Ruthe's Secret Rosesl
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Angel on a Shipwreck
Paul, (who was once Saul on a holy jihad to rid the world of Christians), was now a fine
articulate Christian, and the best of his generation at understanding and preaching the truths of
Christ.
This put him at loggerheads with the established religion and governments. He was passed
from prison to prison and from one court hearing to another. Although a Jew he was born a Roman
citizen, and this gave him immunity from the death sentence in the lower courts.
At one point Paul appealed to be heard before Caesar in Rome. That meant the judiciary was
obligated to get him there at their expense. Eventually they put him on a ship to Italy.
They put out to sea after the winter winds had begun, not a safe season for sea-faring. Before long
everyone on that ship knew it. They lost time trying to travel on the lea side of some small
islands, and had to start throwing cargo overboard. When a hurricane force, called the Noreaster,
swept down on them from an island things got worse. They passed ropes underneath the ship
to wrap around it and try to hold it together. They threw more cargo and the ships tackle or
equipment overboard. For many days they saw neither sun or stars, just wrestled with this storm.
After going without food for a long time, Paul stood up and said, "You should have taken my
advice not to sail from Crete at this time of year. But now I urge you to keep up courage because
not one of you is going to be lost. Last night an angel of God, whose I am, came and told me, 'Do
not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives
of all these with you.'" Paul assured them that he had faith it would happen that way. The ship
would run aground on an island, and break up, but all their lives would be saved.
Some sailors tried to escape secretly with the lifeboats, but Paul alerted the captain, who
cut off the ropes, letting those boats go empty. They had to stick together.
Before dawn Paul urged them all to eat something for strength for a harrowing swim to land.
Paul prayed over the bread, and blessed it, and they all broke into it and ate. Altogether they were
276 souls on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted they threw the rest of their grain
and food overboard.
The soldiers had a mind to kill all their prisoners so they couldn't escape, but the
centurion, wanting to save Paul's life, kept them from carrying out that plan.
At daylight they ran aground not too far from a sandy beach and as the ship broke apart, the
centurion ordered all who could swim to head for the beach, and those who couldn't, to grab a piece
of wood, and the tide would carry them to the shore.
The natives of the island came to help them build a large bonfire to dry off by, and when
the captain did a head count, all 276 people were present from the ship.
When God tells us what to do to be rescued in a crisis, whether by an angel, His Word, or a
knowing in our spiritual intuition, it's best to obey.
Furthermore, if God has a plan for our life, and He does, He will see that we get there. It
doesn't matter how impossible the situation appears.
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