My Journey in Christ

Some claim that Paul contradicts Jesus—that Paul invented a different gospel, changed the message of salvation, and redefined God's law and identity. But this is not just mistaken—it is dangerously false. Jesus and Paul spoke by the same Spirit and proclaimed the same gospel. When rightly understood, the message of Christ and the letters of Paul form a unified testimony of God's redemptive plan. In Matthew 19:17, Jesus told the rich young ruler, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” But Jesus was not endorsing salvation by works. He exposed the man's pride by revealing what true obedience required: “Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (v. 21). The man walked away sad—not because Jesus promoted legalism, but because the man lacked saving faith. Paul explains this truth in Romans 3:28, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Paul doesn’t cancel Jesus—he makes...

This is one of those topics that gets people whispering in church hallways and leadership meetings: “Can a divorced guy really be a pastor, elder, or deacon?” Some folks say flat-out no. Others say it depends. And if you dig into Scripture without just reading it like a rulebook, you’ll find something important—it’s not nearly as black-and-white as people make it out to be. Most of the conversation comes from one verse: “A church leader must be faithful to his wife” (1 Timothy 3:2, NLT). Some translations say “the husband of one wife,” and people interpret that to mean, “Well, if he’s ever been divorced, he’s automatically disqualified.” But hold up a minute. The original Greek literally says “a one-woman man.” That’s not about whether he has ever been married or divorced—it’s about his character and current marital faithfulness. Is he committed? Is he sexually pure? Is he a man of integrity, loyal to the woman he’s married to now? That’s what Paul was getting at. Paul repeats this in ...

Grace gets misunderstood a lot. Some folks treat it like a get-out-of-jail-free card. You know, “I’m forgiven, so I can just keep living however I want, right?” But that’s not what the Bible teaches at all. If anything, real grace changes you. It doesn’t just forgive you—it frees you. It gives you a brand-new life. Paul talked about this in Romans 6. He asked, “So, should we keep on sinning so God can show us more grace?” (v. 1, NLT). Then he basically shouts, “No way!” Why? Because if we’ve died to sin—like, spiritually buried the old self—then we can’t just keep living like we used to. That old version of us is gone. We’re alive in Jesus now. He goes on to say that when we were baptized, we were united with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–5). That means our old, sinful selves were nailed to the cross with Him. And just like Jesus rose from the dead, we’re raised to live a new kind of life—a life where sin doesn’t call the shots anymore. That’s huge. Paul even says, “...

Philippians 4:19 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible when people talk about God's provision. It says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (NLT). At first glance, that sounds like a promise that everything we want or lack will be handed to us by God—and fast. But there’s a lot more depth here when we look at the context and the bigger picture of Scripture. Paul is writing this letter from a Roman prison. He’s not sitting on a beach with an iced tea in hand; he’s literally under house arrest for preaching the gospel. And yet, he spends this chapter thanking the church in Philippi for financially supporting him. They had sent him a gift while he was in need, and Paul is deeply grateful. What’s wild is that even in his limited situation, Paul’s focus isn’t on what he doesn’t have—it’s on what God has already provided and will continue to provide. That’s what makes Philippians...

You ever have one of those moments where you feel totally trapped? Like, no way forward, no way back, and panic starts to settle in? That’s exactly where the Israelites were in Exodus 14. They had just been freed from slavery in Egypt, and now Pharaoh had changed his mind and was coming after them with chariots. The Red Sea’s in front of them, the Egyptian army’s behind them, and everyone’s freaking out. And what does Moses say? “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:14, NLT). Seriously—calm down? That might’ve sounded crazy in the moment, but Moses wasn’t being naive. He was reminding the people that God was still in control, even when everything looked hopeless. That line—“stay calm”—isn’t a call to do nothing out of fear. It’s actually a call to trust. God wasn’t asking Israel to figure it out. He was saying, “Watch what I’m about to do.” And sure enough, He parts the Red Sea, Israel walks through on dry ground, and Pharaoh’s army is wiped out. Just like th...

Satan, often called the adversary or the deceiver, is a central figure in the Bible’s spiritual narrative. He is a created being, not God, who opposes God’s purposes and attempts to undermine the faith of believers. Understanding who Satan is, his tactics, and his limitations is crucial for Christians to stand firm in their faith. The Bible reveals Satan as a created angelic being who rebelled against God. Ezekiel 28:12-17, while addressing the king of Tyre, is widely understood as a symbolic description of Satan’s fall, describing his beauty and subsequent pride leading to his downfall. Likewise, Isaiah 14:12-15 metaphorically portrays his desire to exalt himself above God, resulting in his expulsion. Satan is a deceiver (John 8:44), a liar who “does not stand in the truth,” and the “father of lies.” His main tactic is deception, often subtle and crafty, designed to lead believers away from God. The Bible also teaches that Satan’s power is limited. He has no power over Christians who ...

When Jesus is with His disciples in Matthew 16, and He asks them “Who do you say I am?” Peter blurts out (because of course he does), “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Boom. Nailed it. Jesus then responds with one of the most quoted lines in church history: “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18, NLT) Now here’s where things get a bit sticky: what exactly is “the rock”? Some say it’s Peter himself. After all, his name means “rock” (Petros in Greek). That’s where the Catholic view comes in, saying Peter was the first pope and leader of the Church. But let’s not stop there—because a few verses later, Jesus calls Peter “Satan” when Peter tries to talk Him out of going to the cross (Matthew 16:23). So, yeah... maybe Peter isn’t the most reliable foundation. Now look back at what Peter said: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” T...