Word for Today, Mon, 30 Jul 2001: How Can a Shipwreck Help ME?

#1 · July 30, 2001, 2:57 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 30, 2001, 2:57 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I'd like to start out this week by sharing with you another
message from the Quiet Walk Devotional, which is made available
on the Web and through Email, courtesy of Crosswalk.com.

The apostle Paul is an example of a person who went through every
imaginable difficulty. He was shipwrecked, imprisoned,
persecuted, chased, beaten, and even stoned, (and left, thought
to be dead). He lived on, though the exact details of his
eventual death are not covered in detail in the New Testament
scriptures.

Paul is a good example of someone who went through a life
changing transformation. He was a well educated man, and someone
who had long been zealous for God. But prior to a very unusual
encounter with the risen Jesus Christ, (while traveling on a
rural road toward Damascus) Paul had been a persecutor of
Christians. He thought that the teachings about Jesus Christ
were blasphemous, because Jesus Christ identified Himself with
God. But when Paul met Christ face to face, he believed.

Paul's eyes were blinded by the encounter with Jesus, for the
true light of God shone through Him, but after Paul's temporary
blindness, his eyesight was restored, both figuratively and
literally. For the first time, Paul could see what life is
really about. To his credit, he repented of his former ways,
acknowledged his evil, turned away from it, and devoted (this is
REAL devotion, folks) the rest of his life to telling people that
Jesus is real, that He really is the Christ, that a grateful,
joyous attitude is the appropriate response to all circumstances,
and that all things are possible with God.

Paul expected to be able to preach the Gospel to the people of
Rome, but he almost certainly did not expect it to happen the way
it did. So it is with our lives. We may have many ideas about
how things will turn out. It may or may not work out the way we
planned.

For me, so little has worked out the way I planned. I have had
relationships that were intended to last a lifetime crumble
around me, I have had to face depression, divorce, loss of job,
loss of family, loss of friends, indebtedness, and other things.
My blessings, like Paul, however, have been great. I have had my
hope renewed, time and time again. With depression has come new
hope, with divorce has come a new family. With a loss of family
has come a new child. With a loss of job has come a new job.

Even right now, I am currently unemployed. The debts that were
starting to gradually dwindle have now greatly expanded. At
least on the surface, the hope for nearby employment does not
look promising. What am I to do? Well, if I want to learn
anything from what the apostle Paul learned, I will look, not at
the unpleasant side of my present circumstances, but look ahead,
with great anticipation, at what God is doing, and continues to
do, in my life and the lives of those around me.

I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my children,
which is something I have yearned to do. I have had time to
reflect, which is something else I have been wanting to do. I
have not yet lost any possessions, whereas Paul seemed to lose
all earthly possessions. So if Paul had much to be thankful for,
how much more so for me! I even have a means to write and share
over much greater geography than Paul traveled, even in all of
his missionary journeys (through the use of the Internet). I
have not had a chance to see Jesus Christ, face to face. That is
something I long to do. It would not be my first choice to lose
my eyesight or have some other calamity surround me, in order for
that to happen. However, if that's what it takes, in my
humanness, I would be uncertain, in the faith Jesus has given me,
I would somehow find comfort and assurance.

What do you face today? Is there something that is troubling
you? To be sure, in our hummanness, we are tried and tested,
pushed on all fronts. If you know the story of Paul, you will
know that there was trimumph, even in apparent defeat. In Paul's
case, more New Testament scripture comes from his writings than
from any other source. So his message DID get out. For Jesus
Christ, the ultimate example of what results from a humble
sacrifice. He gave up all earthly power, even giving up His
life, in humble surrender, yet He has become exalted, and is the
Last Day, will receive complete and eternal honor and glory for
eternity. Given that great example of triumph, those of us who
belong to Jesus Christ have the great hope of spending eternity
with Him. The things around us will all pass, but His glory is
forever. Cling to that great hope, and you can be joyful, even
today!

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: Quiet Walk <quietwalk@lists.crosswalk.com>
Subject: Quiet Walk for Monday, July 30, 2001

AD | Be a hero. Click now to sponsor a child through Compassion.
sda.goshen.net/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?AD=2ci0701
____________________________

Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

BIBLE READING

Acts 27

OVERVIEW

As he sails for Rome, Paul is shipwrecked.

INSIGHT

If the mailman is not deterred by rain or sleet or snow,
how much less is the will of God deterred! It is
difficult to explain why the shipwreck occurred on the
way to Rome, but these things are certain: The
sovereignty of God is manifested throughout, and Paul's
eventual arrival in Rome is certain.

Never doubt the revealed will of God.

If He has said it, He will do it. Do you fear that world
events are out of control? Trust Him. Do you fear His
love and care for you? Trust Him.

PRAYER

* Praise God that Satan does not have full freedom to
destroy us, because the Lord protects us from him:

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name."
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).

* Pause for a moment of reflection. Now pray this
confession to the Lord to keep your life free from
sin and in fellowship with Him:

If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and
the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are
faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to
cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John
1:8-9).

* Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your
mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your
affirmation of His Word:

I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds (Psalm 77:11-12).

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray
for:

* your non-Christian friends and
relatives,
* greater love for others,
* the work of missions in the Middle
East,
* single parents you know.

* Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

May we grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the
glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Walk Thru the
Bible. Copyright 2001 Walk Thru the Bible. All
rights reserved. See www.walkthru.org/ for more
information about Quiet Walk and other devotionals from
Walk Thru the Bible.

You can purchase the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible Hardcover and other
titles at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors - CBD).
< shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/bible_nkj >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

-----------
For Copyright Terms go to www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

____________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO_______________________

* To subscribe, send an email to:
< SUBSCRIBE-quietwalk@lists.crosswalk.com > or go to
< www.crosswalk.com/lists > for a complete list of
our newsletters.
* Copyright 2001 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.

____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I'd like to start out this week by sharing with you another
message from the Quiet Walk Devotional, which is made available
on the Web and through Email, courtesy of Crosswalk.com.

The apostle Paul is an example of a person who went through every
imaginable difficulty. He was shipwrecked, imprisoned,
persecuted, chased, beaten, and even stoned, (and left, thought
to be dead). He lived on, though the exact details of his
eventual death are not covered in detail in the New Testament
scriptures.

Paul is a good example of someone who went through a life
changing transformation. He was a well educated man, and someone
who had long been zealous for God. But prior to a very unusual
encounter with the risen Jesus Christ, (while traveling on a
rural road toward Damascus) Paul had been a persecutor of
Christians. He thought that the teachings about Jesus Christ
were blasphemous, because Jesus Christ identified Himself with
God. But when Paul met Christ face to face, he believed.

Paul's eyes were blinded by the encounter with Jesus, for the
true light of God shone through Him, but after Paul's temporary
blindness, his eyesight was restored, both figuratively and
literally. For the first time, Paul could see what life is
really about. To his credit, he repented of his former ways,
acknowledged his evil, turned away from it, and devoted (this is
REAL devotion, folks) the rest of his life to telling people that
Jesus is real, that He really is the Christ, that a grateful,
joyous attitude is the appropriate response to all circumstances,
and that all things are possible with God.

Paul expected to be able to preach the Gospel to the people of
Rome, but he almost certainly did not expect it to happen the way
it did. So it is with our lives. We may have many ideas about
how things will turn out. It may or may not work out the way we
planned.

For me, so little has worked out the way I planned. I have had
relationships that were intended to last a lifetime crumble
around me, I have had to face depression, divorce, loss of job,
loss of family, loss of friends, indebtedness, and other things.
My blessings, like Paul, however, have been great. I have had my
hope renewed, time and time again. With depression has come new
hope, with divorce has come a new family. With a loss of family
has come a new child. With a loss of job has come a new job.

Even right now, I am currently unemployed. The debts that were
starting to gradually dwindle have now greatly expanded. At
least on the surface, the hope for nearby employment does not
look promising. What am I to do? Well, if I want to learn
anything from what the apostle Paul learned, I will look, not at
the unpleasant side of my present circumstances, but look ahead,
with great anticipation, at what God is doing, and continues to
do, in my life and the lives of those around me.

I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my children,
which is something I have yearned to do. I have had time to
reflect, which is something else I have been wanting to do. I
have not yet lost any possessions, whereas Paul seemed to lose
all earthly possessions. So if Paul had much to be thankful for,
how much more so for me! I even have a means to write and share
over much greater geography than Paul traveled, even in all of
his missionary journeys (through the use of the Internet). I
have not had a chance to see Jesus Christ, face to face. That is
something I long to do. It would not be my first choice to lose
my eyesight or have some other calamity surround me, in order for
that to happen. However, if that's what it takes, in my
humanness, I would be uncertain, in the faith Jesus has given me,
I would somehow find comfort and assurance.

What do you face today? Is there something that is troubling
you? To be sure, in our hummanness, we are tried and tested,
pushed on all fronts. If you know the story of Paul, you will
know that there was trimumph, even in apparent defeat. In Paul's
case, more New Testament scripture comes from his writings than
from any other source. So his message DID get out. For Jesus
Christ, the ultimate example of what results from a humble
sacrifice. He gave up all earthly power, even giving up His
life, in humble surrender, yet He has become exalted, and is the
Last Day, will receive complete and eternal honor and glory for
eternity. Given that great example of triumph, those of us who
belong to Jesus Christ have the great hope of spending eternity
with Him. The things around us will all pass, but His glory is
forever. Cling to that great hope, and you can be joyful, even
today!

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: Quiet Walk <quietwalk@lists.crosswalk.com>
Subject: Quiet Walk for Monday, July 30, 2001

AD | Be a hero. Click now to sponsor a child through Compassion.
sda.goshen.net/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?AD=2ci0701
____________________________

Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

BIBLE READING

Acts 27

OVERVIEW

As he sails for Rome, Paul is shipwrecked.

INSIGHT

If the mailman is not deterred by rain or sleet or snow,
how much less is the will of God deterred! It is
difficult to explain why the shipwreck occurred on the
way to Rome, but these things are certain: The
sovereignty of God is manifested throughout, and Paul's
eventual arrival in Rome is certain.

Never doubt the revealed will of God.

If He has said it, He will do it. Do you fear that world
events are out of control? Trust Him. Do you fear His
love and care for you? Trust Him.

PRAYER

* Praise God that Satan does not have full freedom to
destroy us, because the Lord protects us from him:

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name."
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).

* Pause for a moment of reflection. Now pray this
confession to the Lord to keep your life free from
sin and in fellowship with Him:

If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and
the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are
faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to
cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John
1:8-9).

* Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your
mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your
affirmation of His Word:

I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds (Psalm 77:11-12).

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray
for:

* your non-Christian friends and
relatives,
* greater love for others,
* the work of missions in the Middle
East,
* single parents you know.

* Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

May we grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the
glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Walk Thru the
Bible. Copyright 2001 Walk Thru the Bible. All
rights reserved. See http://www.walkthru.org/ for more
information about Quiet Walk and other devotionals from
Walk Thru the Bible.

You can purchase the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible Hardcover and other
titles at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors - CBD).
< shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/bible_nkj >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

-----------
For Copyright Terms go to http://www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

____________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO_______________________

* To subscribe, send an email to:
< SUBSCRIBE-quietwalk@lists.crosswalk.com > or go to
< http://www.crosswalk.com/lists > for a complete list of
our newsletters.
* Copyright 2001 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.

____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
phonecard.yahoo.com/