September 07, 2020. Proverbs 19 cont...

Acts cont....

Paul Before Agrippa

The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city.

At the command of Fetus, Paul was brought in. Fetus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petition me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but I have nothing definite to write to his Majesty about him. 

Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before  you King Agrippa, so that a result of this investigation, I may have something to write. For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.

Conveying a story is sometimes hard to write but the writer makes it  clear; sometimes we do not know what charges or what crime Paul has committed. 

When you think about the death sentence I think it is given before a trial; and it is a serious penalty. Being a Roman citizen has stopped the Jews from beating and flogging Paul to death.  

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "you have permission to speak for yourself. 

So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense. King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, and especially so because yo are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. 

King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 

All accusations are birth out of darkness. Have you ever seen God accuse anyone. God will allow us to be stubborn and continue to stay on a bad path but God does not bring charges against anyone; but the devil does. He does not accuse his own but he accuses the brethren daily. Every little thing you do wrong he wants to point it out. We know that no one is living a perfect but those who walk in the spirit can live according to God's will but no man is capable of serving God righteously except those who have his spirit. The reality is the accusing Jews are also law breakers but the devil seems to ignore their bad actions. 

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord's people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. 

The point of the accusations is so he can punish and persecute believers in order to make them blaspheme God; or lose your faith. It is to our best interest to walk in righteousness because it keeps the devil under and when he can't accuse he fails. 

Paul says, 

I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

Ever had someone keep bothering you as a christian; Paul reveals that it is an obsession in them; to be obsessed means it overtakes them.  Some people call themselves fans of others or follows of others and they get on social media and they say mean things they spend all their time investigating your life and business. They want to trouble your soul daily. They speak mean things; when you go through trouble you encourage them but when you in trouble they will mock and hope you fail before God. They want to discredit your faith in God. They want to say he or she is not a Christian; but in reality neither are they; but when we walk right, we shame the devil and it is possible to win that person over to God's side. Or they will spend years obsessed with bringing you down. 

On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing  around me and  my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 

Then I asked, "Who are you, Lord?

(He does not know the Lord; Who are you Lord? It seems like he is saying, help me to know you better. On the cross Jesus prayed, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Ironically they think they are doing something good. 

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, the Lord replied. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 

A MESSAGE OF LIGHT

Light symbolizes the holy God. Light signifies God's presence and favor 

 Throughout the Old Testament light is regularly associated with God and his word, with salvation, with goodness, with truth, with life.

Light is not a color ---because Paul says it blinded him and it was as bright as the sun. The sun is so bright no one can look at it directly because they will go blind. This light was brighter than the sun. 

Darkness is not a color either it is describing an inability to see because it is dark. In darkness you cannot see a color you see nothing. When the light shined it said he heard a voice; he didn't see until God opened up his eyes through Ananias. 

 Proverbs 19 cont...

A false witness will not go unpunished, 

and whoever pours out lies will perish.

 For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury--

how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

A person's wisdom yields patience, 

it is to one's glory to overlook an offense. 

A King's rage is like the roar of a lion, 

but his favor is like the dew on the grass. 

A foolish child is a father's ruin, 

and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. 

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, 

but a prudent wife is from the Lord!

A prudent wife comes from God. The Lord makes the man and he also makes the woman. 

Laziness brings on deep sleep, 

and the shiftless go hungry.

Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, 

but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. 

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, 

and he will reward them for what they have done. 

Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; 

do not be a willing party to their death. 

A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; 

rescue them, and you will have to do it again. 

Listen to advice and accept discipline, 

and at the end you will be counted among the wise. 

Many are the plans in a person's heart, 

but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. 

What a person desires is unfailing love

better to be poor than a liar. 

We all desire unfailing love.

A poor person is better than a liar.

The fear of the Lord leads to life; 

then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

I see this as; where there is no fear of God; there is trouble and discontentment. To fear God is to be mindful of what you say and what you do. 

A sluggard buries his hands in the dish; 

he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; 

rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.

Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother

is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

Stop listening to instruction,  my son,

 and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Can you lose knowledge?

Can you lose wisdom?

Yes, if you stop reading your bible. 

It is just natural for us to go astray when we stop reading.

A corrupt witness mocks at justice, 

and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

Penalties are prepared for mockers, 

and beatings for the backs of fools. 

What is the penalty for being a fool, it is a beating. Jesus bore our shame; through wiping he took at the cross but if you do not believe than it means we suffer the consequences of our actions. 

Penalties exist

If we choose to be a fool (refuse instructions, or listen to wisdom ruin can come) 

In the beginning of the book of proverbs wisdom says when ruin comes she will stand aloof because some refuse to listen. A penalty is a  punishment imposed or incurred for a violation of law or rule.

a loss, forfeiture, suffering, or the like, to which one subjects oneself by nonfulfillment of some obligation.

something that is forfeited, as a sum of money.

a disadvantage imposed upon one of the competitors or upon one side for infraction of the rules of a game, sport, etc.

consequence or disadvantage attached to any action, condition, etc.

Have a great day.