Back Bay Church of Christ / N.B. Canada

Back Bay Church of Christ / N.B. Canada Church located in Back Bay, New Brunswick, Canada
Service Sunday at 11:00 AM. Bible study Wednesday

05/03/2026

(Part 4) SOME THINGS SINK, BUT “THE TRUTH” SURROUNDING JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH UNSINKABLE AND UNSTOPPABLE!
Acts 27-28
(BASED ON PAUL’S OCEAN VOYAGE TO ROME)

Scripture quoted from the New Living Translation
PART FOUR of FOUR “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE – THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME.”

If you have been following this entire matter very closely, you’ll soon discover that Paul and his companions were being extended every curtesy by his keepers. It has become far more than "vaguely apparently", that Julius personally had developed a great respect and gratitude for the apostle, both before, during, and after their eventual shipwreck. Paul now also earned the praise and respect of many more notable officials and Roman officers. Most people who ever met Paul could not help but ascertain (if they were willing to look) that this man exemplified what God’s power and unmerited favor are all about.

ACTS 28:15 The brothers and sisters[l] in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum[m] on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns.[n] 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.

This one outstanding man certainly proven himself to be an enigma surrounded by a mystery but in the eyes of some of his fellow Jew’s, their assumptions would once again carry far more weight than the truths Paul adamantly taught and preached about. But, in any society where God’s truth is considered to be irrelevant, only power politics determines what is acceptable and non-acceptable. The following portion of scripture is quoted from Isaiah the prophet and remains a commentary on our present day as we read:

ISAIAH 59: Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.

2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. 3 Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption. 4 No one cares about being fair and honest.

The people’s lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin. 5 They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders’ webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; whoever cracks them will hatch a viper. 6 Their webs can’t be made into clothing, and nothing they do is productive. All their activity is filled with sin, and violence is their trademark.

7 Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Misery and destruction always follow them. 8 They don’t know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good.
They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace. 9 So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom. 10 We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes.

Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead.
11 We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it never comes.
We look for rescue, but it is far away from us. 12 For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are.

13 We know we have rebelled and have denied the LORD. We have turned our backs on our God.
We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. 14 Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. 15 Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. 16 He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm and his justice sustained him.17 He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.

18 He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.19 In the west, people will respect the name of the LORD; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD.[a 20 “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,”[b]says the LORD.

21 “And this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken!

Footnotes
a. 59:19 Or When the enemy comes like a raging flood tide, / the Spirit of the LORD will drive him back.
b. 59:20 Hebrew The Redeemer will come to Zion / to buy back those in Jacob / who have turned from their sins. Greek version reads The one who rescues will come on behalf of Zion, / and he will turn Jacob away from ungodliness. Compare Rom 11:26.

Even though many of his own people refused to listen to Christ’s message, Paul still persisted in his efforts to reach God’s “chosen people” with the light of the Gospel. He assumes nothing and takes little for granted and is always striving to give everyone the same opportunity to accept Christ as he had.

ACTS 28: 17 Three days after Paul’s arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, “Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. 18 The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence. 19 But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. 20 I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.”21 They replied, “We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. 22 But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere.”

Verse 19 gives us some inclination of what Paul’s situation now entailed, for apparently – if not found guilty before Caesar of any crime, he may have acted very worldly and would have been permitted (under Roman Law) to turn the tide upon his accusers back in Jerusalem. However, Paul was more concerned with the cause of Christ than either Jewish traditions or Roman Law. The very things that both the Roman Law and Judaizers separately declared as being the absolute truth, Paul now considered to be absolutely futile thinking. However, he chose not to neglected the tenets of either positon but would continually live within them insofar is such laws made neither an attempt to negate the Word of God nor deny the power which accompanies His truth.

Paul never wasted an opportunity to reach out to anyone who would take time to listen about the fact that God’s promised Messiah had actually arrived. On many occasions today, we (as Christians) have often failed to honor God by sharing Christ when these same type of opportunities arise. Many sincere believers have been deceived into believing that people who have spiritual curiosity will seek further enlightenment and (somehow) be very compelled to flock into church buildings. However, now it is even more “convenient” for people to watch “church” on TV than become involved with people who may actually share many of the same type of problems as they do!

Does this “thinking” not contradict everything our Lord instructed his followers to do when he issued his great commission to the church? By and upon his Divine Authority, every follower of Christ is to go and (as they are going anywhere and everywhere both at home or abroad) make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. But the work of Christ does not stop there! Upon one’s personal acceptance of the risen Lord, they are to be taught how to obey all the commands Christ gave to the apostles and disciples during the first century. Today, believers are also assured and certain of the fact, that he will never leave them and will always be with them - even to the end of the age.

Paul wholeheartedly accepted the tenets of Christ’s Great Commission, and being led by the Holy Spirit, now came to know a clear distinction between trying to live under the Law of Moses and accepting the reality surrounding God’s amazing grace. Therefore, after being confronted by the risen Lord on his way to Damascus, he believed in him and promptly began proclaiming Christ’s Gospel. This became his solemn obligation and distinguished him as always being the person who always wanted to share his knowledge about Christ with every person that henceforth came across his path. He was a preacher, teacher and personal friend of all those he had introduced to Christ and every person who subsequently accepted Christ would never fail to acknowledge Paul’s continual efforts to proclaim Christ. His purpose for living was now centered upon proclamation of the truth surrounding the very cross on which Jesus had redeemed lost humanity.

ACTS 28:23 So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. 24 Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. 25 And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,

26 ‘Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’[o]

28 So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”[p] 30 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense.[q] He welcomed all who visited him, 31 boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

Therefore, if you have not already obeyed the Gospel, what has stopped you from doing so if you now believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Pride is the greatest tool in Satan’s arsenal and he constantly uses it in his war against Christ’s truth. Are you willing to take you stand with Jesus? He has declared: “He who is not for me is against me! Whose side are you going to be on?

Footnotes on ACTS 27 AND 28

a. 27:1 Greek centurion; similarly in 27:6, 11, 31, 43.
b. 27:2 Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey.
c. 27:9 Greek because the fast was now already gone by. This fast was associated with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which occurred in late September or early October.
d. 27:16 Some manuscripts read Clauda.
e. 27:27 The Sea of Adria includes the central portion of the Mediterranean.
f. 27:28 Greek 20 fathoms . . . 15 fathoms [37 meters . . . 27 meters].
g. 27:44 Or or were helped by members of the ship’s crew.
h. 28:11 The twin gods were the Roman gods Castor and Pollux.
i. 28:12 Syracuse was on the island of Sicily.
j. 28:13 Rhegium was on the southern tip of Italy.
k. 28:14 Greek brothers.
l. 28:15a Greek brothers.
m. 28:15b The Forum was about 43 miles (70 kilometers) from Rome.
n. 28:15c The Three Taverns was about 35 miles (57 kilometers) from Rome.
o. 28:26-27 Isa 6:9-10 (Greek version).
p. 28:28 Some manuscripts add verse 29, And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, greatly disagreeing with each other.
q. 28:30 Or in his own rented quarters.

R. Conrad Cline 1-506-754-5133 [email protected]

Ministers with the Back Bay Church of Christ / Christian Church with their building located at
955 Route 172
Back Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

WE DO HAVE A (IN YOUR HOME) 5 PART DVD BIBLE STUDY SERIES READY TO VIEW BY INVITATION AND SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS.

MID WEEK BIBLE STUDIES (AT THE CHURCH BUILDING) MEET 2:00PM MOST WEDNESDAYS FOR ANY WHO PREFER TO STUDY GOD’S WORD IN A GROUP SETTING.

WE ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING AND DISCUSSING THE APOSTOLIC LETTERS IN THE SAME ORDER THEY WERE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN.

05/03/2026

(PART 3) SOME THINGS SINK, BUT “THE TRUTH” SURROUNDING JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH UNSINKABLE AND UNSTOPPABLE!
Acts 27-28
(BASED ON PAUL’S OCEAN VOYAGE TO ITALY)

Scripture quoted from the New Living Translation
PART THREE “FACING YOUR FEARS”

There was one time in my earlier “bachelor” flying days, when I was suddenly completely overwhelmed by an absolute sinking feeling. I thought I was about to crash the airplane I had rented for the day and I would be the cause for my close friend, Ivan, to lose his life this very day. He was ministering at Douglas Avenue Christian Church in Saint John, N.B. and we had flown to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island earlier in the morning so he could be at a meeting and I had indicated on my flight plan that we would be returning by early afternoon. A winter storm was predicted to arrive at Saint John later in the afternoon but our departure from P.E.I. was subsequently delayed and we were returning much later than I had originally planned.

I was only licensed to fly by visual flight rules but some miles prior to returning to Saint John, we sudden encountered a blinding snowy whiteout and heavy ice storm. The visibility through the windshield was now zero but I attempted to peer through a small warm spot on the windshield where the heater was slowly trying to overcome the effect of ice that had begun accumulate on all exterior portions of the aircraft and at that very moment I was instantly filled with an overwhelming sense of fear and definitely thought to myself: “We are dead!”

But our Father in Heaven helped me overcame that immediate fear as I pleading to Him for help, and I truly believe His Spirit deeply encouraged me and I began trusting what my instruments were telling me rather than what human instincts were wrongfully leading me to accept and believe! That is exactly how many pilots have crashed and died. My constant attempts to communicate with the control tower in Saint John seemed fruitless until I finally discovered the squelch control on our radio had been inadvertently turned up high and the noise interference rejection on the receiver was cutting out the tower’s replies. They could hear me calling but I could not hear them reply and it was only a short time after encountering the severe ice and snow storm, that I also discovered my problem with the radio and finally contacted the tower. I did have my night endorsement and after talking with the Lord, I “calmly” radioed the Saint John Control tower and asked for my present bearing from them and this confirmed that I was still heading toward the airport.

Both the Flying Club and control tower at Saint John were anxiously awaiting our arrival for there was now several inches of snow on the runway and it was continuing to snow heavily. The control tower immediately extended a “VFR” clearance based upon a weather forecast from 2 hours earlier and I (much like the sailors in Paul’s day) was completely determined to carry on because I was far more familiar with our local area and confident that I could land there rather than be forced to turn back and try to find another place to land that would be totally unfamiliar to me.

However, I would certainly have probably missed the airport completely, had I not noticed a small commercial aircraft passing directly in front of us through the “warm spot” that had cleared on the windshield and (at that exact moment) off to my immediate left side the approach lights for the longest runway were slightly visible through the storm. The tower asked if I wanted to use the shorter runway, (which was still out of sight) and I immediately refused the offer for in my mind, “the bird in the hand was worth far more than two in the bush!” Therefore, I believe I can confirm that every crewman, prisoner, and soldier on Paul’s ship, would have undoubtedly felt total fear sometime during their long ordeal but Almighty God was in the boat with them and He was in the plane with us - through it all!

In times of great peril, neither the ship, plane, cargo nor profit mean absolutely anything compared to the life of a person, for every sane person wants to live, but if many lives are lost without some of them having been reconciled to God before they die, the only recompense in the heart and mind of those who have escaped death, may be the though that others may have already been redeemed by the blood of the lamb and among those who have perished, there may have been those who were at peace with God and had no fear of death.

ACTS 27:39 When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. 40 So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. 41 But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart. 42 The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape. 43 But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn’t let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land. 44 The others held on to planks or debris from the broken ship.[g] So everyone escaped safely to shore.

Now having gained a great appreciation and respect for Paul, the commander once again recognized that there was something special about this man and he would have had the prisoner’s shackles removed and he did believe what Paul had said and made the choice and gave the command to allow everyone the same chance for survival. Therefore, when others come to recognize that you are truly a person of faith, they can not help but notice how brightly the light of Christ shines through you amidst all the darkness of this world. Now everyone would be keeping their eyes on Paul for without a doubt he certainly was “in good standing” with God and it become evident to all that those who are aligned with God do believe and have come to accept that it is possible to overcome anything!

If you’ve ever seen the movie about the real life “conscientious objector” war hero named “DESMOND DOSS”, you will have some idea what I am referring to, but, if not - you might want to view it on the internet or rent it from a video store. That movie is based upon his true story and truly confirms everything I have attempted to share.

ACTS 28 Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. 2 The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.
3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.

There has always been a matter of debate and some question as to the matter of whether being bitten by a poisonous serpent should have any effect upon a born again Christian, but I am certain (insofar as my opinion counts for anything) that the promise of no ill effect had only been extended to the original apostles. I (for one) choose not to test the providence of God in the same manner as Satan adamantly tempted Jesus when attempting to compel him to prove that he was the Son of God.

This all occurred directly after Jesus’ baptism and his having spent 40 days in the wilderness without food. Satan knew Jesus was the Lord and he did not have to prove anything to Satan but Satan also knew what awaits him in eternity but if he could turn Jesus away from fulfilling the will of God for all humanity, he would never need to fear the horror of Hell if Jesus did not overcome the consequence of man’s sin by taking the punishment for our sin when he was finally nailed to his cross at Calvary.

Conversely, I (for one) have neither tried (by faith) to turn a stone into bread, nor volunteered to jump to my death in an attempt to prove that I can fly, nor will I choose to lift up and provoke a poisonous snake in an attempt to prove to others that my so called sincere “faith” is superior to theirs! Let’s never be guilty of listening to Satan and allow him to make us thing there is something we have to prove. However, you and I will prove “our faith” by “our works” and not by our wackiness.

ACTS 28:7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.

The dark realities associated with life in general now became instantly illuminated by the light of Christ and even though Paul had previously gaining a great reputation long before the stricken vessel had set sail for Rome, his reputation was about to be even further enhanced after the shipwreck. At this time, a completely different circumstance soon presented itself and everything that was about to happen would allow Paul to once again give glory to God.

10 As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip. 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[h] as its figurehead.
12 Our first stop was Syracuse,[i] where we stayed three days. 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium.[j] 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,[k] who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

R. Conrad Cline 1-506-754-5133 [email protected]

Ministers with the Back Bay Church of Christ / Christian Church with their building located at
955 Route 172
Back Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

WE DO HAVE A (IN YOUR HOME) 5 PART DVD BIBLE STUDY SERIES READY TO VIEW BY INVITATION AND SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS.

MID WEEK BIBLE STUDIES (AT THE CHURCH BUILDING) MEET 2:00PM MOST WEDNESDAYS FOR ANY WHO PREFER TO STUDY GOD’S WORD IN A GROUP SETTING.

WE ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING AND DISCUSSING THE APOSTOLIC LETTERS IN THE SAME ORDER THEY WERE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN.

05/02/2026

(PART 2) SOME THINGS SINK, BUT “THE TRUTH” SURROUNDING JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH UNSINKABLE AND UNSTOPPABLE!
Acts 27-28
(Based on Paul's ocean voyage to Italy)

Scripture quoted from the New Living Translation
PART TWO “RIG FOR BAD WEATHER!”

ACTS 27:13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. 14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. 15 The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. 16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda,[d] where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. 17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.

Sea anchors were not designed to hold to the bottom of the ocean but would be attached (in this case) from the stern or back of the vessel and acted like a parachute which slowed their advance in a fierce gale. This also steadied the ship and would not allow her to turn sideways and rock violently from side to side before mountainous seas. But at this point, let me relate something further from my personal experience.

I previously mentioned about having our vessel re-built from the keel to the water line and that occurred during the late Fall and mid winter at the A. F. Theriault & Son Ltd. Ship Yard in Meteghan River, Nova Scotia. When the job was completed, time came to re-float her and bring her home up across St. Mary’s Bay and through Petit Passage, and then proceeded across the mighty rushing tides of the Bay of Fundy toward Deer Island, New Brunswick. But, during the night, we encountered a fierce winter storm.

My engineer had willingly accompanied me and my two young sons to N.S. but now we were crossing the Bay of Fundy as the fierce winds continued unabated and were averaging approximately 63 miles per hour (100 KM) against the moving tide. This resulted in an ocean phenomenon that made giant waves look something like the walls on cliffs and this ultimately continued to cause the vessel to fall violently sideways as if we had just dropped over the side of the cliff. Consequently, I (like Paul) was definitely praying and did sing songs of faith to my boys and they stayed very close to me in the upper deck pilot house.

I praised God and thanked Him for his mercy – and apparently the boys did learn some valuable lessons that night, and this was the first (and last time) I would ever have to place my foot on the inside wall of the “pilot house” in order to continue standing upright while steaming full speed ahead. We were caught in “a fierce winter storm” and It was the first time I ever saw my engineer wear a survival suit and the last time I ever get caught in such a similar situation again. GOD WAS GOOD TO US THAT NIGHT AND DEFINITELY IMPRESSED THE FACT UPON MY MEMORY, THAT HIS MERCY DOES ENDURE FOREVER.

ACTS 27:18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. 19 The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. 20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. 21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria,[e] the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep.[f] 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. 30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.

This terrified crew had to finally accept the fact, that they were truly “in the same boat” as all the prisoners and soldiers, and they were now about to either perish together or be saved together! All odds now seemed to have been stacked against them and they definitely thought they had no hope whatsoever of escaping the possible shipwreck because their only lifeboat had been cut adrift. The deck crew appears to have had little concern for neither the owner and captain of the ship nor for Paul and his companions or the soldiers and all the prisoners on board. BUT GOD CERTAINLY DID!

ACTS 27:33 Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for two weeks,” he said. 34 “Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.” 35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. 36 Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat— 37 all 276 of us who were on board. 38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.

The emphasis had evidently shifted from a crew who thought they knew it all, to the man who apparently knew what God had already determined would be in everyone’s best interest. Christ’s apostle definitely exemplified the fact that he knew they could trust God and therefore, everyone should have paid very careful attention to what Paul had previously recommended and now he did have some very specific information that he would now relate to them from God.

In effect, Paul took command of the vessel and it is now in everyone’s best interest to do exactly as he instructs. At this point, (if you so choose to recall) it’s interesting to note that Paul had once been in jail at Philippi, and we are told by Luke that he sang hymns at midnight and prayed just before a great earthquake shook the jail and the shackles on every prisoner, instantly dropped away, but everyone in the jail chose to continue listening to Paul for apparently, they had observed the fact that he was neither personally afraid nor in the least bit dismayed over their situation.

APPARENTLY PAUL KNEW THAT GOD ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT IS BEST IN EVERY SITUATION AND THE CHILD OF GOD MUST YIELD TO CHRIST’S AUTHORITY AND ASK HIM TO WORK THINGS OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD’S WILL FOR EVERY OCCASSION.

Therefore, what non-believers accept as a matter of pure coincidence might actually be considered by a Christian as something God has permitted Satan to bring about for His honor and glory. Consequently we read about Paul’s understand of such matters from part of his letter to the Romans.

ROMANS 8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life[d] because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,[e] you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,[f] you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children[g] of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[i] 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[j] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[k] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[l] in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[n] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[o]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes
8:2a Greek the law; also in 8:2b.
8:2b Some manuscripts read me.
8:3 Greek our flesh; similarly in 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12.
8:10 Or your spirit is alive.
8:12 Greek brothers; also in 8:29.
8:13 Greek deeds of the body.
8:14 Greek sons; also in 8:19.
8:15a Greek you received a spirit of sonship.
8:15b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”
8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship.
8:24 Some manuscripts read wait.
8:27 Greek for God’s holy people.
8:28 Some manuscripts read And we know that everything works together.
8:29 Or would be supreme.
8:36 Ps 44:22.
8:38 Greek nor rulers.

For this very reason, the Lord, Jesus Christ stands at the door of your heart and knocks. There is no handle on the outside of that door and only you will determine whether you are going to open your door and let him in! In Revelation 3:20 Jesus reveals: ““Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Therefore, Paul’s nerves were neither on edge nor was he in fear for his life as were many others on that doomed ship. He would have made sure his companions had eaten something during the horrific ordeal which had already lasted more than two weeks! Total fear often accompanies the loss of all hope when a person has not placed their hope in Christ, but eternal hope and God’s inner peace and absolute assurances are exactly what the promises of Christ are all about.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

R. Conrad Cline 1-506-754-5133 [email protected]

Ministers with the Back Bay Church of Christ / Christian Church with their building located at
955 Route 172
Back Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

WE DO HAVE A (IN YOUR HOME) 5 PART DVD BIBLE STUDY SERIES READY TO VIEW BY INVITATION AND SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS.

MID WEEK BIBLE STUDIES (AT THE CHURCH BUILDING) MEET 2:00PM MOST WEDNESDAYS FOR ANY WHO PREFER TO STUDY GOD’S WORD IN A GROUP SETTING.

WE ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING AND DISCUSSING THE APOSTOLIC LETTERS IN THE SAME ORDER THEY WERE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN.

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E5C1X7

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