Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 59

February 28;   Acts 25:7;   114/260(VI);   ‘Just Like Jesus’

Acts 25:7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,

Paul continued in jail in Caesarea.  Festus, the new governor, was in Jerusalem.  The High priest and religious leaders asked Festus to send Paul to Jerusalem.  They asked this so that they could set an ambush for him and kill him.  In many cases, religion is deadly.  If you do not agree with their religious teachings or since the popularity of Paul was greater than that of the current religious leaders, they intended to do something about it.  Jealousy often kills.  Festus told them that he was going to Caesarea and that he would hear Paul’s case there.  The religious leaders went down to Caesarea, from Jerusalem and accused Paul of many things which they could not prove.  Religion is not only cruel, but it lies.  This is exactly what they did to Jesus.  The religious leaders were jealous of Jesus, what He taught and His miracles.  They had many false accusations made against Jesus, which they could not prove.  Since we have the privilege to continue the ministry of the Lord Jesus, we can expect similar experiences that He went through.  No one remembers the religious leaders who were against Jesus and Paul, but they surely know of the ministries of our Lord and Paul.  Let us too live our lives teaching the lost God’s Word and praying for them by the power of the Holy Spirit who came upon us when we were baptized in the Holy Spirit.  What an honor to be like Jesus and Paul..  Since there will always be challenges in life, let those challenges be in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Rescue thosed deseived by religion, the truth they know frees them. There is no better or fulfilling way to live.