<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 28:23-31<div><br></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in great numbers. &nbsp;And he expounded the matter to them from morning to till evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.</b></div><div><b>24. &nbsp;And some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved.</b></div><div><b>25. &nbsp;So, as they disagreed among themselves, they departed, after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:</b></div><div><b>26. &nbsp;‘Go to this people, and say, You&nbsp;shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.</b></div><div><b>27. &nbsp;For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.’</b></div><div><b>28. &nbsp;Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”</b></div><div><b>30. &nbsp;And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,&nbsp;</b></div><div><b>31. &nbsp;preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>It is not just Jews who are willfully choosing to “<i>disbelieve”.</i>&nbsp; To ‘be believing’ is not a choice of man but the gift of God. &nbsp;To disbelieve, that is all the evil deadly work of man. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Therefore, if we believe, that is God’s work in us, and he receives all the credit for our salvation.</div><div>To disbelieve is the choice to not believe. &nbsp;It is solely the act of wicked&nbsp;man. &nbsp;If one receives eternal life, God is praised, if one is damned to hell, the one who&nbsp;chose to disbelieve gets all the blame.</div><div><br></div><div>To disbelieve is like having the cure for your deadly disease and refusing to take it. &nbsp;It is the spitting out of the saving medicine. &nbsp;By disbelieving,&nbsp;unbelievers are choosing eternal&nbsp;death.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Notice how those who receive salvation are described, not&nbsp;as those who choose to believe, but rather as those <i>“who listen”.</i>&nbsp; It is through the&nbsp;hearing the Word that we receive the gift of faith and are saved.</div><div><br></div><div>This is where Paul’s earthly story ends, but not his life. &nbsp;Tradition holds that Paul was killed in Rome under Nero. &nbsp;Scripture does not tell us. &nbsp;The end of his physical life is left off, (I believe intentionally).</div><div>Physical death will come to us all, (unless we happen to be still living on the Day of the Lord’s return).</div><div>Earthly death is only a temporary condition. &nbsp;We have the resurrection unto life everlasting.</div><div><br></div><div>We already know Paul was fully prepared to give his life as a witness to Christ. &nbsp;All Believers, by the Holy Spirit have the same power to die as a martyr. &nbsp;But, few of us are ever called to do so. &nbsp;However, martyrdom is on the increase. &nbsp;More Christians have&nbsp;been&nbsp;killed in the past century,&nbsp;simply because they are believers, than at any other&nbsp;time in human history. &nbsp;It looks like the trend will continue.</div><div>Are preachers in the West preparing their flocks?</div><div><br></div><div>Martyrdom is quite easy for those who daily drown the Old Adam. &nbsp;The victory belongs to those who die as Believers.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us always to be those who listen and are saved. &nbsp;Thank you Father for those who proclaim Christ. &nbsp;Make us to be numbered among them. &nbsp;&nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</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 and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><br><div><a></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 28:23-31
23.  When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in great numbers.  And he expounded the matter to them from morning to till evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.24.  And some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved.25.  So, as they disagreed among themselves, they departed, after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:26.  ‘Go to this people, and say, You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.27.  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.’28.  Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”30.  And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31.  preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered.
It is not just Jews who are willfully choosing to “disbelieve”.  To ‘be believing’ is not a choice of man but the gift of God.  To disbelieve, that is all the evil deadly work of man.  
Therefore, if we believe, that is God’s work in us, and he receives all the credit for our salvation.To disbelieve is the choice to not believe.  It is solely the act of wicked man.  If one receives eternal life, God is praised, if one is damned to hell, the one who chose to disbelieve gets all the blame.
To disbelieve is like having the cure for your deadly disease and refusing to take it.  It is the spitting out of the saving medicine.  By disbelieving, unbelievers are choosing eternal death. 
Notice how those who receive salvation are described, not as those who choose to believe, but rather as those “who listen”.  It is through the hearing the Word that we receive the gift of faith and are saved.
This is where Paul’s earthly story ends, but not his life.  Tradition holds that Paul was killed in Rome under Nero.  Scripture does not tell us.  The end of his physical life is left off, (I believe intentionally).Physical death will come to us all, (unless we happen to be still living on the Day of the Lord’s return).Earthly death is only a temporary condition.  We have the resurrection unto life everlasting.
We already know Paul was fully prepared to give his life as a witness to Christ.  All Believers, by the Holy Spirit have the same power to die as a martyr.  But, few of us are ever called to do so.  However, martyrdom is on the increase.  More Christians have been killed in the past century, simply because they are believers, than at any other time in human history.  It looks like the trend will continue.Are preachers in the West preparing their flocks?
Martyrdom is quite easy for those who daily drown the Old Adam.  The victory belongs to those who die as Believers.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us always to be those who listen and are saved.  Thank you Father for those who proclaim Christ.  Make us to be numbered among them.   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 and we are His.”




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