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Arrested and Beaten - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And laid their hands on the apostles
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  Speaker 1: and put them in the common prison. Acts 5.18 Holy Spirit,
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  Speaker 1: strengthen me as I stand in the face of persecution
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  Speaker 1: and ridicule when I decide to reach out and offer
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  Speaker 1: a hand to those in need. When I feel arrested
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  Speaker 1: and imprisoned by the isolation of others, I will remember
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  Speaker 1: your sweet Spirit. and I will remember the life of Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: Like his disciples, he endured because the sacrifice was worth
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  Speaker 1: the scars, the souls were worth the scrapes, and their
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  Speaker 1: freedom was worth the fight. I will not give up
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  Speaker 1: until your mission is fulfilled in my life, Lord. I
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  Speaker 1: will remain relentless in my pursuit of your divine presence. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: with every fiber in my being, I say bring it on.
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  Speaker 1: Because I am a water-walking, giant-slaying, lion-killing, serpent-crushing, Jericho-crumbling, wall-building, presence-filled,
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  Speaker 1: anointed child of God. And I won't be stopped. In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: Arrested and beaten. In our last story, Ananias and Sapphira
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  Speaker 3: were struck down for their false sense of holiness and charity.
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  Speaker 3: They feigned generosity to look holy. and paid dearly for
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  Speaker 3: their deception. Now we see the disciples following in the
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  Speaker 3: suffering of Jesus. Imprisoned and beaten, they maintain a hopeful
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  Speaker 3: joy that goes beyond comprehension.
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  Speaker 4: Inspired by the book of Acts. Hello, I'm Pastor Jack
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  Speaker 4: Graham with today's episode of the Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 4: In our last episode, we heard how God dealt severely
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  Speaker 4: with Ananias and Sapphira for their greed and deception. He
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  Speaker 4: was showing the early church and us that sin is
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  Speaker 4: a serious subject, and it is costly when God's children sin. Today,
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  Speaker 4: we'll hear how the disciples continue to preach the risen
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  Speaker 4: Christ and the suffering that begins as a result of
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  Speaker 4: proclaiming the gospel. Despite the opposition and even imprisonment, these
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  Speaker 4: faithful servants remain joyful in their suffering as they hope
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  Speaker 4: and trust in the Lord. And we'll hear how God
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  Speaker 4: uses their circumstances to bring the message of salvation to
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  Speaker 4: more and more people. Listen to the Word of God now.
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  Speaker 3: It was as cold as it was dark where the
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  Speaker 3: disciples lay. The wet stone floors sucked the heat right
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  Speaker 3: out of their bodies as they shivered in their prison cells.
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  Speaker 3: The moonlight was barely peering out of cracks in the
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  Speaker 3: cobbled walls. The high priest had arrested Peter and the
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  Speaker 3: others and thrown them into prison out of fear. Their
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  Speaker 3: movement was increasing at an unmanageable rate, and they felt
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  Speaker 3: their power slipping through their fingers. John rested his head
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  Speaker 3: against the stone wall and prayed with his brothers. Echoes
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  Speaker 3: of their songs to God filled the depressing hallways. Their
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  Speaker 3: prayers and songs were interrupted by the creaking sound of
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  Speaker 3: the metal doors opening. Peter looked and saw that the
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  Speaker 3: prison doors had been opened. Peter looked to his left
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  Speaker 3: and to his right and saw a figure standing in
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  Speaker 3: the shadows. He emerged from the darkness and was revealed
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  Speaker 3: to be an angel of the Lord. Leave this place,
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  Speaker 3: but do not run away, he said. The angel's voice
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  Speaker 3: was deep and commanding. Go out and stand boldly in
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  Speaker 3: the temple. Speak to people all the words of life.
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  Speaker 3: So the disciples escaped the prison just as the sun
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  Speaker 3: was rising. They stood up in the temple courtyards and
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  Speaker 3: continued to preach the message of Jesus. The high priest
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  Speaker 3: emerged from his quarters to see Peter in the middle
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  Speaker 3: of the yard.' Seize them!' he yelled, and the temple
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  Speaker 3: guards tackled the apostles to the ground. James and John
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  Speaker 3: had their faces shoved into the dirt. This was not
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  Speaker 3: what they had in mind when they thought about following Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: but it was better, filled with more excitement and purpose.
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  Speaker 3: We warned you not to teach his name, Caiaphas spat.
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  Speaker 3: Peter thought about fighting, but then remembered the words of Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.
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  Speaker 3: Peter drew a deep breath and calmly replied, We obey
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  Speaker 3: God before men, priest. Caiaphas bubbled over in rage and
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  Speaker 3: had the guards strike Peter in the jaw. Andrew jolted
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  Speaker 3: forward but was met with a quick kick to the stomach.
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  Speaker 3: Caiaphas leaned over to Andrew and said, I should kill you.
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  Speaker 3: I should kill you all. Right before he was about
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  Speaker 3: to give the word, a Pharisee by the name of
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  Speaker 3: Gamaliel rose up. Stop, he shouted. We have had false
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  Speaker 3: prophets rise up before these men, have we not? God
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  Speaker 3: has a way of pruning those who do not speak
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  Speaker 3: the truth. If these men are fools, then we should
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  Speaker 3: stay away from them. They will die eventually and their
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  Speaker 3: movement will fade. But if these men speak the truth...
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  Speaker 3: Then it is us who are in danger if we
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  Speaker 3: strike them down. Gamaliel was a voice of reason for
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  Speaker 3: the Pharisees and was able to keep them from killing
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  Speaker 3: Peter and the others, but not without a swift beating.
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  Speaker 3: All the disciples were taken into the courtyard and beat
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  Speaker 3: with clubs and whips. Then they were tossed by the
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  Speaker 3: roadside to hobble home. The men lay on the ground,
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  Speaker 3: sore and bleeding, but on each of their faces was
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  Speaker 3: a smile. They were glad to suffer for the name
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  Speaker 3: of Jesus. They were glad to suffer so that others
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  Speaker 3: might thrive. It was their honor. So each day they
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  Speaker 3: rose up again to go preach. And each day they
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  Speaker 3: were either thrown in prison or beaten. This became the
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  Speaker 3: rhythm of their life. No one had killed Christians at
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  Speaker 3: this point until a man named Saul came.
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  Speaker 4: Today's Bible passage begins inside a prison cell. Peter says,
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  Speaker 4: John and the other apostles had not listened to the
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  Speaker 4: warnings of the religious leaders, and they continued to preach
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  Speaker 4: Christ and the gospel all over Jerusalem. The high priest
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  Speaker 4: and the Sadducees were jealous of the influence these men
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  Speaker 4: were having on all the people, so they had them
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  Speaker 4: arrested and thrown into prison again. But God sent an
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  Speaker 4: angel in the night to open the gates of their cell.
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  Speaker 4: The angel told them to leave and go teach in
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  Speaker 4: the temple court so that people might hear all the
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  Speaker 4: words of life. This was the driving force, the passion
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  Speaker 4: of these men now, to tell all who would hear
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  Speaker 4: that Jesus is Lord and that he would make a
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  Speaker 4: way to free everyone who trusted in him from their
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  Speaker 4: sins and to save them forever. This was the mission
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  Speaker 4: of Jesus, the mission that he had given them, and
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  Speaker 4: now the disciples were carrying out this work and witness
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  Speaker 4: of the gospel. The next morning, when the guard went
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  Speaker 4: to get the men out of prison to bring them
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  Speaker 4: before the council of the people of Israel, they found
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  Speaker 4: only an empty cell. And when they heard the report
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  Speaker 4: that the men were missing, everyone was perplexed. How could
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  Speaker 4: they have escaped? Soon their questions were answered, because the
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  Speaker 4: apostles had not run away. They were right in the temple,
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  Speaker 4: courageously continuing to tell people about Jesus. So they were
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  Speaker 4: taken from there to the high priest and the council
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  Speaker 4: of religious leaders and questioned, interrogated. These religious leaders reminded
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  Speaker 4: the apostles that they had been strictly warned and told
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  Speaker 4: to stop talking about Jesus and proclaiming this message. But
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  Speaker 4: Peter reminded them once again that they were to obey
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  Speaker 4: God and not men. So, they laid out the gospel,
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  Speaker 4: how Jesus had come from God and these very men
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  Speaker 4: had crucified him, but he arose, conquering death to bring
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  Speaker 4: grace and forgiveness to all who would believe in him.
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  Speaker 4: What a change! has taken place in these men's lives.
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  Speaker 4: These men who had fled in fear when Jesus was
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  Speaker 4: taken to the cross and hid in terror after his
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  Speaker 4: death and burial are now standing without fear before the
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  Speaker 4: same men who had sent Christ to his death. What
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  Speaker 4: was the difference? The presence of Christ, the Holy Spirit,
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  Speaker 4: the promised helper that Jesus had sent filled them with
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  Speaker 4: the very power of God so that nothing any human
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  Speaker 4: ruler could do to them would stop them from preaching
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  Speaker 4: the good news. It is that same spirit to which
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  Speaker 4: we now have available to us today in Christ. We
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  Speaker 4: can be filled with the boldness and confidence to share
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  Speaker 4: our faith in Christ with anyone and everyone and fulfill
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  Speaker 4: the mission and commission of Jesus. Isn't that amazing? God
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  Speaker 4: will use us to preach the gospel. The apostles' words
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  Speaker 4: stirred up deep anger, even hatred among the council. They
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  Speaker 4: wanted these men dead, but a lone voice of reason
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  Speaker 4: stood up to speak. A man named Gamaliel reminded the
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  Speaker 4: council of others who had come before and led movements,
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  Speaker 4: and eventually these movements went away. But then Gamaliel spoke
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  Speaker 4: these words in Acts 5, 38-39. So in the present case,
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  Speaker 4: I can tell you, keep away from these men and
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  Speaker 4: let them alone. For if this plan or this undertaking
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  Speaker 4: is of man, it will fail. But if it is
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  Speaker 4: of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.
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  Speaker 4: You might even find yourself opposing God. Well, his words
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  Speaker 4: were convincing, and the council took his advice. They had
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  Speaker 4: no reason to hold or imprison these men, so they
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  Speaker 4: released them. But first they beat them and threatened them
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  Speaker 4: and warned them never to speak in the name of
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  Speaker 4: Jesus again. Well, did this stop Peter and John and
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  Speaker 4: the rest of the apostles and the work of the church?
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  Speaker 2: Not at all.
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  Speaker 4: And rather than leave that place licking their wounds and
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  Speaker 4: lamenting their persecution, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy
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  Speaker 4: to suffer in the name of the Lord Jesus. What
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  Speaker 4: the council meant for intimidation was actually fuel for their fires.
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  Speaker 4: They went out every day teaching in the name of Jesus,
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  Speaker 4: preaching and telling more and more people what Christ could
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  Speaker 4: do for them if they would put their faith in him. Soon, however,
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  Speaker 4: the patience of the council would run out and a
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  Speaker 4: new enemy of the gospel would emerge, a zealous young
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  Speaker 4: rabbi by the name of Saul. We'll hear about him
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  Speaker 4: the next time. Dear God, we thank you for today's reading,
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  Speaker 4: which reminds us that you can do great things through
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  Speaker 4: us when we are yielded and surrendered to you. when
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  Speaker 4: we tell people about Jesus and the power of the
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  Speaker 4: Holy Spirit. We remember that witnessing is sharing Jesus in
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  Speaker 4: the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results
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  Speaker 4: to God. So may we boldly witness and tell our
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  Speaker 4: family and friends and people that we meet of the
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  Speaker 4: love and the grace of our Lord Jesus. No matter
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  Speaker 4: what kind of opposition or resistance we face, may we
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  Speaker 4: be courageous in sharing Christ. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank
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  Speaker 4: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 4: I'm Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas. You can download the
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  Speaker 4: disciple of Jesus, then go to jackgraham.org, jackgraham.org. And we
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  Speaker 4: have many resources that are available for you there. God
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  Speaker 4: bless you.
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  Speaker 3: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 12:33
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• 12:38
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