1364. Paul Preaches at Rome under Guard — Acts 28:17-31

1364.

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard
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Today's Passage: Acts 28:17-31
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Get to know your bible. It will become a good friend.
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Or find the passage NASB version on Bible Gateway here.
You can search for other versions there as well. Versions even in foreign languages.

Or, for your convenience I have typed the verses below from the
New Living Testament (NLT).

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​2.
Invite God to join you in your reading. Ask Him for wisdom.
If there is anything in your spirit hindering you, confess it now.
He knows it. You are forgiven. 
Ask Him to help you embrace that truth to live it out.

a prayer:
Thank You for meeting me, LORD.
I welcome you into this place.
Please prepare my heart Jehovah.
Thank you, Omnipotent God for insight.

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3.

15th strategy.
Imagine
© RR&BC, LLC 2020

• Prepare your heart - that means ask Him to open you to be able to listen well.
• Ask Jesus to bring you into the very presence of God Himself as you read instructions
• Imagine the characters in this passage.
• Are they facing a large enemy? or a challenge? 
• Have they followed God? or have they fled from His guidance?
• Are they trusting God?
• Are they experiencing pain, or loss?
• Imagine them as friends.
• What would you do if you were there beside them?
• Would you be willing to encourage them?
• What would you do if you were experiencing their story?
• Who would you turn to for guidance? God? A mentor? Satan?
• Ask God to show you how to lean on Him in times of attack, or challenge.
• Has God come in and strongly supported someone whose heart is completely His?
• Thank God for His presence with you right now.

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17. Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, "Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors.
18. The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence.
19. But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people.
20. I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel — the Messiah — has already come."

21. They replied, "We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you fron anyone who has come here.
22. But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is it is denounced everywhere."

23. So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.
24. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe.
25. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,

26. 'Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
27. For the hearts of these people are
hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes --
so their eyes cannot see., 
and their ears cannot hear, 
and their hearts cannot understand, 
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.'

28. So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."

30. For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at this own expense. He welcomed all who visited him,
31. boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

(Some manuscripts add verse 29, And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, greatly disagreeing with each other. )
Acts 28:17-31 NLT

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4. 
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Thank God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for meeting you today.
 
We, Robyn and Biff
Thank you for coming today.
Please leave your first name and last initial.
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Any response is a blessing to this community.


And remember,
You are prayed for every day at 8:00 am EST
And I will be back here tomorrow,
typing, reading, preparing, or commenting.
I hope I will see you here too.
~Robyn

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