Shipwreck and Rome

256 – Shipwreck & Rome

Acts 28:1-31

Continued from the previous story 

After fourteen days in a fierce storm, Paul’s ship struck a sandbar just off the island of Malta. Everyone got to shore and the local people came out and started helping them. They built a fire because of the rain and cold.
 
Paul helped by gathering wood. As he was putting some on the fire, a poisonous snake bit him on the hand. Paul dropped the wood but the snake hung from his hand. The local people said, “Ah, he is a terrible murderer! He escaped dying at sea, but now the gods are bringing justice to him.” 

Paul shook the snake into the fire, and everyone waited for him to swell up and drop over dead. After some time, they finally realized he wasn’t going to die. Then they said, “He’s a god!” 

The governor of the island opened up his home and made provisions for those who were shipwrecked. Paul learned that the governor’s father was sick in bed. He went and placed his hand on the man’s head. Instantly he was healed. News of this spread throughout the island, and people started bringing others to Paul so he could heal them. 

They stayed on Malta until the winter months were over. Julius then booked passage for them on a cargo ship that was going to Rome. As they prepared to leave, the people of the island brought them everything they needed for the trip. 

When they arrived in Rome, Paul was taken to a house where he stayed until his trial before Caesar. There was always a soldier next to him, but he was free to have friends come and visit. The Christians in Rome graciously received him and encouraged him. 

He sent a letter to the Jewish leaders in the city. He told them about what had happened in Jerusalem and why he was in Rome. He invited them to come and visit him. They met and talked about God’s Kingdom and Jesus. Their discussion lasted all day, until late in the afternoon. Some of them believed the message but others didn’t. 

As they were about to leave, Paul said, “The prophet was right when he said that ‘you would listen but not hear, you would look but not see.’ Your stubbornness has closed your ears and covered your eyes. You can be sure of this—the Gentiles will see and hear, and God will forgive their sins.” 

Paul stayed in the house for two years waiting for the trial. During that time he received many guests and preached Christ to them all. No one tried to stop him.

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Ezra

173 – Ezra

Ezra 7:1 – 10:44

Ezra was an expert in the laws of God. Therefore, it was decided he should go to the new Temple in Jerusalem and teach the people.

The king of Persia gave him letters authorizing him and his helpers to go to Jerusalem. The king sent along a large amount of gold and silver.

Ezra was also authorized to appoint judges who knew the laws of God. He was told the kingdom of Persia would punish anyone who disobeyed those laws.

Men volunteered to go with Ezra and move their families to Judah. They suddenly realized there were no Levites in the group. So Ezra sent out a plea, and several Levites volunteered to go.

Everyone knew going from Persia to Jerusalem was a dangerous trip. They had families, their possessions, and a large amount of gold and silver. Yet they didn’t have soldiers to protect them. Ezra didn’t ask the king for armed guards because he had said, “God is our protector. His strong hand is upon people who serve him.”

So the group prayed and fasted, asking God for his protection. They set out on their journey, and God protected them as they traveled. No one tried to ambush them along the way. They arrived safely in Jerusalem, and took all the gold and silver to the Temple.

Several leaders went to Ezra as he made preparations for his instructions about the laws of God. They said, “Many of our people have not separated themselves from the non-Jews that live in the area. They have married their women, and these wives have brought their pagan ways with them.

Ezra was shocked when he heard this. He ripped his clothes and went to the Temple and fell on his knees and spread out his hands to the Lord. He prayed “Oh God. We’re doing it again—just like our forefathers. You sent them into captivity because they took foreign wives and started worshiping idols.

“Now you’ve given us a brief moment, allowing us to come back here. And what did we do? We married foreign wives. Oh, God we’re not worthy of your blessing. You have the right to totally destroy this small group of people who live here.”

Ezra continued to cry, and pray, and confess sin. As he did, people came and sat and prayed with him. More and more came until there was a large crowd gathered around. They all cried and confessed their sins.

Finally the people said, “We know we’ve done wrong, but there’s still hope. We’ll make a promise before God. We’ll send away our foreign wives and their children. But you must help us if we’re to do this properly. Get up! Take action! Show us what to do and we’ll do it.”

So Ezra agreed to oversee this and make sure it was done properly. All the people sent their foreign wives away and turned from idols. They then totally committed themselves to the Lord.

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Woman Caught in Immorality

204 – Caught in Immorality

John 7:1-8:12

It was time for a festival in Jerusalem. Jesus pretended he wasn’t going, but he went without anyone knowing. The religious leaders were looking for him… but couldn’t find him.

Still, everyone was talking about him. Some said Jesus was a good man, while others said he deceived people with his teaching. No one wanted to say too much because they feared the religious leaders. 

Halfway through the festival, Jesus went to the temple and started teaching the crowd. Everyone was amazed at what he said.

The religious leaders sent guards to get him. They went, but they weren’t able to grab him because it wasn’t time for him to die. Soon, the guards were spellbound by his teaching. They finally returned to the religious leaders. The leaders said, “Where is he? Why didn’t you bring him?”

The guards said, “We’ve never heard anyone talk like this man.”

The next morning, Jesus was once again teaching at the temple. The religious leaders went to him with a woman they had caught in immorality. They thought they could use her to trap Jesus and get evidence against him.

They said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. The law of Moses says we should stone her. But we want you to tell us what we should do.”

He acted like he didn’t hear them. He stooped down and used his finger to write in the dust. They didn’t allow him to ignore them. They kept asking about this situation. Finally he stood up and faced them. “Go ahead and stone her. But have the one without sin throw the first stone.” He then stooped down and started writing on the ground again.

The men stood there without saying anything. Finally they started leaving one by one, starting with the older men. Then Jesus stood up and looked around. He and the woman were the only ones standing in the middle of the crowd. He said to her, “Woman, where are those who were accusing you? Didn’t they condemn you to death?”

She said, “No, they didn’t, Lord.”

He said, “Well, I won’t condemn you to death either. Go, and don’t sin anymore.”

He then turned to the crowd and said, “I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will never walk in darkness because they’ll have the light of life.”

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Feeding 4,000

200 – Feeding 4,000

Matthew 15:29-16:16 Mark 8:1-21 8:27-30

Jesus left the region of Tyre and Sidon and went to the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee. As he taught the people, a great crowd brought those with various physical problems. They brought the lame, the blind, the crippled, and those with many diseases. Jesus healed them all, and the crowd was amazed.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I’m concerned for the crowd. They’ve been with us for three days, and their food has run out. I don’t want to send them away without feeding them because they’ll collapse with hunger as they go.” 

The disciples said, “Lord, we don’t have enough food to feed this large crowd.”

“How much do you have?”

“We have seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.”

“Tell the crowd to sit down.”

He took the bread and fish and blessed it. He then broke it into pieces and gave it to his disciples. They turned and gave it to the crowd. 4,000 people were there. Everyone ate until they were full. The disciples then collected the leftovers and found they had seven baskets full.

Afterwards, they sent the crowd home. Jesus and his disciples got in the boat and went to the Jewish side of the lake.

The Jewish leaders were there, and started arguing with him. They wanted him to give them signs from heaven. He refused and got back into the boat.

As they were going back to the Gentile side of the lake, the disciples realized they forgot to bring enough food for the trip. They only had one small loaf of bread.

Jesus said to them, “Watch out for the yeast of the religious leaders.” The disciples assumed he was scolding them for forgetting the bread.

He said, “Your faith is still so small! Why would you think I’m concerned about the bread situation? You were there. You saw how 5,000 people were fed with just five loaves of bread and two fish. How many baskets did we collect afterwards?”

“Twelve.”

You saw how 4,000 people were fed with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. How many baskets did we collect afterwards?”

“Seven.”

“So listen carefully and understand what I’m saying. Watch out for the yeast of religious leaders.” Finally the men understood what he was talking about.

Once they got to the other side, Jesus took them to Caesarea Philippi. There, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Some say you’re John the Baptist. Others say you’re Elijah or Jeremiah.”

“Who do you say I am?”

Peter said, “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus said, “Peter, you’re blessed! You didn’t learn this from human sources, but the Father has revealed it to you.”

He then told all of his disciples “For now, don’t tell anyone I am the Messiah.”

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Twelve Years Old

180 – Twelve Years Old

Luke 2:40-52

When Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. When it was time to return home, Jesus stayed behind at the temple, without his parents knowing. They traveled a whole day, thinking he was among the crowd.. 

That evening they realized he was missing. They went back to Jerusalem and searched for him for three days. Finally they found him in the court of the temple, sitting among the teachers. He was listening to them and asking questions.

Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his ability to answer questions.

His mother ran up and said, “Son, how could you do this to us? We’ve been searching for you.”

He said, “Surely you knew I’d be here in my Father’s house—doing his business.” They didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Jesus went back to Nazareth, and lived in submission to his parents. He grew, and matured, and was respected by all that knew him. God’s blessing was on his life.

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Esther Saves Her People

176 – Esther Saves Her People

Esther 5:9 – 10:3

Continued from the previous story

The king and Haman attended Queen Esther’s banquet. Afterwards the king said, “Now tell me your request so I can give it to you.”

“Oh king, if it’s true you want to grant my request, please bring Haman and come to another banquet tomorrow. I’ll tell you my request at that time.” 

Haman was proud as he left the court that day. He had been invited to the queen’s banquet two days in a row! Suddenly his joy turned to anger as he noticed Mordecai once again not bowing before him. He was with friends that evening and told them how this Jew had ruined his joy.

They said, “Build a 75-foot gallows. Go to the king early in the morning and ask him to order Mordecai’s death. Hang him on the gallows right away so you can enjoy the queen’s banquet.” Haman sent for a servant and ordered the gallows to be built.

The king couldn’t sleep that night. So he had someone come to his bedroom and read official records. The servant read how Mordecai had saved the king’s life by revealing a plot to kill him. The king said, “How was this man rewarded?”

The servant looked back at the records, then said, “He wasn’t, my king.”

“Nothing was done to reward this man?! Go into the court and see if anyone is there.”

The servant found Haman waiting to see the king. The king said, “Bring him in.” Before Haman could talk, the king said, “What should I do for a man I want to honor in a special way?”

Haman immediately thought of himself. He said, “Oh, my king. You should honor this man by putting your royal robe and crown on him. Place him on your horse and have your most noble official lead him through the streets yelling, ‘This is what the king does for a man he wants to honor!’”

The king was pleased. “Excellent. Go and find Mordecai and do everything you’ve said. Be careful not to leave anything out.”

Haman stood there in shock, but he had to fulfill everything he had suggested to the king. He put the royal robe and crown on Mordecai, placed him on the royal horse, and led him through the city yelling, “This is what the king does for a man he wants to honor.”

When it was all over, Haman went home in humiliation, but his summons to the queen’s banquet was waiting for him. So he had to rush to get there.

After they had eaten, the king asked Esther, “Tell me what you want so I can give it to you.”

“Oh king, if it pleases you to grant my request, spare my life and the lives of my people. A man has plotted to have my entire race destroyed.”

The king was shocked, “Who is this man and where is he?”

Esther pointed at Haman. “Our enemy is this wicked man.”

Haman was terrified. He couldn’t even speak. The king looked at him and became angry. He got up and walked into the garden so he could think.

Haman ran over and fell down next to Esther to beg for his life. The king walked back into the room and saw Haman lying next to the queen. He said, “Are you going to rape the queen with me standing right here?”

As soon as he said this, servants rushed over and put a hood over Haman’s head. One of them turned to the king. “Haman has built a gallows to hang the man who saved your life.”

This angered the king even more. He pointed to Haman, “Hang him on it!”

Haman was immediately taken out and hanged on the gallows he had built. After this, the king replaced him with Mordecai.

So the Jewish people were saved from the disaster Haman had planned for them, and Mordecai became the highest-ranking official in the government.

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Esther Becomes Queen

175 – Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 1:1 – 5:8

One day the queen of Persia embarrassed the king in front of the lords of the court. They all agreed the king should replace her. So an order went out saying all the beautiful virgins were to come to the palace. From them, the king would choose a new queen.

Esther was a beautiful young woman who had been raised by her older cousin Mordecai. She went to the palace because of her beauty and virtue. But … her cousin told her not to tell anyone that she was Jewish.

In the course of time, she was selected to be the new queen. Soon after this, two events happened about the same time. The first was that Mordecai heard a plot to kill the king. He reported it, and the plot was stopped. His good deed was recorded in the official records.

The second event was that a man named Haman was made the highest-ranking official in the government. From then on, people bowed when he walked by—everyone except Mordecai.

When Haman saw this, he became angry and wanted Mordecai killed. But he wanted more than that—he wanted to totally destroy the Jews.

So he went to the king and said, “There are people in the empire who are different than everyone else. They don’t obey your laws because they have their own. It’s not good to let them live. Allow me to serve you by organizing their destruction. It would be my honor to personally pay for the cost of doing this.”

The king was pleased at Haman’s willingness to serve the kingdom, so he gave him the authority to destroy the Jewish people. Haman set a date and then sent out a proclamation.

It said all the Jews were to be killed on that date. This would include the men, women and children. Their possessions were to be given to those who did the killing.

Once the proclamation was translated into many languages, it was sent out to all the nations in the empire. Fear and panic gripped all the Jews of the land.

Esther was in the palace and didn’t know about this decree. Soon she heard that Mordecai was mourning in a public place. She sent a servant to ask him what was wrong. Mordecai told the servant everything and gave him a copy of the decree. He said, “Tell the queen she must talk to the king and beg him to have mercy upon her people.”

She sent a message back to him. “No one is allowed to go before the king without an invitation. Those who do are put to death unless he points the golden scepter toward them. It’s been 30 days since he has last sent for me.

Mordecai sent a message back to her. “Don’t assume you’ll escape, just because you live in the palace. Listen, if you don’t help, your people will be delivered by some other means. Still, you will die! I believe you were brought to the kingdom for such a time as this.”

She sent back a note. “Tell our people to fast for three days. They’re not to eat or drink anything. My servants and I will do the same. Then I’ll go and stand before the king, even though it is against the law. If I die, I die.”

After three days, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court so the king could see her from his throne. When he looked up, he was pleased to see her and immediately pointed the golden scepter towards her. She walked up and touched the top of it.

He said, “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.”

She said, “If it pleases you, I want you and Haman to come to a banquet I have prepared.”

“Done!” said the king. “Guard, run get Haman and bring him here. We’re going to Queen Esther’s banquet.”

Continued in the next story

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Handwriting on the Wall

170 – Handwriting on the Wall

Daniel 5:1-31 & 9:1-27

King Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. He decided to have a feast with a thousand Babylonian nobles. He sent for the golden cups the Babylon army had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. They were used to drink in honor of their many gods.

Suddenly … the fingers of a man’s hand appeared near a wall that was well lit by lamps. As Belshazzar watched, the fingers started writing on the wall. This made the king so terrified that he shook with fear.

When the hand was done writing, it disappeared. Belshazzar read the words on the wall, but didn’t know what they meant. He sent for his counselors and said, “If you can interpret what these words mean, I’ll give you great riches and make you the third ruler over Babylon!”

They looked at the writing but weren’t able to understand what it meant. This made Belshazzar even more terrified.

The queen mother said, “Don’t be afraid. There’s one counselor you haven’t called. His name is Daniel, and he’s a man filled with the spirit of the holy gods. Your grandfather always called on him whenever he had a problem he couldn’t solve. He’ll tell you what this means.”

Belshazzar called for Daniel and said, “I know you have the spirit of the gods in you. If you can tell me what this means, I’ll give you great riches and make you the third highest ruler in Babylon.”

Daniel didn’t hesitate. “You may keep your gifts and titles. I’ll read the writing and tell you what it means.

“The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar this empire and made him the most powerful man on earth. Yet he humbled himself before God and acknowledged that he was Lord of all.

“You know this, yet you’re proud and defy the Lord God. You used the golden cups from the Temple of God to praise false gods. You mock the God who holds your life in His hands. Therefore, He has sent you this message: NUMBERED, NUMBERED, WEIGHED, and DIVIDED.

“Here is the interpretation:

NUMBERED – God has numbered the days of your kingdom. Your time is up!

WEIGHED – You were weighed on a scale to determine your worth. You’re worth very little!

DIVIDED – Your kingdom is no longer yours. It’s been divided between the Medes and Persians.”

Immediately, Belshazzar called his servants and told them to put fine clothes on Daniel and expensive jewelry around his neck. He proclaimed Daniel to be the third highest ruler in Babylon.

That very night, the army of the Medes and Persians came into the city, killed Belshazzar, and took over the kingdom. Daniel became a respected counselor in the Persian court.

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Years later, Daniel was reading how Jeremiah said the city of Jerusalem would lie in ruins for seventy years. Daniel prayed and asked God what was going to happen after that. God sent him an angel to explain what would happen.

The angel said, “An order will be given to rebuild Jerusalem. That order will begin a special 490-year period for your people. After the first 483 years, Messiah will come. He’ll be killed, and Jerusalem will be destroyed again. The last seven years will begin when an evil ruler makes a 7-year peace agreement with Israel.”

By telling Daniel this, God showed Israel what would happen before he set up his kingdom on earth.

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Becoming a Wild Animal

169 – Becoming a Wild Animal

Daniel 4:1-37

One night, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that terrified him. He immediately called in all of his counselors and fortune-tellers. He told them the dream, but they couldn’t make sense of it.

Finally he called for Daniel and said, “I know you have the spirit of the gods in you. You have the answers to all mysteries. I had a terrible dream last night, and no one can interpret it for me. I’ll tell it to you, so you can tell me what it means.

“I saw a tree in the middle of the earth. It was tall and strong. Everyone on earth could see it. Even heaven looked at it. It had beautiful leaves and enough fruit for everyone to have as much as they wanted. It provided shelter for the animals, and birds lived in its branches.

“I was admiring the tree, when a messenger came from heaven. This holy one yelled so all could hear, ‘Cut down this tree! Chop off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter the fruit. Chase away the animals and birds. But be careful. Leave the stump with its roots still in the ground. Secure it with bands of iron and bronze.

“‘Now leave him alone for seven years. He’ll have the mind of an animal and eat grass in the field. Each morning he’ll be covered with the dew of heaven. He’ll stay this way until he realizes the Most High is the supreme ruler over all kingdoms of the earth. He gives them to whomever He wants. He could even give a kingdom to the lowly slave.’

“Daniel, this is what I dreamed. You’re the only one who can tell me what it means.”

Daniel was shocked! He didn’t say a thing, but just stared at the king.

Nebuchadnezzar said, “Daniel, don’t be afraid. Simply tell me what it means.”

“Oh my king. I wish the meaning was for your enemies. But it’s not. You are the tree, tall and strong. You benefit people far and wide. The holy one, coming down from heaven, passed a judgment on you.

“You’ll be driven away from people and live like a wild animal. You’ll eat grass and sleep under the dew of night. You’ll stay that way for seven years until you realize the Most High is the supreme ruler over all kingdoms. He gives them to whomever He wants.

“Still, the holy one said to leave the tree’s stump with its roots. This means your kingdom will be waiting for you once you acknowledge that heaven rules.

“Here is my advice. Remove sin from your life. Be just. Show mercy. Perhaps God will show mercy on you.”

A year later, Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon. Suddenly he stopped and said, “Look at this! It’s Babylon the great, and I’ve built it. I’ve done it because I’m powerful. This kingdom shows my great glory!”

While he was still saying these words, a voice from heaven said to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, I’m taking this kingdom from you. People will chase you away, and you’ll live among the animals. You’ll graze on grass for seven years. You’ll stay there until you learn the Most High is in control over
all kingdoms. He can give them to whomever he chooses.”

Instantly the king went insane. People finally forced him from the palace and he went out into the fields. He ate grass for food. His hair grew long and his fingernails were like claws. The dew covered him each night.

At the end of seven years, he looked up into the sky and his sanity returned to him. He said, “I praise the Most High. He lives forever and there is no end to his kingdom. He does what he wants, and no one can hold him back.”

God sent nobles and advisers looking for him. When they saw that he was back in his right mind, they reinstated him to his old position. He had his kingdom back, but from that day on he always said, “I praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven. His works are true and just.”

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A Furnace Filled with Fire

168 – A Furnace Filled with Fire

Daniel 3:1-30

Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He then gathered together all the officials of his kingdom. They came and stood before the statue.

One of the officials made a declaration. “When you hear the orchestra play, fall to the ground and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. If you don’t do this immediately, you’ll be thrown into a furnace filled with fire.” The orchestra started playing and the crowd fell to the ground in front of the gold statue. 

This occasion gave some of the officials an idea. They thought this was their chance to get rid of some of the Jews that were among them.

They said to the king, “Your command was clear. When the orchestra played, everyone was to drop to the ground and worship the statue. You said if anyone didn’t do it, they’d be thrown into a furnace filled with fire. There are three Jews who ignored you, and they’re in high positions in the kingdom. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They don’t serve your god, and they didn’t worship the gold statue.”

Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He sent for the three Jews and had them stand before him. “I’ve been told you don’t serve my god, and you didn’t worship the gold statue. I want to see if this is true. The orchestra will play, and when it does you’re to drop to the ground and worship the gold statue. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown into the furnace filled with fire. There’s no god that can rescue you from my power.”

The three men didn’t hesitate to answer the king. They said, “We would never argue with you, but please understand. Our God is able to rescue us from the furnace filled with fire. He can easily rescue us from your power, but if he doesn’t, let it be known, we still won’t worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar became so mad his face was twisted with rage. He shouted to his guards, “Make the furnace seven times hotter! Tie up these men and throw them into it!”

The furnace was made hotter, and the three Jews were tied up and thrown into the fire. Since the furnace was so hot and the king wanted the execution to be done quickly, the flames killed the guards as they threw the men in.

Suddenly the king was shocked at what he saw. He got up and shouted, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire?”

“Of course Your Majesty. We threw in three men.”

“But look! I see four men in there. The fire’s not hurting them, and they aren’t tied up. They’re freely walking around. And look! The fourth man is like a god.”

Nebuchadnezzar got closer to the furnace and yelled in. “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the Most High God. Please, come out.”

The three men came out of the fire. Everyone gathered around and saw that the men and their clothes were totally unaffected by the fire. They didn’t even have the smell of smoke on them.

Nebuchadnezzar made a proclamation. “I give praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They chose to die rather than worship any god but their God. So he sent his angel to rescue them. No one is to say anything offensive about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If anyone does, that person will be torn to pieces and their house made into a garbage dump.”

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