Shake It Off

 'But Paul shook the snake off into the fire...' Acts 28:5 NIV      

    

I'm in the office today for a few hours because I have to get the message done for Sunday. I was able to take a few vacation days but as things go I didn't get everything done last week I needed too. Amy and I hope you had a blessed Christmas and as we look forward into the New Year, you will have a renewed focus and vision for the Kingdom of God!

In Acts 28:5 it says, "But Paul shook the snake off into the fire." Pastor what a odd scripture to look at? Let me share the story of a farmer whose mule fell into a well. The farmer one day found his mule in his well. Since he had no way to get him out, he decided to bury him there. He got a truckload of dirt and dumped it on top of the mule. But instead of lying down under it, the mule started kicking and snorting until he worked his way to the top of it. This continued all afternoon. Truckload after truckload, the mule just kept shaking it off and stepping on top of it. Finally when the dirt reached the top of the well the mule just snorted and walked away, a dirtier but a wiser mule. What was intended to bury him, just brought him out on top. On his way to Rome Paul was shipwrecked on an island. As he was gathering firewood a snake attached itself to his arm. What did he do? The Bible says he just 'shook it off.' There's an important lesson for you in those two stories. You can either dwell on the past, or shake it off and move toward the future God has planned for you. Paul, a man with a past, writes about '...Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.' (Philippians 3:13 NKJV) Now, Paul didn't forget his past, he just shook it off and kept going. You say, 'But I've failed so badly.' The Bible says, '...[He] will not remember your sins.' (Isaiah 43:25 NAS) Sometimes forgiveness requires a healing process, but until you make the decision to forgive yourself and others, and 'shake it off', the process can't even begin. So make the choice; move forward! You are loved...