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July 5
All My Trials, Lord

Acts 23:23-24:10  New International Version (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^[a] to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. ²⁴ Provide horses 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.

²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. ²⁸ I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

³¹ So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³² The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. ³³ When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴ The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

Paul’s Trial Before Felix

24 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] [b] 8} By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”
⁹ The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.
¹⁰ When 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.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 23:23 The meaning of the Greek for this word is uncertain.
2. Acts 24:7 Some manuscripts include here him, and we would have judged him in accordance with our law. ⁷ But the commander Lysias came and took him from us with much violence, ⁸ ordering his accusers to come before you.

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Can you imagine being Paul? Having to go through trial after trial, being accused of ridiculous things....and all unfairly done to accomplish some evil plot against you?
I know things like this DO HAPPEN in today's world as well. It seems that in those ancient times, people had no access to any kind of services or help whatsoever.
Paul however, had heavenly access! He had direct access to the one who could rescue him from all this danger. And yet......
I don't read that he prays to be rescued from the hands of those who would constantly seek to harm him.
Paul was part of the Lord's plan in his time for the very important work of establishing the early believers and encourage them in their new found faith!
Remember, following Jesus Christ was a brand new thing back then.
There was no New Testament to read or study!
This brings me to ask YOU.... what part of God's plan are YOU?
What does the Lord have for you to do in this time in your world?
You have a sphere of influence, no matter who you are, where you live. You have a world around you that YOU can reach with the love of Jesus Christ and the message of his free gift of salvation.
Are you doing that for Him? for the Kingdom? for those people in your world that are lost... who haven't yet taken hold of that gift of salvation?

Start today! Pray today for Him to bring to mind someone with whom you can share the message! Someone is waiting to hear what YOU have to say!!!!