A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Take Note #72

Psalm 119:52 Progressive wisdom and understanding is in the heart of those who seek the disciplines of education. Yet, these higher learnings, provide little comfort. Comfort and confidence for life comes from resting in the judgments of God, who is a personal friend, a Savior and Creator.

Good Morning

One flotilla that we were in consisted of three other destroyers and a tanker, we were on our way home, returning from the Mediterranean Sea and was caught in a hurricane off the coast of New England. Fearing for the safety of the tanker, two of the destroyers were ordered to port and the remaining two were to stay with the tanker in case it broke up and sank. I was on one of the destroyers that stayed with the tanker. We all made it safely to Norfolk, Virginia, but not without severe damages to all three ships. Our destroyer lost several outside stairways, called ladders. Both of our whale boats were damaged beyond repair and the forward gun mount had partially broken loose from the deck. During the storm, people could not walk from place to place, but crawled, sometimes on the floor and sometimes on the walls. The men on watch needed to be strapped or belted to there stations in order to do the work. Men who were off duty went to bed and strapped themselves to their bunks so that they did not fall out. It was the worst storm at sea that I ever experienced. It lasted for many unending hours. At the beginning of the storm we were ordered to eat something. I made a baloney sandwich, at the end of the storm, I took it out from under my pillow and threw it away, baloney never goes bad, but mayonnaise does.

Acts 16

Acts 16:1-2 There is not a time when people meet, that God is not in the picture. We should be mindful that everyone we come in contact with has the potential to become a ministry partner. I believe that the apostle Paul understood this and readily took Timothy who later is spoken of by the apostle as his own son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2) and along with Luke the physician the only ones who the apostle could call true friends. (2 Timothy 4:9-16)

Acts 16:3 There would seem to be a contradiction here with Paul taking Timothy to be circumcised after having met with the elders in Jerusalem over the issue of circumcision for the gentiles. But we need to remember two important things. One Timothy is of a Jewish heritage on his mothers side, and two, since most of Christianity during this period of time was Jewish, many of the Jewish custom and laws carried into the church. Some of them are still very relevant in our churches today, especially in the more ritualistic churches.

Acts 16:4-5 The decree is one of the most important first documents of the New Testament Church. It gave spiritual support to the churches outside of Jerusalem and promised to uphold the doctrines of grace and faith. Grace and faith cannot function properly if a church allows idolatry, sexual immorality, cultisms and false religions to practice within the congregation. In Revelation two the churches of Pergamos and Thyatira are suffering from this failure. Revelation 2:12-29.

Now if you do not have your bible with you, the following is a link you can go to and find the verses of scripture I have referenced herein. Bible Gateway at: www.biblegateway.com/