Shake The Devil Off

I have come to discover that people who have to scratch for a living, facing the hunger and depraved from the many luxuries in life..... are the ones who are first to help their fellow man

who are in need.

It’s hard to get a rich man, or someone of high society, to get his hands dirty. They might be willing to pay for someone else to work, but they will not pick up a hammer and a nail.

These barbarians were probably accustomed to seeing shipwrecks on their island. They probably made their living by fishing and facing the dangers of the storms. They knew the pain, the suffering, the hardships of this kind of life and they knew what to do to help those in distress.

These barbarians “kindled a fire” for warmth and to help the survivors of the wreck to dry out and probably even brought some food to warm over the fire.

My Brothers and Sisters…. When you are shipwrecked on life’s troubled seas, and you feel like you have been cast upon a deserted island, remember what these barbarians did.

“They Kindle a fire....... We must learn to Kindle a Fire in your heart.”

The storms of life have a way of sapping your strength, draining your energy, weakening your hope and crushing your joy, but don’t give up.

Keep The Fire Kindled...... And Stay on your knees in prayer, because it’s hard for the Snakes to keep biting when you are Praying.

Keep The Fire Kindled..... And Shake the Devil off and allow the Holy Spirit to renew and refresh you.

Keep The Fire Kindled..... And Let the fire of the Holy Ghost burning brightly in you so that the dampness of your spirit can be made dry and you can feel the warmth of God’s presence in your life.

The barbarians received Paul and his traveling companions.

Isn’t it good to feel “received” by others ...... after the storm has blown your life apart!

We must learn to receive others who are in trouble with open arms.

We must learn to receive others who are in distress.

We must learn to receive others and to help them to get back on their feet.

We must learn to receive both sinner and saint alike, who come into our church seeking refuge from the storms.

Paul said in Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

It was raining while they built the fire, and it was a cold rain, the kind that would soak through everything and chill you to the bone.

We.... All face some rain in our lives – and for all of us there are times when the rain becomes a “Euroclydon” Storm – a hurricane that whips us around in circles, blows away hope, brings fear and despair, and shakes the very foundation of our faith and trust in God.

Sometimes the rain and winds of adversity are so strong that they seem to make us cold in spirit; .... cold in body; .... cold in emotions; .... and cold in our ability to feel anything.

We are all humans and there are times when we are so numbed by the cold-blooded, attacks of the devil that we are almost too numb to think, to move or to even pray.

We need to build a new fire! A Fire Like The One Jeremiah Had Shut-up In His Bones!