ROME

Today’s Reading: Acts 28

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“But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand…But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.” Acts 28:3, 5

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Key Verse: Acts 28:8

And it happened that 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.

Throughout the centuries, divine healings have been instrumental in turning people’s attention toward Jesus. Firstly, in today’s reading, we read of God’s physical protection for Paul from an always fatal snake bite, and secondly, the immediate recovery of Publius. We should never hesitate to pray for people’s healings. Then, share Jesus as Saviour and Lord! (MOST IMPORTANT!!!)

Believers in Jesus from Rome came to meet Paul. They may have been secret believers because of persecution. The main Jewish community seemed to know little of Paul’s message. Oral history tells us that after two years of house arrest in Rome, Paul was released and went to Spain where he established churches. Some suggest that he may have gone to Britain also. His final arrest back in Rome brought his death under Nero. After Paul’s first visit to Rome, Luke, our historian, disappears from the scene. His work was done and done very well.

Tomorrow, back to Deuteronomy. Let us not give up on this systematic tour of the Scriptures. Amen!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, grant that I may bring people to You, regardless of the cost, as Jesus and Paul did. I’m trusting You for the grace necessary to be true to Your calling. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I spent a great deal of time in Spain before and during World Expo ’92 in Seville. Crossroads sponsored a pavilion there where more than 1,000,000 people visited our witness for Jesus. More than 53,000 precious souls made first-time recorded decisions to give their lives fully to Jesus. Each one signed up for a Bible correspondence study in their native language and were followed up around the world by Scripture Union. While there, I visited places where Paul first preached the Good News of Jesus. Even though the Bible does not share that Paul was in Spain, you could never tell the Spanish people that Paul was not there! Monuments testify to this fact.

I asked for the picture of the serpent seen above. In our reading, the venom could not destroy Paul. Revelation 12:9 speaks of “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” You may want to read that entire section (click here). Satan has been defeated through the Cross of Christ. As Paul did literally, we do spiritually. Shake the serpent off and into the fires of Hell. He cannot hurt those who put their trust in Jesus. Check out again the first verses of today’s reading, and do to the serpent as Paul did!

Yours for effectively winning people to Jesus,

David