts 27, as Paul continued traveling a dangerous voyage but knowing God promised their safety (even if the ship would wreck and it did). Paul’s purpose was to trust God and talk to Caesar himself in Rome – sharing all along the way – months even years(?)… Paul’s journey was not just about the destination but the witnessing he did all long the way (ours too).  So I reread both Acts 27-28 right now, on the beach, because it does really show God being purposeful in protecting Paul’s mission. Paul even shakes off a deadly viper bite. Just lives… and lives for God… Please do read his amazing adventure.

How about us? Can we shake off the deadly snares, crashes, wipeouts, wrath? Can we keep going? Surely God knows the plan and firms up our paths, and if we are still alive here on earth then we have a part of His Plan to be in. And surely our existence of being fallen people from Adam and Eve consequences (plus our own foibles) means we already WERE bit by the snake of sin and death, so that ONLY by God, His grace and mercy, will we rise again. Jesus saves, and stays with us.

In other words, you have already been saved in the victory of Jesus. Live as saved people. Washed clean, and Jesus is still scrubbing anything new. Actually Jesus is overlaying us with HIS purity. We are going to be OK. SO shake off the ugh of life.

Shake it all off, like sand from our beach time, shake off pain, shake off disbelief, shake off unknown, and keep going. Shake off fear. Shake off deadly attacks. 

Shine instead. Shine hope. Shine life. Shine understanding. Shine LOVE…

Shine Jesus…

And keep going…

Amen

(sermon starts at the 48 minute mark and salvation army music all throughout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptL1mr3VX3c&t=3003s)

Acts 27-28 – The Voyage to Rome Begins – And when it – Bible Gateway https://share.google/DnI9U6QaJEE1eaUwx

Acts 27-28 NIV

Paul Sails for Rome

When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, “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. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

The Shipwreck

On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.

Paul Ashore on Malta

Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Paul’s Arrival at Rome

After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

“‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” 

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!