July 26, 2010

Judges 9

Sometimes we look around and see all the evil and ask, “Why does God allow the evil to continue?” Judges is a prime example. Why did God allow the evil of the Israelites? Why did God allow Gideon to have multiple wives and children? Why did God allow Abimelech to kill 69 brothers? Why did God allow Abimelech to kill thousands of people of Shechem? Why? Why? Why? The answer is simple, if not too satisfying. God allowed it in order to demonstrate to us that evil eventually turns upon itself. Love builds up. Evil destroys. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Acts 27:1-26

A regiment or cohort was made up of 600 men. A legion had 10 regiments or cohorts. At this time Caesarea had 5 regiments stationed in Caesarea (3,000 soldiers). I wonder why this centurion (a man in charge of 100 men) was chosen for the task of taking Paul to Rome. Do you suppose his tour of duty was up? Or maybe it was just one task among many, and he was expecting to return to Caesarea after delivering Paul? Whatever the case, he treated Paul kindly. He was probably pleased and anxious to be going home.

Paul had inside information on the weather. He knew the One who controls the weather. And apparently Jesus had given Paul some kind of insight (whether natural or supernatural, the Scripture does not say at this point) into the fate of voyage. But the centurion was anxious to get home, and the helmsman and owner of the boat thought they could make it before the winter weather became too foul. The storm came and was so severe for so long that everyone on the ship had given up, "all hope that we would be saved." Jesus controls the weather. In this case, He brought bad weather to reveal His glory. He revealed his plan to Paul and Paul stood before the ship's crew and occupants and spoke the glory of Christ. They would be saved but the ship would be run aground on a certain island. Even on the way to Caesar, God had plans for Paul to preach the gospel to this crew and the inhabitants of the island.

Can we stand in the midst of the storm and speak the glory of Christ and trust that our Lord controls the storm and we will be saved? When we are on His mission, we can. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John