Let.

Us pray. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee thou whited wall. Forcidest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law. Acts 23:3. Heavenly Father, when deceitful people plot against me to hinder and derail the purposes of my life, like Paul in today's reading. I thank you that you have a special messenger that will relay the plans of the enemy to those who can shift and redirect my steps to safety. Move on my behalf today and direct my life to the place of safety, surrounded by men and women who are dedicated to helping me get to the final destination in my life. I declare that no plan of the enemy will thwart the eternal plans of God. I declare that even in the midst of hatred and violence, you will preserve me because you have purposes me to do great things on your behalf, Jesus. Therefore, I will not be moved by the shouts and words of others. I will not allow their ignorance to overshadow my significance. I acknowledge today that I am called, and because I am called, no man can cancel what you've already approved.

In Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for The Bible in a Year, brought to you by Bibleinayear. Com.

I'm Cheryl McClellum, host of the Cold Case podcast, Zone 7. Join us every Wednesday to hear cases like the Long Island serial killer. Here, Carrie Lawson, daughter of the notorious serial killer, BTK, weigh in on the accused Long Island serial killer's children.

You show genuine interest, and you can't fake it. But these guys can see right through to your soul. You have to be walled off, prepared. And if you don't know your stuff, they're going to just call you out and they're going to be like, Nope, I'm talking to somebody else. I'm not talking to you.

Here, great insight from one of New York City's finest, Detective Joe Jackalone, a cold case expert.

You.

Know, as well as.

I do, cops.

Weren't even aware of it back then.

So they're.

Going to have some difficulty putting those cases together unless, of course.

He confesses. Listen to his own seven with Sheryl McClellum on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hello, I'm Bishop TD, Jake. I want to welcome you to my new podcast with pray. Com called Sleep Psalms.

Close your eyes and focus on God. Picture Him as your shepherd that knows you and surrender to Him.

Each episode guides you on a serene exploration of Psalms, quietly calming every nerve and restless mind-turning adventure that keeps you up in the middle of the night, transposing you into the safety of His arms. He is going to lay you down in green pastures and restore your soul. Join me and let the Lord be your shepherd tonight. Listen to sleep songs with Bishop T. D. Jakes on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Whitewashed tombs.

In our last story, Paul attempted to make peace with the Jews in Jerusalem by adhering to their ceremonies. However, his reputation for starting churches preceded him. Paul was universally hated among the Jews in Jerusalem, so they beat him and tried to kill him. Luckily, he was saved by the judge of Jerusalem, where Paul would get a fair trial as a Roman citizen. Now we see that the Jews refused to let Paul receive a fair and just trial. They are hell-bent on killing him, so the judge is forced to send him away to the governor, one step closer to Rome, inspired by the Book of Acts, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Ephesians, and 1 Corinthians.

Hello, and welcome once again to the Bible in a year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham. You are joining over 27 million people who have downloaded this amazing opportunity to share the word of God together. Thank you and be sure and tell someone else about how they can also walk through the Bible with us through the Bible in a year. In our previous episode, Paul returned to Jerusalem. He sought to be at peace, even participating in Jewish religious traditions in order to demonstrate to believing Jews, that is, Jews who believed in Jesus, that he was not rejecting or despising ancient tradition. However, this peace was soon shattered as unbelieving Jews from Asia who had heard of Paul's ministry and despised him, stirred up the entire city against him. It nearly cost Paul his life. But he had appealed to the Roman judge on the basis of his Roman citizenship, and his life was spared. Though he would have to stand trial with the Jewish Religious Council. Today, we'll hear as Paul appears before the Pharisees, Sadducees, and elders of Jerusalem. The divided panel will fail to come to a conclusion about Paul, and Paul would be referred to the governor for trial.

This frustrated council will plot to kill Paul, but God will once again spare his life. So listen now to the reading of God's word.

Paul stood before the council of Pharisees and elders. The judge was above them all, observing their dialog to make a decision. Dry blood was caked on the side of Paul's face as he looked at the crowd. His knee was swollen from yesterday's beating. It throbbed as he stood before his accusers. My brothers, I have lived my whole life with a clear conscience. I, the high priest, slapped Paul on the side of his face. He ordered the other men to do the same. One by one, they struck him. With every blow, Paul became more and more angry. Blood dripped down from his ears. Paul paused for a long moment. You whitewashed tomb, he scowled. His voice raised for the whole room to hear. His bones shook with anger. He could no longer endure the hypocrisy. You judge me because I broke your law. But here you are, raising your hand against a brother, disobeying your own law. Shut up, one of them shouted. Don't you know you are speaking to the high priest? Paul rolled his neck back and thought for a moment. He looked at the crowd. He saw that some of them were Pharisees and others were Sodices.

Perfect, Paul thought to himself, The Pharisees believed in resurrection from the dead, spirit, and angels. Sodices, however, did not. It was a highly debated topic of the time and caused a great amount of division in the culture. Rather than argue with his accusers, he decided to pit them against one another. My brothers, please forgive me, Paul said with an apologetic smile. I was simply hoping in the resurrection from the dead. I presume that is why I am on trial. Paul remained silent after this. He could hear mumbles and murmurings from the crowd. Small conversations arose from different corners of the room, and soon the entire courthouse was in an uproar. Pharisees and arguing over spiritual matters. Paul chuckled to himself, remembering when he was as petty and prideful as they were. They argued for a while, but eventually turned their aggression towards Paul. Afraid that he might be ripped to shreds, the judge took him away and made arrangements for him to go to the governor for a trial. So Paul spent yet another night in a cold jail cell. He could hear the clamoring of people outside. His heart ached for the Ephesian Church.

He prayed that they were living in their identities. He missed the Philippean Church. He thanked God for their partnership in the Gospel. He worried for the Corinthians Church. He prayed that their hearts would turn back to God. He rejoiced over the Thessalonian Church. He prayed that they would remain steadfast and unbroken. He anguished over the Galatian Church, yet he had hoped that they would reunite with the Gospel of Grace. All these people Paul had seen grow and follow Jesus. He loved them all with a father's heart. He worried that he would never see any of them again. As Paul closed his eyes and drifted slowly to sleep, he felt the comforting voice of God's Spirit saying, Be strong and courageous, for I am sending you to Rome. As Paul slept soundly in his cell, the Jews plotted to kill him the next day. Under the cover of night, they conspired to murder him. It was their plan to ask the judge for another trial, and while Paul was being led to the courthouse, they would send 30 men to kill him. It was a simple plan, but foolproof if they could get the judge to agree to another trial.

However, an agent of the Lord was present in the shadows. An unknowing minister of his will was listening in on their conversation. A small boy hid between two barrels, listening to the Jews conspiring to kill Paul. This little boy was Paul's nephew. Paul's nephew informed the judge about the plot to kill him. So the judge gathered 200 men to escort Paul to Felix, the governor.

We begin today's reading with Paul addressing the Council of the High priests, Pharisees, and elders of Jerusalem. He was barely able to get his first words out beforewith a high priest and an Anias, turned to violence, ordering those near Paul to strike him on the mouth and silence him. In response, we hear Paul rebuked them in Acts 23:3 saying, God is going to strike you whitewashed wall. Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law, you order me to be struck? In calling out the hypocrisy and the hatred of those who were judging him, Paul's words harkened back to Christ's own condemnation of the Pharisees, whom he called whitewashed tombs. Whitewashing walls or tombs does not change what is behind the exterior visage, and the council's grandstanding and piety did not change the condition of their unbelieving hearts. The fact that they desperately needed genuine salvation. They needed Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and savior of the world. Paul then noted that among these men, there was no unity. The council was made up of Pharisees as well as Sadducees, the latter of which did not believe in bodily resurrection from the dead.

Knowing he could not argue his way out of this situation, Paul made use of the disagreement among these men, stating that he was being put on trial simply because he had hope in the resurrection. In this, Paul was completely truthful because he did have great hope in the resurrection of Jesus, and therefore the resurrection of his own body because of what Christ had accomplished and promised. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life, and he that believes in me, though he'd be dead, he will live. Though the Pharisees didn't hope in the same way in the resurrection, they found themselves backed into a corner. They could not condemn Paul for affirming something that they believe so dearly, the resurrection of the dead. Some advocated for his release. As the dissension among the group grew more and more heated, violence began to erupt. The Roman judge, who stood observing the proceedings was worried that Paul would be ripped to shreds, so he shut things down and sent him back to the barracks. That very night, the Lord appeared to Paul to comfort and strengthen him, telling him to take courage because this was not the end of the road for him.

You see, even in the moment of trial, God was working out His purposes. Just as Paul had testified to the Gospel in Jerusalem, he would soon have the opportunity to go to Rome and to share Jesus Christ at the very seat of power. More than a simple side note to this story, this is the main point. God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are fulfilling His purposes. This is Romans 8:28 in the New Testament. Let me quote it, For God is working all things together for the good to them who love the Lord, to those who are called according to his purpose. Of course, Paul was not out of danger yet. As he sat in his cell that night in Jerusalem, the leader there began to plot his murder. They planned to ask the judge for another trial the next morning, but this was only to kill him before he could even arrive at the courthouse. But as we know, God had a bigger, a greater plan for Paul. So it should come as no surprise that their plan was uncovered. Paul's own nephew overheard them and alerted Paul, who warned the centurion who was guarding him.

As we close today's reading, we heard how God provided safe passage for Paul to leave Jerusalem not under the cover of night, but with a Roman escort of 200 soldiers. The gospel was marching on, headed to Caesarea and Felix, the governor. We'll get to that the next time. Dear Lord, how we thank you for the reminder that our lives are always in your hands, that we can be courageous and fearless in the face of death. Lord, we thank you for the power of the resurrection, and the promise of the gospel that Jesus lives. May we live in the power of his cross and resurrection every day of our lives. And may we always be faithful to share this good news with our neighbors and the nations. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage you to go ahead right now and download the pray. Com app and make the word of God and prayer a huge priority in your life. Let me also encourage you to tell others about this podcast because you can pass the word to others.

If you want more resources on how to tap into God's power for living the Christian life, be sure to visit jackgrahem. Org. That's jackgrahem. Org. We would love to connect with you right now.

This episode is sponsored by Metta Share, an innovative healthcare solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.

Hello, I'm Dr. Tony Evans, and I'm excited to have you join me on this new podcast, Heroes and the Bible.

Come to me, boy.

You and your God will.

Crumble.

Beneath my feet.

He.

Beckened the giant.

And said. I come to you in the.

Name of the Lord of hosts and creator of the stars.

You know, we all have giants that we face in our life. When you understand that the greatness of God affects our ability to handle the giants of life, it will encourage, inspire, and challenge all of us to our faith God and our growth in Jesus Christ.

Look.

Past his height and appearance, Samuel, for man sees the outward appearance. They see the strength of the man's arms, but the Lord looks into the heart.

Listen to Heroes and the Bible with Dr. Tony Evans on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

I'm Sheryl McCleom, host of the Colcais Podcast, Zone 7. Join us every Wednesday to hear cases like the Long Island serial killer.

You show genuine interest, and you can't fake it, but these guys can see right through to your soul. You have to be prepared. If you don't know your stuff, they're going to just call.

You out. Listen to Zone 7 with Cheryl McCleom on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hello, I'm Bishop D. B. Jake, and I want to welcome you to my new podcast with pray. Com called Sleep Psalms. He is going to lay you down in green pastures and restore your soul. Join me and let the Lord be your shepherd tonight. Listen to sleep songs with Bishop T. D. Jakes on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Pray. Com's meditative prayers podcast is the best way to bring God's perfect peace into your night. Each meditative prayer helps you focus on God, fight anxiety, sleep better, and more. As you.

Close your eyes, ask God to come and have fellowship with you. Open yourself to the Holy Spirit and ask him to minister to you.

Listen to meditative prayers on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Immerse yourself in the most extraordinary narrative in history with pray. Com's podcast, story to the Messiah with me, Rabbi Kurt Schneider. We're one of the most sweet, the skies, revealing the agony of the Messiah's face. In that moment, people beheld the full weight of God's judgment, release onto his shoulders. Listen to story to the Messiah on iHeart Radio app, the Apple podcast app, wherever you get your podcast.