““Supplement your faith with virtue."Supplement your faith with virtue."

  By faith Moses, when he was grown By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. sin. He considered the reproach of Christ He considered the reproach of Christ

greater wealth than the treasures of greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid

of the anger of the king, for he endured of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. as seeing him who is invisible.

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   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” image that you have set up.” 5

   It pleased Darius to set over the It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. kingdom.

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   Then the high officials and the Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” with the law of his God.” 8

   Then these high officials and satraps Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 9

   Now, O king, establish the injunction Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and King Darius signed the document and injunction. injunction. When Daniel knew that the document When Daniel knew that the document

had been signed, he went to his house had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. his God, as he had done previously.

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And Stephen, full of grace and power, And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and blasphemous words against Moses and God.”God.”

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And they stirred up the people and And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” Moses delivered to us.” 13

““You stiff-necked people, You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”and did not keep it.” 14

Now when they heard these things Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. rushed together at him. 15

Then they cast him out of the city and Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. this, he fell asleep.

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And when they came to him, he said And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. our Lord Jesus Christ.

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And now, behold, I am going to And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” God.”

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While we were staying for many days, While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”of the Gentiles.’”

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When we heard this, we and the When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

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Do not fear what you are about to Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of death, and I will give you the crown of life. life.

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Only let your manner of life be worthy Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. . salvation, and that from God. .

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