Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / October 24 - Acts 23

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October 24 - Acts 23 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends. It is Sean.
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  Here it is Tuesday, it is the 24th of October.
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  And hello, good to have your company.
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  That's right, you and me, we are taking a moment out of our day.
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  Thank you for joining me as we are going to hear the next
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  chapter of what is going on. Paul has been dragged before the
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  Roman officials. He's about to get whipped and he
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  says, oh, you can't do this. You realize I'm a Roman citizen,
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  don't you? And all of a sudden they stopped
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  dead in their tracks, unsure what to do.
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  So they get in all of the Jewish authorities to try and work out
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  what the commotion is all about. And that's where we'll pick up
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  our story today. Holy Spirit, come as we hear
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  these words boldly proclaimed by your servant Paul.
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  Inspire us. May we hear your words and your
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  truth. Well friends, let us put down
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  the busyness, put down all the plans and thoughts that are
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  bouncing around, and hear God's message to us in these words
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  reading together. Acts Chapter 23 gazing intently
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  at the High Council, Paul began. Brothers, I have always lived
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  before God with a clear conscience.
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  Instantly Ananias the priest commanded those close to Paul to
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  slap him on the mouth. But Paul said to him, God will
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  slap you, You corrupt hypocrite. What kind of judge are you to
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  break the law yourself by? Ordering me?
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  Struck like that, though, standing near, Paul said to him,
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  Do you dare insult God's high priest?
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  I'm sorry brothers, I didn't realize he was the high priest,
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  Paul replied. For the scriptures say you must
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  not speak evil of any of your rulers.
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  Paul realized that some members of the High Council were
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  Sadducees and some were Pharisees.
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  So he shouted, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors,
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  and I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of
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  the dead. This divided the council, the
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  Pharisees, against the Sadducees.
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  For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or
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  spirits. But the Pharisees believe in all
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  three of these. So there was a great uproar.
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  Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees
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  jumped up and began to argue forcefully.
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  We see nothing wrong with him, they shouted.
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  Perhaps a spirit or an Angel spoke to him as the conflict
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  grew more violent. The commander was afraid they
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  would tear Paul apart, so he ordered his soldiers to go and
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  rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
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  That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, Be encouraged,
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  Paul, just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem,
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  you must preach the good news in Rome as well.
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  The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound
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  themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had
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  killed Paul. There were more than 40 of them
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  in the conspiracy. They went to the leading priests
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  and elders and told them we have bound ourselves with an oath to
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  eat nothing until we have killed Paul.
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  So you and the High Council should ask the commander to
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  bring Paul back to the council again.
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  Pretend you want to examine his case more fully.
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  We will kill him on the way. But Paul's nephew, his sister's
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  son, heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told
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  Paul. Paul called for one of the Roman
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  officers and said, take this young man to the commander.
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  He has something important to tell him.
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  So the officer did, explaining Paul.
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  The prisoner called me over and asked me to bring this young man
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  to you because he has something to tell you.
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  The commander took his hand, led him aside, and asked what is it
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  you want to tell me? Paul's nephew told him some Jews
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  are going to ask you to bring Paul before the High Council
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  tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information.
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  But don't do it. There are more than 40 men
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  hiding along the way, ready to ambush him.
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  They have vowed not to eat or drink anything until they have
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  killed him. They are ready now, just waiting
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  for your consent. Don't let anyone know you told
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  me this, the commander warned the young man.
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  Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered get 200
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  soldiers ready to leave for Cesaria at 9:00 tonight.
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  Also take 200 spear men and 70 mounted troops, provide horses
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  for Paul to ride and get him safely to Governor Felix.
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  Then he wrote this letter to the Governor from Claudius Lyceus to
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  His Excellency Governor Felix. Greetings.
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  This man was seized by some Jews and they were about to kill him
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  when I arrived with the troops. When I learned that he was a
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  Roman citizen, I removed him to safety.
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  Then I took him to their High Council to try to learn the
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  basis of the accusations against him.
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  I soon discovered the charge was something regarding their
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  religious law, certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death.
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  But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I immediately
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  sent him on to you. I've told his accusers to bring
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  their charges before you. So that night, as ordered, the
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  soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris.
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  They returned to the fortress the next morning while the
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  mounted troops took him on to Seiseria.
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  When they arrived in Seiseria, they presented Paul and the
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  letter to Governor Felix. He read it and then asked Paul
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  what province he was from. Cecilia.
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  Paul answered. I will hear your case myself
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  when your accusers arrive, the governor told him.
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  Then the governor ordered him kept in the prison at Herod's
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  headquarters. Jesus, following.
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  You can be a bit of a roller coaster sometimes.
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  We can feel so empowered and emboldened and ready to speak
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  boldly, and then we can just want to shut our mouths and
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  stand very quietly in the corner.
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  Sometimes we will sing with bold voices, and other times we will
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  just stand confused, not knowing how to follow you in a given
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  situation. I just pray for your wisdom and
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  your spirits guidance as we try to navigate this Christian life,
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  just as we hear Paul navigating his life with all the twists and
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  turns that he faced. Lord, I pray that you would use
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  us mightily and as you use us, that it would be your spirit
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  that speaks through us, and it would be your love that is
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  shared by us and your forgiveness that is rendered via
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  us. You are a wonderful God with so
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  much grace and a wonderful story of inclusion and love and
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  acceptance to share with the world.
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  I just pray that your will be done here as it is in heaven.
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  We pray all these things in your name, Jesus.
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  Amen.