Acts 27-28 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

February 6, 2012


 *APR 23 - ACTS 27-28 - CHURCH GROWTH IN ROME*


 *1. 27:25 (27:1-44) PAUL: SHIPWRECKED ON WAY TO ROME. “Wherefore, men, be
of good cheer: for I believe :God, that it shall be even so as it has been
spoken to me.” *Good for Paul! It is good to discern and believe Your
heavenly vision Father, and to step out *boldly* upon it. O may we Your
leaders and people follow this same pattern. *Hallowed be your :name.*


 *2. 28:6 (28:1-6) PAUL: DELIVERED FROM A VIPER. “But they expected that he
would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but when they were long
in expectation and beheld nothing amiss come to him, they changed their
mind, and said he was a god.” *How superstitious the heathen! Thank You
Father, for Your Gospel of the Kingdom, which gives us *correct* views on
things! *Your :kingdom come!*


 *3. 28:8 (28:7-10) PAUL: HONORED BY PUBLIUS. “And it was so, that the
father of :Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom :Paul entered
in, and prayed, and laying hands on him healed him.” *How merciful You are
to the heathen Father, through Your Gospel messengers! Yes, and You
supplied daily bread for all the ship-wrecked, not just Your own! *Your
:will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!*


 *4. 28:15 (28:11-16) PAUL: ARRIVES AT ROME. “And thence the brethren, when
they heard about us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The
Three Taverns; whom when :Paul saw, he thanked :God, and took courage.” *May
we always remember that Your servants are human Father, and need
encouragement, help and ministry along the way! May we remember to *regularly
pray* and intercede for them! O forgive us that we so often fail in this
responsibility and privilege! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!*


 *5. 28:20 (28:17-22) PAUL: TESTIFIES TO JEWS AT ROME. “For this cause
therefore did I invite you to see and to speak with me: for because of the
hope of :Israel I am bound with this chain.” *Thank You Father, that Paul
was not ashamed of his chain, but used it as an opportunity to bear witness
to the Jews of Rome. Yes, and we bless You that You were with him in all
his trials, testings and temptations. *And forgive us our :debts, As we
also have forgiven our :debtors.*


 *6. 28:23 (28:23-29) PAUL: WARNS THE ROMAN JEWS. “And when they had
appointed him a day, quite a number came unto him to the lodging; to whom
he expounded, testifying the kingdom of :God, and persuading them
concerning :Jesus, both from the law of Moses and the prophets, from
morning till evening.” *How we bless You for the faithfulness of Your
servant Paul, Father! Yes, and in all his persecutions, trials and
testings, You delivered him from the evil one. *And bring us not into
temptation!*


 *7. 28:30-31. PAUL: EFFECTIVE WITNESS AT ROME. “And he abode two whole
years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto
him, 30preaching the kingdom of :God, and teaching the
things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without
hindrance.” *And this history does not end here! It is *still* being
written until Jesus returns! *But deliver us from the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 27:33 (27:1-44) PAUL: WISDOM IN BREAKING A FAST. “And while day
was coming on, :Paul besought all to partake of food, saying, Today is
**thefourteenth day that you wait
and continue fasting, having taken nothing.” *What a storm this must have
been to have brought fasting on soldiers, ship's crew, and passengers
alike: believers and unbelievers! Now Your mercy Father, enables them to
end their fast.


 I edited and updated the above reading on March 31st. Oswald Chambers
reading for this date is also on the life of Paul from the book of Romans,
and is most appropriate for today!


 *Do You See Your Calling? *

*(From “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers)*

“ *... separated to the gospel of God ...” (Romans 1:1).*


 Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be
proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the
gospel of God should be recognized as *the* abiding reality. Reality is not
human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell - it is *redemption*. The
need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today.
As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that *redemption* is the
only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause
of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when
testing comes.


 Paul did not say that he separated himself, but *“when it pleased God, who
separated me ...” (Galatians 1:15).* Paul was not overly interested in his
own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal
holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of *redemption*.
Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own
holiness above their desire to know God. “Don't ask me to be confronted
with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life
surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me
more desirable in my own eyes.” To talk that way is a sign that the reality
of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless
abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely
in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly
abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose - to
proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).


 And now our Psalm for the day: *113:7-8 (113:1-9) WHO IS LIKE THE
**LORD**OUR GOD? “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy
from the ash
heap, **8** to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people”
(ESV). *No wonder we praise You Father, in the light of Your Condescension,
and Grace to the children of men! We see You In Jesus washing the
disciples' feet, and like Peter of old we pull up our feet in embarrassment
to refuse You. *Hallowed be your :name!*



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