THE END/NEW BEGINNING IS GETTING CLOSER!  For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. —Romans 13:11  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. —Psalm 139:16             How many more days do you and I have left to live on this planet?  We are nearer to the time when we will see Jesus in glory!  Or, it is also getting closer to His return.  Either way we are getting closer to seeing Him!              He knows the number of our days that we will…

SERVE OUT OF LOVE FOR GOD AND PEOPLE!  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. —Romans 12:13  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. —Galatians 6:10  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? —James 2:15-16              Are you contributing “to the needs of the saints?”  Do you “seek to show hospitality?”  We are called to do so.  We are to…

FAITH/BELIEF IN JESUS THROUGH THE HEARING/READING OF HIS WORD  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. —Romans 10:17  Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. —John 20:31              Faith/belief and eternal life comes through hearing or reading the message about Jesus and coming to the conclusion that He is the Messiah, the Son of God.  It is that simple!  There are not a…

JUSTIFIED IN JESUS  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 5:1  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. —Romans 5:9  And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. —Romans 5:16  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. —Romans 5:18  Justified by faith— we…

JUSTIFIED BY THE JUSTIFIER AND GIVEN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. —Romans 3:26  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”—Romans 4:5-7  No distrust made him waver concerning the promise…

GOD’S WRATH REVEALED The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and…

IN STORMS HOLD FAST TO HIS WORD!  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. —Acts 27:20              All that God had done in Paul’s life- all that our Lord had said to Paul- all the promises that were made to Paul by our Lord were forgotten in the midst of a tumultuous storm.  When “no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”  Did you hear that?  They lost all hope of being saved even though in Acts 23:11 our Lord told Paul that…

YOUR STORY OF HOW JESUS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE  What was my life like before Jesus saved me… Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. —Acts 26:8-10  How Jesus saved me… And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and…

BE COURAGEOUS AND RUN  The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” —Acts 23:11             There are “works” that our Lord has for you and me— “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10) — and as He has already worked in our lives so He will accomplish those “works” in our lives until that work is over and we die.  This “work” of testifying in Rome would happen, but there…

READY TO DIE, READY TO LIVE  For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.  —Acts 21:13              What is your commitment level to Jesus?  Paul was ready to be imprisoned for the Name of Jesus.  Not only that, but Paul was also ready to die for the Name of Jesus.  This is a challenge to me to consider how committed I am to Jesus.  Now, Paul wasn’t looking to die, but for Jesus he was willing to die.  Can I say that? I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ,…