Whose I am
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 
(Acts 27:22-25)
 
When read in context, this is the story of Paul's shipwreck. So closely did he walk with the Lord the Holy Spirit in faith, and so obedient was he to the promptings of the Lord, that, when the angel appeared to him, he could say with certainty what is quoted in the above Scripture. It must be wonderful to be used by the Lord in this way; why doesn't it happen anymore? I am pretty sure that one reason is that we just aren't as obedient as we should be. If the Lord should appear to one of us and tell us to leave all that we have built up over the years; our house and possessions, friends and family, all the familiar things that we are so comfortable with, and follow Him; would we do it? Would we be able to do it? Remember the rich young ruler, he couldn't. If we look at all the great prophets and those that God has used we will find almost without exception, that they worked full-time for the Lord in the end. They might not have started off that way, but as they were led by the Lord and remained obedient, so through the years they were used to a greater and greater extent. We all know that Scripture which states that we will not be tempted more than we can stand (1Cor 10:12-14). If we can resist a temptation we will move on to a higher plane and can be used more by the Lord, until we reach the level where the Lord can really use us. 
Paul writes:
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 
(2 Corinthians 4:1-2)
As a result of which, he could comfortably hope: 
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 
(2 Corinthians 4:16 - 2 Corinthians 5:4)
 
Take the example of a great New Zealand Evangelist. Although he doesn't say much about his private life, he does tell this story: 

Once, early on in his ministry, he invited a Pastor and his family for lunch the following day. When he told his wife May, she told him that there was nothing in the house to eat. On arrival of the Pastor and his family, they sat down at the dining table only for Barry to tell his visitor that there was no food for them to eat, but invited the Pastor to say grace in any case. No sooner had this been done than there was a knock at the front door. Barry went there and on opening it found a hot steaming meal laid on the doorstep. He rushed out of the house, ran down the path to the road, looked left and right, but there was nobody in sight. 
Would one of us ever trust the Lord to the extent that we had no food in the house, but had to rely on Him to feed us? 
 
Another instance of faith in God is that of a man in Stanger. He gave up a medical practice to do something better. Instead of riding prestigious German motor cars and being someone in society, he and his wife became servants of the Lord. They gave up their worldly pleasures for a better pleasure. As a result of this faithfulness, he has received the gift of healing, as many thousands of persons can affirm. 

In the above two instances, the people concerned have been radically changed from being worldly orientated to heavenly orientated. They have met Jesus through the Holy Spirit, passed the tests and temptations laid before them and can be used by the Highest of the High. 

 
This would seem to indicate that as we are faithful, so we are blessed, not so? 
 
Another example of faithfulness is that of the Roman Centurion. This man had been brought up in the tough world of the Roman Army, where disobedience meant death. In any army, the recruits are initially sent to basic training, the purpose of which is to train the new soldier for instant obedience. This is so, that in battle conditions he can be relied on to obey his superior officer without question. In today's army, disobedience means Detention Barracks, which is another name for military prison. However, in the days of our Lord in His public ministry and of the book of Acts, disobedience meant death. Soldiers obeyed out of fear of death. When a Centurion gave an order he knew that it would be obeyed. This is why our Lord Jesus could wonder about this man's faith in God and His love, faith exceeding that of God's chosen people: 
 
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
(Matthew 8:5-12)
 
If only we can be obedient to the words quoted in Colossians chapter three and verse two. 

If we can at all times realise that our ultimate reward is everlasting life with God in the New Jerusalem instead of everlasting torment in the lake of fire. 
 
My son Anthony has this example: 

When you become reborn spiritually, you let the Holy Spirit into your life. If your life was to be represented by a motor car, you allow Him into the back seat. 
Have you allowed Him yet into the front seat beside you so that He can direct your path? 
Have you yet allowed Him to take the wheel? 
 
Do you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ?
 
Can you say "Whose I am"?