Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” —Galatians 2:16 What is it that is enough for you? Christ is enough! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZ-tBR7LJ0 No amount of works, no amount of trying to do good is enough. It is Jesus and He alone that saves a person. Obedience to the law cannot save anyone. Justification comes…

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be…

Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. —I Corinthians 13:11 Am I full of joy because of the grace of God in my life? Am I growing in maturity for His service now and for what He has for me in the future? Am I encouraging others with the comfort that He has comforted me with? Am I living in harmony and peace with others through my words and actions? If that is the case then the love and peace of God will be with me! Am I experiencing His love and the…

I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then…

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. —Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Now here is a sobering thought— “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10). Personally, as a follower of Jesus I cannot say that I have done everything to honor Him. My selfish self has been so selfish at times as I…

Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen? None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. —Ecclesiastes 8:7-8 How many birthdays have you had? How many springs, summers, falls and winters have you lived through? How many Thanksgivings and Christmases have you experienced? How many full moons have you gazed upon? How old are you now? We cannot stop time… tick, tick, tick. We know the end of…

Decisions

Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know! —Proverbs 30:4 Do you know? Well, His Name is Jesus— “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13). Jesus “has created the whole world” (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Not only did Jesus create all things for Himself, but He also created all things for us to enjoy (I Timothy 6:17). Are you enjoying it?…

If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked. —Proverbs 29:12 A lie to cover up a lie to cover up a lie to cover up a lie… What can we expect from ungodly leaders? Do we truly think they are going to act like those who truly follow Jesus? Should we expect them to? Have we lost focus as to why we are still here on the earth as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? Our main priority is to lovingly worship God and to love people as we seek to make disciples in all the world. Let us not lose our focus on that.…

As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. —Proverbs 27:19 Some of the most beautiful pictures come from reflections in the water. Water gives the picture a mirror image. According to the verse above this is exactly what the heart of a person does—- it reflects the real person, it gives a mirror image. When you get to know the heart of a person, then you truly get to know that person. The trouble is many times we do not take the time to listen long enough to someone so we never truly get to know the heart of a person or who that…