Reading your Bible for Today September 24

September 24: Acts 26:19-29

KJV Key Verse: Acts 26:20
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Devotion:
How many people have you watched in shows or on TV where you have thought or said “they are mad”? Not just because the said strange things, nor of their actions, but because they did something which was extraordinary and potentially dangerous... Quite often we do turn round and describe people as mad when they do what look like dangerous stunts.

Paul was so described by Festus because of his actions against King Agrippa – nobody was bold enough to stand up to King Agrippa and say that some other God should be worshipped rather than him or his gods. Paul was seen to be standing up against the king and against the Jews. He could quite easily have been put to death for either one of these actions – but he did them because he knew that he had to stand up for God's Truth so others would be encouraged!

Have you ever been told you are nuts to believe in the Bible? What a pleasure it is to know you have inside knowledge when those about you are struggling for that knowledge. All you have to do is to continue showing them you stick to your truth, even when they call you mad or stupid – not because you rebel against them, but because you are happy to stand up for the truth! It is this sort of encouragement that will make others turn to God to find out the truth which we have.

King Agrippa's words to Paul “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” must have been a great encouragement to Paul. Knowing he had sown the seeds into the king’s heart and knowing how the Holy Spirit could now quite easily persuade the king of his guilt of sin and his need for repentance and forgiveness, must have been really encouraging. It should be our hearts desire that all around us should be saved, both friend and enemy – for if we were all saved, we would have no enemies!

Points to Ponder:
What do your friends think of you being a Christian?

Do your friends know, or are you hiding God?