DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 28
WORD OF WISDOM
Courage doesn't panic, it prays.
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DAILY DEVOTION
The Priority of Love
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness
even until now.
1 John 2:9
The story of the first two brothers in the human race is a tragedy. Cain and
Abel each grew up knowing about God and apparently knowing that they were to
worship Him with a blood sacrifice. But when Cain's offering was rejected,
rather than repenting for his error, he blamed his brother for offering an
acceptable sacrifice. In his fury, Cain killed his brother, then protested
to God that he should not be expected to know where his brother was. Because
of the Fall, division and strife have been a part of human relationships
from the beginning until now.
All of us have people in our lives who are pleasant, encouraging, gentle,
and considerate, and we find it easy to get along with them. Then there are
the other kind. There are some people who seem to be surly, harsh, critical,
and unpleasant, and we find it hard to even tolerate their presence. Yet
God's command for us to is to love all of our fellow believers, whether we
find them likable or not. Peter wrote, "Servants, be subject to your masters
with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward" (1
Peter 2:18).
If we only love those we find easy to love and allow ourselves to grow
bitter and hateful toward those we find difficult, our love for God is not
what it should be. It is easy for someone to proclaim love for God, but if
his life is filled with anger and hatred toward others, the words are empty
and meaningless. John even warns that a person who professes faith in God
but lives with habitual hatred toward others should check on the validity of
that faith-he may be still living in darkness. God takes the matter of
loving each other so seriously because unity is so vital to the growth and
health of the church.
It is impossible to love God as we should without also loving our brothers
and sisters in Christ as we should.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Paul
Acts 25:1-27 Easy-to-Read Version
Paul Asks to See Caesar
1 Festus became governor, and three days later he went from Caesarea to
Jerusalem. 2 The leading priests and the important Jewish leaders made
charges against Paul before Festus. 3 They asked Festus to do them a favor.
They wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem because they had a plan to
kill Paul on the way. 4 But Festus answered, "No, Paul will be kept in
Caesarea. I will be going there soon myself, 5 and your leaders can go with
me. If this man has really done anything wrong, they can accuse him there."
6 Festus stayed in Jerusalem another eight or ten days and then went back to
Caesarea. The next day Festus told the soldiers to bring Paul before him.
Festus was seated on the judgment seat. 7 Paul came into the room, and the
Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood around him. They made many serious
charges against him, but they could not prove anything. 8 Paul defended
himself, saying, "I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, against
the Temple, or against Caesar."
9 But Festus wanted to please the Jews. So he asked Paul, "Do you want to go
to Jerusalem for me to judge you there on these charges?"
10 Paul said, "I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat now. This is where I
should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it. 11
If I have done something wrong and the law says I must die, then I agree
that I should die. I don't ask to be saved from death. But if these charges
are not true, then no one can hand me over to these people. No, I want
Caesar to hear my case!"
12 Festus talked about this with his advisors. Then he said, "You have asked
to see Caesar, so you will go to Caesar!"
Festus Asks King Agrippa About Paul
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit
Festus. 14 They stayed there many days, and Festus told the king about
Paul's case. Festus said, "There is a man that Felix left in prison. 15 When
I went to Jerusalem, the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders there
made charges against him. They wanted me to order his death. 16 But I told
them, 'When a man is accused of doing something wrong, Romans don't hand him
over for others to judge. First, he must face the people accusing him. And
then he must be allowed to defend himself against their charges.'
17 "So when these Jews came here for the trial, I did not waste time. The
next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. 18
The Jews stood up and accused him. But they did not accuse him of the kind
of crimes I thought they would. 19 Their charges were all about their own
religion and about a man named Jesus. Jesus died, but Paul said that he is
still alive. 20 I did not have any idea about how to judge these matters. So
I asked Paul, 'Do you want to go to Jerusalem and be judged there?' 21 But
Paul asked to be kept in Caesarea. He wants a decision from the emperor. So
I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar in Rome."
22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man too."
Festus said, "Tomorrow you can hear him."
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came to the meeting with great show,
acting like very important people. They entered the room with military
leaders and important men of the city. Festus ordered the soldiers to bring
Paul in.
24 Festus said, "King Agrippa and all of you gathered here with us, you see
this man. All the Jewish people, here and in Jerusalem, have complained to
me about him. When they complain about him, they shout that he should be
killed. 25 When I judged him, I did not find him guilty of any crime worthy
of death. But he asked to be judged by Caesar, so I decided to send him to
Rome. 26 However, I don't really know what to tell Caesar that this man has
done wrong. So I have brought him before all of you-especially you, King
Agrippa. I hope that you can question him and give me something to write to
Caesar. 27 I think it is foolish to send a prisoner to Caesar without making
some charges against him."
