Good morning, Father God . . . As we pray through the New Testament, one passage for the weekend so Sunday can be a day of prayer and contemplation in light of all weve read this week, we come to Acts 26:9-32. Paul’s been confined now for years, on baseless charges from religious leaders who don’t accept Paul’s Gospel message. Yet Paul stands now before King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, not merely appealing his case but revealing the Good News. He shares what we often call his “testimony”—what his life was like before he met Jesus, what happened when he encountered (and was encountered by!) Jesus, and what’s happened since then. Indeed, since then he’s been quite a missionary of the Gospel, seeing the Gospel’s spread especially among the Gentiles. Here’s the Gospel message in a nutshell: “repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (26:20). Governor Festus says Paul’s out of his mind, yet Paul turns the conversation back to Festus’ superior: “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe” (26:27). The king asks if Paul’s trying to convert him in such a short time, to which Paul responds: “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains” (26:29). Though soon he would be off to Rome in his appeal to Caesar, for the time being, in light of Paul’s enduring hope, we all have a decision to make! Father God, I believe. Help me to perform deeds in keeping with repentance. In addition, help me to have the same Gospel-focused priorities as the apostle Paul. He prayed for all people to come to salvation; he proclaimed the Gospel at every opportunity; his pursuit was living and advancing the Gospel—no matter where, even despite the physical chains that bound him! esvbible.org/Acts%2026%3A9-32/
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 10:45:16 +0000
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