Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 27:13-26.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 27:13-26 (NIV)
13  When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.
14  Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.
15  The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.
16  As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure.

On verses 13-26:  As Paul and about 270 others sail to Rome, their ship is caught in the middle of a storm of hurricane proportions called a northeaster.  After many days of fearing for their lives, Paul stands up and addresses everyone on the ship, telling them to keep up their courage, because God spoke to Paul and assured him that he would go to Rome to testify before Caesar and that not one person on this ship would be lost.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 26:1-18.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 26:1-13 (NIV)
1  Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:
2  “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,
3  and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

On verses 1-13:  As Paul addresses King Agrippa, a small part of Paul probably hoped that King Agrippa would understand where Paul was coming from, since King Agrippa was a Jewish ruler who understood the customs, controversies, culture and religious thinking of the Jews, as opposed to Governor Festus who knew very little about these matters and had already secretly been siding with Paul’s opponents.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 25:1-12.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 25:1-9 (NIV)
1  Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
2  where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
3  They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4  Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

On verses 1 to 9:  Originally governor Festus rejected the request of Paul’s opponents to have Paul moved to Jerusalem for the trial (verses 4-5).  So why in verse 9 is Festus now giving into their request and trying to convince Paul to move to Jerusalem?  It’s because of what happened in verse 6: “After spending eight or ten days with them”.  In other words, Festus spent over a week hanging out with Paul’s opponents.  As a result, Festus became like putty in their hands and was ready to give them what they wanted.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 24:1-16.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 24:1-9 (NIV)
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.

On verses 1-9:  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 23:12-22.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  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.

On verses 12-22:  Growing up as a kid 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.  That’s what I see happening here with Paul too.