All Things Work Together for Good

All Things Work Together for Good The Lord can take a terrible situation and use is for His good, last week we went with the Apostle Paul on the voyage that ended in disaster, a smashed vessel and shipwreck on an Island but God got Paul exactly where he wanted him Acts of the Apostles 27–28, Paul the Apostle was taken as a prisoner on a voyage to Rome. Despite his warning, the ship sailed into a violent storm and was driven off course for many days.

Eventually, the ship was wrecked on an island, breaking apart in the surf.

Yet, just as God had promised, all 276 people on board survived, some swimming and others clinging to pieces of the ship.

God preserved every life and safely brought Paul to shore, continuing His plan. Acts 28.1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.

2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

3But 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.

4So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.”

5But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead.

But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. 7In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days.

8And 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 .

9So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.

10They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary. All Things Work Together for Good The Lord used this situation to locate Paul onto the Island of Malta so that the residents could hear the Good news of the Gospel.

The local population followed pagan beliefs, worshipping various gods.

You can see this in the passage we just read “When Paul was bitten by a snake, they thought it was divine judgment.

When he didn’t die, they then thought he was a god”

This reaction shows they were not yet grounded in the gospel. In those days often dysentery and fever would have ended in death, but the mercy of God used the storm and brought the message of salvation to these people so they could be saved.

The Gospel is not only in word alone but also in power. It’s not a powerless Gospel, we possess.

The Lord wants active participants of power to spread the same message Paul was preaching with some of the same fruits.

When Paul the Apostle arrived after the shipwreck, he stayed there for about three months, healing the sick and demonstrating God’s power.

Working for God The message last week was entitled Working for God and we’ve just got a glimpse of what this looks like – a life of saving and helping others not in our own strength, but by the power of the Gospel.

Working for God includes supernatural manifestations, open visions, seeing the unseen and much more.

The healing miracles are a part of that sign.

We can see the format of Jesus Christ demonstrated so that we too can enter into the miracles of God. “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. Luke 4.40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. Mark 16.17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

[including protection from deadly things and healing the sick.] For Us Today. Enter Into The Works of God When we work for God, nothing much has changed. There will be times when you should be able to pray and lay your hands on the sick and see them recover.

However you will only see these things if you practice believing in your heart that God is working through you as He desires. Blocks to people trying. It’s not about you but about Him, people think because they are not healed of something that they can’t pray for others, they think they are not worthy or not good enough but the power never originates in you but through you by the Holy Spirit.

Shared last week. Our journey of being transported. 1. Healing of the plane. Ended up praying for a few people on the plane.

2.

1am healing at a women’s house..3 Praying for healing over the phone and God is working.

4 Deliverance demons just came out and the person fell to the floor.

But also many other healings of mind, soul and body, not just physically but emotionally, etc.Healing night, God working in a whirl wind. Believe and Receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Lord gives us a range of supernatural gifts when we work with Him that we use for His glory as He wills.

[There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles , to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues , to another the interpretation of tongues .

11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Some have these gifts but are not putting them into practice. We will end in prayer and ask God to give us a renewed hunger for the Gifts of the Spirit with the main gift being the Holy Spirit.