March 25 - Choice Gleanings
DAILY READINGS: Leviticus 2; Psalms 99-101; Acts:25:13-27 [13] And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
[14] And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:
[15] About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
[16] To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.
[17] Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.
[18] Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:
[19] But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
[20] And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.
[21] But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.
[22] Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
[23] And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.
[24] And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
[25] But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
[26] Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
[27] For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.
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But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew:6:6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
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Prayer is not a passive pastime, but an active pursuit. Enter into your closet—get away from the day’s busyness and everyone around you. Shut the door—get intimate with God by yourself. Pray to the Father— acknowledge that there is no other God to whom you can go. He has promised that the faithful, diligent and secret prayers of His children will not go unnoticed, but will be rewarded. What a privilege to go to God in prayer! What a great motivator to get busy in prayer! —Deborah Manera
Work as if everything depended on you;
And pray as if everything depended on God. —D. L. Moody
Posted with permission from gospelfolio.com