Daily Devotionals

“But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm”
(Acts 28:5).

Aldi Novel Adilang, a nineteen-year-old Indonesian man, survived forty-nine days adrift in the open sea, atop a floating fish hatchery. He was working when strong winds broke the moorings and sent him offshore. He was rescued by a freighter ship when he was more than 1,200 miles away, in Guam waters; he disembarked in Japan. During his odyssey, he had to deal with loneliness, fear, thirst, and hunger. He had a Bible, and he clung to it and to the God of the Bible. After the rescue, he returned with great joy to his family.

The Bible speaks of another shipwreck, which Paul and his fellow sailing companions in Malta, a rocky island about sixty miles from Sicily, Italy. They were greeted by islanders, in cold weather, but warmly treated. Just saved from an icy sea, they were around a bonfire, warming up. The ever-helpful Paul helped gather branches to add to the fire, and it was just at that moment that a snake bit him and remained hanging on his hand.

Undoubtedly, more than one must have thought, “Has he journeyed on the dangerous ocean only to die on the shore?” Absolutely not. Hadn’t God promised that he would testify of Him before Ceasar? Paul had enough reason to continue to trust.

Meanwhile, the frightened islanders waited for Paul’s poisoned body to collapse before their eyes. They thought that they were in the presence of a great criminal in chains, and that, having been saved from the shipwreck, he was struck by the goddess Dike, daughter of Zeus, who personified moral justice.

But time passed and, seeing that nothing happened, they changed their minds and considered Paul a god. The apostle remained calm and emerged unscathed, even honored, for oonly was his innocence demostrated, but he was also able to bear witness to God’s power and love.

This event shows not only the value of trusting in the Lord, but also how unstable our judgements are, since the islanders went from considering him a prisoner to considering him a god. Because of Paul they were all treated well and their needs were met during the three months that hey stayed there. “Paul and his fellow laborers improved many opportunities to preach the gospel. In a remarkable manner the Lord wrought through them” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 446).

Paul’s commitment to his mission and to hope
was such that nothing could stop him:
neither shipwreck, nor snakes, nor superstitions.
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
But the certainty that something makes sense,
regardless of how it turns out” – Vaclav Harvel. –
Like Paul, let us always fulfill God’s purpose.

God bless you, put your trust in His hands…

“Therefor take heart, men, for I believe God
that it will be just as it was told me”
(Acts 27:25).

In chapter 42 of The Acts of the Apostles, Ellen G. White masterfully recounts the shipwreck suffered by Paul, narrated in Acts 27. In those days, travelling by sea brought countless difficulties and dangers. The journeys were made oriented by the sun and the stars. In stormy seasons there were no trips, beacause safe navigation was almost impossible.

In this account, the ship faces a fierce storm, endiing in its shipwreck off the coast of Malta. Paul endured the hardships of that long journey to Italy as a chained prisoner, and because his health was delicate, the Roman centurion, Julius, showed consideration in allowing him to be with his friends.

The opposing winds forced the ship to make a stop at an intermediate port. Since the could not stay there (and if they did they would not make it to their final destination in time), they had to set sail. Soon after, the ship, whipped by the storm, with its mast broken and sails ripped to shreds, was tossed back and forth by the fury of the sea.

There wasn’t a moment’s rest for anyone. For fourteen days, 276 people (Acts 27:37) were left adrift (v. 16) under a sky without sun and without stars. As a logical consequence, they had lost all hope of being saved (v. 20). Were all hopeless? No. There was one who had words of hope for the darkest hour and held out a helping hand in such an emergency.

He was one who clung by faith from the arm of infinite power; his faith rested on God. He had no fears for himself – he knew that his Creator would preserve him to testify in Rome for the truth of Christ. Even in an extreme situation, his heart was moved by the poor souls around him.

This one was the great apostle Paul, who almost illogically commanded all to be in good spirits because there would only be material losses, none human. Why? He was resting upon the divine promises: “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Ceasar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you’ ” (Acts 27:23-24). These words shook their apathy and arouse hope, and they renewed their efforts. What happened in the end? “And so it was that they all escaped safely to land” (v. 44).

Paul was a minority… one out of 276! He was sick, suffering in his own flesh the strong wind and the icy water, and chained. But he was a prisoner of his faith and free from his sins. He had an identity because he knew who he was and whom he served. And he – the one out of 276 – was decisive.

It may be that your circumstances
are not as unfavorable as Paul’s, but…
your testimony and faithfulness,
along with your hope,
need to be the same as Paul’s.

God bless you, let’s be faithful, and hopeful. Let’s be the one out of many!

“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me
to become a Christian’ ”
(Acts 26:28).

LaMia Flight 2933 departed from Viru Viru Airport in Bolivia to José María Córdova Airport in Colombia, with 68 passengers and 9 crew members. It crashed on November 28, 2016 at 22:15 local time. Among the passengers was Brazilian football team Chapecoense, which was on its way to play the final of the 2016 South American Cup against Atlético Nacional.

Only six people survived the accident. Investigators concluded that the cause of the accident was fuel exhaustion due to human error. The aircraft was flying overweight and with fuel to the limit, and the pilot wrongly decided not to make a stop to refuel. This is a very sad story, because of the loss of so many young lives due to an accident that could have been avoided. When it crashed, the runway was already visible. It was only four minutes away. They were almost saved.

On February 1, 2003, the Columbia space shuttle returned from its mission. After spending 16 days in space, it was only fifteen minutes away from landing. Families gathered in Houston to welcome their loved ones. But something terrible happened. A piece of foam insulation came off and damaged one of the wings, and the force and heat caused the shuttle to disintegrate, its pieces falling over Louisiana and Texas. Seven astronauts almost came back.

King Agrippa heard the preaching of Paul, a persuative speaker, who presented the gospel powerfully. Agrippa understood everything, but said, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Here is a half- converted man who could not deny his faith in the prophets. Next to him was an atheist governor, who had told Paul a few moments earlier that he was insane.

We do not knnow the result of Paul’s testimony. Agrippa retained his human dignity, but at a high price: his own soul. He was so close… he almost accepted Jesus, but “almost saved” means completely lost. If salvation is the most valuable thing there is, not attaining it is truly the gratest tragedy.

Is there any “almost” or “nearly” in your life that is leavinig you out entirely? Almost faithful is not faithful at all. almost committes is not committed at all. What is needed for your surrender and commitment to be complete? Is there something in your heart, in your job, in your relationships, in your testimony? What is missing in order for you to be persuaded?

As pleasant as the flight may seem,
the really transcendent thing is to get to the destination.

God bless you, let us all get to our destination….

“To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those
who are sanctified by faith in Me”
(Acts 26:18).

Helen Keller was an American writer and speaker. At nineteen months of age, she suffered a sirious illness that caused her to lose her vision and hearing. Her inability to communicate from early age was a very difficult reality for Helen and her family.

When she turned seven, her parents decided to look for an instructor. They found a young specialist, Anne Sullivan, who was put in charge of her training and made a breakthrough in special education. Thus, Helen managed to graduate and become a well-known speaker and writer. She wrote fourteen books and published more than 475 articles and essays. Difficulties were never an obstacle for her to convey her positive messages that encouraged and motivated so many people.

It is never easy to get where it is worth getting to. Even when her physical eyes and ears were closed, her intellectual, emotional, and spiritual eyes were wide open to perceiving and valuing life and its challenges.

Like Paul, we are all called to open people’s eyes, so that they may come out of darkness into the light, from the power of the enemy to the power of God, from guilt to forgiveness, from this limited life to an eternal inheritance.

Paul knew that sin had blinded everyone’s spiritual eyes. He himself said in his testimony that when he met Christ he could see things he was unable to see before. He stopped looking earthward and started to look toward heaven; he stopped being focused on himself to focus on his Savior instead.

He used to turn his back on the light, and was walking into darkness and death. Since that encounter, he turned his back on the shadows and sin, to walk into light and life. He used to live for the kingdom of this world; now he lived for the kingdom of God.

“Only those who devote themselves to His service, saying, ‘Here am I; send me’ (Isa. 6:8), to open blind eyes, to turn men ‘from darkness to light and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified’ (Acts 26:18) – they alone pray in such sincerity, ‘Thy kingdom come’ ” (Prayer, p. 294).

There is no intermediate option. Only those who renew their commitment
everyday, pray, study the Bible, testify, prepare themselves,
and prepare others for heaven; and those who by the grace of God
are dedicated to “opening eyes” of others
are those who truly yearn for the second coming of Christ.
“God does not command sinners to seek a church,
He commands the church to seek out sinners” – Billy Graham. –

Let’s ask ourselves, where is our focus today? God bless you…

“Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control,
and the judgement to come, Felix was afraid and answered,
‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time
I will call for you’ ”
(Acts:24:25).

Felix was a corrupt and unscrupulous freed slave. He had fallen in love with Drusilla, a Jew from Jerusalem and daughter of Agrippa II, married to Azizus, king of Emesa. This produced a war in which Azizus was defeated. When Felix returned from battle, he met Paul.

Tertullus, an attorney skilled in oratory, flattered Felix and accused Paul. However, the apostle did not act as a defendant. Rather than defending himself, he intrepidly defended the message of which he was a bearer. He did not see in Felix a Roman governor, but a sinner, restless, frightened, even terrified. Considering that Felix had previously been an unjusty treated slave, and had been able to reach such a high position through maneuvers and lies, Paul spoke to him of justice, of a correct attitude and conduct toward God and his fellow man. Of course, because his life was not reflected in the words he heard, Felix trembled as he thought of divine judgement.

Then Paul talked to him about self-control, something completely opposed to the life of that great culprit, who thought he could live without being accountable to anyone. Now Paul, the accused, was speaking to the one who at that moment was his judge, providing for both him and his wife an opportunity for salvation in the face of the great judgement before the Judge of the universe.

Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit was working on that man, but he resisted. He was perturbed by his guilty conscience; he even hoped Paul would bribe him so he could set him free. Meanwhile, he became more and more of a prisoner to his sins. Felix did not openly reject Paul, but disguised his rejection, leaving the matter for another, better time, which never came, because “your later may be late” – Israelmore Ayivor -.

The great culrpit kept trembling. That is because a guilty conscience always makes one uncomfortable. When Felix stretched out his hand to deliver a sentence against Paul, he also pronounced it against himself. “When I have a convenient time I will call for you,” he said.

Before the throne of God there will be no excuses, lies, delays, or indifference to justify your indecision. “This life is man’s time of preparation for the future life. Should he neglect privileges and opportunities he would suffer an eternal loss; no new probation would be given to him” (The Acts of the Apostiles, p. 423).

How long have you been delaying you decision and commitment?
A delay solves nothing and nothing justifies a delay.
“I tell you the the ‘right time’ is now. The ‘day of salvation’ is now”
(2Cor. 6:2).

God bless you, let’s not waste any time…

“For I am ready not only to be bound,
but also to die at Jerusalem
for the name of the Lord Jesus”
(Acts 21:13).

I was at a hospital, visiting a firefighter who had been burned due to his heroic intervention in a fire. He was in intensive care; his situation was not serious, but delicate. After greeting him, and trying to encourage him, I decided to congratulate him on his courageous actions and spirit of service. Barely opening his eyes, with his hand raised, and with a weak but convincing voice, he thanked me. However, almost instantly he assured me that there was nothing about which to congratulate. He simply said, “That’s what we’re here for.”

Since then, I have thought many times about his five-word sermon: “That’s what we’re here for.” In reality, firefighters are not there to burn or injure themselves. However, in their service to protect property and lives, if it is necessary to risk their own to save others, they are willing to do so.

Paul was also very clear about the purpose of his life and ministry. Acts 21 narrates the prophecy of Agabus, who dramatized what would happen to Paul by tying his feet and hands with the apostle’s belt, thus predicting that he would be taken prisoner in Jerusalem. In an insistent way, the brethren sought to keep Paul from going to Jerusalem, but he could not be persuaded: he was not only willing to be bound, but he was also willing to die for Christ, if necessary. He was determined to do whatever was necessary and, by the grace of God, not only to endure it but also to suffer it with joy.

The trials and anxieties that Paul had endured had preyed upon his physical powers. The infirmities of age were upon him. He felt that he was now doing his last work, and, as the time of his labor grew shorter, his efforts became more intense. There seemed to be no limit to his zeal. Resolute in purpose, promt in action, strong in faith, he journeyed from church to church, in many lands, and sought by every means within his power to strengthen the hands of the believers, that they might do faithful work in winning souls to Jesus, and that in the trying times upon which they were even then entering, they might remain steadfast to the gospel, bearing faithful witness for Christ (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 488).

Paul’s efforts were increasingly intense.
His missionary purpose was non-negotiable;
his actions urgent and imperative. His passion
and courage to fulfill the mission had no limits.
“Courage isn’t having the strenght to go on,
it is going on when you don’t have strenght”
– Napoleon Bonaparte -.
Can be the same said of us?

God bless you, may He fill you with the spirit of Courage…

“I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this,
that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ”
(Acts 20:35).

In today’s verse, Paul quotes a statement from Jesus that does not appear in any of the four Gospels. Giving is in the very essence of God. John 3:16 (which is parhaps the best known text of Scripture) says that God loves us in such a way that He gave us His Son.

Giving is an act that originates in God. That is why we have to imitate Him. The recipient is blessed; the one who gives is even more so. Whoever gives frees himself from selfishness and receives God’s blessings. Giving and giving of oneself is increasingly indispensable in the world in which we live.

“When I look at the unplowed field, I ask myself,”
Where are the hands of God?
“When I observe injustice, corruption, the one who exploits the weak; when I see the arrogant pedantic enrich themselves at the cost of the ignorant and the poor, I wonder,”
Where are the hands of God?
“When I look at the forgotten elderly lady, I wonder,”
Where are the hands of God?
“When I see the dying man in agony, full of pain, I wonder,”
Where are the hands of God?
“When I look at that once strong and determined young man, now stupefied by drugs and alcohol; when I see hesitancy where there was once brilliant intelligence; when I see him now in rags, with no direction or destination; I ask myself,”
Where are the hands of God?
“When that kid offers me his box of unsold candy at thee o’clock in the morning; when I see him sleeping in the street and shivering, with a few newspapers covering his fragile body; when his gaze calls out to me; when I see him wandering the streets without hope and only the company of a stray dog; I wonder,”
Where are the hands of God?

“And I face Him and ask Him,”
‘Where are Your hands, Lord… to fight for justice, to give a caress, to bring comfort to the abandoned, to rescue the youth from drugs, to give love and tenderness to the forgotten?

“After a long silence, I hear His voice:
‘Don’t you realize that you are My hands? Dare to use them for what they were made!’ “

We are the hands of God in this world.
Serve with love, because “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

God bless you!

“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel”
(Acts 20:33).

They are popularly known as leeches or bloodsucking parasites. They are elastic and flexible. Some species are predators and feed on worms and larvae, among other things, while other species feed on blood. How do they do it? The attach themselves to the body and with their jaws cut the skin on their prey until they bleed. Then, with their posterior suction cup they suck the blood while releasing an anesthetic that prevents pain, so the victim does not feel anything; a vasodilator, so that the veins near the cut release more blood; and an anticoagulant. The amount of blood they suck is not dangerous even for a child, and they do not transmit diseases.

Coventousness acts like a bloodsucking leech. Solomon says that “the leech has two daughters, ‘Give! Give!’ they cry” (Prov. 30:15). In other words, greed can only produce more greed. Those who covet the possessions of others are never satisfied. Like the leech that sucks blood from anyone to whom it attaches itself, so does greed: it will always want more and more from others.

The dictionary defines covetousness as “having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessoins.” In this sense, in the original language of the New Testament, it means “the desire to have more,” that is, an ungovernable desire to consume and control what others have, to possess more than we already have.

Paul was accused of covetousness, implying that his passion for evangelization hid his interest in the material goods of converts. He had the right to ask for donations for his labor, but he did not. With his remarkable influence on people, he could have obtained material benefits and become rich. But he knew how to live modestly and have adundance; he knew how to be content, whatever situation (Phil.4:11-12). He never profited from the Corinthians or accepted gifts from the Philippians; he supported himself with the work of his hands, without allowing others to support him.

Paul himself makes it clear that “the love for money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6:10), so covetousness is condemned by the Decalougue (the Ten Commandments) itself. “Greed is a bottemless pit which exhaust exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction,” declares Erich Fromm. Paul sought to uproot greed from hearts by directing people to look at the sacrifice Christ made for us all.

We must prevent the great evil of greed. And if we are already affected by it, let’s seek the cure, because “in his experience and example it will be made manifest that the grace of Christ has power to overcome covetousness and avarice, and the rich man who renders unto God His entrusted goods, will be accounted a faithful steward, and can present to others the fact that every dollar of accumulated property is stamped with the image and superscription of God” (Counsels on Stewardship, p.28).

God bless you, let us become the faithful steward God is expecting us to be. Let’s get rid of the leeches!

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves
will come in among you, not sparing the flock”
(Acts 20:29).

Wolves are the largest animals in the canine family. They have a thick fur that helps them survive in unfavorable climates. Wolves seek to transmit strenght and aggression and generate submission and fear. They usually live in packs, within an established territory, which they mark. They attack and consume by force, and are rapacious, that is, given to plunering, poaching, or preying.

What’s more, we need to remember that the wolf is a nocturnal animal with a great sense of sight, and it tries to gain the advantage over its potential victims who do not see well at night. With such characteristics, it is not surprising that Paul used these animals as a metaphor to warn the church.

Who would be the “wolves” eager to harm the flock of believers? Well, they are the false teachers who seek to replace the ancient Word of God with novel ideas of their own; they are those who say, “Thus said the Lord,” when the Lord has not spoken; they are disguised heresies; they are those who consider themseves self-reliant, demand authority, and act as masters of the church to carry out their deceptions.

Beware of those who gowl, shout, and seek to impose themselves through fear, using threats, aggression, and criticism.

Beware of those who think they are the judges of doctrine, procedures, and the church.

Beware of those who work in darkness, taking advantage of circumstances and even weaknesses.

Beware of those who think themselves to be saviours of the church, because there is only one Saviour and Owner: Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, according to Paul himself, bought it with His own Blood.

Beware of those who, instead of allowing themselves to be used by the Comforter, work for the accuser.

Beware of the one “who holds the truth in unrighteousness, who declares his belief in it, and yet wounds it every day by his inconsistent life, is surrendering himself to the service of satan and leading souls to ruin. This class hold intercourse with fallen angels and are aiden by them in gaining the control of minds” – Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 142 -.

Don’t be a wolf or get carried away by one of them.
Let yourself be guided today and always by Jesus,
the true Shepherd of the flock.

God bless you, let us be vigilant and sober….