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The End - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Paul dwelt two whole years in
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  Speaker 1: his own hired house, and received all that came in
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  Speaker 1: unto him, preaching the kingdom of God. Acts 28, 30
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  Speaker 1: and 31. With each passing day, week, month, and year
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  Speaker 1: of my journey, I thank you that through my steadfast
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  Speaker 1: dedication to you and my craft, I am now gaining
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  Speaker 1: the respect and influence needed for me to take my
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  Speaker 1: life to the next level. When people hear my name,
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  Speaker 1: I thank you, Lord, that they see that I am
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  Speaker 1: a person of action and that I get things done.
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  Speaker 1: Like Paul in his lifetime, I stand in the shadow
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  Speaker 1: of great men and women who've gone before me to
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  Speaker 1: show me that faith in God is never wasted confidence.
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  Speaker 1: May Paul's ability to focus on objectives, and not obstacles,
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  Speaker 1: rub off on me. May Paul's words remind me to
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  Speaker 1: speak with authority and credibility. And lastly, may Paul's dedication
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  Speaker 1: to never compromise and never drift from God-given absolutes and
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  Speaker 1: instruction be the anchor in which I set out to
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  Speaker 1: establish the life of my ministry, family, business, and personal growth.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: The End In our last story, Paul endured storms and
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  Speaker 3: shipwrecks with his captors on their journey to Rome. The
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  Speaker 3: wind and waves were relentless, and the hope of the
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  Speaker 3: men was fading. The men were left shipwrecked and defeated
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  Speaker 3: on the shores of Malta. Now we reach the end
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  Speaker 3: of Paul's recorded journey as he finally makes his way
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  Speaker 3: to Rome. He meets the believers in Rome and is
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  Speaker 3: embraced by the Jews, inspired by the Book of Acts.
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  Speaker 2: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 2: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
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  Speaker 2: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come
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  Speaker 2: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of
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  Speaker 2: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
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  Speaker 2: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
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  Speaker 2: to get a copy of the Jesus book, simply go
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  Speaker 2: to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank
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  Speaker 2: you for your support. In our last episode, we heard
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  Speaker 2: how the ship that carried Paul and other prisoners headed
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  Speaker 2: to Rome was overwhelmed by a storm and forced to
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  Speaker 2: run aground on an island. Throughout days of terror and distress,
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  Speaker 2: Paul comforted the crew and passengers, telling them that the
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  Speaker 2: God he served would spare every life on ship. After
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  Speaker 2: more than two weeks of peril, they finally arrived safely
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  Speaker 2: on the island of Malta, just as Paul said they would.
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  Speaker 2: Today we'll hear how the inhabitants of Malta were kind
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  Speaker 2: and welcoming, and how God works through Paul to heal
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  Speaker 2: the sick on the island and to provide a way
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  Speaker 2: to leave the island. We'll also hear of Paul's arrival
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  Speaker 2: in Rome. the welcome he received from the church there,
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  Speaker 2: and the openness of the Jews in Rome to hear
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  Speaker 2: about hope in Jesus Christ. So let's listen now to
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  Speaker 2: this reading from the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 3: The soldiers, sailors, and prisoners all lay on their backs
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  Speaker 3: looking up at the blue skies above. They were exhausted,
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  Speaker 3: sapped of all energy. Months at sea with rain and
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  Speaker 3: wind beating down at them had taken its toll. However,
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  Speaker 3: they were happy to be on shore. even if it
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  Speaker 3: was because of a shipwreck. Luke and Paul lay on
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  Speaker 3: the sand, unbelievably grateful to God for his protection. As
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  Speaker 3: they stared at the baby blue skies, they heard a
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  Speaker 3: rustling in the trees behind them. The men arose to
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  Speaker 3: their feet to find natives peering out at them. They
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  Speaker 3: emerged from the plants with trepidation, seeing that the Romans
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  Speaker 3: still carried some of their weapons. It didn't take long
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  Speaker 3: for the men to make peace with the natives. They
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  Speaker 3: were surprisingly kind and shared their food with the men.
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  Speaker 3: Their gentleness was unusual but refreshing. As the night came,
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  Speaker 3: they all sat by the fire, warming themselves with the
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  Speaker 3: bright flames. Paul arose to gather more sticks to put
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  Speaker 3: into the fire, not knowing that a viper lay hidden
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  Speaker 3: in the reeds. Paul picked up the reeds and carried
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  Speaker 3: them to the fire. He threw them in. The viper,
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  Speaker 3: still among the twigs, leapt out of the flames and
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  Speaker 3: fastened itself to Paul's hand. All the men stepped back,
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  Speaker 3: afraid of more vipers emerging from the fire. Yet Paul
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  Speaker 3: seemed to not be alarmed. He quietly shook his hand
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  Speaker 3: above the fire, and the viper perished by the flames.
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  Speaker 3: The natives stood in silence, waiting for Paul's hand to
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  Speaker 3: swell up and his face to grow pale. But nothing happened.
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  Speaker 3: Paul did not have a fever or chills. His hand
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  Speaker 3: did not swell, nor was he in pain. The natives
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  Speaker 3: watched him curiously through the flames. They observed his calm
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  Speaker 3: demeanor and gentle smile.' Who is this man?' they whispered.'
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  Speaker 3: He must be a god.' Although Paul suffered no illness,
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  Speaker 3: the chief of the village became very ill with fever
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  Speaker 3: and dysentery. Sweat beat down his brow and chills covered
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  Speaker 3: his entire body. Paul knelt beside him, joyful for the
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  Speaker 3: opportunity to care for him. He prayed over him, as
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  Speaker 3: well as all the other people on the island who
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  Speaker 3: were diseased, and all of them were cured. They honored
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  Speaker 3: them and rejoiced over Paul and his companions. so much
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  Speaker 3: so that they allowed them to set sail with their
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  Speaker 3: only vessel back to Rome. When they entered Rome, they
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  Speaker 3: were greeted by believers who had been expecting them. The soldiers, sailors,
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  Speaker 3: and prisoners were all embraced by the Roman church. Their
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  Speaker 3: love for them was overwhelming. Their love and care was
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  Speaker 3: like a warm blanket to a weary soul. Paul's heart
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  Speaker 3: melted when he met the believers at Rome. He had
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  Speaker 3: always desired to see them, and now he finally had
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  Speaker 3: a chance. After three days, Paul called for the Jewish
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  Speaker 3: leaders to gather. He told them of his plight and
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  Speaker 3: his rivalry with the Jews in Israel and Asia. However,
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  Speaker 3: the Jews in Rome were less hostile towards Paul. We
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  Speaker 3: have not heard any evil words spoken against you, they said.
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  Speaker 3: In fact, we would love to hear your message. So
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  Speaker 3: Paul preached the gospel to all the Jews in Rome. They,
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  Speaker 3: more than anyone, knew about the oppression of the Roman Empire. They,
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  Speaker 3: more than anyone, desired a savior. So they listened. Their
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  Speaker 3: hearts were enthralled by the message of Christ. His love, mercy,
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  Speaker 3: and fulfillment of prophecy drew them in. Some believed, others
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  Speaker 3: did not. However, Paul was embraced by them. Paul's life
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  Speaker 3: would not end in a bed surrounded by loved ones. Eventually,
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  Speaker 3: he would go before Caesar and be deemed as a threat.
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  Speaker 3: Despite his end, Paul served as an example to all
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  Speaker 3: who believed in Jesus. He was an example that someone
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  Speaker 3: dedicated to evil can be used for good. He was
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  Speaker 3: an example of the weakness being used as strength. He
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  Speaker 3: was an example of hardship being used for the glory
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  Speaker 3: of God. Paul the Apostle, once Saul the Pharisee, died
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  Speaker 3: with his head apart from his shoulders. Yet his work
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  Speaker 3: for the gospel echoes still. His letters to the churches
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  Speaker 3: have strengthened generations of Christians to elevate Jesus above all else.
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  Speaker 3: Thus ended the recorded acts of the apostles. Yet the
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  Speaker 3: same Spirit lives in every believer to this day. The
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  Speaker 3: same Spirit who healed millions, preached boldly in the temple,
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  Speaker 3: gave visions for redemption, and led with grace still lives
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  Speaker 3: in the hearts of all those who believe in Christ.
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  Speaker 3: So the acts of the believers still continue to this day,
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  Speaker 3: leading people to the presence of God and creating a
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  Speaker 3: culture of flourishing until Jesus returns.
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  Speaker 2: Amen. In today's reading, the shipwrecked sailors, soldiers, and prisoners
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  Speaker 2: are on the island of Malta where they are washed up, shaken,
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  Speaker 2: but safe. To their great surprise, those who lived on
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  Speaker 2: Malta were kind and hospitable, helping them gather kindling and
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  Speaker 2: start a fire for warmth. Paul set to work gathering
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  Speaker 2: firewood too and was bitten by a viper, a poisonous
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  Speaker 2: snake which should have killed him. The Maltese people seeing
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  Speaker 2: this assumed he must be evil and this was an
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  Speaker 2: act of cosmic justice. They were sure he would swell
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  Speaker 2: up and die, but he shook off the snake and
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  Speaker 2: walked away unharmed. God had spared Paul and God had
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  Speaker 2: protected this man and opened doors for Paul to heal
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  Speaker 2: the sick in Malta. We also know that Paul never
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  Speaker 2: missed an opportunity to share his faith in Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 2: to share the hope that is ours in Christ. He
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  Speaker 2: is a great example always for us wherever we go
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  Speaker 2: that we would tell people about Jesus. After several months
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  Speaker 2: on the island, they were given a boat to depart
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  Speaker 2: and conclude the journey to Rome. It had been a long,
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  Speaker 2: arduous voyage, and finally Paul was going to get his
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  Speaker 2: opportunity to tell Caesar himself, the most powerful man in
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  Speaker 2: the world, about the Lord Jesus Christ and preached to
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  Speaker 2: him of the gospel. Their arrival in Rome had been
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  Speaker 2: anticipated by the brothers and sisters there, and they were
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  Speaker 2: greeted warmly by believers, some who had traveled from across
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  Speaker 2: the region. Paul was given a great deal of freedom
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  Speaker 2: and allowed to lodge by himself with only a Roman
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  Speaker 2: soldier there to watch over him. Paul, of course, would
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  Speaker 2: share the gospel with these soldiers every time they would
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  Speaker 2: exchange duty. Paul had eagerly awaited a chance to meet
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  Speaker 2: with the church in Rome, so we can imagine how
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  Speaker 2: overjoyed he was to finally get the opportunity, even under
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  Speaker 2: these circumstances of imprisonment. But it was not only the
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  Speaker 2: believers whom Paul wanted to see. He reached out to
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  Speaker 2: the Jews in Rome to tell his side of the
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  Speaker 2: story and assure them that he was not causing the
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  Speaker 2: kind of trouble he was being accused of in Jerusalem.
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  Speaker 2: These Jews were much more reasonable, and they received no
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  Speaker 2: report about Paul from Jerusalem. Not only were they not
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  Speaker 2: opposed to Paul, they wanted to hear what he believed
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  Speaker 2: about Jesus, the Messiah. They had heard about this group
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  Speaker 2: known as the Way. Taken from the words of Jesus,
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  Speaker 2: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This
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  Speaker 2: is now an opportunity for them to hear about this
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  Speaker 2: Way of salvation through Jesus Christ. And this man, Paul,
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  Speaker 2: spoke with compassion and strong convictions. In Acts 28, 23,
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  Speaker 2: we read, When they had appointed a day for him,
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  Speaker 2: they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers.
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  Speaker 2: From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to
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  Speaker 2: the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus,
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  Speaker 2: both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.
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  Speaker 2: It might be easy to miss the importance, the significance
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  Speaker 2: of this passage. Remember that in every city Paul went
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  Speaker 2: to the temple seeking out the Jews to share the gospel.
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  Speaker 2: And in every city he was run out, often under
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  Speaker 2: cover of night, lest he would be killed by the Jews.
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  Speaker 2: Now Paul is under house arrest, unable to go to
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  Speaker 2: the temple. But these religious people came to him. You see,
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  Speaker 2: the gospel cannot be stopped. The message of Jesus is unstoppable.
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  Speaker 2: It will not be hindered. God will always provide a
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  Speaker 2: way for lost people to hear about his word through
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  Speaker 2: faithful Christians. We must be faithful as Paul was and
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  Speaker 2: so many others have been throughout the generations and be
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  Speaker 2: bold in our witness and take every opportunity we have
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  Speaker 2: to share Christ. After Paul had shared, some believed and
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  Speaker 2: were added to the number of Christians in Rome. Others
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  Speaker 2: were not convinced and remained in their unbelief, but they
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  Speaker 2: did not seek to harm Paul. The book of Acts
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  Speaker 2: closes on an incredibly happy note, telling us that Paul
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  Speaker 2: lived peacefully there for two years, openly sharing Christ with all.
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  Speaker 2: During this time there, Paul wrote letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians,
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  Speaker 2: and also the letter to Philemon. His letters give hope, strength, wisdom,
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  Speaker 2: and faith to us today, just as they did when
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  Speaker 2: he wrote them so many years ago. These words, of course,
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  Speaker 2: were not just the words of a man, but the
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  Speaker 2: Word of God. For God's Word is inspired, breathed out
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  Speaker 2: by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is given by inspiration
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  Speaker 2: of God. And when we read the Bible, from Genesis
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  Speaker 2: to Revelation, we are reading God's book. We are reading
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  Speaker 2: the book all about Jesus. Paul was eventually released and
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  Speaker 2: continued his missionary work in Europe. But later, Paul would
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  Speaker 2: be arrested again by Emperor Nero, the Caesar, and would
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  Speaker 2: be martyred for his faith. As he would later describe
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  Speaker 2: to Timothy in his letter to him, he had fought
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  Speaker 2: the good fight. He had kept the faith. He had
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  Speaker 2: finished the course. And along the way, he had blessed
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  Speaker 2: countless people and still does today through the centuries by
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  Speaker 2: his own personal example of faithfulness and boldness and compassion,
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  Speaker 2: his missionary zeal for the lost and the least and
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  Speaker 2: the last all around the world. And he gave us
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  Speaker 2: these magnificent New Testament letters that we still read today
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  Speaker 2: for our Christian growth. But we need to remember this,
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  Speaker 2: as in any book of the Bible, we miss the
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  Speaker 2: point if we look to the human personalities or the
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  Speaker 2: characters of the Bible as the heroes. Paul himself was
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  Speaker 2: a hero, but he always pointed people to Jesus. He
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  Speaker 2: always stepped aside and pointed to Christ and said, Jesus
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  Speaker 2: is Lord. The book of Acts is a wonderful story
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  Speaker 2: of the New Testament church, and it reminds us that
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  Speaker 2: the witness of Christ cannot be stopped. The gospel of
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  Speaker 2: our Lord Jesus Christ, his death, burial, and resurrection, it
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  Speaker 2: marches all around the world so that all may ultimately hear.
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  Speaker 2: Paul's life ended, but God's work and witness did not.
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  Speaker 2: And the same Holy Spirit that guided Paul, who strengthened
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  Speaker 2: him through persecution, beating, imprisonment, and even death, this Spirit,
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  Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit, lives in us and enables us and
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  Speaker 2: empowers us to proclaim the name of Christ today. May
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  Speaker 2: we continue to be faithful and fervent till the whole
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  Speaker 2: world hears. Dear God, we thank you for the scriptures.
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  Speaker 2: We thank you that you have inspired these words, not
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  Speaker 2: just of human origin, but by the Holy Spirit, that
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  Speaker 2: the Bible is your book. And we thank you for
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  Speaker 2: the story of Acts, the story of the church and
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  Speaker 2: Christians as they press forward with the message of hope
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  Speaker 2: and salvation all across the known world. and ultimately to
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  Speaker 2: the whole world. May we in our generation be bold
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  Speaker 2: in our witness and continue to work faithfully for the
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  Speaker 2: Lord Jesus Christ, growing his church, building believers until he
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  Speaker 2: comes again. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 2: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. And before we go,
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  Speaker 2: I wanted to let you know that the Bible in
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  Speaker 2: a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries, and
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  Speaker 2: can only come to you each week through the support
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  Speaker 2: of listeners like you. Your support today is so important
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: that we want to thank you for your gift by
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book.
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  Speaker 2: This book is a powerful guide that shows how every
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  Speaker 2: book in the Bible points to Christ and how you
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: can better read and understand the Bible and how God's
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  Speaker 2: Word transforms our lives. So to get your copy of
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  Speaker 2: the Jesus book, simply go to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support.