Cool as the Apostle Paul

Sunday  2-21-16 (Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina)     

Scripture reading for today:  Num 8 – 9   Acts 28

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Acts 28:4 “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live."

Vs 6 But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

Vs 8-10 ... the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.  So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.  NKJV

O.  This reminds me of the city of Lystra (Acts 14).  After an outstanding miracle, the public tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods... then when the Jews arrived, they stoned Paul and left him for dead.  Now on the island of Malta, Paul escapes the sea and gets a deadly snake bite.  The public decide he is a murderer expect him to drop dead.  But our apostle remains “cool”.  So when he didn’t drop dead they decided he was a god.  The fact is he was a just a “cool” representative of the true and living God.  And before moving on he left an important elderly sick man healed... and many others, too.  “Too cool!”

A. The public opinion often sways from one extreme to another as they evaluate us Christians.  They love us one minute and hate us the next.  We are saints to adore or they want to silence our message.  It really doesn’t count for much what the public thinks of us, I guess.  What matters a great deal is: What do they think of Jesus?  Hey!  This was a shipwreck, a major emergency... but Paul, the prisoner, is as calm as if he is on vacation.  “Cool!”

P.  Please give me a dose of that “cool stuff”, Jesus.  I get rattled too easily, especially in an emergency.  Ah thanks! That feels good!  Tomorrow I preach in a baptismal service with Pastors Joel y Lili Díaz.  Keep me “cool” like Paul and anointed like “Stephen”.  Amen.

Ralph