Any dedicated Christian seeks a periodic renewal of God’s working within him. We cannot stay stagnant in our walk with the Lord even though there may seem obstacles in the way of further spiritual growth. We desire an elevation of enthusiasm within our worship services. A believer wanting to serve God to the max is a believer who also wants his church to know the power of the Holy Spirit working in people. It is for that reason we select the passage in Acts 28: 1-6.
It was Paul’s ultimate destination to appear before Caesar. In chapter 27 we see him on a boat traveling to Rome, the voyage that ended in an ultimate shipwreck. Then we are told about what happened when everyone was on the shore of an unknown island. Like Paul, there may be times in which we feel we have been in a storm and even shipwrecked. Ironically, there may be times when God wants us to be shipwrecked to stop and reevaluate our situation. In all, we see is a Christian who is attempting to make something out have a bad situation no matter how terrible it may seem. Paul’s situation became a testimony to the barbarians.
We know there are different ways we can become shipwrecked in this life. We can become discouraged because the hardness of our task feeling like the burden is weighing heavily on our mind and heart. We may even make the mistake of attempting to sail when the time is not right, as happened in Paul’s case. They traveled into the middle of the Mediterranean Sea during winter, which was an impossible journey to begin with. They were led by an incompetent captain. In the beginning of the story, we should take warning to be careful of the person who has a great influence on us like that captain.
The sailors tried to save themselves in the meantime by throwing the goods and tackle overboard. How sad it is when people who are in trouble will promise anything to God and likely not keep that promise later. All 276 people landed on this unknown island. Like them, we may find ourselves in a new situation that seems strange but can be God’s destiny for us. Of all those people only one person tried to bring warmth in the midst of the cold wet environment. Only one gathered sticks for kindling to start a fire.
A renewed enthusiasm in serving God is like that fire but it does not come from a previous joyous spirit already in the church. It comes from the here and now when the church is possibly defunct of the Holy Spirit’s moving. While all the others stand by wishing for spiritual words, only one took matters into his own hands. When the flames began to flare up, a serpent struck out at the one who was starting the fire, the revival. Today such an attack by the serpent/the devil may bring into the congregation discord, confusion, temptations, trials for persons who are wanting to be involved in such a revival. The old serpent will not stand idly by while God’s people gain new warmth.
One person was responsible for the kindling and the starting of fire, but he was not without critics. When the barbarians saw the serpent’s attack on Paul, they immediately developed a bad conclusion about Paul that he must’ve been a murderer and “the gods” would have the last say. Often our testimony to spectators comes from the time in which we are struck by the workings of the devil that we must address. Notice that Paul shook the serpent off back into the flames just like we must shake off the devil’s influence in the revival fires of our lives. When the spectators saw that Paul did not die, they concluded that he must’ve been a god. Our testimony must be accurate to those who see our miseries with our victories.
Do you want a revival in your life? Do you want a revival in your church? You must start with the wet cold as the circumstances are currently. The most opportune time for revival for starting the fire, is when we are down, helpless, in need of God’s warmth. It is then we must start a fire within ourselves, not waiting for somebody else to do it. Paul did his part and then God did his part. It only takes a spark in one person to generate a blaze reaching out to others.
Christian Writer 