{"id":21611,"date":"2022-05-15T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T05:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts_23_23-35-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-05-10T20:43:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T03:43:42","slug":"acts_24_1-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts_24_1-16\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Time to Lawyer Up!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts\u00a0 24:1-16\u00a0 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Hi\u00a0 GAMErs!<\/p>\n

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Today\u2019s passage is Acts 24:1-16.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Acts 24:1-9 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 \u00a0Five 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.
\n2 \u00a0When 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.
\n3 \u00a0Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude.
\n4 \u00a0But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.
\n5 \u00a0“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
\n6 \u00a0and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.
\n7
\n8 \u00a0By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”
\n9 \u00a0The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 24:1-9: \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s Time to Lawyer Up!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The trial of the apostle Paul in Governor Felix\u2019s court is about to get under way. \u00a0The high priest and the Jewish elders decide to lawyer up and retain the attorney Tertullus to bring their case against Paul. \u00a0But Paul had an even better lawyer on his side to defend him against these false charges: the Lord Jesus. \u00a0His judge and his accusers couldn\u2019t see him, but Jesus was there.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the Bible says that we have an accuser. \u00a0His name is Satan. \u00a0Because Satan\u2019s agenda is to steal, kill and destroy our lives, Satan loves to accuse us of sins we have committed and even sins we have not committed. \u00a0Who stands in our defense? \u00a0Jesus Christ. \u00a0 You might not have realized it, but heaven paid for you to have the greatest defense attorney who ever lived to stand on your side: His name is Jesus. \u00a0As 1 John 2:1 says, \u201cMy dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the most outstanding defense attorney, you can confess your mistakes to Jesus, and Jesus will still make sure you get His best defense. \u00a0He is committed to standing before the judge and before your accuser and fighting for your cause. \u00a0In fact, when we were guilty of sin and when the just punishment for our sins was death and separation from God, Jesus went above and beyond what any defense attorney will ever do: Jesus stepped into our shoes and died in our place. \u00a0That\u2019s because Jesus\u2019 commitment to defend you is not based on how much you pay him (indeed you can\u2019t afford his invaluable services), but rather Jesus\u2019 commitment to defend you is based on His immense love for you.<\/p>\n

So on this day, thank God that though our sins were great, Jesus\u2019 love and mercy on our lives are greater. \u00a0Thank God that whenever we sin, we have one who stands in our defense. \u00a0His name is Jesus.<\/p>\n

Acts 24:10-16\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

10 \u00a0When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense.
\n11 \u00a0You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.
\n12 \u00a0My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city.
\n13 \u00a0And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me.
\n14 \u00a0However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,
\n15 \u00a0and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
\n16 \u00a0So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.\u00a0<\/em>Follow your conscience.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 24:10-16:\u00a0 \u201cFollow Your Conscience\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notice what Paul says in verse 16: \u201cSo I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man\u201d.\u00a0 What is conscience?\u00a0 Conscience is an inner feeling that what you are doing is right or wrong, like a moral compass that tells you when you\u2019re on the right path and when you\u2019ve gone off it.<\/p>\n

No one in the Bible talked more about conscience than Paul.\u00a0 Paul was sensitive to what his conscience was telling him and it would bother him a great deal if he did anything against his conscience.\u00a0 We\u2019re the same way.\u00a0 Your conscience is God\u2019s gift to you.\u00a0 It\u2019s an important instrument God has installed inside you to lead you back to Him.<\/p>\n

Is there something on your conscience that you need to confess to God?\u00a0 What sins do you need to confess to God today?\u00a0 I encourage you to take a few moments now to search your conscience.\u00a0 Ask God to help you do so, since He knows you better than you know yourself.\u00a0 If there are things you\u2019ve done, decisions you\u2019ve made, words you\u2019ve spoken which cause you today to have a guilty conscience, I encourage you to confess them to God.\u00a0 Confess them to your personal defense attorney Jesus Christ, knowing that (as 1 John 1:9 tells us, \u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.\u201d<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to keep living with a guilty conscience.\u00a0 You can finish this day and go into tomorrow with a clean conscience when you confess your sins to God, knowing that He has forgiven you through Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Exercise: <\/strong>\u00a0Take time to confess your sins to God, knowing that not only will you be assured of God\u2019s forgiveness through Jesus, but even more knowing that you\u2019re giving God new room to work in your life.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not sure how to confess your sins, you can follow say:<\/p>\n

Dear Jesus, I confess that I have acted, spoken and thought in ways that are not pleasing to You, such as [name specific sins]. Lord Jesus, I was wrong and I\u2019m sorry for acting this way. I ask You to forgive me for sinning against You and sinning against others. I turn from my sins now and commit my whole life \u2013 body, soul and spirit \u2013 to You. Be Lord over my entire life, and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. In Jesus\u2019 name I pray, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi\u00a0 GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Acts 24:1-16.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Acts 24:1-9 \u00a0<\/p>\n

1 \u00a0Five 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.\u00a0
\n2 \u00a0When 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.\u00a0
\n3 \u00a0Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude.\u00a0
\n4 \u00a0But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.\u00a0
\n5 \u00a0“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\u00a0
\n6 \u00a0and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.\u00a0
\n7 \u00a0\u00a0
\n8 \u00a0By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”\u00a0
\n9 \u00a0The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 24:1-9: \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s Time to Lawyer Up!\u201d<\/p>\n

The trial of the apostle Paul in Governor Felix\u2019s court is about to get under way. \u00a0The high priest and the Jewish elders decide to lawyer up and retain the attorney Tertullus to bring their case against Paul. \u00a0But Paul had an even better lawyer on his side to defend him against these false charges: the Lord Jesus. \u00a0His judge and his accusers couldn\u2019t see him, but Jesus was there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21611"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21615,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21611\/revisions\/21615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}