Archive for month: May, 2022

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 24:1-16.  Let’s go!

Acts 24:1-9  

1  Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. 
2  When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. 
3  Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. 
4  But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly. 
5  “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect 
6  and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. 
7   
8  By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.” 
9  The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true. 

 Acts 24:1-9:  “It’s Time to Lawyer Up!”

The trial of the apostle Paul in Governor Felix’s court is about to get under way.  The high priest and the Jewish elders decide to lawyer up and retain the attorney Tertullus to bring their case against Paul.  But Paul had an even better lawyer on his side to defend him against these false charges: the Lord Jesus.  His judge and his accusers couldn’t see him, but Jesus was there.

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 23:23-35.  Let’s go!

Acts 23:23-35 (NIV)
23  Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
24  Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25  He wrote a letter as follows:
26  Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings…….

On verses 23-35:  Claudius Lysius is the name of the Roman commander was has been in custody of Paul.  With a huge detachment of soldiers, horsemen and spearmen to protect Paul and a formal letter explaining the situation, the Roman commander Lysius sends Paul to Felix, the governor of Judea, located in Caesarea, so that Paul can be tried in court there.  Governor Felix reads Lysius’ letter and decides that since Paul is from Cilicia, which was within Felix’s jurisdiction, Felix would hear Paul’s case.

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 23:12-22.  Let’s go!

Acts 23:12-22 (NIV)
12  The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13  More than forty men were involved in this plot.
14  They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
15  Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”……

On verses 12-22:  Growing up I loved watching James Bond movies.  Not only did James Bond show tremendous skill, heart, and suave as he went about his mission, but he was also extremely lucky.  In every James Bond movie, there would be some crucial moment when his life would be in grave danger and he would be spared not because of his skill, his heart or his suave, but simply because he happened to be in the right place at the right time or because someone else happened to lend him a hand.

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 22:17-30.  Let’s go!

Acts 22:17-21 (NIV)
17  “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18  and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19  “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.
20  And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21  “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”

On verses 17-21:  In Paul’s mind, it seemed to make so much sense for him, when he first became a Christian, to stay in Jerusalem, since he was well known in Jerusalem as the most zealous persecutor of Christians and now had become a Christian himself.  But God had different plans for Paul. God knew that people were bent on killing Paul in Jerusalem, so God sends Paul far away to the Gentiles.  It turns out that there was wisdom in God’s plan after all.