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<v Speaker 1>Morning. By morning he awakens my ear as one being

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<v Speaker 1>taught by his spirit. Shalloon, wonderful family, and welcome to

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<v Speaker 1>today's morning glory devotion. This is the Brucemith from harvs.

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<v Speaker 1>Shapel International Commercy, and it is a privilege to be

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<v Speaker 1>facilitating today's devotion. Let us pray, Father, We thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for your goodness and kindness towards us. We pray and

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<v Speaker 1>commit our time and your word into your hands. Brood

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<v Speaker 1>over ours, Lord, we fresh and empower us. Curse your

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<v Speaker 1>light to shine through your word and transforms in Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>Mighty name. Amen, that has kind of taken a confession

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<v Speaker 1>from Joshua, chapter one, verse eight. Joshua, chapter one, verse eight.

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<v Speaker 1>This book of the Law shall not depart out of

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<v Speaker 1>my mouth, but I shall meditate in a day and

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<v Speaker 1>night that I may observe to do according to all

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<v Speaker 1>that is written in it. For then I will make

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<v Speaker 1>my way prosperous, and then I will have good success

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<v Speaker 1>a man. The theme for today's devotion is Convenient Service.

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<v Speaker 1>Convenient Service written by Joshua Amevialo, and our scripture reading

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<v Speaker 1>is from Acts chapter twenty four, verse twenty four through

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<v Speaker 1>to twenty six, Acts chapter twenty four, verses twenty four

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<v Speaker 1>to twenty six, let us hear the word of the Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the WBB translation. After some days Felix came

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<v Speaker 1>with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent

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<v Speaker 1>for Paul and hid him concerning the faith in Christ, Jesus.

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<v Speaker 1>As he reasoned about righteousness, self control, and the judgment

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<v Speaker 1>to come, Felix was terrified and answered, go your way

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<v Speaker 1>for this time, and when it is convenient for me,

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<v Speaker 1>I will summon you. Meanwhile, he also hoped that money

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<v Speaker 1>would be given to him by Paul, that he might

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<v Speaker 1>release him. Therefore, he also send for him more often

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<v Speaker 1>and talked with him a man convenient service, convenient service beloved.

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<v Speaker 1>In today's scripture reading, we see Felix, the Roman governor

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<v Speaker 1>of the province of Judea at the time of Apostle

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<v Speaker 1>pauses persecution at the hands of the Jews, giving audience

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<v Speaker 1>to Apostle Paul some day after he had attained the

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<v Speaker 1>Apostle's formal trial. What really stood out to me, especially

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<v Speaker 1>with this translation of Scripture, was Felix's response when a

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<v Speaker 1>postal Paul spoke to him about faith in Christ and

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<v Speaker 1>reason with him about righteousness, self control, and the judgment

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<v Speaker 1>to come. While Apostle Paul's presentation of the Gospel touched

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<v Speaker 1>and terrified Felas, it is interesting to note that his

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<v Speaker 1>response to Apostle Paul was go your way for this time,

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<v Speaker 1>and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.

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<v Speaker 1>What is even more interesting to note is that we

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<v Speaker 1>are told that after this he sent for Apostle Paul

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<v Speaker 1>more often and spoke with him, not because he wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to judge him on the merit of his case, but

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<v Speaker 1>because he was hoping that Paul would offer him money

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<v Speaker 1>for his life. Release beloved. It is sad to say

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<v Speaker 1>that as strange and unwise as Felici's attitude was or

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<v Speaker 1>may appear to us, his attitude mirrors the attitude of

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<v Speaker 1>many professing believers to our responsibilities as children of God

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<v Speaker 1>and our service to God. As governor, Felix had a moral, social,

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<v Speaker 1>and political responsibility to represent fair judgment on issues brought

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<v Speaker 1>before him for arbitration, but he regulated these responsibilities by

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<v Speaker 1>personal convenience, and beyond that, he held of doing what

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<v Speaker 1>he knew was the right thing to do because he

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to obtain some personal gains. First, Similarly, many of

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<v Speaker 1>us relegate our responsibilities as ambassadors of Christ and messengers

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<v Speaker 1>of the Gospel to the dictis of our convenience, and

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<v Speaker 1>some of us have held back from sharing the gospel

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<v Speaker 1>or serving at the altars of God because we are

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<v Speaker 1>waiting for God to do one thing or another for us. First.

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<v Speaker 1>We show up at our convenience not to serve in sincerity,

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<v Speaker 1>but to check the boxes and convince ourselves that we

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<v Speaker 1>are doing what we can and can only do more

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<v Speaker 1>if God first comes through for us regarding a certain

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<v Speaker 1>request or desire. We may read our bibles and pray

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<v Speaker 1>and go to church, but then hold off on forgiving

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<v Speaker 1>those who offend us, and sharing the Gospel with orders,

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<v Speaker 1>and demonstrating love and kindness toward us unless it is convenient.

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<v Speaker 1>We make a show of heaven and maintaining a relationship

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<v Speaker 1>with God with doubt, allowing the outflow of that relationship

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<v Speaker 1>to be evident in our service or in our interaction

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<v Speaker 1>with urthers. It's unfortunate that sometimes we confuse our sincere

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<v Speaker 1>desire for the things that God can do for us

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<v Speaker 1>for a sincere desire for God. And when this confusion persists,

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<v Speaker 1>we tend to fix our gaze and expectations on receiving

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<v Speaker 1>what we desire from God, rather than unpleasing Him by

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<v Speaker 1>doing what He would want us to do. Beloved, we

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<v Speaker 1>cannot continue to hold God's word hostage in the name

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<v Speaker 1>of convenience. Too many of us are saftly and may

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<v Speaker 1>be subconsciously treating our service to God the same way

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<v Speaker 1>that Governor Fellus treated their apostle Paw in today's scripture reading.

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<v Speaker 1>But this attitude has several merits. One way or another,

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<v Speaker 1>God's work will get done. But if you and I

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<v Speaker 1>delydally when we have the opportunity to serve, the window

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<v Speaker 1>of opportunity to save will pass, and someone else will

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<v Speaker 1>be given the privilege of offering their service and obtain

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<v Speaker 1>their associated blessings and rewards. Beloved, as children of God

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<v Speaker 1>and ambasadors of the same, we have a responsibility to love,

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<v Speaker 1>to forgive, to be peacemakers, to be bearers of the

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<v Speaker 1>good news of the Gospel, not at a convenience, but

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<v Speaker 1>at every opportunity presented to us, Beloved, It is clearly

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<v Speaker 1>illustrated for us in the life of our Lord Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>and the work and ministry of the apostles that the

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<v Speaker 1>Kingdom of God thrives under sacrificial service of the children

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<v Speaker 1>of God. So our service to God must be one

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<v Speaker 1>of sacrifice, not of convenience. And God's expectation for us

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<v Speaker 1>is for us to go out of our way to

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<v Speaker 1>serve and please him. We must remember that it is

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<v Speaker 1>our sacrificial service that bring joy to God, not a

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<v Speaker 1>convenience service. A man, God, bless you. It's trying to

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<v Speaker 1>take our memory verse, and our memory verse will be

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<v Speaker 1>from Philippians Chapter two Versus seventeen and eighteen Philippians to

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen and eighteen, reading from the BSB. But even if

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<v Speaker 1>I am being poured out like a drink offering on

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<v Speaker 1>the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad

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<v Speaker 1>and rejoice with all of you, so you too should

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<v Speaker 1>be glad and rejoice with me. A man, let us pray, Father,

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<v Speaker 1>will thank you for your weather has come to us today.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for the privilege of being your children and

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<v Speaker 1>the privilege of seven at your oldest. Lord, Please forgive

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<v Speaker 1>us for all the times we have held your work

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<v Speaker 1>hostage in the name of convenience, and grant us degrees

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<v Speaker 1>and passion to serve sacrificially make us a blessing through

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<v Speaker 1>our service and cause us to experience your blessings. Also,

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<v Speaker 1>you're joints of us in our service. In Jesus's name,

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<v Speaker 1>will pray with thanksgiving. Amen. God richly bless you for

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<v Speaker 1>being a part of today's devotion. Stay tuned for more

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<v Speaker 1>spiritual content on Radio ACI today until we come your

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<v Speaker 1>way once again tomorrow morning. At the same time, do

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<v Speaker 1>stay blessed and have a fruitful day. A man