Good afternoon church
This morning in my quiet time I was reading in Acts the amazing journey Paul was taken on after he was arrested and taken to Rome to present his case to Caesar. It took him many months to get there, and even involved being shipwrecked on the island of Malta. It would seem like an unbearable experience to most of us, but even in the midst of this God showed him many mercies. For one thing, he was allowed to be accompanied by his friends, so people like Luke. The Centurion tasked with getting him there was understanding and listened to Paul on occasion and protected him from harm. On arriving in Rome, he was also able to live for two years under a sort of house arrest in a house guarded by a soldier. All this lead him to be able to continue on in his ministry especially to the church in Rome who he had longed to visit for sometime.
On his arrival in Rome we read “…..And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged.” Acts 28:14-15 NIV. What a welcoming committee!
Isn’t God amazing, despite all the challenges He made sure that Paul continued to be effective and encouraged. Oh that we might be as excited about our relationship with Jesus and sharing and hearing the gospel that we might face the challenges of the faith with as much enthusiasm and perseverance as Paul and the Roman brothers and sisters did. I better stop my grumbling getting out of bed in the morning now that it is getting colder;-)
Blessings
Laurie
Rimutaka Baptist Church 