It's Only a Bite (Acts 28:6)
"Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god." (Acts 28:6)- KJV
In this particular story, Luke records the events that happened after a mighty shipwreck. He and the apostle Paul had landed on the island of Malta. Paul was on his way to Rome, but God had intended for him to land here because there was some work that needed to be done. A lot of times we find ourselves not in the place we want to be, but God has a way of putting us where he wants us to be. Paul wanted to go to Rome, but the Lord said that it is some people in Malta who need hear the name of Jesus. You see we struggle everyday with the constant desire to do what we want. If only people would listen to the verse we repeat ever so often, "Stand still, and know that I am God". God wants us to enjoy our life and not be caught up in an every moment struggle against him for what he wants in our lives. If you really want to know something the Lord has for you ask from him a sign. You see Jacob recieved a signed with the limp in his hip, Abraham recieved a sign in circumcision, Noah recieved it in a rainbow. Malta is part of a Mediterranean triangle which includes France and Italy. Paul and Luke were welcomed with a warm reception by the people of the island because of the rain and cold conditions. In hard times people find a way to bond, except now. Today people only were about three people: me, myself, and I. God has blessed us to be a blessing to someone else, and in times like these we need God and we need each other. Hezekiah Walker got it right when he said I need you and you need me to survive. Jesus most important commandment to us what that we love one another, he said it twice in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of St. John. Love is showed by how you treat one another with or without a crisis. As Paul was adding some sticks to a fire a viper came upon his hand. The viper came out of the heat and bit Paul. Well why did the viper bite Paul if he was not really showing himself to be a threat why the bite? Well the snake was used as instrument by Satan to stop the apostle Paul. Satan forgot one thing about his so called plan, God created the viper. It doesn't how much Satan may bark and even bite, but his bites won't be affective. You see when you're a child of God you are going to be bitten but the Lord won't allow you to be devoured. The viper was poisonous and venomous, his bite could kill. And you know when you're bitten look for people to start talking about you. They are going to scandalize your name, stab you in the back, hurt you to the point you feel your heart can't be mended. However, as I have said it's only a bite. These people thought that Paul was a murderer when it was quite the opposite, he was an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul was going to be bitten, as we all are going to experience a bite all for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You see there is a way to handle the biter, you have to shake the devil off. It's like that old song we used to sing as kids, "Shake, shake, shake the devil off!" Thats what we got to do, shake the devil off! Paul shook the viper into the fire and continued enjoying the heat. As long as God is captain of our lives, we just got to shake the devil off! He is not going to let the devil's bite devour us. After you shake the devil off, you have a testimony. Your testimony says, the devil thought he had me with his bite, but God didn't let him get the victory and I just shook him off. That testimony and the way you handle yourself is a example to someone else. God allows the devil to bite us, because our testimony and lives are meant to help someone else. If other people see that your faith allowed you to perservere through just a bite, then they are going to want to try the same God for themselves. What he has done for you he will do it again for someone else. People will notice that it is something special about you, but make sure that make sure they see the God in you and not just you. A lot of times we want to take glory for ourselves and not realize it was God who did it for us. GOD DID IT, NOT YOU!! God did it for all of us on a hill callled Calvary when Jesus died. When he died Satan lost any power his bite had, and early Sunday morning Jesus got up and took the devouring power of Satan's bite. Ever since then we don't have a reason to fear a bite, because if we be in Christ, then there is no weapon formed against us that will prosper!
God Bless,
Rev. C. L. Ewing
In this particular story, Luke records the events that happened after a mighty shipwreck. He and the apostle Paul had landed on the island of Malta. Paul was on his way to Rome, but God had intended for him to land here because there was some work that needed to be done. A lot of times we find ourselves not in the place we want to be, but God has a way of putting us where he wants us to be. Paul wanted to go to Rome, but the Lord said that it is some people in Malta who need hear the name of Jesus. You see we struggle everyday with the constant desire to do what we want. If only people would listen to the verse we repeat ever so often, "Stand still, and know that I am God". God wants us to enjoy our life and not be caught up in an every moment struggle against him for what he wants in our lives. If you really want to know something the Lord has for you ask from him a sign. You see Jacob recieved a signed with the limp in his hip, Abraham recieved a sign in circumcision, Noah recieved it in a rainbow. Malta is part of a Mediterranean triangle which includes France and Italy. Paul and Luke were welcomed with a warm reception by the people of the island because of the rain and cold conditions. In hard times people find a way to bond, except now. Today people only were about three people: me, myself, and I. God has blessed us to be a blessing to someone else, and in times like these we need God and we need each other. Hezekiah Walker got it right when he said I need you and you need me to survive. Jesus most important commandment to us what that we love one another, he said it twice in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of St. John. Love is showed by how you treat one another with or without a crisis. As Paul was adding some sticks to a fire a viper came upon his hand. The viper came out of the heat and bit Paul. Well why did the viper bite Paul if he was not really showing himself to be a threat why the bite? Well the snake was used as instrument by Satan to stop the apostle Paul. Satan forgot one thing about his so called plan, God created the viper. It doesn't how much Satan may bark and even bite, but his bites won't be affective. You see when you're a child of God you are going to be bitten but the Lord won't allow you to be devoured. The viper was poisonous and venomous, his bite could kill. And you know when you're bitten look for people to start talking about you. They are going to scandalize your name, stab you in the back, hurt you to the point you feel your heart can't be mended. However, as I have said it's only a bite. These people thought that Paul was a murderer when it was quite the opposite, he was an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul was going to be bitten, as we all are going to experience a bite all for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You see there is a way to handle the biter, you have to shake the devil off. It's like that old song we used to sing as kids, "Shake, shake, shake the devil off!" Thats what we got to do, shake the devil off! Paul shook the viper into the fire and continued enjoying the heat. As long as God is captain of our lives, we just got to shake the devil off! He is not going to let the devil's bite devour us. After you shake the devil off, you have a testimony. Your testimony says, the devil thought he had me with his bite, but God didn't let him get the victory and I just shook him off. That testimony and the way you handle yourself is a example to someone else. God allows the devil to bite us, because our testimony and lives are meant to help someone else. If other people see that your faith allowed you to perservere through just a bite, then they are going to want to try the same God for themselves. What he has done for you he will do it again for someone else. People will notice that it is something special about you, but make sure that make sure they see the God in you and not just you. A lot of times we want to take glory for ourselves and not realize it was God who did it for us. GOD DID IT, NOT YOU!! God did it for all of us on a hill callled Calvary when Jesus died. When he died Satan lost any power his bite had, and early Sunday morning Jesus got up and took the devouring power of Satan's bite. Ever since then we don't have a reason to fear a bite, because if we be in Christ, then there is no weapon formed against us that will prosper!
God Bless,
Rev. C. L. Ewing
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