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October 23 - Acts 22 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it is Sean here it is Monday, the start of a new
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  week. It is the 23rd of October.
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  So glad to have your company as you and I are this week and next
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  week going to work our way through the rest of the book of
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  acts. We're going to hear all about
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  what Paul and his other friends are up to as they are well
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  travelling around that part of the world, sharing gods were
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  dealing with all sorts of persecution and challenges.
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  But cast your mind back to Thursday last week.
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  Do you remember where we left off?
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  Paul was being dragged through the crowd by these soldiers as
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  the crowd was trying to kill him and just as about to take him
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  out into the control of the Roman Gods, he says Can I talk
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  to the crowd? And he turns around, takes a
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  deep breath and cut. That's where we ended.
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  So we are going to continue with that scene as we hear what is
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  Paul going to say to this crowd of people who are intent on
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  ending his life, so incensed are they by what he is saying.
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  So let us not delay any longer, but get back to the story
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  reading Acts Chapter 22. Brothers and esteemed fathers,
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  Paul said Listen to me as Ioffer my defence when they heard him
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  speaking in their own language. The silence was even greater.
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  Then Paul said. I am a Jew born in Tarsus, a
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  city in Sicilia, and I was brought up and educated here in
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  Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As a student, I was carefully
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  trained in our Jewish laws and customs.
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  I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just
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  like all of you today. And I persecuted the followers
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  of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and
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  women and throwing them in prison.
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  The high priest and the whole council of Elders can testify
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  that this is so, for I received letters from them to our Jewish
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  brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the
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  followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem in chains to be
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  punished. As I was on the road approaching
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  Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven
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  suddenly shone down around me. I fell to the ground and heard a
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  voice saying to me. Saul, Saul, why are you
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  persecuting me? Who are you, Lord?
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  I asked and the voice replied, I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one
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  you were persecuting. The people with me saw the
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  light, but didn't understand the voice speaking to me.
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  I asked What should I do, Lord? And the Lord told me, get up and
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  go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are
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  to do. I was blinded by the intense
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  light, and I had to be led by the Hand to Damascus, by my
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  companions. A man named Ananias lived there.
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  He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well
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  regarded by all the Jews of Damascus.
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  He came and stood beside me and said, Brother Saul, regain your
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  sight, and that very moment I could see him.
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  Then he told me, the God of our ancestors has chosen you to know
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  his will and to see the righteous one and hear him
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  speak, for you are to be his witness, telling everyone what
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  you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for?
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  Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by
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  calling on the name of the Lord. After I returned to Jerusalem, I
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  was praying in the temple and fell into a trance.
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  I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, Hurry, leave Jerusalem,
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  for the people here won't accept your testimony about me.
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  But Lord, I argued. They certainly know that in
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  every synagogue I'm imprisoned and beat.
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  Those who believed in you and I was in complete agreement when
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  your witness, Stephen, was killed.
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  I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned
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  him. But the Lord said to me, go, for
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  I will send you far away to the Gentiles.
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  The crowd listened until Paul said that word.
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  Then they all began to shout away.
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  With such a fellow, he isn't fit to live.
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  They yelled, threw off their coats, and tosssed handfuls of
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  dust into the air. The commander brought Paul
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  inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess
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  his crime. He wanted to find out why the
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  crowd had become so furious when they tied Paul down to lash him.
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  Paul said to the officer standing there.
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  Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even
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  been tried? When the officer heard this, he
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  went to the commander and asked, what are you doing?
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  This man is a Roman citizen, So the commander went over and
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  asked Paul, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?
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  Yes, I certainly am, Paul replied.
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  I am too, the commander muttered.
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  And it cost me plenty, Paul answered.
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  But I am a citizen by birth. The soldiers who were about to
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  interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was
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  a Roman citizen and the commander was frightened because
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  he had ordered him bound and whipped.
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  The next day the commander ordered the leading priests
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  intercession with the Jewish High Council.
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  He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he
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  released Paul to have him stand before them.
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  Jesus, we think of those who govern our lands who enforce the
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  laws. What a difficult and conflicting
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  and confusing job it can be. Lord, I just pray that you give
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  wisdom to our leaders. Align their hearts with yours.
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  May the decisions they make reflect your kingdom's values.
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  Lord, speak clearly to them. Surround them with wise counsel
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  so that this can be a world where your love is shown.
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  May people be surprised with the love that they see in the
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  leadership of our nations. We thank you for your spirit and
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  that you reside right here. You give us your conscience, you
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  guide us. You inspire us.
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  We just pray for all the help that you can give us.
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  Because, Lord, you know we need it all.
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  Bless us today as we love those around us.
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  We pray all of this in your name, Jesus.
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  Amen.