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Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.

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Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey,

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Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by Acts chapter five, verse

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Speaker 1: forty through verse forty two, which says, and when they

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Speaker 1: had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged

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Speaker 1: them not to speak in the name of Jesus and

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Speaker 1: let them go. Then they left the presence of the council,

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Speaker 1: rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for

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Speaker 1: the name. And every day in the temple and from

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Speaker 1: house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching

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Speaker 1: that the Christ is Jesus. How hard were these apostles beaten,

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Speaker 1: How swollen were their faces, How torn were their clothes,

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Speaker 1: How bruised were their bodies. These men were being punched

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Speaker 1: in the face, and yet they left the presence of

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Speaker 1: the council rejoicing. What were they rejoicing over? Because of

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Speaker 1: their relationship with Jesus, They had joy that could not

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Speaker 1: be diminished by their circumstances. They loved Christ, they taught

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Speaker 1: in his name, and they testified to the eternal power

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Speaker 1: that is present in his name. And they delighted themselves

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Speaker 1: in the fact that they were counted worthy to suffer

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Speaker 1: dishonor in the eyes of men, because they lived and

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Speaker 1: taught in the name of Christ. And just as we're

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Speaker 1: called to do, they continued to teach others in homes

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Speaker 1: and in public places that Jesus is the Christ. These

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Speaker 1: men rejoiced in their suffering and pressed on with all

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Speaker 1: the strength the Lord had given them. Likewise, we can

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Speaker 1: also praise Jesus in time when all seems well, and

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Speaker 1: in our times of suffering. Let's pray. Lord, we thank

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Speaker 1: you for your word, and we thank you for the

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Speaker 1: privilege that it is to be able to look at

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Speaker 1: this portion of scripture from the Book of Acts. Lord,

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Speaker 1: we're grateful for the example that we're given from the

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Speaker 1: ways in which the apostles handled this trial. As they

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Speaker 1: were accused, and as they were threatened, and as they

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Speaker 1: were beaten, they looked at their circumstances and rejoiced in

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Speaker 1: the fact that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor

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Speaker 1: for the name of your son Jesus Christ. And then

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Speaker 1: they continued to preach, and they continued to teach and

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Speaker 1: communicate the message of the Gospel wherever you gave them

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Speaker 1: an open door to do so. Lord, we're grateful to

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Speaker 1: be able to see this today, and we're grateful for

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Speaker 1: the fact that you use their example to teach us

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Speaker 1: and to remind us of your calling on our lives.

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Speaker 1: We know that there will be plenty of people in

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Speaker 1: this world who will not respond favorably to the fact

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Speaker 1: that we proclaim the name of your son, Jesus. They

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Speaker 1: may hold that against us, they may threaten us. There

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Speaker 1: may even be moments when we suffer physical harm because

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Speaker 1: of that. But even if that's the case, we pray

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Speaker 1: that we would accept it joyfully and that we would

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Speaker 1: trust You in the midst of whatever pain we may

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Speaker 1: be called to endure. Lord, there's so much in this

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Speaker 1: world we have no control over. We can't control the

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Speaker 1: ways in which people respond to us. We can't control

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Speaker 1: the things that they do to us. But we can

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Speaker 1: trust you in the midst of all things. So whatever

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Speaker 1: comes our way, we pray that we would never be

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Speaker 1: ashamed of the name of your son, Jesus Christ, and

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Speaker 1: we pray for your protection. We pray for your guidance,

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Speaker 1: and we also ask that you would help us to

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Speaker 1: keep our hope pointed heavenward, that our greatest hope would

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Speaker 1: not be in a cushy and comfortable earthly life, but

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Speaker 1: our hope would be anchored in You, and that we

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Speaker 1: would learn to rejoice in every circumstance we find ourselves in.

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Speaker 1: Thank you again for this reminder from your word, and

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Speaker 1: we commit this day to your care and pray this

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Speaker 1: all in Jesus' name. Amen,