Daily Dose of Hope

December 24, 2025

Scripture – Acts 23

Prayer: Loving God, As we come before you on this Christmas Eve, we thank you for the love that binds us together. Bless each member of our church family and fill our homes with warmth and joy. For those who are alone, please give them peace and comfort that only you can give. For those who are dealing with struggle and difficulty, Lord, give them peace. Remind them that you are there to guide, lead, and provide strength. And continue to speak to us, Lord Jesus, as we make our way through your Word. We need to hear from you, Emmanuel – God with us. More of you and less of me. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading. We have been on a journey, reading through the Gospels and the book of Acts. Today, we walk through Acts 23.

Early on in this chapter, we find Paul speaking before the high council and things aren't going well. He gets slapped by the high priest and there is violent disagreement on the council how to deal with him. The discord is so bad that Paul actually has to leave the location. Paul's fate seems uncertain at best. And then, when all seems lost, God speaks clearly to Paul, telling him to be encouraged, for this would not be the end; he would carry the message of the Gospel all the way to Rome!

I read this chapter and it immediately brought to mind what Paul himself writes to the Romans in 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Paul has been through so much at this point, including fear, extreme discomfort, and physical pain. He probably thought Jerusalem was going to be the end for him and he was at peace with that. But God had something else in mind. God wanted to use Paul's bold witness to bring the Gospel further, to higher levels of government, so that more could believe.

What seems like desperate times to humans, God can redeem for his own purposes. What has God redeemed in your life? I know that in the midst of dire circumstances, it is often difficult to see God at work. But later, when we have perspective, we can see how God took what was dark and ugly and brought something good from it. I should say that bringing something good out of a painful situation doesn't mean fixing it for us but rather demonstrating his glory. This is sometimes hard for us to wrap our human brains around. I think it takes lots of prayer and lots of trust.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

December 23, 2025

Scripture – Acts 22

Prayer: Almighty God, We come before you this morning with awe and humility. Help us remember all you have done for us. We are nothing without you. We need you desperately, Lord. Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you. In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you. Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading. We have been on a journey, reading through the Gospels and the book of Acts. Today, we walk through Acts 22.

The chapter starts with Paul speaking to the crowd in Aramaic. His knowledge of their language demonstrates that he is one of them. All the lies are just that, lies. He shares his background as an educated Jew and then tells his conversion story. Remember, no one can ever argue with your conversion story. It's your story! Paul uses this time to talk about how Jesus led him to share the Gospel with the Gentiles.

But when he gets to this part --- mentioning the Gentiles --- things get heated again. They demand that he be killed for his blasphemy. It's now that the Roman commander demands that he be arrested and flogged. But just as this is about to take place, Paul mentions that he is a Roman citizen by birth. This changes things.

The scholars have mixed opinions on how being a Roman citizen in that day and time determined one's treatment by governing authorities. Certainly, in Paul's case, it kept him from being flogged and lynched. In fact, the commander seems frightened when he finds out that the man he is about to whip is a Roman citizen by birth. (I would have hated to see what they did to the non-citizens. It was a brutal world.)

But one thing Paul could not get out of was being sent before the Jewish high council. I'm sure the Roman commander would be relieved to give Paul to the Jewish leaders. Let them be the ones faced with the repercussions of dealing with such a controversial figure. What will it mean for Paul to go before the high council? The council, also referred to as the Sanhedrin, was led by the high priest and consisted of Pharisees and Sadducees. This group had broad authority, overseeing criminal, civil, and religious cases. This was a group that would not be sympathetic to Paul. Part of their role was to discern when the Messiah returned and they clearly did not think Jesus was it. Hearing Paul preaching Jesus as Lord would be deemed blasphemous.

Will their distain keep Paul silent or make him soften his message? I think we can all guess that the answer is no! Paul is resolute in what God has called him to do. No amount of persecution, oppression, or intimidation will keep him from teaching about Jesus. So our question for the day-what keeps us from speaking boldly about Jesus?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

December 22, 2025

Scripture - Acts 21:27-40

Prayer: Dear God, We come to you today with sorrow. We know that we are sinful and broken. We know that we have fallen short. We have been disobedient as individuals and as a church. Lord, please forgive us and show us your better way. How we need you. We are lost without you and our behavior so often speaks to that. Help us seek holiness. Help us love others the way you love them. In these next few moments of silence, Lord, please help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you... In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading. We have been on a journey, reading through the Gospels and the book of Acts. Today, we finish with Acts 21.

It doesn't take long before people see Paul and get worked up. Some Asian Jews, who saw Paul at the Temple, accuse him of bringing a Greek in the Temple (not true) and teaching people to not follow the law (again not true). Who were these Asian Jews? They were most likely from the province of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and quite possibly from Ephesus. They could very well have remembered Paul from his extended stay in Ephesus and the various conflicts that arose.

It doesn't take long for a few rabble rousers to work up a riot. Paul finds himself in the middle of it, being beaten by a mob. When the Roman soldiers hear about the riot, they rush to figure out what's going on. What's interesting is that they also make assumptions about Paul and have been bound, to be thrown in the barracks. It seems no one really cares much for finding the truth.

The main charge brought against Paul was that he brought a Gentile into the Temple. This would be a serious offense. The Jews did not allow women or Gentiles into the central courts of the Temple, believing them to be unclean. Although the Law did not specifically forbid Gentiles from going into the Temple courts, by the first century, Herod the Great had expanded the Temple courts so that there was a large area where everyone was welcome, the Court of the Gentiles.

Despite the fact that the charge is false, no one comes to Paul's defense. None of the Jewish believers, who must have seen the whole thing, say a word. While this was out of fear, for sure, it is still surprising. Silence, as we know, always empowers wrongdoers.

Let's talk about silence for a moment. There is good silence, like being silent before the Lord, and then there is bad silence, like not standing up for what is right. Bullies exist because the majority stays silent. Martin Luther King, Jr., famously said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends," emphasizing that friends' lack of support is deeply painful and is what enables injustice. Unfortunately, we have seen this over centuries in the church. We saw it with Jesus and the disciples. We see it in the early church. We saw it during the persecutions of the first several centuries and through many wars. How many Christians stood in fear and watched the Nazis murder millions of helpless Jews? How many Christians have been silent in the face of slavery, racism, and gross injustice across our own nation?

What are the main forces of injustice in our world right now? Where has the church stood up and done the right thing and where have we been silent? What about you?

More tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki