Shipwreck
                                                       Acts 27:1-chapter28:16

Paul sailed for Italy under the guard of a centurion named Julius.  At the first stop Julius was
 kind enough to Paul to let him get off the ship and go visit his friends.  They provided
for his needs.

They sailed again and at the next port they changed ships.  The wind was blowing so hard
 it was difficult for them to stay on course.  Paul told them the trip was becoming dangerous,
 but the centurion decided to continue.

Hurricane force winds began to blow.  They dropped anchor and the waves started battering
 the ship.  In order to lighten the load, they began to throw the cargo overboard.By the third
 day of the storm, they were throwing away the ship's sailing gear.  The storm went on and
on for days.  Paul stood up and in effect said, "I told you this was going to  happen".  He
 encouraged them by telling them about an angel who had appeared to him in the night.
 The angel told him the lives of all the people on the ship would be saved.

They had endured the storm for two weeks and were now getting close to land.  They
measured the depth of the water again and again.  It was obvious they were getting in shallow
 water closer to land.  They dropped four anchors to prevent them from being dashed against
 the rocks at the shore.

Paul urged the men to eat to gain some strength.  They hadn't eaten for fourteen days.
 He took some bread, gave thanks, and began to eat.  The other men ate also.  Then they
 threw the grain in the cargo overboard to further lighten the ship.

When dawn came, they saw land.  They lifted the anchors and ran the ship to the shore.
 It stuck fast in a sandbar and the ship began to break into pieces.The soldiers planned
to kill the prisoners to keep them from escaping, but Julius, the centurion in charge of Paul,
convinced them to spare everyone.  He ordered them to jump overboard.  Those who could
 swim swam to shore.  Those who couldn't swim grabbed pieces of wood and floated in.
  Everyone was saved, just as Paul had predicted.

They were told the island was called Malta.  The people there were kind to them.  It was
cold and raining.  They started to gather wood for a fire.  Paul picked up some wood and
 put it on the fire. A viper crawled out of the wood and fastened itself to his hand.  The people,
 when they saw the snake, thought justice was being done.  They figured Paul was a murderer
 and even though he had escaped the sea, he was going to die of a snakebite.
 (Or so they thought.)  They kept watching him to see what would happen.  Then when
nothing happened, they decided he must be a god.

They were invited to stay at the home of Publius (pub LEEus) the official on the island.
 The father of Publius was sick and Paul healed him.  When the islanders heard of the miracle,
 they too brought their sick folk and all were healed.  The people provided for all their needs
 and after three months they set sail again.

Memory Verse:
The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life.  the Lord will watch
over your coming and going both now and forevermore. NIV

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:He shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even forevermore. KJV
                                                                                           Psalm 121:7-8