One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 291
Acts 25
25Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,G3767G5347G1910G1885G3326G5140G2250G305G575G2542G1519G24142where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.G1161G749G2532G4413G2453G1718G846G2596G3972G2532G3870G8463They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem .G154G5485G2596G846G3704G3343G846G1519G2419G4160G1747G2596G3598G337G8464But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon.G3303G3767G5347G611G3972G5083G1722G2542G1161G1438G3195G1607G1722G50345So he said, "Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations."G3767G5346G1722G5213G1415G4782G2723G846G435G1536G2076G1536G1722G51296About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in.G1161G1304G1722G846G4119G2228G1176G2250G2597G1519G2542G1887G2523G1909G968G2753G3972G717When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn't prove.G1161G846G3854G2453G2597G575G2414G4026G2532G5342G4183G926G157G2596G3972G3739G2480G3756G5848Paul denied the charges. "I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government," he said.G626G846G3754G3777G1519G3551G2453G3777G1519G2411G3777G1519G2541G264G51009Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?"G1161G5347G2309G2698G2453G5485G611G3972G2036G2309G305G1519G2414G1563G2919G4012G5130G1909G170010But Paul replied, "No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews.G1161G2036G3972G1510G2476G1909G2541G968G3757G3165G1163G2919G2453G91G3762G91G5613G2532G4771G2566G192111If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!"G1063G1487G3303G91G2532G4238G5100G514G2288G3868G3756G599G1161G1487G2076G3762G3739G3778G2723G3450G3762G1410G5483G3165G846G1941G254112Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!"G5119G5347G4814G3326G4824G611G1941G2541G1909G2541G419813A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus.G1161G1230G5100G2250G935G67G2532G959G2658G1519G2542G782G534714During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. "There is a prisoner here," he told him, "whose case was left for me by Felix.G1161G5613G1304G1563G4119G2250G5347G394G3972G2596G935G3004G2076G5100G435G2641G1198G5259G534415When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him.G4012G3739G1096G3450G1096G1519G2414G749G2532G4245G2453G1718G154G1349G2596G84616I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves.G4314G3739G611G3754G2076G3756G1485G4514G5483G5100G444G1519G684G4250G2228G2723G2192G2725G2596G4383G5037G2983G5117G627G4012G146217"When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn't delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in.G3767G846G4905G1759G4160G3367G311G1836G2523G1909G968G2753G435G7118But the accusations made against him weren't any of the crimes I expected.G4012G3739G2725G2476G2018G3762G156G3739G1473G528219Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive.G1161G2192G5100G2213G4314G846G4012G2398G1175G2532G4012G5100G2424G2348G3739G3972G5335G219820I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem.G1161G1473G639G1519G5127G4012G2214G3004G1487G1014G4198G1519G2419G2546G2919G4012G513021But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar."G1161G3972G1941G5083G846G1519G1233G4575G2753G846G5083G2193G3739G3992G846G4314G254122"I'd like to hear the man myself," Agrippa said. And Festus replied, "You will—tomorrow!"G1161G67G5346G4314G5347G1014G2532G191G444G846G839G1161G5346G191G84623So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.G1887G3767G67G2064G2532G959G3326G4183G5325G2532G1525G1519G201G4862G5037G5506G2532G2596G1851G435G5607G4172G2532G5347G2753G3972G7124Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem.G2532G5347G5346G935G67G2532G3956G435G3588G4840G2254G2334G5126G4012G3739G3956G4128G2453G1793G3427G5037G1722G2414G2532G1759G1916G1163G3361G2198G337125But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.G1161G1473G2638G846G4238G3367G514G2288G2532G1161G846G5127G1941G4575G2919G3992G84626"But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write.G4012G3739G2192G3756G804G5100G1125G2962G1352G4254G846G4254G1909G5216G2532G3122G1909G4675G935G67G3704G351G1096G2192G5100G112527For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!"G1063G1380G3427G249G3992G1198G2532G3361G4591G156G2596G846
Acts 26
26Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak in your defense." So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense.G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G4671G2010G3004G5228G4572G5119G3972G1614G5495G6262"I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders,G2233G1683G3107G935G67G3195G626G4594G1909G4675G4012G3956G3739G1458G5259G24533for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!G3122G1492G4571G5607G1109G5037G3956G1485G2532G2213G2596G2453G1352G1189G4675G191G3450G31164"As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem.G3450G3303G3767G981G1537G3503G3588G1096G575G746G1722G3450G1484G1722G2414G2467G3956G24535If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.G4267G3165G509G1437G2309G3140G3754G2596G196G139G2251G2356G2198G53306Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors.G2532G3568G2476G2919G1909G1680G1860G1096G5259G2316G4314G39627In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope!G1519G3739G2257G1429G1722G1616G3000G2250G2532G3571G1679G2658G4012G3739G1680G935G67G1458G5259G24538Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?G5101G2919G571G3844G5213G1487G2316G1453G34989"I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.G1473G3303G3767G1380G1683G1163G4238G4183G1727G4314G3686G2424G348010Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.G3739G4160G2532G4160G1722G2414G2532G4183G40G2623G1473G2623G5438G2983G1849G3844G749G5037G846G337G2702G558611Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.G2532G5097G846G4178G2596G3956G4864G315G987G5037G1693G4057G1693G846G1377G2532G1519G2193G1854G417212"One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.G2532G1722G3739G4198G1519G1154G3326G1849G2532G2011G3844G74913About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.G2250G3319G935G1492G2596G3598G5457G3771G5228G2987G2246G4034G3165G2532G4198G4862G169814We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.'G1161G2257G2667G3956G2667G1519G1093G191G5456G2980G4314G3165G2532G3004G1446G1258G4549G4549G5101G1377G3165G4642G4671G2979G4314G275915"'Who are you, lord?' I asked." And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.G1161G1473G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G137716Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future.G235G450G2532G2476G1909G4675G4228G1063G3700G4671G1519G5124G4400G4571G5257G2532G3144G5037G3739G1492G5037G3739G3700G467117And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the GentilesG1807G4571G1537G2992G2532G1484G1519G3739G3568G649G457118to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'G455G846G3788G1994G575G4655G1519G5457G2532G1849G4567G1909G2316G846G2983G859G266G2532G2819G1722G37G4102G1519G169119"And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.G3606G935G67G1096G3756G545G3770G370120I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.G235G518G518G4412G1722G1154G2532G2414G5037G1519G3956G5561G2449G2532G1484G3340G2532G1994G1909G2316G4238G2041G514G334121Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.G1752G5130G2453G4815G3165G1722G2411G3987G131522But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—G5177G3767G5177G1947G3844G2316G2476G891G5026G2250G3140G5037G3398G2532G3173G3004G3762G1622G3739G5037G4396G2532G3475G2980G3195G109623that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God's light to Jews and Gentiles alike."G1487G5547G3805G1487G4413G386G1537G3498G3195G2605G5457G2992G2532G148424Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!"G1161G846G5023G626G5347G5346G3173G5456G3972G3105G4183G1121G4062G4571G1519G313025But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.G1161G5346G3105G3756G3105G2903G5347G235G669G4487G225G2532G499726And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!G1063G935G1987G4012G5130G4314G3739G2532G2980G3955G1063G3982G3756G5100G3762G5130G2990G846G1063G5124G2076G3756G4238G1722G113727King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do?"G935G67G4100G4396G1492G3754G410028Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?"G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G1722G3641G3982G3165G1096G554629Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains."G1161G3972G2036G302G2172G2316G3756G3440G4571G235G2532G3956G191G3450G4594G1096G2532G1722G3641G2532G1722G4183G5108G3697G2504G1510G3924G5130G119930Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left.G2532G846G2036G5023G2036G935G450G2532G2232G5037G959G2532G4775G84631As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, "This man hasn't done anything to deserve death or imprisonment."G2532G402G2980G4314G240G3004G3754G3778G444G4238G3762G514G2288G2228G119932And Agrippa said to Festus, "He could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar."G1161G5346G67G5347G3778G444G1410G630G1508G1941G1508G1941G2541
Psalms 131
131[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.] Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.H7892H4609H1732H3068H3820H1361H5869H7311H1980H1419H6381 2Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.H7737H1826H5315H1580H517H5315H1580 3O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always.H3478H3176H3068H5704H5769
Dublin, OH
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