Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 271

September 28;       Acts 28:9;       117/260(III);       ‘Protected and Anointed’

Acts 28:9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.

The ship Paul was on sailing to Rome was shipwrecked on the island of Malta.  The natives on the island were very kind to those who had been on the ship.  A fire was kindled because it was a cold and rainy night.  Paul gathered sticks for the fire and a viper bit Paul.  The natives thought Paul was a murderer who though he survived a shipwreck, was now being judged by the bite of the snake.  Paul simply shook the snake off into the fire and nothing happened to him.  As a missionary, Mark 16 teaches that Paul would be protected from snake bites.  When nothing happened to Paul after he was bitten, the natives then thought Paul was a god.  The Lord protects those who are willing to go to the nations of the world to preach His gospel.  A man named Publius, was the leading man on the island and he treated the survivors courteously.  His father was sick.  Paul went, laid hand on the man and healed him.  News of this man’s healing quickly was circulated and all of those on the island who were sick came to Paul, who laid his hands upon them and the power of the Holy Spirit healed the people.  Isn’t that wonderful.  We, like Paul are protected and anointed wherever we go.  Believe that and declare that in your prayers.  If you are doing the Lord’s work, there will be challenges, the devil will see to it that there are.  Know that greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.  By faith do His work.  He will bless, protect and use you mightily.