Good morning! Have you ever been caught in the middle of two people sharing their sides of a story or conflict? While we may want to believe what one person states over another, we always know there are two sides to a story. Today we will begin in Acts chapter 24. Paul’s accusers have arrived and they are asking for their side of the story to be heard. Join us for the next few days as we reveal who the accusers are and their accusations.

Bible verse

“Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer^[a] Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor. ² When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:

“You have provided a long period of peace for us Jews and with foresight have enacted reforms for us. ³ For all of this, Your Excellency, we are very grateful to you. ⁴ But I don’t want to bore you, so please give me your attention for only a moment. ⁵ We have found this man to be a troublemaker who is constantly stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the cult known as the Nazarenes. ⁶ Furthermore, he was trying to desecrate the Temple when we arrested him.^[b] 8 You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself.” ⁹ Then the other Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true.” – Acts 24:1-9 NLT

Reflection

Five days had passed since Paul was in Jerusalem and threatened by men who sought to kill him. Ananias and the elders were prepared to give their side of the story through Tertullus an attorney to the governor. Of course, Tertullus began with the usual flattery and request to be heard.

Note a few things Tertullus points out in these verses:

• There has been a long period of peace under the governor’s rule.
• The governor had great foresight, which included reforms.
• Those present were grateful for those changes.

Sisters and brothers, we will continue this chapter tomorrow, but today I would like for you to consider the numerous times you listened to a story from one persons perspective/one side.

Reflect on the times when you made a decision about someone without knowing all the facts. Now given an opportunity to change,

• Will you look for opportunities to understand both sides of a story?
• Remember Jesus died on the cross to save you and silence your accuser – Satan. Will you seek discernment and truth from the Lord before drawing a conclusion?

Prayer

Father God, thank you for today. Thank you for another opportunity to praise you and read your word. Lord, strengthen us and bring forth favor in our lives. Give us wisdom and discernment on how to live for you. Lord, be our peace and joy today as we hear and read many opinions, help us to stick with yours. Lord before we judge others help us to seek clarity, grace and give us discernment on the best decisions to make. Lord, we know we are not perfect and we also know that there are people who are not upright. Lord, we ask today that you begin to set the stories straight. Over throw the lies of the enemy and allow your truth to prevail. Lord, we trust you. In Jesus name, amen.

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