A Miracle at Malta
By Senior Pastor Dr. Bill Rains | October 19, 2025
Turn to Acts 28:1-6. And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita… there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand… And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Let’s pray: Father, thank You for answered prayer and salvation. Use this Malta miracle to bring souls to Christ. Give boldness to the unsaved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
On October 19, 2025, Senior Pastor Bill Rains delivers a powerful sermon titled "A Miracle at Malta" at Mission Baptist Church, preaching from Acts 28:1-6. After surviving a shipwreck that stranded Paul and 275 others on Malta, the apostle gathers wood for a fire. A venomous viper, revived by the heat, bites his hand. The islanders expect death, but Paul shakes it off unharmed, leading them to call him a god. Pastor Rains, reflecting on nearly 50 years of ministry, shares the story of Wanita, saved through heart cancer, and a recent soul-winning encounter. He teaches that God uses shipwrecks to redirect us, serpents to test us, and His saving power to deliver us, urging all to trust Christ and shake off sin’s poison.
A Shipwreck to Malta
Pastor Rains begins with the shipwreck that brought Paul to Malta, an unscheduled stop en route to Rome (Acts 27:44, all escaped safe to land). God promised survival, fulfilling it miraculously. Malta wasn’t their destination, but God’s providence placed them there to reach “barbarous” souls. Pastor Rains emphasizes that God often uses unwanted “wrecks”—losses, tragedies, or detours—to position us for ministry. Recalling Wanita, diagnosed with heart cancer, he shares her deathbed testimony: “Had I not gotten heart cancer, I would never have been saved.” God’s wrecks, though painful, lead to miracles of salvation and redirect us to those who need Jesus most.
A Serpent in Hiding
Next, Pastor Rains warns of the “serpent in hiding,” linking the viper to Satan’s judgment in Eden (Genesis 3:14, upon thy belly shalt thou go). The snake, dormant in the woodpile, revived in the fire’s heat and bit Paul. Satan is already everywhere, often concealed in life’s “woodpiles”—comfort zones, routines, or relationships. He strikes when least expected, his bite poisonous. Pastor Rains cautions believers to inspect their lives, as the devil deceives subtly before attacking. Yet, like Paul, we must remain vigilant, knowing Satan’s presence doesn’t negate God’s greater power.
A Savior to Help
Finally, Pastor Rains rejoices in the Savior who helps, as Paul shook off the viper unharmed (Acts 28:5, he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm). God protected Paul, turning the miracle into a witness. Every person is bitten by sin’s serpent, poisoned and dying (Romans 3:23, all have sinned), but Jesus offers deliverance. Citing Romans 10:1-4, Pastor Rains urges abandoning self-righteousness for Christ’s righteousness. He shares challenging a young man who denied the afterlife: “If I’m wrong, I lose nothing; if you’re wrong, you lose everything.” The Savior shakes off sin’s poison, saves the lost, and protects His own, inviting all to trust Him for eternal life.
