When I started walking with the Lord, I was told by older Christians that we weren’t under the law but under the grace of God. So, I didn’t read the old testament. The law is an eye for an eye, a touth for a touth and a life for a life. The law is the knowledge of sin. The law had to be established to set a standard for believers. But the law was established by the blood of Jesus Christ, who was judged by the law and found to be perfect. He was the perfect sacrifice, which satisfied the law. It was God’s plan so we could enter in the kingdom. For there is none righteous, no not one. We have all gone astray, dead in sin. But the blood of Jesus Christ redeemed us by faith in God. Not by the will of man, but by the will of God and faith in Jesus Christ that we have redemption from sin. In doing so, we establish the law in our hearts.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul writing to the Romans, talks about the attitude of the heart in Romans 2. He starts by saying that we aren’t to judge anyone. There is only one and that is God Himself. Because He is the only person who can judge correctly. But Paul talks to both Jew and Gentile. He says, if you are circumcised and say you follow the law, but don’t. You are a heathen, not a believer. If you aren’t circumcised and keep the law in your heart, you are a believer. And God will accept you as a child. As Paul says, for God isn’t a respecter of persons. What he is talking about is justification before God. We can’t justify ourselves before God. It is only God. He also said something curious. He said don’t you know that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. And that God’s love will render judgement according to everyone’s deeds. God said it isn’t the outward appearance, but the circumcision of the heart inwardly, in the spirit that makes you a believer and justified before God.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

The apostle Paul travel the known world of his day preaching the gospel. On his journey, Paul wrote letters or epistles to different churches. He wrote to the church in Rome, saying he longed to be with them. Little did he know that he would journey to Rome, but as a prisoner. In all his letters, Paul, as he said, set for the defense of the gospel. He explained to the Romans what the gospel was and then talked about the immorality that was going on there. He also talked about the cost of it, which is death in hell. The book of Romans is about the law and those who transgress. The law and commandments of God haven’t disappeared. We stand in Christ upon the law. If we sin, we fall under the consequences of the law. Which is our death, both physically and spiritually. For the wages of sin is death.(Romans 3:10). Thank God we can ask for forgiveness and recieve it through the shed blood of Jesus. But Paul said something interesting, through all the stonings, imprisonments and all the other troubles that chased him. He said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1).

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

I have been writing about the apostle Paul out of the book of Acts of the Apostles. As Jesus is an example of how we are to live, Paul is also an example. His life was set down to show how the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Everything he did or learned was to use in the kingdom of God, even the wrong things. Life changes from century to century, but what doesn’t change is our need for Jesus and our life in the kingdom. Paul sailed to Rome. It took almost a year to get there, because of all the places God wanted Paul to go to. The centurion handed all the prisoners to the jailer, except for Paul. He was allowed to live in a rented house with a soldier for 2 years. He was allowed to receive anyone. There he wrote most of the epistles in the bible. In the end, he was put to death by Ceasar. But one man with the power of God turned the world upside down. Why, because the footsteps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord Jesus.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Finally, after 3 years of imprisonment at Ceasarea, Paul was on his way to Rome. Paul and all the prisoners with a detachment of soldiers set out to sea. They sailed along the coast and switched to another ship headed to Rome. Winter was coming on and they needed to sail as quickly as they could. Paul told the Centurion that they shouldn’t sail on because of a storm coming. He told them they would lose the ship. But they didn’t believe Paul and sailed anyway. 2 days out the storm came. They couldn’t make any headway. So much so, they began throwing cargo overboard. After 14 days, they anchored near an island. An angel appeared to Paul and told him that all must stay on board to save their lives. They decided to make the run to land. The ship ran aground and broke apart. They all swam to shore in a safe haven. Just because you belong to God doesn’t mean that you won’t suffer tribulation. But God said with every trial, He will always make a way of escape. God also said, in this world you will suffer tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul was being held prisoner at Ceasarea, because he went to Jerusalem. The religious leaders wanted to kill Paul. But the Romans had stop it. God’s plan was that Paul was to preach the gospel at Jerusalem, then Judea and to the uttermost parts of the world. By the way, is our plan also. Paul had been held prisoner for more than two years. A new Roman governor was going to listen to Paul and invited king Agrippa. They listen intently and Paul preached the gospel. When he finished, king Agrippa said you almost persuade me to be a Christian. King David said to encourage himself, he would recount the testimonies of the Lord or preach the gospel. God has called us to tell the story of Jesus with our lives as well as speaking to people. As we speak forth, not only does the story ring true in our lives, but it also does in others. Recounting the testimonies of the Lord has always been God’s plan for us. As Paul did in the first century and turn his world around, so do we in this century.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

I love Joseph1637 | Owe no Man, let’s play it!
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-38kx4-abb810

The bible says to owe no man anything, but to love him. We are to be above the very appearance of evil. Then no one can accuse us of sin. The devil will accuse us of anything, whether it’s true or not. But if we walk uprightly before God and man we will fulfill the plan of God in our lives. The apostle Paul did what God wanted him to do. He was chased, stoned, imprisoned all the way home to Jerusalem. Now being held by the Romans, the religious leaders were still trying to kill him. Paul, being a Roman, appealed to Ceasar. The Roman governor was going to send him to Rome. Although he didn’t find him guilty of anything. This is what God wants from us. That we would be guiltless before man. And to do nothing more than to love each other, as we love ourselves.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul went to Jerusalem. He knew that the religious leaders were going to capture him, after three years of chasing him. God told Paul that he would go before kings and the Roman emperor to preach the gospel. That road wasn’t going to be easy, but it was his choice. So, in Jerusalem, Paul was arrested and almost killed. The Roman soldiers stopped the crowds and took Paul captive. Paul preached the gospel to Jerusalem and crowds took up stones to kill Paul. The Roman captain sent Paul to the Governor Felix. He preached the gospel to Felix. Still Paul was held prisoner. Because he hadn’t preached the gospel to the Roman emperor. Paul was held for 2 years in Israel. All this time Paul could have been released. But knowing the plan of God, he didn’t. Why? Because we are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Everything revolves around faith to work. You must believe first before you can do it. It is truth both in the physical and spiritual world. As a man believes, so is he. When you believe, you will overcome obstacles. This is how God made us. Faith is what allows us to enter God’s kingdom. Faith justifies us before God. To come to God, you must first believe that He is, then that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. How do we get this faith? It starts with hope that our life can change. Then we pursue, hoping we will find the answer. Then when we see and hear how a person’s life has change, we can start to believe. Hope is a fragile thing. Without faith, it doesn’t survive. There must be a way that we can get faith? There is a way. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So, read the word of God and believe.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com