When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin” (Romans 4:4-8). Think of having a debt so great that you could never work it off. You could never earn enough money to pay offer the…

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made…

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I…

BE ENCOURAGED! That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” —Acts 23:11 Are you encouraged by the Lord in the work He has for you to do? Do you know what He has for you to do… today? Will you do it? Are you questioning it? How excited are you about serving the Lord? Is it your earnest desire to serve Him today? At work? At school? In the neighborhood? To friends? To relatives? To strangers? May you be faithful today and every day!…

When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” —Acts 22:25 Here in the U.S. people are given many rights through the Founding Documents. In the Declaration of Independence we read that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” The First Amendment…

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. —Proverbs 20:1 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit… -Ephesians 5:18 Alcoholism and drug addiction are major blights on our culture. Adults (ages 18+): 16.6 million adults ages 18 and older3 (7.0 percent of this age group4) had an AUD (alcohol use disorder) in 2013. This includes 10.8 million men3 (9.4 percent of men in this age group4) and 5.8 million women3 (4.7 percent of women in this age group4). About 1.3 million adults received treatment for an AUD at a specialized facility in…

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight…. Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. —Acts 20:7, 11 Awhile back I read “Heavenly Man” which is about the underground church in China. The author told of westerners coming over to China to help, but when the westerners spoke it was for only an hour or less. It was greatly appreciated that these people would come to China to help the church, but they were eventually asked not…

But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. —Acts 19:9 If atheists do not believe in God then why do they believe they have to speak against Him? Are they out to save the world? Do they believe it is needful to encourage others to not believe in God as well? Are they seeking to force their godless religion on others? Why do they think they have to push their wicked, stubborn rebellion on others? There are those, as in the verse above, that just feel the need to not only be stubborn and reject the good news about Jesus, but that they must also…

…there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. —Acts 10:36 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” —Acts 10:42-43 Sin puts a person at odds with God. Romans 5:10 tells us that before a person trusts the Lord Jesus Christ they are an enemy of God because of being a sinner. But, “we have been made right in God’s sight…

The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. —Acts 9:31 The church in the United States has experience peace for a long time. It is possible according to the verse above for the church to grow during a time of peace. How does that happen? Well we are told that the church grew stronger because it lived in the “fear of the Lord” and it also grew in numbers “with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.” What is the fear of…