<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 24;10-16<div><br></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;And when the governor had motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: &nbsp;“Realizing that for many years you have been judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;As you may ascertain, it is not more than&nbsp;twelve days since I went to worship at Jerusalem;</b></div><div><b>12. &nbsp;and they did not find me disputing with any one or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues, or in the city.</b></div><div><b>13. &nbsp;Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me.</b></div><div><b>14. &nbsp;But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets,</b></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;having a hope in God which these themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.</b></div><div><b>16. &nbsp;So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Paul begins by disputing that the Way, (Christianity) is a sect. &nbsp;He asserts that Christianity is an extension and fulfillment of the very scriptures the Jews themselves&nbsp;use as their own foundation of worshipping God. &nbsp;He affirms that from the scriptures comes the hope of the resurrection and the judgement. &nbsp;This is something most of the Jews themselves also hope for, (excepting the Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection).</div><div><br></div><div>Paul also challenges the Jews to prove one single accusation which they have made against him. &nbsp;They can not.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally Paul asserts that he <i>“take(s) pains to have a clear conscious toward God and toward men.”</i></div><div>This we all may do by faith believing in the&nbsp;love God for us&nbsp;and one another in the power of the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;Whenever, because of the weaknesses of the flesh, we fall short, or fail in our efforts to live for the praise of the glory of God, loving our neighbor,&nbsp;we are able to confess our sin and be forgiven, cleansed of all unrighteousness. &nbsp;Therefore, Paul and we are able to maintain a ‘clear conscious’.</div><div><br></div><div>Having a clear conscious means we are at peace with God and in so far as we ourselves are concerned, we have a loving, peaceful disposition toward all men. &nbsp;True peace belongs to forgiven, humble, believing hearts. &nbsp;This is the peace of Jesus, it comes to us from the Father, knowing we have his approval and pleasure. &nbsp;Jesus teaches us, <i>“</i><i>In this world you have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” &nbsp;</i>This is why Paul is able to say, <i>“I cheerfully make my defense.” &nbsp;</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>To be cheerful, is to have the&nbsp;joy of Jesus. &nbsp;The joy of a beautiful marriage, not just the ceremony, or the reception, but a life long, unending perfect union of ever increasing, unending&nbsp;love, it is the very&nbsp;love of Christ. &nbsp;&nbsp;We are&nbsp;confident in the Father’s love for us.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;We also know the end of the story. &nbsp;All fear for us is past. &nbsp;The victory is already&nbsp;ours, we who are baptized into Christ are already partakers of his own resurrection. &nbsp;We have passed from death to life eternal. &nbsp;Physical death for us&nbsp;is only a brief momentary pause in our complete,&nbsp;perfect, union with each other. &nbsp;Death is but a momentary separation<span>. it holds no fear or sting for us.</span><span>&nbsp;Death itself</span><span>&nbsp;will soon be swallowed up in Christ’s victory at the great wedding feast of our Lord and we,&nbsp;</span><span>his Bride,</span><span> the Church. &nbsp;Death will cease to exist in the kingdom which has come and is coming.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that we by faith cheerfully&nbsp;manifest the&nbsp;joy of Jesus at all times. &nbsp;Let your love given into us, be seen in this world, not only by men, but the evil one and his demons, that Your&nbsp;manifold wisdom be revealed clearly to them all. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation.”<br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 24;10-16
10.  And when the governor had motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:  “Realizing that for many years you have been judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.11.  As you may ascertain, it is not more than twelve days since I went to worship at Jerusalem;12.  and they did not find me disputing with any one or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues, or in the city.13.  Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me.14.  But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets,15.  having a hope in God which these themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.16.  So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men.
Paul begins by disputing that the Way, (Christianity) is a sect.  He asserts that Christianity is an extension and fulfillment of the very scriptures the Jews themselves use as their own foundation of worshipping God.  He affirms that from the scriptures comes the hope of the resurrection and the judgement.  This is something most of the Jews themselves also hope for, (excepting the Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection).
Paul also challenges the Jews to prove one single accusation which they have made against him.  They can not.
Finally Paul asserts that he “take(s) pains to have a clear conscious toward God and toward men.”This we all may do by faith believing in the love God for us and one another in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Whenever, because of the weaknesses of the flesh, we fall short, or fail in our efforts to live for the praise of the glory of God, loving our neighbor, we are able to confess our sin and be forgiven, cleansed of all unrighteousness.  Therefore, Paul and we are able to maintain a ‘clear conscious’.
Having a clear conscious means we are at peace with God and in so far as we ourselves are concerned, we have a loving, peaceful disposition toward all men.  True peace belongs to forgiven, humble, believing hearts.  This is the peace of Jesus, it comes to us from the Father, knowing we have his approval and pleasure.  Jesus teaches us, “In this world you have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  This is why Paul is able to say, “I cheerfully make my defense.”  
To be cheerful, is to have the joy of Jesus.  The joy of a beautiful marriage, not just the ceremony, or the reception, but a life long, unending perfect union of ever increasing, unending love, it is the very love of Christ.   We are confident in the Father’s love for us. 
 We also know the end of the story.  All fear for us is past.  The victory is already ours, we who are baptized into Christ are already partakers of his own resurrection.  We have passed from death to life eternal.  Physical death for us is only a brief momentary pause in our complete, perfect, union with each other.  Death is but a momentary separation. it holds no fear or sting for us. Death itself will soon be swallowed up in Christ’s victory at the great wedding feast of our Lord and we, his Bride, the Church.  Death will cease to exist in the kingdom which has come and is coming.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that we by faith cheerfully manifest the joy of Jesus at all times.  Let your love given into us, be seen in this world, not only by men, but the evil one and his demons, that Your manifold wisdom be revealed clearly to them all.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation.”

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