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But he who trusts in Me shall possess the land and inherit My Holy Mountain" (Isaiah 57:13). |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice [3] Bible Verse:Acts 26:12-23 (ESV) "in this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles — to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”" Message:
The conversion of Saint Paul is told three times in the Bible. The first time, in Acts 9, is the basic chronological story, told in the third person, simply to acquaint the reader with the facts.
Jesus teaches the law from a scroll outdoors
The second and third tellings are first-hand accounts by Paul himself, told by Paul in defense of accusations against him. The second, in Acts 22, was given to the mob in Jerusalem who were rioting against him.
This third account is part of Paul’s defense before King Agrippa, no doubt with the Roman governor (Festus) and Agrippa’s sister Bernice in attendance. You can see slight differences in this version from the others.
First, Paul emphasizes his obedience in this telling. He was speaking to convince a king and a governor, who would have valued obedience from the Jewish population above all else. The one thing certain to get Paul executed would be if he appeared to be a revolutionary; and thus, rather than emphasize his differences with the Jewish high priests, he emphasizes his obedience to God. He also points out that his teaching is not new, but rather something promised by Moses and other prophets — religious authorities with whom the king would be comfortable.
Paul also emphasizes how public his subsequent teachings have been. The cult of Christianity had become fairly large and widespread by this time. Paul wants to assure both king and governor that it is not a secret society, by letting them know that the entire doctrine was open (and, thus, not at all concerned with politics). Again, this is to quiet any fears they might have of political revolt. Revolutionary groups would often begin with a benign public appearance, but would hold secret meetings where the more dangerous aspects of doctrine were given only to members.
Meditation : Prayer : Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that you direct my way unto you, and make me and all of us to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end that we may establish our hearts unblameable in holiness before you, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints..............Amen |
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