{"id":2154,"date":"2020-04-17T09:17:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T17:17:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2154"},"modified":"2020-04-17T09:17:26","modified_gmt":"2020-04-17T17:17:26","slug":"devotion-acts-2624-32-always-seize-the-moment-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2154","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 26:24-32 Always Seize The Moment Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 26:24-32<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/b>At this point Festus interrupted Paul\u2019s defense. \u201cYou are out of your mind,\u00a0Paul!\u201d he shouted. \u201cYour great learning\u00a0is driving you insane.\u201d\u00a0 25\u00a0\u201cI am not insane, most excellent\u00a0Festus,\u201d Paul replied. \u201cWhat I am saying is true and reasonable.\u00a026\u00a0The king is familiar with these things,\u00a0and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.\u00a027\u00a0King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.\u201d\u00a0 28\u00a0Then Agrippa said to Paul, \u201cDo you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?\u201d\u00a0 29\u00a0Paul replied, \u201cShort time or long\u2014I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>30\u00a0The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice\u00a0and those sitting with them.\u00a031\u00a0After they left the room, they began saying to one another, \u201cThis man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.\u201d\u00a0 32\u00a0Agrippa said to Festus, \u201cThis man could have been set free\u00a0if he had not appealed to Caesar.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Then Agrippa said to Paul, \u201cDo you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?\u201d\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0Agrippa had been on the edge of his seat listening to Paul.\u00a0\u00a0Paul had seen how Agrippa had paid attention to the message Paul was proclaiming.\u00a0\u00a0Paul knew that the Spirit of God was convicting Agrippa.\u00a0\u00a0Yet when Paul asked Agrippa \u201cKing Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do,<\/i>\u201d that was akin to us sharing the message and us asking \u201cwould you like to pray to ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Sadly, Agrippa pulled back.\u00a0\u00a0When people pull back, sometimes they later repent and reach out to the Lord, as one of the thieves on the crosses next to Jesus did.\u00a0\u00a0(Matthew 27:38, 44<\/b>,\u00a0Luke 23:39-43<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Too many times they harden their hearts and never do kneel before Jesus. (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0From the history we know of Agrippa, he, unfortunately fell in the latter group.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Oh Family, tell of Jesus to all who will listen and pray for their eternal souls.\u00a0\u00a0Pray for the opportunity to share with everyone.\u00a0\u00a0Love is the reason we should and is the reason we do.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul replied, \u201cShort time or long\u2014I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0Paul is saying that whether it takes speaking to you for a short time, or a long time, his goal was that King Agrippa, and all in attendance, would come to the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0It was not Paul\u2019s goal to get himself freed from his incarceration.\u00a0\u00a0Whatever circumstance he found himself was not his responsibility, but the Lord\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0He had long before given up such control to Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0His goal was to do what Jesus had called him to do.\u00a0\u00a0His goal was to share the Gospel message with everyone that he could with the goal that they would heed the calling of Holy Spirit to kneel before Jesus. It was more than a goal, it was to Paul his ardent prayer.\u00a0\u00a0Not for Paul\u2019s \u201csuccess,\u201d but for the benefit of those hear and receive the message and to glorify Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0All who submit to and love Jesus pray worldwide submission to Jesus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice\u00a0and those sitting with them.\u00a031\u00a0After they left the room, they began saying to one another, \u201cThis man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.\u201d\u00a0\u00a032\u00a0Agrippa said to Festus, \u201cThis man could have been set free\u00a0if he had not appealed to Caesar.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0Immediately after the exchange between the king and Paul, the king left with his constant companion Bernice and with those sitting with him.\u00a0\u00a0As those who had been in attendance concluded, as Claudius Lysias had concluded, as Governor Felix had concluded, and as Governor Festus had concluded, Paul had done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.\u00a0\u00a0Though King Agrippa did not give his life to Jesus after hearing Paul, even he judged Paul innocent of any crime and told Governor Festus that Paul could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Yet, we know, that Paul was not concerned with their opinions about his state of incarceration.\u00a0\u00a0(Ephesians 6:19-20<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0He knew that his situation was in the hands of the Lord and that the Lord had it all in control.\u00a0\u00a0(Psalm 31:14-15<\/b>)<\/p>\n

Family and Friends, we see that Paul was not concerned about the things of his life that were the Lord\u2019s responsibility.\u00a0\u00a0Paul was called to share the Gospel, before all men and even before kings, which he now had done.\u00a0\u00a0(Acts 9:15<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Paul was faithful to what he was called to do and he did not try to usurp God\u2019s authority in his life.\u00a0\u00a0(Philippians 1:13<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Family, God has called us to live simply.\u00a0\u00a0(Micah 6:8, Matthew 11:28-30<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0During this time when much of the world is quarantined as a choice by authorities, we must, in the midst of frustration and anxiousness, remember that God is in control.\u00a0\u00a0Our job is to share Jesus to a world that desperately needs Him.\u00a0\u00a0Having done that let us rest in the complete work of God!\u00a0\u00a0In Him is peace, which we all need at all times and especially during these times.\u00a0\u00a0In all things and at all times let us praise God!<\/p>\n

P<\/b><\/span>salm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.<\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; and what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Your God.<\/p>\n

Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Acts 26:24-32\u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0At this point Festus interrupted Paul\u2019s defense. \u201cYou are out of your mind,\u00a0Paul!\u201d he shouted. \u201cYour great learning\u00a0is driving you insane.\u201d\u00a0 25\u00a0\u201cI am not insane, most excellent\u00a0Festus,\u201d Paul replied. \u201cWhat I am saying is true and reasonable.\u00a026\u00a0The king is familiar with these things,\u00a0and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,1841,106,101,94,1874,1871,17],"class_list":["post-2154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-ephesians","tag-luke","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-philippians","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2154"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2155,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154\/revisions\/2155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}