Acts Bible Study Chapters 27&28: These chapters describe Paul's harrowing sea journey, his miraculous survival, and his final arrival in Rome, where he continues his ministry while awaiting trial before Caesar.
There will be terrible times in the last days
'Mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.’
The Power of Humility before the Lord
So many of God's promises are conditional upon our obedience. James 4, verses 6-8, are an encouragement to submit to God and be humble before Him. There is power in your obedience and humility. ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.'
Stand firm in the Lord
We have lowly bodies, subject to weakness, sickness, hunger, thirst, and temptation – of course we do! Who is not subject to temptation? But when we receive our heavenly body, it will be a resurrection body – absolutely free of all these limitations! “Therefore,” Paul continues in Phil 4:1, “my brethren whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, STAND FAST in the Lord!” This question of ‘standing fast’ is a reminder that despite our weaknesses, we must remain true to our faith.
The Day of the Lord
In 1 Thessalonians 5.2-3, the Apostle Paul writes, “You know perfectly that the Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes on them as travail on a woman with child, and they shall not escape!” We know this, the Lord’s Coming is as a thief in the night. Ah, but, look how Paul is putting it here. We have to be prepared, we have to be ready, we have to prepare… Because in v4, Paul says, “YOU, brethren, are NOT in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief!” Paul is saying, as far as the world is concerned, the Coming of Christ will be a sudden unexpected happening – but you, brothers and sisters in Christ, should not be in such darkness that the Coming of the Lord will overtake you as a thief! The suddenness of the Coming of the Lord is a shock to the world, but not so to the Believer, who should be expecting it.