Shipwreck - March 29, 2014

Scripture: Acts 27-28
11 It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. 12 Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days.13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli.14 There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15 The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.
16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier. - Acts 28

Message:
GOD is faithful even when we go through a Shipwreck

Observation/Promise:
There are times that GOD allows us to go through a time of shipwreck. But is always and only to serve His great and good purpose. Nothing that He allows in this world to His children will be a waste because He is a good GOD most especially to those that belong to Him. Paul went through a shipwreck but he already knew that it was going to happen for GOD had warned him and prepared his heart and mind. He not only was level headed among all those that were with him in the ship, he was the only one who made the most our of his experience after being in a shipwreck where they landed in an island with people they don't even know. He always made every opportunity to share the gospel to others and be a witness to the Lord and Savior Yeshua Ha Mashiach. The journey we go though in life is all planned by GOD. HE knows and sees everything.

Application/Command:
GOD supplies our every need in the journey HE has planned for our lives. GOD will never leave us in need because He is a faithful Father who cares for us. Most especially when we go through hard and difficult times, GOD is still behind everything working out the best for us. We only have to look to Him, cling to Him, hold on to Him especially in times of hardship. GOD knew that Paul needed the encouragement of believers after a time of shipwreck and GOD provided that when Paul arrived in Rome where he was sent to be in trial. If we are true to our faith, and Yeshua is really our GOD, we will find rest even in the times of war and storm. Only the true seekers in GOD will find joy and meaning even during a shipwreck.

Journey of Faith

10 Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say.
Forget your people and your family far away.
11 For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The princess of Tyre[c] will shower you with gifts.
The wealthy will beg your favor.
13 The bride, a princess, looks glorious
in her golden gown.

16 Your sons will become kings like their father.
You will make them rulers over many lands.
17 I will bring honor to your name in every generation.
Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever.

- Psalm 45

The The Bride of Christ is the church, the men and women of GOD who walk with Him and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Why does GOD compare our great union with GOD like that of a Wedding? Calling that great day the marriage feast of the Lamb. GOD's return to earth to take away His followers and all those that love HIM will be as wonderful as a wedding day. His feelings for every one who seeks His face and desires His love everyday is like what David writes about in this book in Psalm 45. GOD delights in the beauty of you and He wants to take you on a journey. This is a beautiful invitation to take GOD's hand and be in a glorious adventure with Him.

When you step out in faith and heed to His words and respond to His calling, your blessings will overtake you left and right. Favor upon favor from both man and the heavens will come upon you. His purpose to take you on a journey is to refine you and make you even more glorious than you are already beautiful. Soon He is coming for us, are we on a journey with Him? Our faith cannot remain stagnant as GOD emphasizes that we move from strength to strength and glory to glory. We are going upwards in the Spirit, until He meets us in the clouds.

The Call

1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
- Genesis 12:1-4

The call of Abraham, is one of the most challenging endeavour in life that GOD  would ask any of HIS servant to do. But it is such a wonderful priviledge to be called by GOD, for to be called by GOD to another place is a great adventure anyone would ever have in the journey of life and faith. The call of Abraham is to leave everything you would ever know, leaving your comfort zone, family and friends. It is to go out from the familiar to the unfamiliar and trust GOD with your life, that wherever HE calls you, HE will take care and provide for you. All that comes with the call is the irresistable promises of GOD that anyone would ever desire to have in their life. 

But it takes a lot of faith to embrace and respond to the call of GOD in one's life. It is not enough to believe GOD with who HE says HE is, but to trust and surrender your life, your plans, your dreams into HIS plans, dreams and will for your life which is the best that you could possibly have. In the olden days, GOD has been calling men to Himself to take up on an exciting journey with HIM, and even in the days of Paul GOD has been faithfully revealing Himself to those that He has chosen to serve HIM. Our faithful GOD continues to call all of us, not some, but all of us. But are we hungry enough to seek HIS face and receive HIS call. If we do not even have the need, the hunger, the thirst, to know and be connected with an Almighty Being, we will never bother to stop from our day to day schedules and seek to find this great GOD who created us and loved us from the very begining. Do you feel that there should be more to life than just the here and now? Is there a deep longing in your life, a missing hole in your heart that you cannot explain? Take time to stop and seek the Creator of all things because HE is calling you.