Okay, let's grab a Bible, please. Acts chapter 28, Acts 28. Today, we're gonna look at a devotional thought out of a devotional passage. And I hope it'll stick with you, because it's been a real blessing to me personally. You know, it's amazing how the Bible, how real these scenarios are. And of course, context is amazing. In Acts chapter 28, we start with the idea in verse one where he said, and when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. But we got to take a moment and put ourselves in a few moments, if we can, the best we can into this passage, because these people are shipwrecked. And I don't know if you've ever been in a situation that was really, honestly, life-threatening, especially out in nature. But it can almost be beyond description. They have been on this ship. Their life is in danger. Their life is in jeopardy. The storms won't quit. You can't see past the end of the boat hardly. They make out a piece of land. They finally decide, well, we'll eat what we can, throw the rest over and see what we happen. They loose the rudder bands, your Bible says. In other words, they put themselves at the mercy of the current and they just tried to head the best they could towards something that looked like a solution. They run the ship up on, and this ship could have been, you know, say 220 to 300 feet long. They run this ship up on what they think will, you know, strand them. and the storm and the water is so fierce that it breaks that ship off. And when that ship breaks off, everything goes crazy. The soldiers want to kill the prisoners so that the soldiers will not be held accountable for lost prisoners because they'll give their life in exchange for the fact that they didn't execute the prisoners because that's their job. to make sure they either get to their destination or they are dispatched. But because of Paul's influence, the fellow pleads his case. He lets them all go for it and so they some of them could swim. They're swimming to shore. Some of them were on pieces of the of the ship and just you know scraps hanging on. I don't know if you've ever had to use anything at all for buoyancy. You'd be surprised what a little know two foot by one foot wide piece of foam canoe to help you stay afloat enough to get where you're going so these people it's it's stormy it's windy it's cold and they're they're wet they're traumatized and they're freezing and when verse chapter 28 verse 1 when they were escaped then they knew the island was called Melita and the barbarous people showed us no little kindness I'm amazed that people don't want to know their own language called English. You don't need to go back to some original text to get a blessing out of knowing your English language. In fact, you won't know if they're telling you the truth about what you're reading if you don't know your English language. Because they might be telling you something that, you know, a supposed hidden text tells you. But barbarous doesn't mean that they were cannibals, for example. Barbarous could mean, for example, that they don't welcome strangers. It could mean that they are not civilized in the sense of knowing more than one language. Sometimes it means ignorant, unlearned, so to speak. So these people are called barbarous and the barbarous people, watch this, showed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire and received us everyone because of the present rain and because of the cold. Now we know there's a whole bunch of story here about what happens and how God uses Paul and everything but I want to focus on that they showed them no little kindness for they kindled a fire. And my subject devotionally is simple, kindling kindness, kindling kindness. Now, many of you have had to start fires or you have, and if you haven't, you've missed out. If you've never needed a fire to stay warm enough to get by through a long night or be stranded somewhere, you're missing out, I mean that. Because when you go through things like that, where you're stranded somewhere, and especially at the mercy of the elements, you might say, you don't know what a blessing a little fire can be. I pity people who have lived indoors all their life for the most part. I pity people that have never been in a circumstance where they just were miserable physically, and had to understand how to make the best of it and adapt and everything. I pity you because listen, the Bible is an outdoor book primarily. When you read the Old Testament, they lived their lives outdoors except to come in and eat and sleep and go back outdoors again. The Bible's an outdoor book. Most of us in our lifetime worked as much outdoors as indoors. Even when in operations management, I spent more time on my feet, checking things out, looking out as much time outdoors. Now, for me, that was not a problem because I grew up outdoors. I loved learning, but I didn't love school. When you're in school, especially if there's any windows in a building, all you can think of is, hey, there's a whole world outside there. And I didn't mind if it was cleaning up after the horses, mucking out stalls. I didn't mind what it was as long as I got to be outdoors. It's an outdoors book. And this is a real story. And these people are going to freeze to death. I don't know what you carry. You know, nowadays, uh, the, the, uh, the modern term, it's funny, really modern term is EDC everyday carry. Okay. Uh, I grew up, it was be prepared. Okay. Semper Paratus always prepared a coast guards model. And you could, it's a very real scenario. I've got in my backpack, a little thing, it's a little small container. you know, smaller, about the size of what today they, you know, would describe it as say a pack of cigarettes or a small battery. And it's a sheet. It's a heat sheet that if you got, if it was bad situation, or let's say you were out fishing or you're out something and you got soaking wet or you got injured or your body temp dropped, you wrap it in there and it holds whatever's in it and helps create, it's a survival thing. Well, they didn't have any of this. They needed a fire. And the barbarous people, people who were not known to be say educated, people who were not known to be, they didn't like strangers on the island at that time. These people showed them no little kindness. So context is everything. It's cold, it's rainy, they're shipwrecked, they're soaked, they're wore out. They don't have any idea where they're at. And so they gave them what they needed Most first. Now we could run verses today. I could run unlimited number of verses almost on hospitality in the New Testament alone. Romans 12, 13, Hebrews 13, two, first Timothy three around verse two, Titus. He says, use hospitality without grudging. First Peter four, nine without grudging. I know people that give hospitality and then then they give it with grudgingly. I find that humorous almost, it's sad, it's a horrible way to live, but they grudgingly do it. I was in a situation, been more than once, but situation one time and got stuck in a situation on an island and basically a storm came up, I wasn't prepared, we weren't, Myself and another fellow were over there, and man, that storm hit, and it was cold, and it was wet, and we're under this little old inflatable raft, had to turn it over and hang on for dear life all night. It was such a blessing when the morning came. It was such a blessing when the sun came up. We took that thing and laid it where the sun would, it would hit, the sun would, it would catch it, and we slid up to that, let that thing reflect off there. man i'm going to tell you somebody starting a little fire and taking care of us would have been something now i'm telling you this for a reason i'm talking about kindling kindness i just hope you'll get hold of this there's so many verses you know two are better than one ecclesiastes chapter four why well one of the reasons is if it's cold you can have warmth Now there are many a story, we won't even go into it, but these fellas that they train, he said two are better than one. They have a good reward of their labor. He says in a verse after it, again, if two lie together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone? Why, listen, many a story about guys doing training for recon, training for different ranger missions. and they put them in extreme circumstances where they have to rely on each other and they literally have to have to rely on each other's heat to keep from freezing or getting frostbite. When you get in those situations you start learning something about yourself and about how to deal and relate to others. They kindled a fire. They showed them no little kindness, kindling kindness. Now, have you ever started a fire? And many of y'all know what kindling is in that sense. Kindling has different definitions in English, but kindling is when you take it and you might take your ax. You can even take your Bowie knife. I've got a knife that was given to me that's one of the newer versions. It doubles as a bayonet and a Ka-Bar carry knife, sheath knife. And man, you can create kindling with it. You can chop stuff with it. it's a it's a blessing and you take and you shave that off you build your little fire shave that off you get in there and just a couple sparks or or a thing a little flame can get it going you kindle it you have to prepare it so they kindled a fire they put a fire together i i'll tell you some of y'all just for you know experience you ought to go out and have to start a fire without fire starter okay without the little clicker on your propane, okay? Without electricity, just a couple lumps of wood and figure out how to get it burning well. Kindling, working at it, kindling kindness. Here's the thought. They gave them what they needed most first. The Lord Jesus Christ reflected that for us. When he said, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He didn't say, do unto others what you like to be done unto you. He said, as, here's why. Find out what that other person needs and show them that kindness. You know, be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. That's what he wrote to him in Ephesians. even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. And when you and I begin to think about this, brethren, and we put some thought into it, are you really kind? Oh, you say you're afraid of losing your manliness. The best way to be a real man is to follow like Christ. He said in Ephesians 2, he said, he hath raised us up together, made us sit together in heaven and place in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God Almighty used the Lord Jesus Christ to show us kindness. You see, here's the thing that's amazing to me. And I'm speaking, hopefully, to people who believe their Bible. I mean, believe it, you couldn't pry their Bible out of their, they're the kind who say, you can have my Bible and you pry it out of my dead hand, not their cotton-picking gun. If Apostle Paul can travel the world, a dangerous world of his day, without talking about his sword or even having one or drawing it, then you and I can get by. Now, if you're allowed to be armed, fine, but I'm gonna tell you this. you don't even have to agree with this. You could shut me off permanently. You better think more than just twice ahead of time ahead of time if you really want to have to take someone's life and under what actual conditions. You know you're not supposed to take somebody's life if they steal your shovels or lawnmower or your boat or drive off all night with your car. You're not supposed to kill them. Read your bible. And this ain't the Wild West where you're gonna execute somebody for stealing your horse, okay? Now I settle that to say that our mindset needs to be more what God said it to be. He said in Titus chapter three and verse four, but after that, the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared. toward man appeared." We're following the clear example of our Savior when we kindle kindness. See, the kindness you show spontaneously and I show spontaneously, there's not much in that. There really isn't. That's just, and it's probably based more on who we're spontaneous towards to begin with in our natural state. But when you kindle a fire, see, what you're doing is you're getting it all set up, and you're lighting it, you're kindling kindness, you're lighting this fire, you're kindling kindness for someone else. If we're not careful, we forget this part of what God has shown us all. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath what? Hath forgiven you. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies, kindness. Vows of mercy means from the inside of your heart. He goes on to say, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, forgiving one another. See, kindling, kindness. Setting yourself up and working at kindness. In his book, My Utmost for His Highest, on the February 17th devotion, Oswald Chambers has a thing called the Initiative Against Depression. And he brings out how God took Elijah when Elijah was on the run, you know, after all that effort of facing down all those prophets of Baal and the false priests and he's exhausted. And you know what God did? Elijah fell asleep and he woke up to water and a hot meal. How about that? I read of a fella that wrote a couple of real good books on forgiveness and that kind of thing, emotional healing, a Christian fella. And he said his wife worked the emergency room and many times when someone come in and was presenting those, you know, indications of depression and stuff, the first thing they'd say is how long since you slept well and how long since you ate well. And they would take him out and buy him a good high protein meal and help him find a way to get some sleep. What do you do for others? Now remember this, we should be kindling kindness so people get by the right fire. One of the things that got Simon Peter over there in Luke 22 and a couple of other places, John 18, was he got by the wrong fire. You get warm and by the wrong fire to get you in a real tangle, but it was the only fire around. And don't you know, Simon Peter had a great contrast later on in John 21, when he comes ashore and there's a fire, and there's food, and there's his savior, amen. What we're supposed to do. What do you do when you free somebody out? You give them the what? The cold shoulder. Well, man, in Acts 28, they didn't even have to work at giving them a cold shoulder if they wanted to. All you gotta do is what? You know all you gotta do to free somebody out and give them a cold shoulder? Are you ready? This is a great revelation. Nothing. That's all you got to do. Just do nothing. That's why there's, our Bible is so amazing to me. There are so many amazing little phrases you come through reading your Bible. That's why you got to read that thing. And you got to read it every day. And that's why we have to preach it. And it sneaks up on you. Sometimes you go to church and inside, you know, something just a little different than it ought to be for you. And the pastor, the preacher will announce the text or get you to turn to a verse and you're like, Really? Today? This verse? Why? Because it's gonna hit you, bing, right between the eyes. He said in James 2, verse 15, if a brother or sister be naked, destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, ready? Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled. Like, kind of like saying, now God bless you, God be with you. Withstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone. Ain't got nothing to do with whether you're saved or lost and tribulation and all that. Don't reassign those verses. Take them like this. He's saying, don't tell somebody bless you if you're not gonna be part of the blessing. Poor old Simon Peter, he got warned by the wrong one. And you and I should make sure we don't kindle a wrong fire. Yeah, you know what that tongue is called? It's called set on fire hell. It's a wrong fire. Well, listen, old, when we begin to think about a wrong fire, when we begin to think about this, even so the tongue is a little member and boasts of the great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. You remember growing up, some of y'all smokey the bear and talking about putting out the campfire. Well, it's a real thing. Trust me, it's a real thing. man i've seen people make great destruction when all they meant to do was have just a little old fire burns a little bit of rubbish or something that's the wrong kind of fire that tongue inhospitality inhospitality lack of hospitality is contagious like a fire because it appeals to self you remember what absalom did he went and set joab's fields on fire to get his attention you'd better beware Don't be using that as some kind of tactic. And I'll tell you what you ought to do. You have a lot of fire under yourself sometimes. There's a scene in one of those little old movies about the outback and stuff. And a fellow says, a man might be hard to find in the mountains, but you're welcome in my fire anytime. That's a big deal. If you lived in a time when up in the mountains somewhere and people trying to just live off the land, and you needed to get some warmth and you needed a fire, you don't just walk into somebody's fire. You might find yourself on the wrong end of trouble or the dead end of trouble. You don't just be like somebody just walking in your house and sitting down in front of the fireplace. What's the point? Welcome at my fire anytime. Is that your attitude? The Lord Jesus Christ started a fire for his disciples and called them to shore. These people here in Acts chapter 28, you know what they did? They kindled. You say, well, how do I kindle kindness? Find out what their need is. Find out what their most need is first. Their needed, what they need most, their most needed need, meet it first. Sometimes meet a need that is just, it's just a blessing. It's not even, you say, well, they don't deserve it. You don't deserve it. You don't deserve to be upright, dear friend. Some of y'all have got stuff, you do, and you've got, You know, it laid up. You're like that guy that's gonna build bigger barns and you really think that you did it. Well, you didn't. You go through that prayer list you get at church and you go through the prayer list you get from phone calls and texts and emails and you write down this person has cancer and this person has surgery and this person had an accident. Someone ran into him out of nowhere. That could be you. That could be me. See, it's not, what do I need it to be? Or what do I think they need? You know, it's like the guy who gave his wife a drill and extra batteries for Mother's Day. And he said, well, maybe that was her hobby for the most part. No, it wasn't. Or he wants her to do the work, amen. I mean, all you got to do really is think about some of the ridiculous gifts people give second peter one and we'll close second peter one i i really pray i pray you get a hold of this saying kindling kindness building a fire of kindness purposely going about to build kindness for others organizing kindness you know you get the way to start a good fire you got to be organized okay and it's it's it's really a blessing when someone does something that they thought it through for you. Now that doesn't mean it's never spontaneous, but it needs to be what they need. Second Peter chapter one, verse five to seven, theoretically we'll close with this. I'm gonna say this ahead of time, a deep Christian, a growing Christian, a strong Christian does this. Beside this, verse five, giving all diligence. This will take some work. It will take diligence. Add to your faith virtue. To virtue, knowledge. To knowledge, temperance. To temperance, patience. To patience, godliness. To godliness, brotherly kindness. And to brotherly kindness, charity. Brotherly kindness. that's to people who aren't related to you that's to people they are related to you spiritually but that's all listen sometimes i think of abraham when those three men came along in genesis 18 man they killed the calf they made they brought them milk and they made fresh bread all that hospitality that kindness would you kindle kindness Would you set out and say, I'm going to kindle kindness and ask God to put one, two, three people. Sometimes it's a text nowadays. It is an act of kindness. Sometimes it's remembering them because you wrote it down and a place you'll see it every morning and you prayed for them. And occasionally you just encourage them because see, when you write it down and you go through your prayer list, it'll bring them to your mind. Then you can text them, or you can call them, or you can pull them aside when you see them and say, man, how you doing? Listen, kindle kindness. Build the fire of kindness for others. Father, I pray you use this in Jesus' name, amen.