Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / February 25 - Voices That Shape a City

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February 25 - Voices That Shape a City · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, February 25th.
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  Voices that shape a city. Have you ever stopped to think
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  about how much influence your voice actually carries?
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  Not just what you say out loud, but the tone you use, the values
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  you live by, the choices you make when no one is forcing you.
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  Either way, one voice of encouragement can lift a room.
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  One careless word can shift the atmosphere completely.
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  Influence is never neutral, it's always doing something.
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  Proverbs Chapter 11, verses 10:50 paints a powerful picture.
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  It says that when it goes well with the righteous, the city
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  rejoices, and that by the blessing of the upright, a city
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  is lifted up. That means godly lives don't
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  just affect individuals, They affect environments, families,
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  schools, communities. On the other hand, words rooted
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  in selfishness, lies, or wickedness don't stay contained
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  either. They tear things down.
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  Then we see this truth lived out in Acts chapter 25.
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  Paul is once again standing before leaders who are more
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  interested in politics than justice.
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  Festus wants to please the crowd, even if it means putting
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  Paul at risk. But Paul doesn't bend.
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  He doesn't lash out. He doesn't beg for sympathy.
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  He calmly stands on truth. He says that he has done no
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  wrong and that he is standing where he ought to be.
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  Paul refuses to let loud voices, false accusations, or pressure
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  determine who he is or where his life is going.
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  That kind of steady integrity has impact.
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  Paul's voice wasn't just defending himself, it was
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  bearing witness. Even in a courtroom filled with
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  manipulation and self-interest, truth was standing tall.
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  And that matters because cities aren't shaped only by laws or
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  leaders. They're shaped by everyday
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  people who choose honesty over compromise and courage over
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  silence. This hits close to home for us.
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  The way you speak in Group chats.
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  The way you treat people when they're not popular.
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  The way you respond when drama starts swirling.
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  The way you stand firm in what's right without becoming harsh or
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  proud. These things matter more than
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  you think. God uses faithful voices to
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  bring life, clarity, and hope into broken spaces.
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  You may not feel like you're changing a city, but you are
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  shaping your corner of it. When you choose truth, you bring
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  stability. When you choose righteousness,
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  you bring blessing. When you refuse to join in
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  tearing others down, you quietly help lift something up.
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  God doesn't need you to be loud to be effective.
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  He needs you to be faithful. One life lived with integrity
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  can influence more than you realize.
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  Let your voice be one that builds, heals, and points people
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  toward what is right. Let's pray.
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  Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me that my words and
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  choices carry real weight. Help me to use my voice for
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  truth, encouragement and peace. Give me courage to stand firm
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  like Paul when pressure comes and clarity to speak wisely
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  instead of reacting emotionally. Let my life be a blessing
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  wherever you place me, and use me to lift others closer to you
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  in Jesus name, Amen. What if the way you pray changed
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  because you truly knew who God is?
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  The Supreme God Part 1 is an 8 book devotional and prayer
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  journey that unveils the power, presence and glory of God
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  through his biblical names. In Elohim you encounter God, the
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  mighty Creator who forms and sustains all things.
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  Yahweh draws you into relationship with the Eternal I
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  AM who is present and faithful. Adonai calls you to surrender to
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  the Lord and Master who leads and directs your steps.
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  El Elyon reveals the God Most High, exalted above every power
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  and authority. El Shaddai introduces the all
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  sufficient God who nourishes and strengthens you.
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  El Olam anchors your faith in the everlasting God whose
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  purposes never fail. Elroy assures you that you are
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  seen, known, and cared for by a compassionate father.
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  And El Gibor awakens confidence in the mighty God who defends,
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  delivers, and prevails. Through scripture, devotional
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  boldly in God's character. If you're ready to elevate your
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  prayer life and rediscover the God you serve or to the Supreme
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  God Part One on Amazon today or visit prayerscripts.org to begin
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  your. Journey now I invite you to
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  spend time with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan.
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  Proverbs Chapter 11 verses 10 to 11 World English Bible.
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  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices.
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  When the wicked perish, there is shouting.
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  By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is
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  overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
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  Acts, chapter 25. World English Bible.
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  Festus, therefore, having come into the province after three
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  days, went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
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  Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews
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  informed him against Paul, and they begged him, asking a favor
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  against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem,
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  plotting to kill him on the way. However, Festus answered that
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  Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself
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  was about to depart shortly. Let them therefore, he said,
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  that are in power among you, go down with me, and if there is
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  anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.
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  When he had stayed among them more than 10 days, he went down
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  to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgement seat and
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  commanded Paul to be brought. When he had come, the Jews who
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  had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing
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  against him many and grievous charges which they could not
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  prove, while he said in his defense, neither against the law
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  of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have
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  I sinned at all. But Festus, desiring to gain
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  favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Are you willing
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  to go up to Jerusalem and be judged by me there concerning
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  these things? But Paul said, I am standing
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  before Caesar's judgment seat where I ought to be tried.
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  I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very
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  well. For if I have done wrong and
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  have committed anything worthy of death, I don't refuse to die.
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  But if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no
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  one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.
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  Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council,
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  answered, You have appealed to Caesar.
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  To Caesar you shall go now. When some days had passed, King
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  Agrippa and Burnis arrived at Caesaria and greeted Festus.
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  As he stayed there many days. Festus laid Paul's case before
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  the king, saying There is a certain man left a prisoner by
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  Felix, about whom when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and
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  the elders of the Jews informed me asking for a sentence against
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  him. I answered them, that it is not
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  the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before
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  the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had
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  opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid
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  against him. When therefore, they had come
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  together here, I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the
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  judgement seat, and commanded the man to be brought.
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  When the accuser stood up, they brought no charges against him
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  of such things as I supposed, but had certain questions
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  against him about their own religion, and about 1.
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  Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
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  Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked
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  whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem, and there be judged
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  concerning these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be
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  kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be
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  kept until I could send him to Caesar.
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  Agrippa said to Festus, I also would like to hear the man
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  myself tomorrow. He said, You shall hear him so
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  on the next day, when Agrippa and Burnis had come with great
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  pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the
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  commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at
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  the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
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  Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present
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  with us. You see this man about whom all
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  the multitude of the Jews petitioned me both at Jerusalem
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  and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
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  But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of
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  death, and as he himself appealed to the Emperor, I
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  determined to send him, of whom I have no certain thing to
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  write, to my Lord. Therefore, I have brought him
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  out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that
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  after examination I may have something to write for.
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  It seems to me unreasonable in sending a prisoner not to also
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  specify the charges against him. Thanks for joining us on Bible
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  Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
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  conversation. Until next time, stay rooted in
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  truth, anchored in hope, and walking daily with Jesus.