Well, good morning, it is Friday, December 6th, 2024, and welcome once again to our daily Bible reading. We are gonna pick up in the book of Acts, we're gonna finish that book, reading Acts 28, one to 31, and then we're gonna jump into the book of Ephesians. Should be fairly familiar to those of you who have been here at Eastford Baptist, because I've been preaching through Ephesians. And so, let's get to it. December 6th, Acts 28, 1-10, Paul on the island of Malta. Now, when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta, and the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. And so when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, no doubt this man is a murderer whom though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live. But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead, but after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm had come to him, they changed their mind and said that he was a god. In that region, there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island whose name was Publius. who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. And Paul went into him and prayed and he laid his hands on him and healed him. And so when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways, and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary. Paul arrives at Rome, Acts 28, 11-16. After three months, we sailed in on an Alexandrian ship, whose figurehead was the twin brothers, which had wintered in the island. And landing at Syracuse, we stayed for three days. From there, we circled around and reached Reglium. And after one day, the south wind blew, and the next day we came to Petilia, where we found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Apiphorum and Three Inns. And when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. Now, when he came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard. Excuse me, but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him. Paul preaches at Rome under guard, Acts 28, 17 to 31. and it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. And so when they had come together, he said to them, men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, and not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation, For this reason, therefore, I have called for you, to see you and to speak to you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain." And then they said to him, we neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you, but we desire to hear from you that what you think for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere. And so when they appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken and some disbelieved. And so when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word. The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, Go to this people and say, Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive. For the heart of this people have grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart and turn, so that I should heal them. And therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles and they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute amongst themselves. And then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. That was the book of Acts. So very good job. We move on to the book of Ephesians. There's a little Notation in our Bible here. It says Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while imprisoned in Rome Tychicus carried this letter on the same journey as the letter to the Colossians and so That was that was that greetings from Paul Ephesians 1 1 & 2 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. spiritual blessings, Ephesians 1, 3 to 14. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has accepted us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of time He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him, In him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. In him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. Paul's prayer for spiritual wisdom, Ephesians 1, 15 to 23. Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you might know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance and the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come and he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all made alive with Christ, Ephesians 2, 1-10. And you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world. according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit, who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desire of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, than the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them oneness and peace in Christ Ephesians 2 11 to 18 therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands, that at the time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you, who once were afar off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made both one. and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandment contained in ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And he came and preached peace to you who are far off and to those who are near, for through him we both have access by one spirit to the Father. a temple for the Lord, Ephesians 2, 19-22. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and the members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Well, that was our reading for December the 6th, 2024. Thank you all so much for joining me. Be sure to leave a comment or a reaction to this video, and I'll be sure to mark that down. We are really, really, really, really quickly moving towards the end of the month, and so almost a whole week. Tomorrow will be a whole week in December, and then you only have Boy, oh boy, about three weeks left after that. Three, three, three and a half weeks, and then, man, you will have read the whole Bible from cover to cover, and that's a really, really cool thing. And I trust it's been a blessed thing for you as well. But that said, thank you all so much. It's a blessing each and every day. Let's start our day with a word of prayer. Father, thank you so much for this word. Use these words in our lives today. Lord, we thank you that it is only by your grace that we have been saved, Lord. And Lord, it's your grace that made us alive. It's your grace that opened our eyes and caused us to see. And, Lord, when we saw, Lord, we had faith. And, Lord, that faith is what saved us, Lord. And it's a miraculous faith. It's one that we can't conjure up on our own. It's one that we can't... Lord, you have to give the growth, Lord. You have to give the growth. And, Lord, we thank you that you did that in our lives. Lord, we pray, God, that you do that in the lives of those who are around us, Lord, who are lost. Lord, I pray that we'd be faithful to share the gospel, to share that message of salvation with them, and Lord, that you would be faithful to do your part, Lord, and save their soul. And so, Lord, we just pray, God, for just more and more and more of your grace. Lord, we pray, God, for more of that grace as we live in the good works that you prepared beforehand, Lord, for us today. Lord, we'll confess today that we are weak, and Lord, we're tired. Lord, we, Lord, oftentimes feel very far away from you, but Lord, we thank you that you are so gracious to us to draw us close once again. And Lord, I pray that you would do that in my life today. And Lord, I pray that you do that in my brothers and sisters. Give us a good day, Lord, in you we pray, in Jesus' name, amen. Bye, everybody.