“When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.””‭‭Acts‬ ‭23:12-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.23.12-15.esv
All,
This stands out because the conspiracy to kill Paul doesn’t work. God wasn’t wringing His hands in anticipation of what was going to happen. Just like God isn’t looking at the Isis threat and wondering how it will play out. In the book of Revelation, God shows how it all ends. Please pray that we and our friends pray for our friends that have been deceived into thinking God isn’t involved in our daily lives. Please pray for all of us to enjoy relationships the Christmas season. 

“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’”‭‭Acts‬ ‭22:4-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.22.4-8.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus says, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He doesn’t say His “followers” or “cause”, but He says, “Me”. As Paul was persecuting the followers of Jesus, he wasn’t just hurting the followers of Christ, but Christ Himself. Do we see Christ in whom we are arguing? Do we think of others as abiding in Christ? C.S. Lewis said “we have never meet a mere mortal”. Please pray that we and our friends see people today as children of God. Please pray for all the moms to have peace over stress during this season of celebrating the birth of Christ. 

“When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭21:27-30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.21.27-30.esv
All,
This stands out because Paul was being accused of teaching people to not obey the Law. However, Paul was spreading the good news about Christ and wanted only for people to have a relationship with Christ. How can they not see eye to eye? Please pray that we and our friends seek to understand our Christian brothers with whom we differ and seek first the Kingdom of God. Please pray for the CLC Prayer breakfast on 2/18. 

“When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.””‭‭Acts‬ ‭21:12-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.21.12-14.esv
All,
This stands out because Paul says, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?” Paul was ready to do God’s will, but hurting his loved ones and making them sad was difficult. Are we ready to do whatever God asks us, but may change our minds if it would make our loved ones sad? Do we believe God has a plan for them also? Please pray that we and our friends seeks God’s will and follow it. Please pray for the CLC Prayer breakfast on 2/18. 

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭20:28-30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.20.28-30.esv
All,
This stands out because Paul encourages the followers to “care for the church of God” by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have spent a good bit of time in CLC discussing the difference between converts and disciples of Christ. Please pray that we and our friends care for and walk with our brothers as we continue our relationship with Christ knowing that “fierce wolves” will be out there to take the focus off Jesus. Please pray for the CLC Prayer breakfast on 2/18. 

“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭20:7-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.20.7-12.esv
All,
This stands out because it’s almost a afterthought that Paul brought the youth back from the dead. Paul’s focus was spreading the Gospel and God gave him the ability to glorify God in many ways while spreading the Gospel, but the healings were not Paul’s focus. God knows the challenges we will have in doing His purpose and He already has solutions for them according to His purpose. Please pray that we and our friends focus on glorifying God today. Please pray for the CLC Prayer breakfast on 2/18. 

“About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭19:23-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.19.23-26.esv
All,
This stands out because Demetrius had a agenda behind discrediting Paul. I’m sure I’m guilty of judging people’s intentions too harshly, but there always seems to be a agenda behind movements that sway people’s emotions. The leaders get their pawns engaged on both sides emotionally. If people looked behind the curtain and looked for truth, there would probably not be as much discord. However, Satan loves chaos and will continue to foster it. Please pray that we and our friends seek God’s will when we decide to support a cause. Please pray for CLC Prayer breakfast on February 18th. 

“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭18:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.18.1-5.esv
All,
This stands out because Luke says, “Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.” Paul knew that only Christ can give life. Paul also knew that religion didn’t give life, but Jesus did. He used the Word as the authority of all knowledge. Please pray that we and our friends always point others to Christ through the Word. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.””‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:29-31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.17.29-31.esv
All,
This stands out because Paul says, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent”. Have we been ignorant and now we “see”? I’m sure everyone of us can look back a couple years and be astonished in our thinking or some of our actions, but we didn’t realize it at the time. Please pray that we and our friends will, as Ken Boa says, “ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal any areas of unconfessed sins.” Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:1-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/act.17.1-4.esv
All,
This stands out because Luke says, “he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” Does God want us to read the Bible? Does Satan? One of God’s ways of speaking to us is through the Bible. We build our relationship with Him by reading the Word He gave us. This results in the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control). Please pray that we and our friends spend time today reading God’s Word. Please pray for all of us to be thankful for God today. Happy Thanksgiving!