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  • Paul in Chains

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    Paul in Chains

    

    As a prisoner, Paul had to face the authorities in Rome. Before getting there, he faced one disaster after another, and when the journey seemed most dire, God gave him the strength to carry on and even minister to others in their darkest hours. Paul wrote four New Testament books of the Bible while under arrest in Rome as he he waited to stand before Nero. Paul knew that he would receive a great reward from God when his time ended on the earth.

    • Bijbelse referenties

      • 1 Korintiërs 9:22
      • Handelingen 22:25-29
      • Handelingen 16:37
      • Handelingen 18:1-3
      • Handelingen 23:16

  • Publius

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    Publius

    

    Publius, the chief official of the island, showed great kindness to Paul and the other shipwrecked passengers. Through Paul, God healed Publius’ father, showing His power and love to Publius and the people of Malta.

    • Bijbelse referenties

      • Handelingen 28:8
      • Handelingen 28:8

  • Captain Julius

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    Captain Julius

    

    Julius, a Roman officer and a captain of the Imperial Regiment, showed great kindness to Paul. Then the ship broke apart. The soldiers wanted to kill Paul, but Julius wanted to spare him. Julius let Paul carry out his plan. Everyone was saved.

    • Bijbelse referenties

      • Handelingen 27:4
      • Handelingen 27:4

• Video's

  Paulus en de schipbreuk - Het reddingsgedicht

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    The Shipwreck

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    Publius' Father Is Healed

• Vraag en Antwoord

  • Why does God tell us not to complain?

    Complaining is an outward sign that you have not placed your trust in God. He wants to bless you, but He can only pour out His blessings if we are walking in faith. If we complain because we are lacking in faith, then it blocks God from bringing His blessing to you.
    
    
    
    We see a clear example of this when the Children of Israel are in the wilderness after God dramatically delivered them from Egypt. Because they complained about their circumstances as they made their way toward the Promised Land, God declared, "You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die" (Numbers 14:29). The Apostle Paul said, "Do everything without complaining and arguing" (Philippians 2:14). Later in the book of Philippians, he gives the antidote to complaining: "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Numeri 14:29
    • Filippenzen 2:14
    • Filippenzen 4:4

  • Why do people say that God's grace to Paul is "amazing”?

    Grace is receiving something you don’t deserve. That is different from the concept of mercy. Mercy is not receiving punishment for something that you do deserve. In the English New Testament, the word “grace” is always a translation of “charis,” a word that occurs in the Greek text more than 170 times. The apostle Peter writes, “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2). Grace is a gift of God. It is God intervening in our lives to bring about His will despite the circumstances that we may face.
    
    
    
    There may be times where we make mistakes. It seems like we dig ourselves into a hole that we can't get out of. God's grace is there to pull us up out of that hole without us doing anything to escape. If you find yourself in a position where it seems that there is no answer or there is no way out, ask God to bring His grace into that situation. Then continue to thank Him for working in your life. The blessing of God comes to us despite our weakness, our failures, and our sin. That is why the great hymn writer, John Newton, who himself had been captain of a slave ship, was able to receive God's forgiveness and write these words in his timeless hymn: "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see."
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • 2 Petrus 1:2

  • God spoke to Paul. What are some ways God speaks to His people?

    Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). The Bible says, "Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).
    
    
    
    There are basically seven ways that God speaks to His people today. The first and most important way is through the Scriptures. The Bible is the standard that we use to judge every other form of what we believe to be God's guidance.
    
    
    
    The second way God communicates is by His Spirit speaking directly to our spirit. This can be through the still small voice that we hear in our heart, through a dream, or through a vision. Because this revelation is supernatural, it’s important to confirm that what you believe you are hearing is truly from God.
    
    
    
    This leads us to the next way God directs, and that is through confirmation. The Bible says, "The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses" (2 Corinthians 13:1b). God will speak to us, and then He gives us the other six keys to hearing His voice in order to confirm that what he has said is truly from Him.
    
    
    
    The next key is godly counsel. The Bible says, “[T]here is safety in having many advisers” (Proverbs 11:14b). God is not offended if we seek confirmation through our pastor, our parents, our teachers, or through mature godly friends. In fact, He is blessed when we seek to confirm his guidance in our lives.
    
    
    
    Another important key to hearing God's voice is through the peace of God. The Bible says, “You shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace” (Isaiah 55:12a). It also says, “[L]et the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15a). The word “rule” here in the Greek is the same word for an umpire. So the peace of God is like an umpire that tells us whether we are “safe” in His will or “out” of His will.
    
    
    
    The next key to hearing God's voice is personal prophecy. God will use New Testament prophets to speak His will to us – and also to confirm His will in our lives. Scripture says in the book of Amos, "Indeed, the Sovereign LORD never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). The apostle Paul tells us that we should be eager to prophesy because God builds up His church through this special gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:39). But remember, New Testament prophecy is meant for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is never meant for judgment.
    
    
    
    The final way that God will speak to us is through circumstances. Some people rely too much on circumstances, neglecting the other six keys of God's guidance. Other people don't pay enough attention to the circumstances and sometimes step out ahead of God's timing, even though they may have actually heard God's voice in a certain direction. So we need to weigh the circumstances along with the other six keys of God's guidance. The wonderful thing to know is that because God loves you He is communicating – and you can hear His voice and know His will today.
    
    
    Discover what God's saying to you

    • 1 Korintiërs 14:39
    • Romeinen 8:14
    • Jesaja 30:21
    • Johannes 10:27
    • 2 Korintiërs 13:1
    • Jesaja 55:12

  • Like Paul, does God bless those around our faith?

    Yes. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, the apostle Paul uses two metaphors to describe the ministry of Christians in the world. Paul calls us God's ambassadors in the earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador is sent by a king or president to a foreign land to represent and declare the will of that ruler.
    
    
    
    Paul also describes the believer as a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18): “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Every Christian is called to be a minister. Each of us has a special assignment that God wants us to carry out in this life. So you can be a blessing to those around you, in your family, with your friends, and on your job by doing those things that God has created for you to do. You can also be a blessing to those around you by walking in obedience to God and receiving the blessings that come as a result of that obedience. Finally, you can be a blessing by demonstrating the love and grace of God in your daily life. People who don't know God will see His love through your demonstrations of love.
    
    
    Discover God's love and blessings for you

    • 2 Korintiërs 5:20
    • 2 Korintiërs 5:18
    • 2 Korintiërs 5:19

  • With faith like Paul, can we reflect the power of Christ?

    Absolutely! In John 14:12, Jesus promised his disciples, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." Jesus was explaining that, when He ascended to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit, who would be our helper and our comforter: “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative--that is, the Holy Spirit--he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26). Jesus told his disciples, "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven" (Luke 24:49). Then just before He ascended into heaven, He told His followers: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). It wasn't until Jesus was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him that Jesus began doing miracles while He was on earth.
    
    
    
    In the same way, God wants to use every believer to show His power and glory on the earth. In order to move in the power of God, we must not only receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts at salvation, but we also must receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit in a baptism of power – just like Jesus did at His water baptism. When we yield to God in this manner, He fills us to overflowing with his Holy Spirit, which gives us power to be His witnesses. The word Christian literally means “Christ-ones.” God has called each one of us to be like Jesus. We are not Christ, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do the things that Jesus did, as His Holy Spirit directs us.
    
    
    
    A good way to understand it is to think how the sun is different from the moon. God is like the sun in that He sends forth His light and power into the universe. We are like the moon in that we are an inanimate object that can't give anything of value by ourselves. However, when we receive the light and power from the sun, we can reflect that light into the darkness of this world. Then, people will see the light of Jesus as they look at us. As someone once said, “We are happy to be the moon!”
    
    
    Reflect the power of Christ in your life

    • Johannes 14:12
    • Johannes 14:26
    • Lucas 14:29
    • Handelingen 1:8