idea what to write in a letter to the Emperor in Rome. I made it my duty to give him something spectacular to write about, so I spoke in the most eloquent language in my defense, "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that it is before you today that I am defending myself against all the charges made against me by the Jews. Especially because you are so well informed and conversant with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently." Cassius stood next to me guarding me as always, ever so still, yet alert and ready.
I was at my best. My speech flowed from my mouth with ease, like a skilled archer launching an arrow at his target. I had them in my sights and I was delivering arrow after arrow at their hearts. My words were weapons intended to win their minds over onto my side. "So then!" I continued, "all the Jews know how I lived my life from my youth on, both in my own country and in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time. And if they are willing, they can testify that I have followed the strictest party in our religion. That is, I lived as a Pharisee. How ironic it is that I now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our forefathers, that the Messiah would one day come. That is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, as they have the same hope that I have. Yet it is in connection with this hope, Your Majesty, that I am being accused by the Jews! Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"
I told them my history with both passion and conviction, yet I was deliberately building my case slowly, cubit by cubit, stadia by stadia. "I used to think it was my duty to do all I could to combat the name of Jesus the Nazarene," I proclaimed, "and in Jerusalem I did so. After receiving authority from the chief priests, I myself threw many of God's people in prison. When they were condemned to be put to death, I cast my vote against them, consenting to their deaths. Often I went from one Synagogue to another, punishing them and trying to make them blaspheme. In my wild violent fury against them, I even went as far as to persecute them in cities outside the country. On one such occasion, I was travelling to Damascus with the full authority and power of the chief priests. I was on the road, and it was noon, Your Majesty, when I saw a bright light from heaven. This light was brighter than the sun, shining around me and my travelling companions."
I had their full attention now. The court auditorium was heavenly silent. I had them exactly where I wanted them, "We all fell to the ground and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you keep persecuting me? It is hard for you to continue to keep offering vain resistance against my will.' I replied, 'Who are you, Lord?' and the Lord answered, 'I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand up on your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen of me, and what I will show you about me in the future. I have chosen you out selecting you for Myself. I will rescue you from both the Jews and the Gentiles. Yes I'm sending you to the Gentiles, to open their eyes, so that they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness of their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.' So, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles. That they should repent and turn from their sins and turn to God."
I could speak freely as the chief priest and the Jewish elders from Jerusalem were not present to hiss against me like serpents, "It was because of these things that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me. But to this day I have had help that comes from God as He has been my ally. So I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses declared would happen and come to pass. That Christ, the Messiah would die, and that He, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to both the Jews and the Gentiles."
Just as I reached this point in my defense, Festus shouted out loudly at the top of his voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind, you are mad. Your great learning is driving you mad!" But I replied confidently, "No, I am not mad, Festus, Your Excellency. On the contrary, I am speaking words of truth and sanity. For King Agrippa understands these matters, so to him I express myself freely, because I am sure that these events are all familiar to him. After all, they didn't happen in some back alley. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe!" King Agrippa interrupted me, "In this short time, are you're trying to convince me to become a Christian?" I replied passionately, "Whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish to God that not only you, but also everyone hearing me today, might become just like me, except for these chains!"
Then the king, the Roman governor, Bernice, and the others sitting with them stood up and left. As they went out, they talked it over and agreed with one another, "This man is doing nothing wrong that deserves either death or prison." Agrippa said to Festus, "If he hadn't appealed to Caesar, the Emperor, he would have been released."
They called me mad, crazy, insane but has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But I preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than all the wisdom of men, and the weakness of God is stronger than all the strength of men. God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty.
I knew that it was God's will that I should go to Rome. The Messiah Himself had told me so in a vision. So we set sail for the coast of Italy, I was escorted by Julius, a centurion of the Emperor's Imperial Regiment with a total of two hundred and seventy six men. Including sailors, Roman guards, fellow prisoners, Luke and my body guard, Cassius. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from the naval city of Thessalonica, was also with us.
We sailed late in the season on a ship from Adramyttium which is a maritime city in Asia Minor, seated at the foot of mount Ida, opposite the Islands of Lesbos. The next day when we had docked at Sidon, a port city, Julius was very kind to me. He allowed me to go to shore under guard with Cassius to visit my friends, so that they could provide for my needs. We launched off from there, putting out to sea. We sailed close to the sheltered side of the Island of Cyprus, because we faced strong headwinds that made it difficult for the sailors to keep the ship on course. So keeping to the open sea we sailed along the coasts of the Provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia. We finally came to the port of Myra, a city in the Province of Lycia.
At Myra the centurion found a ship from the magnificent city of Alexandria, sailing from its port in Egypt to Italy. He ordered that we all be put on board. We had several agonising days of slow sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared the port of Cnidus, a town opposite the Island of Crete. But the wind was deliberately against us, so we changed coarse and sailed across to Crete, crawling along the sheltered coast of the islands, past the Cape of Salmone, a city on the east side of the Island of Crete. We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and eventually arrived at a place which is called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. I was on my way to Rome but I was contending with the prince and the power of the air. My enemy in the heavenly realms did not want me to go to Rome. Cassius said that the Greek god of the seas Poseidon, also known to the Romans as Neptune was trying to exercise his power over us and destroy us.
We had lost a lot of time and the weather was becoming dangerously risky for us to travel by sea. It was now late in the fall season for anyone to risk a voyage, due to the high winds. I had to do some thing about it, so I spoke to the ships officers in charge of the prisoners, saying, "Sirs, I believe that there will be trouble ahead if we sail on by ship. A shipwreck, loss of cargo and maybe danger to our own lives as well." Nevertheless the centurion in charge of the prisoners listened to the master and th
e owner of the ship, more than he believed me. Because Fair Havens was an exposed harbour port and therefore not a suitable place to bed down for the winter. The majority of the crew made a decision to sail from there to Phoenice, a more suitable port up the coast of Crete to spend the winter there. It was a good harbour sheltered from the south west and north west winds.
So we set sail and when a light south wind began to blow, the sailors thought that we could make it there. So they pulled up the anchor and sailed close to the shore line of the Isle of Crete. Suddenly the weather changed abruptly as we were hit by a fierce storm with gale force winds, called a northeaster. It burst across the island and blew us out to sea. Jesus once spoke to a violent storm of this nature and the winds and the waves obeyed Him. However, God seemed to want me to go through this storm, as He wanted to prove to me that He was my shelter from the storm. He said that He will be with us when we pass though the waters and He will not allow us to drown.
The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run with the tempest. The gale force winds were now driving us with a fierceness. I see people driven by fierce winds all the time. Either you can allow your life to be driven by the spirit winds of God that lead to eternal life or you can be driven by demonic winds that lead to destruction, a shipwreck upon the rocks. Those who doubt and do not ask God in faith are like the waves of the sea, driven and tossed by demonic winds.
We became sheltered from the wind for a moment when we passed by the side of a small island named Cauda. With strenuous effort we managed to get control of the lifeboat that was being towed behind us and we hoisted it aboard. The sailors had to bind ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it as they were afraid of being driven across the sandbars on the Syrtis off the African coast. So they lowered the masts and the anchor to slow the ship down from being so fiercely driven. The next day as gale-force winds continued to batter against the ship, the crew began to throw the cargo overboard. The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged on and on for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all the hope that we had in our hearts to be saved was gone.
Sometimes it has to get darker before it gets brighter, as the darkest part of the night is just before the dawn. However, God will counsel and instruct us in our night season. Weeping and sorrow may only endure during the night season, but joy comes in the morning. He may sit me down in dark places to cause me to die in my night season, but in the morning, at the break of dawn, He will bring dead things back to life.
We all ate nothing for several days from the stress and horror of the angry waves beating against us in the boat. So I stood up and called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not sailed from Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. But take courage for there will be loss of cargo and the ship will go down but there will be no loss of life. Not a hair on your heads will perish. For last night an angel of the Lord appeared to me and said, 'Don't be frightened Paul! It is necessary for you to stand trial before Caesar, the Emperor in Rome. God in His goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.'" I then spoke to all the men on the ship with confidence, in a strong bold tone of voice knowing the end from the beginning, "Men, take heart! For I trust God and believe that what I have been told by His angel will come true. However we must be shipwrecked upon a certain island."
Cassius also saw the angel of the Lord that appeared to me. That supernatural encounter changed his life. He was in awe as to the strength and beauty of heavens angelic beings. I told him that angels are ministering spirits assigned to the heirs of salvation. I was able to comfort the men with the words that I had been comforted with by the angel. At about midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed that land was near. So they dropped a weighted line and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. When they had gone a little further, they measured again, and found it to be fifteen fathoms deep. It is always at your midnight hour that God comes to your rescue when you give him thanks.
At this rate they were afraid that we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore. So they threw out all four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship. They lowered the life boat secretly into the water giving the pretence that they were going to lower the anchors from the front of the ship. I quickly alerted the centurion and said to all the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard on the ship." So the soldiers cut off the ropes of the life boat, and let her fall off into the angry sea and drift away.
Just as the day was dawning, I got them to eat some food to renew their physical strength. We had gone for fourteen days without eating anything. In the presence of them all, I blessed the bread, giving thanks to God and then broke it. I gave some to Luke and Cassius and then I also ate. When they saw us eat, everyone was encouraged and also began to eat. It is difficult for a man to eat something when he is staring death in the face. After eating, the crew further lightened the ship by throwing the wheat overboard into the raging sea. When morning dawned, the sailors didn't recognise the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. Finally they made an executive decision to run the ship aground.
They cut off all the anchors and left them at the bottom of the sea. They lowered the rudders, raised the sails into the wind, and sailed hard and straight for the shore. But they hit a shoal where two seas meet and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast in the sand, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart, disintegrating into the sea. The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore on their own and escape. But the commanding officer and Cassius wanted to spare my life, so they didn't let them carry out their plan. Cassius and the commander ordered all those who knew how to swim, to jump overboard first and make for land. While those who couldn't swim held planks and debris from the broken ship. Everyone escaped safely to the shore, just as I had prophesied. God was faithful and did exactly what He had promised He he would do.
We all ended up shipwrecked on an island. However I wasn't going to allow my faith to become shipwrecked with that old ship. I kept my faith up with a good conscience towards God. I was on my way to Rome by the will of God and I kept believing that He will do what He had promised to do.
I am Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, which holds a promise of life through being united with the Messiah. To God our Father be glory forever and ever. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with your spirit.
Amen - so be it.
Serpent in the fire. #6
After the shipwreck and our narrow escape, we learned that the island was called Malta. Its people showed us unusual and remarkable kindness. It was bitterly cold and started to rain, so the locals lit a bonfire and welcomed and received us all. Now I had gathered a bundle of sticks and was adding them to the fire, when a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself onto my hand. The islanders saw the creature hanging from my hand and said to one another, "This man must be a murderer. Even though he escaped the sea, Dike, the god of justice and vengeance has not permitted that he should live."
Luke and Cassius also saw the serpent bite me. I simply shook off the beast into the fire and suffered no evil effects. I wasn't going to allow that ancient serpent, the devil to hinder my God-given purpose and destiny. He said that I was going to preach His message in Rome and I was on my way to Rome. No shipwreck or snake bite was going to hinder God's plan for my life. I refused to allow it. I made a stand against the devil in the spiritual realm.
Jesus, the Messiah had given us authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions. He had given us authority over all the power of the devil and nothing shall in any way harm us. Jesus said, "In my name you shall pick
up serpents with your hands." I had used my God-given authority over the devil. It was through Christ's death upon the cross, that He destroyed him who had the power of death, that is the devil. Jesus crushed the serpents skull upon the cross, fulfilling the Scriptures. The ancient texts spoke that the Messiah will crush the head of the serpent while the serpent will bruise His heel.
The serpent failed to harm me in any way. He had no power over me. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high and lofty thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. I had put on all of God's armour, so that I was able to stand against the schemes of the devil. I did not wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
Having done all, to stand, I stood firm, having my loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. I had my feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Above all, I took the shield of faith, wherewith I was be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. I took the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And praying in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication, I had quenched the fiery darts of that serpent devil. I shook it back into the fire where it belonged. I wasn't going to dance around with serpents in the fire. I had authority over them.
The islanders waited, expecting my hand to swell up or that I suddenly fall down dead. After waiting a long time and seeing nothing was happening to me from the poisonous snake bite. They reversed their opinion about me and said that I was a god. I was considered to be one of their gods. They thought that I was an immortal god, immune to death.
Nearby were lands belonging to