Acts 28

Paul, shipwrecked on Malta, is able to continue his ministry of preaching and healing. I have learned to call these detours on the road of life “Divine Appointments”. Many times on our journey we are detoured from our intended routes. These are the times when we need to be extra sensitive to what is happening around us. These are the times when it is highly likely that God has placed us in a place and time so that, like Philip and Paul and the early Christians, we can bear witness to the grace and love of Jesus Christ. As Christ followers, it is good to remember that every conversation, every encounter, every person we meet is an opportunity, in word or deed, to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.


We don’t know if St. Paul ever visited other upstate cities, like Albany, Rochester or even Buffalo, we do know that he visited Syracuse (28:12).

Luke ends his narrative of the Acts of the Apostles with the Acts 1:8 trajectory completed. The story began in Jerusalem with Pentecost. It proceeded out to Judea with the preaching of the Apostles. It went down to Samaria with the preaching of Philip and then scattered to the ends of the earth under the leadership of several Apostles, along with Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, etc. The book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome awaiting his audience with Caesar. It is my contention that the book of Acts does not end here. It is my contention that for the past 2000 years we have been living in the subsequent chapters of the book of Acts. It is my contention that we continue to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people at home, around us, around us but different and to the ends of the earth!

Welcome to Acts 29 . . .